LAST MINUTE ROOM BARGAIN
Loading ...China, a great impression trip
Wednesday, November 25th, 2009hi all,
I just taken a wonderful trip to China including Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Beijing with just 5days including 1,5days traveling time.
it is not easy to find a suitable trip with all you need for just a short trip of 5days. I have looked through many forum to find out which is the best choice for my trip.
Firstly, Beijing – Xian and Beijing – Luoyang was in my list. As you see, time is limited but my demand for destinations is mush higher. After consulting and asking with many people on the web, i finally chosen trip to Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Beijing.
We booked seat on Vietnam airlines at promotion fare of only 190US$ for return Hanoi to Beijing.
The flight was on time and crew are very friendly with good choice of meal on board of the new A321. There was no point to complain about their service for my flight. A good starting. Arrived in Beijing T2, the first impression of China was very fast and friendly Immigration polices. They worked very quick to chop my passport with a smile. There are voting systems infont of each counter for us to evaluate their job and surely i have pressed the green button represent for the highest satisfactory.
Outside temperature was quite low at +1 oC even indoor was heated by aircond system. We could easily see the remaining snow on the house roofs and grass field.
The Beijing airport is quite easy to use then we reached to domestic departure hall quickly without any difficulty to connect flight to Shanghai with China Eastern Air. The ticket for this sector we booked with Elong company at around 720RMB per including all tax. Flight on time , too. All crew girls were very cute but 1 of them seems not so polite when she did not talk any thing but pulled the headphone (which supplied on aircraft) off my head when flight took off. I did not think it was necessary to remove this headphones as it was given by them and for the audio source provided by the airlines, not by personal ipod. Food was good and seat was big enough for a good sleep on 3 hours flight.
Shanghai night was not so cold. Waiting for taxi here is a nightmare with very long queue. All the taxi there are very old Volkswagen and non of driver can speak English or any language other then Chinese.
We reached the Oriental TV tower at 10pm and failed catching the last SIC bus for the night tour then had to take taxi to get around the city before leaving for station to get training to Suzhou at 11h51pm.
The railway station was good and easy to use but the toilet was very dirty and did not have any piece of paper. Train departs extremely on time and quite smooth even the seat was not really comfortable and may cause back pain for long journey. There were many local person invited us to buy many thing from massage, tour, guide, car….in thier mother language dispite we could not understand what they were saying. We checked in hotel at around 12h20am. New Century was a good hotel and its location is perfect.
first day ends with a tired trip and quickly brought us to deep sleep.
Suzhou morning is not so cold, just around 12oC and clear sky. There are not many taxi in this small town and we chose bike (50RMB for 1 bike with driver) instead of taxi for your tour even bargained price is higher than taxi fee. The whole day trip including all spots and bus station transfer. The drivers were very friendly and dedicated working without asking us to cut itinerary nor to complain anything. They sometimes also invited us to shop silk and pearl at their contracted shops but we did not take it.
Suzhou Caml Garden (CangLangTing Garden)
Entrance
there is evident show that the citizens here are very rich when they fire fireworks during the daytime for event such as New Shop opening ceremony.
Tiger Hill is a must visit place in Suzhou
Panmen Gate (simplified Chinese: 盘门; traditional Chinese: 盤門; pinyin: pánmén) is a famous historical landmark in Suzhou, China. It is located on the south-west corner of the Main Canal or encircling canal of Suzhou. Originally built during the Warring States Period in the state of Wu, historians estimate it to be around 2,500 years old.
we continue with the cruise trip along the Canals. this is a great amazing trip with all the typical images of Suzhou can be found here include ancient arch stone bridge, grey roofed house and lots of red lanterns. This is surely the best part of tour
and the front street which used to be the busy commercial center in the past
it’d better to have 1 and half day to visit all site in Suzhou. however, our time budget limited so we had to move to Hangzhou by bus in the afternoon of same day.
The Suzhou bus station is very clean and neat. securitymen is patrolling around. Buses are double decker and very on time and seat is quite comfortable for a sleep.
there is only 1 issues is the information board is all in Chinese so it will be very hard to find the right journey if you can not speak Chinese.
we reached Hangzhou after 2 hours. Very on time. Friendship is 4star hotel locate just walk walking step to the lake and lots of hi-brand shops. Facilities are excellent.
The first thing we must do is to get ticket for the show Impression West Lake. We got shock when hotel staff informed fully booked. She called to the show and informed we may only have change to get first class seats at 600RMb per but finally got us normal seat at 220rmb each at not a good corner. normally, if you pre book via hotel you can get a discount up to 20rmb each.
Hangzhou is a sub-provincial city located in the Yangtze River Delta in the People’s Republic of China, and the capital of Zhejiang (浙江) province. Located 180 kilometres (112 mi) southwest of Shanghai. The city is famous for its landscape and tea as well as for the silk path.
there are some free water musical show on the lake, however, the Impression WL show is not in the center, around 2km away. The show can be compared with opening ceremory of Olympic Beijing with about 300 artists on the surface of the lake
Hangzhou is also famous for fresh water hairy crab available in the spring season
You have 2 options for the cruise tour on the WL.
Either Dragon Boat sharing with group @40Rmb/per or small wooden rowing board @180rmb/for 4 per.
we took 2nd options for more romantic and have chance to enjoy captain singing 
. he is also a local tour guide.
West Lake is not only famous for its picturesque landscape, it is also associated with many scholars, national heroes and revolutionary martyrs, thus embracing many aspects of Chinese culture. In addition, many ancient buildings, stone caves and engraved tablets in surrounding areas are among the most cherished national treasures of China, with significant artistic value.
it is recommended to visit WL in the early morning or at dawn. However, the foggy may cause your picture not clear.
Leifeng Pagoda was originally built on Leifeng Mountain, in front of Jingci Temple at the foot of Rihui Peak of Nanping Mountain on the southern bank of the West Lake. Leifeng Pagoda was originally built on the peak in the Wuyue Period. It used to be a landmark scenic spot of the West Lake. However, it was destroyed by Japanese troop in the war.
today temple is newly built 1999-2002 on its basement
panoramic view from Leifeng tower
and inside
finished visiting Leifeng, we moved to Lingyin temple complex. this is a huge complex of temples on the mountains. Lingyin is a Zen temple, which meaning “Hide the Spirit”
there are 2 options to reach the temple: Walking up the hill or by electricity car. We choose car by paying 8rmb each. There are lot of Longting tea farm along the way.
Entrance fee to this complex is quite expensive, 45Rmn/per, however, we had to pay extra 30Rmb to visit the LingYin temple. 
. actually, you dont have time after visit this temple then the 45Rmb is a waste. this is the richesh temple in China
this temple was a small monastery since 328BC until rebuilt to big temple during 907-978 with 9 multi storey building, 18 pavilions, 72 halls with over 1300 rooms and 300o monks. this temple is also famous for the in-mountain carving buddhas.
The Hangzhou tour brought us lots of sense and impression and ended with Longting tea on the lake bank.
Hangzhou airprort is small but very nice and easy to use but almost no shopping.
we arrived Beijing at around 11pm. the first impression but terrified was taxi driver kept speed at 100kph in the foggy night. Dong Jiao Minxing Hotel location is perfect but can not be ranked at 4* in fact. Beijing hotel is a better choice.
Beijing is a big city so we rent a private car instead of taxi. Fee is 600Rmb for a 4 seat car services from 6am-6pm and price drop to 300Rmb only if we accept to stop at some shopping points. The car is a very old VW 
with malfunction keys. Tour started at 6am and we reach Ba Da Ling wall at 7h45am. Freezing cold.
Badaling is a quite preserved part of Great Wall even it was not in the original look which make convenience for tourists.
The local Gov seems so smart to annouce “not to be a hero if you can not reach top of Great Wall”. He he, it is not so hard to be a hero with this peak
Ke ke. after reaching to top, look down to see other trying to climb.
believing i was a hero until got shock with other peak 
finally, the highest point conquered after 90mins climbing
down the wall just took 5mins by cable car 
so easy.
Time limits, we immediately moved to Ming’s tombs. Journey tool 45mins without traffic.
Ming”s tombs is 13tomb of Ming’s Emperors (1368-1644), 50km away from Beijing center. welcome visitors by dragon at main entrance
down the tombs…to say Hello, ah sorry, to say “Ni hao” to dead people
some white marble thrones
and here the King and Queen inside the coffins
Tomb is boring to visit but the Museum outside is a must visit place with lots of things
Peach garden outside but no fruit during this season.
Finish visiting Tombs. Bonus picture with “bottom telecom”. something seems missing from this bottom?
really exhausted but still have Summer Palace to visit in the day. We immediately moved to Summe Palace. it was a so misty day and could not see anything afar from you just only 100m.
many lions and dragons at the entrance
Summer Palace is a park of 290,ooo sqm, west Beijing. this park use to be place famous entertainment park for many Chinese reigns.
What is it?
come closer…
and closer, a big bridge
with lot of stone lion-dogs
and a bronze ox to “block” the blood. The KanLong King himself composed the script on the ox.
and corridors
this is Kunming Lake and the building afar is Buddish Incense Pavillian
this so long corridor lead to the said pavillian
Tags: beijing, china, forbidden palace, garden, great wall, hangzhou, Hanoi, impression west lake, Luoyang, red kungfu, shanghai, summer palace, suzhou, west lake, xian
nguyen ngoc hau from Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Australian Visa from Manila, Philippines
slkosher from Delhi, India
Phil from Cambodia
Landon Zuanich from Seoul-t'ukpyolsi, Korea Republic of