This is an interesting topic because people think this will cause a boom in births which we do not think it will. What this issue does not cover the real issue which is that boys are preferred over girls because it is the responsible of the boy to take care of the parents when they are older. The preferring of the boys is part of the culture and is the larger issue. The reason that it will not be a big boom is because Chinese can have more than 1 child depending on their situation now. For example, my wife is an only child born in 1981 with parents from a small village and they could try for another child but my mother in-law did not want a second baby because it cost money. Currently the people who have money just have a second baby and pay the fine or travel to another country to deliver the baby. Another example, my wife’s cousin had a second baby and she worked for a government water works and they said she had to pay the fine for the second baby or be fired. They are successful and paid the fine but she was still fired from her government job. Also, if you get divorced you can have another child with your new spouse. My wife definitely does not see a big boom because she said the most important factor is money to care for the baby and education is high on the list.
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We had some wonderful food in Beijing. Our first street food was for breakfast right outside our hotel which included dumplings, fried dough/sticks, wonton soup and tofu soup for the 4 of us and the cost was 12RMB ($2USD). Most foreigners eat in the hotel and do not try the local street food. Most foreigners are afraid to get sick but if you follow the simple rules and look for where the locals eat and if it is crowded the chances are the food is safe. For example, we walked from our hotel to the Forbidden City and along the way we came across a small food place that serves food out the window, it was crowded with locals so we tried the morning food. The specialty was a bread/pastry with egg and choice of meat, so we tried and it was excellent for 2RMB. We went to the crazy market sections that sells all the bugs on a stick and you see it on a lot in photos from Beijing, but the locals do not eat that and we did not. What the locals were eating was tripe and it was packed with locals. My wife and her parents loved it and said it was so fresh and tasty, I tried tripe before and do not like it. All the foreigners we saw were buying the crazy bugs on a stick but they missed the true experience of what the locals eat. My wife found a street in Beijing online similar to Yelp with many restaurants and when we arrived at night we found one place that was packed with locals. They had a long waiting line so we decided to eat here because the food looked great and it was crowded. They actually had a number system because it was crowded and they give you free sunflower seeds as you wait for your table. We lucked out and got a table outside from a 30 minute wait. I was amazed how busy it was but did not see any foreigners inside or outside of the restaurant and they had 50 tables. We had crawfish which was in season and everyone had it on their tables and ordered oysters and we just looked around to see what everyone else was ordering and did the same. It was the best meal in Beijing by far and the cost was reasonable for a great dinner in Beijing. It blows me away I did not see any foreigners there but did see them pass by which they missed a great place to eat in Beijing. The Summer Palace in Beijing was our third major site to visit during our stay in Beijing. We again had great weather with blue skies in Beijing. The Summer Palace is very easy to get to by Metro/Subway which is the second to the last stop on the line. As you exit the Metro/Subway just follow the crowds to the back entrance of the Palace. We got tickets to all the sites within the Summer Palace. There are a lot of stairs to get up the mountain to the palace. As we reach the lake area we decided to rent a small boat. We highly recommend you rent a small boat for one hour for 100RMB with 400RMB deposit. The one hour is more than enough to see the lake area and we made 2 rounds then relaxed and enjoyed the scenery before the 1 hour was up. It is a great way to see the lake and the palace and get away from all the crowds for a while. We did not see any foreigners renting the small boats but a lot of locals. The Summer Place was definitely a must see site to visit in Beijing. Wow, the Great Wall of China what else’s is there to say other than I was there! I cannot begin to describe how beautiful the Great Wall of China is but it can only be described by going in person. After researching 4 different sections of the wall to visit we selected Mutianyu. The Mutianyu section is less touristy than Badaling (closest to Beijing) and restored for the average walker. We had great weather and the blue skies were out as seen the photo. The Mutianyu section has a cable car to the top and the Toboggan down if you choose. The wall is restored and relatively easy to walk but the stairs are uneven and limited hand rails. There are several vendors to buy snacks and water but I would suggest bringing your own. There are toilets at the top near the cable car. We arrived first thing in the morning and there were only several other visitors which was great. In the afternoon it gets busy but not overcrowded. We took bus number 916 from Dongzhiemen bus station to the last stop which took us 1 hour. Then at the bus stop you need to take a taxi to Mutianyu which is another 45 minutes. We took a private taxi from the bus stop because they saw me as a foreigner as soon as I stepped off the bus and crowded me but my wife took over. There were public and private taxi and the public are in official cars white in color with blue trim. My wife is Chinese so she negotiated for a private taxi which only cost a total 40RMB for 4 people which is a great deal. After the ride up to the Mutianyu section our taxi driver was nice and he wanted us to use his tickets for entry which was less than the ticket window but my wife wanted to verify that the tickets were real. So my father in-law and I enter the gate and the tickets passed so my wife paid the driver and the mother in-law and wife entered as well. After reaching the top we decided to walk on the left side which turned out to be the direction to go. We lucked out with the perfect weather. We spent 4 hours on the Great Wall and my wife and her father walked up the steep steps to one of the towers but it was too much for my vertigo. We took the cable car back down and as you exit they have all the hawkers selling everything and if you do not want to be bothered then do not make eye contact and keep walking. They are aggressive but just say no and keep walking. As we exited we found our taxi driver so he took us back to the bus stop to get on 916 to Beijing. It was a funny situation because there is a queue for the private taxi and our driver was about 10 cars behind. Once we noticed him we told the front car that we would be going with him and they all gave him a jokingly hard time saying he has a foreigner as a friend. He turned out to be a very nice driver and stopped at a store during the drive back down for us to purchase water. He saved us about 20 RMB with his tickets so we tipped him the 20RMB for his great service. He dropped us off at the 916 bus stop and after 10 minutes our bus showed up and we were off to Beijing. Again it was about 1 hour to reach Beijing. I was a wonderful day and we would highly recommend the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China. I would suggest a tour bus to the Great Wall unless you are adventurous, experienced and or have someone who speaks Mandarin Chinese to take a private taxi. The total transportation cost for us 126RMB (4 travelers), taxi from hotel to bus station (30 RMB to and back), bus to town near Mutianyu (16RMB, 2RMB/person to and back), taxi to Mutianyu (80RMB to and back). We had Peking Duck at Li Qun Roast Duck restaurant as seen on No Reservation Travel show. We did our research and it seems to be a highly recommended Peking Duck in Beijing. We reserved a table for lunch at noon and arrived at 11:30am. It was not busy so we did not have to wait but for dinner we would recommend a reservation. It makes sense that it would not be too busy during the day because most travelers are seeing the sites in Beijing. We heard lines are long and there is a time limit for tables of 1.5-2 hours. We had to wait 45 minutes because they just opened and several tables were ahead of us so we played cards. We order a cheap bottle of Baijiu and it was a mistake it was rough stuff. The duck was excellent and curved at your table. The only negative was our vegetable dish of baby boy-choy had a large hair sticking out almost like it was place on purpose. The manager lady showed all the waiters and took care of the issue in a professional manner. The location is easy to get by taxi and it is a lot smaller than on TV. The toilets are located outside and are like public toilets so be aware. Travel Tip: After the duck is curved and served to you get the rest of the duck fried for about 25RMB. The duck bones still have a lot of meat on them so do not waste this food and actually I thought it was better than the actual duck. See the attached photo with the duck bones fried. In our first full day in Beijing we decided to take it easy. We visited the Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City which was located near our hotel (Red Wall Hotel Beijing). We got information from our hotel for the time of the flag ceremony at the Tiananmen Square which happens every morning but at different times and the time was 5:45am. We were all up early from our jet-lag and excitement to explore Beijing so we decided to check-out the flag ceremony. We took a taxi from our hotel to Tiananmen Square and it was raining out. It was crazy crowded with Chinese Tourists and not too many foreigners we could see. There is a check point for your personal bags but it is quick. The flag ceremony last about 3 minutes as the flag is raised and the music is played. Since it was raining out everyone quickly disbursed in all directions. We walked back to our hotel since the rain stopped for breakfast outside our hotel and relax before heading to the Forbidden City. We took a wonderful scenic walk from the North gate on the west side to the main entrance to the Forbidden City. I would suggest bring your own bottler water from a store rather than buying which is a little expensive. There are many lines to purchase tickets and the process was fast. There are 9999 rooms in the Forbidden City and it is an amazing place. We spent about 4 hours exploring. We aware there are many people trying to sell their tours to other places like the Great Wall inside the Forbidden City. It was a great first day in Beijing and we did not overdo it by seeing too much. What’s in a hotel on holiday in China but location location and location. We stayed at the Red Wall Hotel in Beijing for 4 nights. It is very cheap to stay at this hotel but it has a great location behind the Forbidden City but you get what you pay for. This hotel provide the essentials the 4S, which is Sh*t, Shower, Shave, and Sleep. If you want more then do not stay at this hotel and select a higher price hotel. I have researched this hotel and many former customers complained about the food, service, and quality of the rooms. But if you are only paying less than $50USD which a great location do not expect a great hotel because it would never be this affordable. We knew going in what to expect and it exceeded our expectations because all we wanted was a place with a great location and to Sh*t, Shower, Shave, and Sleep nothing more. We arrived late on Sunday evening and I expected the worst rooms and we got them but for only 1 night. The following day we changed into our reserved rooms. Yes, the shower is in the same area as the toilet and water gets everywhere and we expected this so we brought scandals. We have read a lot of negative things about the food and first of all you should not be eating at hotels which you should explore the great affordable food in China. Take a left outside the hotel for breakfast and you have a wonderful fresh breakfast for 12RMB ($2USD) for 4 people. Take another left down the street and you have very good restaurant options for lunch or dinner. We eat our first dinner at this location after our late arrival to Beijing. We looked for a busy restaurant with locals and ordered what they were eating and it was a very good first dinner in Beijing. We have read that the hotel staff is not helpful assisting customers and we experienced the same. My wife is Chinese so the language barrier was not an issue. We just think they do not know and or care about assisting. Think about it, if they could speak good English and knew Beijing well then they probably would be working at a higher paying hotel. Yes, the concierge service wanted to push their tours/shows but this is how they made money. I did a lot of research on Beijing before arriving so we knew where and what we were going to see so we managed without too much help from the hotel staff. The free Wi-Fi service is only available in the lobby and spotty but again what should you expect with the low price of this hotel. The location is great right behind the Forbidden City in the North-East corner. It is a wonderful walk on the west side of the Forbidden City and it takes a good 30 minutes to the main entrance. If you are looking for great amenities from a hotel then this place is not for you. But if you want an affordable hotel in a great location in Beijing without amenities then select this hotel. What a crazy and negative experience with Beijing Taxi. Our first taxi at the Beijing Airport did not want to take us because we had 4 suitcases and 2 carry-ons. But the Airport porter told him he had to take us and we were going to have him drive us. He made every effort to show the bags did not fit in his trunk but the porter was awesome and he made them fit. We argue several times with the driver but I know this is China so a little yelling is acceptable. I took a photo of his number just in case. For a first time traveler to China this would be a major negative experience but I know if you argue enough he would take us. It took an hour to get to our hotel with all the traffic and it was raining out. We had several taxi during our stay in China that refused to take us and we observed many times that they would refuse any customer if they did not want to go in that area both foreigners and Chinese citizens. During our visit we learn to take the metro/subway and it was great. The metro/subway was cheap, clean, safe (just watch out for pickpockets), air conditioned, on time, fast, but it gets crowded especially during rush hour. We finally found out why the taxis refuse service to customers from our last taxi driver. Our hotel called a taxi to take us to the airport early in the morning and he was the best driver in Beijing. He helped us with our suitcases and chatted with my wife the entire trip to the airport. My wife asked why do some taxi drivers refuse service and he told us that it is because the drivers are upset with the government and that is their form of protest. It was great to find out the reason and it made us appreciate him which we gave him a tip (normally we do not tip taxi in China). If you experience being refused in Beijing by a taxi driver do not take it personally and chalk it up as an experience in Beijing and learn the metro/subway. Our flights started in Vegas with Air China’s partner through Star Alliance which is United Airlines. We checked our bags from Vegas straight through to Beijing since we did not have enough time to get our bags in LA and transfer to Air China but United could not give us our tickets from LA to Beijing. The check-in process at Air China was smooth because they has 5-6 counters open for the flight. We had an issue with our assigned seats and the United Airline personnel deleted our seats since we checked our bags in Vegas. I quickly pulled out my Seat Map for the Boeing 777-300ER for these occasions and they suggested row 34 in the middle section. I was a little concern because this is the front row with the toilets in front of the seats and people use it for a walkway. The last time we took this type of seats was on an older 747 and the seats were tight width wise (tray table is in the arm rest) and NO personal TV. But my wife convinced me to try on the newer 777-300ER and it turned out to be the best seats in economy class. First the seats are wider than the old 747 even with the tray table in the arm rest. Second each seat has a TV on an adjustable swing arm support. Third much more leg room for my 6’2” body frame and it is less coslfic. Forth, there is not seat in front of you so you do not have to worry about it reclining and jamming your knees. Fifth my wife’s favorite first to be served. The walkway was not a problem this time and the toilets did not seem to disturb us and the Air China flight attendants clean them often. We prefer the middle section because people will stand to stretch in the exit door area. Another small advantage you get off the plane quicker. We definitely recommend row 34 on a Boeing 777-300ER with Air China. The overall experience with Air China was great again with their wonderful drink and food selection which I do not eat but my wife does is excellent and great customer service. |
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September 2019
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