Magnificent China

One of the first words my 4-year old had learned to read was “China”.  He’d picked up a pot that he was banging on as a part of a mother-son musical duo, and read out the phrase, “Made in China”. 

It’s hard to overlook the magnitude of People’s Republic of China, a country where over 1.3 billion people reside, almost 130 different languages are spoken (excluding dialects or sub-dialects), and where there are more than 55 ethnic groups. 

China has always intrigued me, and it has been on my bucket list of travel for as long as I could remember.  The Forbidden City, the Great Wall of China, and of course, Tiananmen Square, where the 1989 protests took place, the image a man standing in front of a column of tanks forever etched in my mind.  It was an epic travel experience that I'd always dreamt of. 

So, when Beijing was chosen as the site of the 2008 Olympics, I knew I had to make my pilgrimage to this land of one of the world’s earliest and greatest ancient civilizations.  

Shanghai

As soon as my husband and I’d landed in Shanghai, we knew that we were in for THE travel experience of a lifetime.

I was told that Shanghai was known as Paris of the East.  In my opinion, it should be the other way around, Paris is Shanghai of the West.  Shanghai is absolutely spectacular!  It is without a doubt the world’s boomtown, the quintessential symbol of China’s superpower status, and as the breathtaking view of the Bund will clearly demonstrate, Shanghai is a metropolis of the future.  

the Bund

Yuyuan Garden

beautiful streets near Yuyuan Garden

Qibao (Old Street)

What to do:

In addition to all the "must see" historical sites and museums, I really liked Nanjing Road and People’s Square (Ren Min Guang Chang), which truly is an urban park that features manicured greenery and the architecturally impressive Shanghai Museum. Also, as People’s Square is one of the busiest area in Shanghai, and perhaps in the world, it's an ideal place for people watching.  The area near the Yuyuan Garden and the Huaihai Road is absolutely charming, and don't miss the luxury goods store  Shanghai Tang, where the impeccable craftsmanship of the cloths and merchandise will give “made in China” a whole new meaning.

Where to stay: Central Hotel, Fairmont Peace Hotel, Langham Yangtze, Peninsula Hotel, Ramada, Westin

Beijing

Beijing truly is a walking history book.  From the grandeur of the Forbidden City to the hutongs which reflect the everyday lives of ancient Beijing, everywhere we went, I felt as if I’ve been transported to a different time … a different century.  The only thing that brought me back to reality, and inevitably to 21st century, was hordes of tourists that surrounded me at all times. 

the Great Wall

ever-so-serene landscape

Summer Palace

Lama Temple

Forbidden City

Ming's Tomb Sacred Way

Where to eat:

the seafood restaurants near Holiday Inn, Qianmen Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant (32 Qian Men Street), Dadong Roast Duck, Lao She Tea House (3 Qian Men Avenue West)

Where to stay: Holiday Inn Central Plaza, the Orchid Hotel 

Hong Kong

Unfortunately, our experience in Hong Kong was quite the opposite from the experiences we had in Shanghai and Beijing.  It’s a place that has all of the disadvantages of being a big city: the crowd, the pollution, the noise and the inflated prices, but sadly, with none of the advantages … and even worse, very little history.  Fortunately, my husband and I were able to meet up with a good friend of ours, and we ended up having a great time. 

What to do:

• the tram rides – the cheapest and the most fun way to get around (2HKD)
• the ferry ride to Kowloon – same as the tram experience but on water (2.2HKD)
• D’Aguilar Street – mainly comprised of restaurants and bars for expats but nevertheless fun
• Wu Kong Shanghai – a great restaurant on the corner of Nathan & Peking Road

Where to sleep: definitely in Kowloon, Holiday Inn & Sheraton are good options.

10 Most Iconic Places I’ve Been To

the Great Wall of China

I believe the word “iconic” was created to describe the Great Wall of China. It was one of the most surreal (travel and life) experience standing at one of the places I’d always dreamt of seeing. It also turned out to be one of the most intense experiences, as my husband and I stood on the 8,851.8 km (5,500 miles) long wall with what seemed like the entire citizens of China, and walking just a mile … or so I thought … took about as long as walking through Central Park. Nevertheless, it was an awesome experience that I can definitely check off my bucket list of travel.

the Bund, Shanghai

From the moment we’d landed at airport, I was captivated by Shanghai. Being one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Asia, it truly lives up to its reputation of being “Paris of the East”. Although it doesn’t have as many historical sites or artifacts as Beijing, Shanghai is a vibrant living city, not just a walking museum. Therefore, everywhere you go, you experience sophisticated culture, vivacious energy, and most importantly, thriving economy that isn’t depended solely on tourism.

Ta Prohm, Siem Reap, Cambodia

The temple of Angkor Wat, rising out of the Cambodian jungle, is the world’s largest religious structure. But nearby is another temple, Ta Prohm, less grand in scale but more penetrating to the psyche.  Human beings feel out place, and I felt as if we were intruding on a nature's work of art.

Here, the roots of towering strangler figs cascade over the intricately carved stone walls, framing doorways. They depend on each other, neither the walls nor the trees able to stand without the other. The roots snake over and around the religious symbols, looking like synapses of some ancient central nervous system, connecting lost thoughts set in stone.

Paris, France

France is the most visited country in the world, and Paris, the most visited city. I mean, who hasn’t dreamt of seeing the Eiffel Tower, walking along the Champs-Élysées, or visiting one of the many world-class museums? And year after year, the tourists flock to the City of Light … NOT Lights. Even with all the abuse we get from the locals, we can’t help but to love this magnificent city.

Bundestag, Berlin, Germany

While so many of the countries in the Eurozone are struggling economically and politically, Germany remains to be a powerhouse. If you want to know how Germany has managed to maintain its well-functioning government and economy … since WWII, that is … you need not look further than the Parliament building in Berlin. How could the elected officials not feel the importance of their job and their position when they work in a place that looks like the Senate Dome in Star Wars. Or just maybe, its "the force" that's keeping them afloat.

le Mont Saint Michel, France

I'd seen a poster of Mont Saint Michel while walking pass a store window. I’d never seen anything like it or was aware that something like that even existed … an entire city built on top of a rock. Little did I know, Mont Saint Michel happened to be one of the most visited Christian pilgrimage sites in the world, and although there are barely 40 people actually living on the island, it receives over 3 million visitors every year … and boy, we felt every bit of their presence while walking through the narrow winding streets.

Surprisingly, my favorite part of visiting Mont Saint Michel was the drive along the Normandy coast, especially as we approached the island with the scenic view of the sheep and cows grazing on the beautiful landscape.

Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul is breathtaking, exotic and mystical. With its Ottoman minarets and beguiling bazaars, it is a place that epitomizes a wonderful mixture of ancient and modern, of conservative and secular, and both Asia and Europe.

For me, the best part of visiting Istanbul was experiencing the hospitality and the graciousness of the people, İstanbullus, and gaining a better knowledge and understanding of a culture that is different from mine.

Monument Valley, Arizona

When I think of Monument Valley, two words come into my mind, Marlboro Man. I mean, isn’t this the iconic image we’d all grown up with … everyone who was born after 1960’s that is. A rugged cowboy sitting on a horse riding through the vast and mysterious landscapes in the wild wild west, epitomizing the free spirit of America.

Although I’d always thought that the scenery was somewhere in Texas, it's in Arizona, along with some of the most magnificent natural wonders and landscapes in the America. So, during my trip to Arizona, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit Monument Valley, and riding through the landscape in a rental sedan didn’t quite live up to the image of being the Marlboro (Wo)Man. However, Monument Valley was everything I’d imagined it would be … wild and vast.

Time Square, NYC

Without a doubt, Time Square is one of the most recognized place on earth. Everywhere I go, when I tell people I’d lived in NYC, the image that they recollect is one that people have seen in so many movies, on numerous postcards, and one that is seen all over the world every year on New Year’s Eve. Bright lights, tall buildings, and the famous Coke ad smack dab in the middle of it.

Times Square is still the national, and indeed the global, capital of commercial culture. The restaurants and shops of Times Square are local sites of global retail and entertainment businesses, and the office buildings that line Broadway serve as headquarters for some of those very companies. It is a true embodiment of NYC, and over the century, as THE city reinvented itself, so has Time Square, the center of the city that is the center of the world.

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

Of all the famous bridges in the world, for me, Golden Gate Bridge is the most elegant. With its tremendous towers, sweeping main cables, and great span, it is a sensory beauty featuring color, sound, and light.

Also, the bridge is surrounded by some of the most stunning scenery and landscape, the magnificent nature of the Marin Woodlands to the north and the beautiful cosmopolitan city of San Francisco to the south. It’s more than just a bridge that connects commuters from one place to another, it’s an iconic work of art and one of the 20th century’s greatest practical engineering feats ... but for me, it’s a symbol of home.