Locals in China are
extremely friendly and willing to help in most situations. There can
often be a significant language barrier, however this can be easily
overcome with a smile and hand gestures. On all of our travels –
we have agreed that Chinese people have been the most welcoming and
warm.
The food in China is
unbelievably cheap, very tasty and service at most restaurants is
fantastic. All up – we spent three weeks in China and did not have
one bad meal.
The great wall...What more
can you say? This place is a must see and is absolutely breath
taking.
The metro/rail system
within China is comprehensive and excellent value for money. We have
ridden trains from the lowest class 'hard seat' to the highest 'soft
sleeper' and found most trains to be well organised and on time.
The weather in Beijing in
February ranges from a chilly -5 to +6 degrees Celsius, however is
still a great time to visit with reduced tourists and the possibility
of seeing snow capped tourist attractions like the Great Wall.
Shanghai experiences warmer weather than Beijing with temperatures in
February likely to average +15C during the day.
Surprisingly we found China to be full of parks and greens spaces lined with trees and flowers. This makes for lovely relaxing walks and for great people watching.
Surprisingly we found China to be full of parks and greens spaces lined with trees and flowers. This makes for lovely relaxing walks and for great people watching.
If you weren’t a tea
lover before you visit China, you will be when you leave. The colder
months of the year make for great tea drinking with the range and
quality available in China second to none around the world.
Xian and the Terracotta
Warriors. This city and its well known tourist attraction are full
of history, culture and evident hard work. Everywhere you look in
Xian, there is something new and interesting and the locals here are
some of the friendliest we met in China. The Terracotta Warriors
were are definitely worth the trip to Xian.
While most cities you
visit are incredibly modern, there are many excellent museums and
historical sites to visit in China with fascinating history spanning
tens of thousands of years. Within each city in China there are
various influences present, for example in the Muslim quarter in Xian
there is a strong Islamic influence in the architecture and food that
has been carried over from central Asia, while in Shanghai there is
an interesting French influence throughout.
Throughout
the whole of China – we regularly spotted groups of people out
dancing, doing Tai Chi, singing or playing instruments, for
themselves, not for money. There was one time in particular in
Hangzhou, a big group of elderly people gathered around in a circle
and many began waltzing in pairs to the music being played. It was a
lovely moment and I will remember it forever. This street atmosphere
and liveliness is something you do not see in Australia and it was
one of my favourite things about China.
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