8am and we are on the move again. Today is jam packed and boy, did our guide not let us forget it. A small Chinese woman with a traditional bowl haircut and orange glasses to match her orange parka, she powered through, walking at top speed while explaining the intricacies of Chinese history and telling us where to stand for pictures.
First up, we jump on the public bus for two stops to get to the Temple of Heaven. The greatest thing about public transport in Beijing is that for 1 yuan, you can get anywhere by bus. Feeling special and want to take the subway? That'll be 2 yuan please. The Temple of Heaven is located within the grounds of Tiantan Park. It is a great first stop as we arrive early enough on the Saturday morning to witness the locals in the park dancing, exercising and stretching with park equipment, practicing tai chi, bull whipping, playing jianzi (similar to hacky sack) and even practicing Chinese calligraphy. It was amazing to witness such an oasis in a city shrouded in smog and pollution.
The Temple of Heaven was created to demonstrate honour, ceremony and sacrifice from the emperor to pray to the heavens for good harvests before the the harvesting and to thank the heavens after it. We learn more about the strong symbolism that exists in China. Apparent at the Temple of Heaven but not limited to it, there are three sets of steps that lead up to the Temple of Heaven, representing the earth, the people and the heavens. Each of the steps have 9 steps each as it was seen as a powerful number, being the largest single digit number that could only be used by the emperor - the doors which lead into the various buildings that belong to the emperor all have 9 by 9 studs and no other properties were allowed to have that.
After a few happy snaps, it was a 30 min cab ride to the Summer Palace or Yihe Yuan. As the name suggests, the palace was the summer home for the emperor located on a lake and consisting of less formal buildings, picturesque gardens and the world's longest outdoor corridor, a 700m covered walkway along the lake, hand painted in incredible detail.
After the Summer Palace, we ride the subway, heading for the Hutongs in Old Beijing. Hutongs give tourists a glimpse of Old China that is slowly being lost. The hutongs are formed by the outside walls of traditional courtyard homes (si he yuan) which were built according to the principles of feng shui dating back to second century BC. We start at Yan Dai Xie Jie, which literally translates to "Slanted Tobacco Pipe Street", so called because it runs NE to SW and previously housed several tobacco and pipe shops. Previously known as "Slanted Drum Tower Street" for its proximity to the Beijing Drum Tower, Yan Dai Xie Jie Hutong runs 232m and today is home to trendy bars, inns and other boutiques. The walk through the Hutong takes us to the Houhai area where we stop for some lunch.
After lunch, we visit the longest Hutong in Beijing. Stretching over a mile, Nan luo gu xiang has been extensively renovated and houses modern boutiques, motels, cafes and restaurants. Attracting locals and and tourists alike, the alley has earned the nickname "Disney Hutong". Despite this, it was still an experience to push our way through the crowds to get ourselves from one end to the other.
Next, it was a short bus ride to Yonghe Gong or the Lama Temple. Lama as in Dalai Lama, not the animal inclined to eat washing. Originally built as an imperial palace in 1694, it was converted to a religious sites according to Chinese tradition. Displaying Han, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan influence, the main highlight of the Lama Temple is the Guinness world record breaking 26m tall and 8m wide statue of Maitreya (the future Buddha), carved out of a single piece of sandalwood.
Our final stop of the day was to taste some tea at a tea house. Most people know of Ness' obsession with chinese and japanese teas so 30 mins later and several yuan lighter, it was onto the subway and back to the hotel for a rest before we meet with our G Adventure guide and crew who we would spend the next eight days on tour with.
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