Tag Archives: beijing zoo

Day 4: The Good, the Bad, and the Forbidden

April 22, 2012 ishg Leave a comment

Early morn:

The Good: Finally indulging our itch to shop after being in China for several days already. Shortly after we arrive from Xian, Phoebe and I freshen up and dart for Qianmen Shopping Street, south of Tiananmen Square.

Bargain hunter's haven at the heart of the city, just south of Tiananmen Square — When Phoebe and I laid eyes on the long row of shops lining the boulevard, we knew we've arrived. The main street holds the posh shops alongside the kitsch; take a random turn into the perpendicular alleys, and you'll be greeted by stalls with cheaper bargains and a whole lot of interesting stands for snacks.

Continue reading →

asia, travel

The Beijing Express

April 14, 2012 ishg 1 Comment

China — the land of It-Can-Be-Done. Think Great Wall, the Terracotta Warriors, the capital’s makeover for the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

It's Mao Time! — Time is of the essence!

We tried our own great feat as well: a city-wide scramble to pack temple-hopping, panda-spotting, bargain-hunting, palace-promenading and kung-fu fighting — ALL IN ONE DAY. We couldn’t afford to waste any time, and we were mad to comb through the ever-spry Beijing. One thing that we had going for us though was that it only took 2 RMB (0.3 USD!) to go to anywhere by subway in the capital. Yup, the Beijing IC transit smart card (or ‘Yikatong’, as they call it) will be your new BFF when in the city. Continue reading The Beijing Express →