Spring Break in China

Wuyishan and Beijing

Spring Break is one of the only breaks on our school calendar that is not a Chinese holiday. This means it is the ideal time for traveling in China because most places won't be so crowded since Chinese people are still working. There's generally nice weather during this time, too. I had a week off and I took the opportunity to visit one location in the province I currently live, and to check out Beijing, for the first time.  

First Stop, Wuyishan. 
Shan means mountain, so my first stop was Wuyi mountain.  

Translations:

In China, bed means a table with a sheet.

In China, hiking means stairs.

A typical bed in China is very hard. For my apartment I've bought a mattress pad that helps a little. Many hotels have softer beds, however I stayed in a no-frill hostel on this trip, so my bed was the typical table with a sheet. 

After 3 hours on the bullet train, I was picked up by the owner of the hostel I booked. The hostel had amazing reviews, on the website I use to make all of my accommodation reservations, and they are mainly due to the owner. His English is limited, but we could communicate pretty well with our basic language skills and online translators. He immediately jumped into telling me about the tour he has set up for the next day.  "It has beautiful fogger" he repeated over and over.  I just went with it, even though it meant leaving at 6 am the next morning. And I'm glad I did.

Bright and early, he walked me and a Malaysian couple, an hour through tea fields, to the base of the back entrance to the most popular hike/view. Then he set us off on our own, to walk up thousands of stairs. The front entrance would have required an entrance fee and didn't open until 8, which would have meant we would  have missed the "beautiful fogger" (and had to join in the slow ascent with the mass crowds). 

In China, granted there are a lot of mountains, but everything is staired.  I have yet to find a hiking path that is not paved or chiseled into stairs. I find this really strange but I'm getting used to it. It helps when you have breathtaking natural views like these at the top of the man-made stair paths.

It was a very unique place to stay. I booked a private room with a private bath in the basic accommodations, per my typical, but I needed to go out and find a towel to purchase. I can still see why the reviewers rave though because the owner took me, and the other guests on several free tours. He also called a friend and got me discounted tickets to a popular performance. The spectacular show included a revolving stage and served the audience their famous oolong tea. My host also chauffeured me. I didn't take advantage of the free bike rentals this time, but I plan to when I return. For all of the taxing me around and my 3-night room fees, I paid the equivalent of 50 American dollars.  

I also took a bamboo raft trip with the Malaysian couple and a British couple, who were also staying at the hostel. 

I can't believe so much beauty is just a 30 dollar, 3 hour, train ride away from where I live.

Beijing. 
Bei means north and jing means capital. After a day and a half reprieve in my own apartment, I flew direct to China's capital, Beijing. I flew 3 hours north.

In Beijing, I wanted to see the Great Wall and watch a Chinese acrobat show, but I wasn't sure what to expect from polluted, mega-city.  I was pleasantly surprised. I stayed in a quiet, quaint hutong (traditional neighborhood) at an amazing hotel and I had a once in a lifetime Great Wall experience (literally no one was there the majority of the time I was there). I briefly checked out Tiananmen Square, the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City, as well. There are other sections of the Wall I'd like to explore, and more things to see on a return visit, but it was a delightful trip. 

Every time I go somewhere I want to plan a return trip, and I'm constantly adding more places I want to visit to my 'China List', so it is ever growing. This really is an amazing place to live.