Historical and Cultural tour

The 6th day was the start of our historical and cultural tour in Beijing. With more than 2000 years of rich history, Beijing is both an ancient and cosmopolitan city. For a start, we visited the Summer Palace, or 颐和园 in Chinese. This was a huge garden built during Ch'ien Long Emperor's time (1736-1796), mainly a haven to escape the harsh summer. However, it was burnt down during the war between the Allied Forces and The Ching Court in 1900. Greatly favored by the Empress Dowager, a huge sum of money originally budgeted to reinforce the country's navy was used to renovate the burnt down Summer Palace.

The boards are worded in both in Han （汉）and Manchurian（满）.This was to show that the Manchurian emperors wanted the Hans and the Manchurian to live as one big family, and viewed the Hans as an integral part of the Ching Empire.

A point to note is that Manchurian is a near-extinct language in the world.

The Summer Palace was greatly favored by the Empress Dowager as her favorite hide-out, hence we can see the luxury and magnificence of this garden. Given the fact that Western forces "invaded" China during late Ching, we can also see Western influences in the Summer Palace.

On the seventh day, we visited the famous Great Wall of China. Aptly named as part of the "Seven Wonders of the World", you have to witness it for yourself the "Magnificence" （霸气）of this incredible structure. However, millions of lives have been sacrificed to build this structure.

After Qin Shih Huang conquered the Warring States in B.C.E. 246, he wanted to combine the various defense fortresses to form a long barricade against the barbarians from invading the Central Plains. To complete this massive project, Qin Shih Huang introduced the corvee system and forced every able-bodied male-commoner to construct the Great Wall.

As the air was thin in the mountainous region, we climbed the wall breathless. Finally, after climbing for 40 minutes, we gave up and decided to descend, not forgetting to get some "Great Wall" memorabilia. After all, we have completed the task of becoming "real men". (Mao Tse Dong said: "If you have never been to the Great Wall, you are not a real man"-不到长城非好汉)

After completing our trip to the Great Wall, we made our way to the Ming Tombs. The Ming Tombs are tomb gardens constructed for 13 of the 16 Ming Emperors (1368-1644), and only 1 has been opened up for tourists to visit, which is the Ding Tomb （定陵）. Ding Tomb is the grave site of Emperor Wan Li (1573-1620), the longest reigning emperor in Ming history.

Upon arriving, we felt a somber mood immediately, and were told not to be rowdy while visiting the underground tomb as a form of respect for the deceased. Also, we were told to keep in our hearts the sentence "Here I come" （我来了！）upon entering the tomb gates. As we went to the underground tomb site, we could see the extravagance of a royal tomb. A throne, together with jewelry and golden accessories were placed in the tomb, as a symbol of royalty.

As we exited the underground tomb site, we had the chance to visit 2 chambers exhibiting the excavated items found with Emperor Wan Li's body. The fog and mist in the garden added a sense of eeriness and somber to our visit. When it was time to leave the main exit, we were told to shout "I am Back!" （我回来了！）. There is this belief that the Ming Tomb is the border between the mortal world and underworld, thus it is important for us to shout "I am Back!" so that our souls return to the mortal world with us.

On the 8th day, we visited the Tiananmen Square（天安门广场） and the Forbidden City（紫禁城）. The Tiananmen Square was our first stop before entering the Forbidden City main gate, and we witnessed for ourselves first-hand, the magnificence of the World's largest assembly square. However, the Tiananmen Square's history had its share of contemporary China's political history.

On 1st October 1949, Mao Tse Dong declared the birth of "New China"（新中国）at the top of the Forbidden City main gate to a huge audience gathered at the Tiananmen Square. During the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), the Red Army assembled at the Tiananmen Square hailing Mao Tse Dong and his cultural movement.

After touring this huge assembly square, we "marched" our way to the Forbidden City main gate, a.k.a. Wu Men （午门）, and the next building we saw was Tai Ho Dian （太和殿）, the Imperial Court during the Ming Dynasty. The grandeur of this building is way beyond description, and this is just the beginning!




Tai Ho Dian

As we proceeded further, we came to the Ching "part" of the Forbidden City, the Ch'ien Ching Men （乾清门）. This section was built during the Ching Dynasty as their Imperial Court, and the name suggests court officials to "keep their mouths shut, and keep their ears open", mainly telling us the dangerous politics during those times.

After our Forbidden City visit, we proceeded to the Jing Shan Park (景山公园) a.k.a. Mei Shan（煤山）. This park is famous for a tree which the last Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Chong Zhen（崇祯皇帝）, ashamed to face his ancestors for bringing down the empire, hanged himself at the tree.

We could also get a bird's eye view of the Forbidden City from the highest point of the park. Unfortunately, due to heavy fog, we could not get a clear view of the entire palace. It is said that during summer, the we could actually get the clearest view of the palace!

Bird's Eye View of the Forbidden City.

Finally, on the 9th day, we visited the Temple of Heaven（天坛）, located near our hotel. The Temple of Heaven has been the royal temple since the Ming era, and hence only suited by the Emperor himself to pray for prosperity and good harvest for the country every start of the lunar year.


Temple of Heaven Alter

In the Temple of Heaven park, there is also a Wall of Echo（回音壁）. The wonder of this wall is that it can reflect sound and send echoes ringing around it, if someone were to stand at the center and give a loud shout. Unfortunately, due to the large crowd at the Wall of Echo, we could not hear our echoes clearly.

The Wall of Echo

Shopping!

First trip to Xi Dan:


Hooray!! Our first shopping trip is finally here. =DD However, the bus stopped at somewhere away from Xi Dan shopping mall and we were to take a 10 mins walk in the
cold before reaching our destination. =(( Upon reaching Xi Dan, our first reaction( for most of us) is: " Hey this place is quite similar to Bugis Street in Singapore!!"
Before starting our shopping trip, our tour guide Dan Dan emphasized the following again: " PLS TRY TO CUT DOWN THE GIVEN PRICE BY AT LEAST HALF!!"
(She has been mentioning this when we were on the bus) =PP

After the briefing by the teachers and Dan Dan, OFF WE GO to do our SHOPPING!! " CHIONG AH...!!" =DD
Structure of Xi Dan shopping mall:
Basement: Food and beverages ( Erm I'm not too sure what else is sold here... Hahas cos I didn't go to this level..Sry Guys!!)
1st Level: Ancessories and some Manicure shops
2nd Level: Bags and shoes
3rd Level: Clothings

Alright, let's move on to e price shopping part. As it was e first time I am doing " price slashing", thus I wasn't quite good at it. * Embarrased*
Instead, Tze Wei( who's a GUY!!), was MUCH MUCH BETTER in "price slashing" than me. Hahas. He managed to help me cut down e price of a bag from RMB $90
(= S$18) to RMB $50 (=s$10). Hahas Thks Tze Wei!! =))
Also, I finally realised why Dan Dan kept mentioning abt cutting down the prices by at least 1/2. Hahas. Thks Dan Dan!! ^^
However, the gals have also did a great job in cutting down the prices. =DD For eg, Shin YUn managed to get 4 bags at RMB $120. The given price for the bag is RMB
120 EACH. Hahas surprised rite? Geat job Shin Yun!! =))
Although i'm not too sure how the others are doing( Sry!!)... however, I believe most of us have had a fun experience!! ^^ (Pls feel free to share ur experience in tis blog)

The shopping time was from 3.30 pm to ard 5pm. To be honest, the time given is toooo SHORT. Hahas it would be better if much more time is given. =PP
At the end of the shopping trip, most of us were busy "showing off" our items to each other. We started discussing abt our experiences and finally came to the following
conclusion:
* The most useful technique in price slashing:
student A : (to shopkeeper) How much is this bag?
Shopkeeper: RMB 150.
student A: Too expensive...Really too expensive.
Shopkeeper: No la. It's not expensive. Ok quote ur price.
student A: RMB 40.
Shopkeeper: Cannot.
Student B: HEY LET'S GO. LET'S GO TO OTHER SHOPS TO TAKE A LOOK AT THEIR BAGS,
Student A: OK!!
Shopkeeper: OK, don't go off first. RMB 100. That's the lowest price.
Student A and B: Let's go.
Shopkeeper: Alright! Deal. RMB 40.

Hahas above is just a short scenario to explain the best technique mentioned earlier. Although it might not be useful eveytime, however, for most of the time, it is very
effective!! =DD No harm trying tis technique when you haf a chance to do "price slashing".

Kaes. This shd be all for the first trip to Xi Dan. Really miss tis place lotz after leaving!! =((

2nd Trip to Xi Dan:
After much "harassement" from the students, the teachers and tour guides have finally agreed to bring us to Xi Dan again!! Hahas thks!! =)) Also, the shopping time
given was much longer.*Hooray!!* We were given about 3 hours to do our shopping.
This time, most of us came prepared and were ready to do a good "slashing". However, we were brought to another shopping mall (which is located beside Xi Dan) before
starting our shopping at Xi Dan shopping mall.
STructure of the new shopping mall:
1st floor: Food and local delicacies (Yummy!!)
2nd floor: Shoes
3rd floor: Ancessories
4th floor: Males department
5th floor: Females department
However, this is the 2nd time I'm here at tis new shopping mall.Tze Wei and I went there once by mistake. =XX
After walking for about 1/2 hr at tis new mall, I came to tis conclusion: I still prefer XI DAN shopping mall more!! Hahas. This shopping mall will perhaps be more
suitable for gals who are shopping for clothes. =))

Tis time, my "price slashing" skill has improved alot. XDD I managed to get a bag at RMB $30. The original given price is RMB $90. Hahas. It is then I realise tat
"price slashing" is so fun and it can gif a person a sense of satisfaction. =)) Also, I went to another shopping mall which is located opposite of Xi Dan Mall. The structure
of this mall is very similar to tat of Xi Dan. Thus, i shall not further elaborate abt tis mall... Sry!!
Another interesting incident is: My friends and I are mistaken as Koreans in some of the shops. Tis is probably because we are communicating in english??? Hahas.
I dun realli knoe the reason why we are mistaken as Koreans... But tis is wat the shop keepers said when they saw us: " Hey, look. There are a few koreans here." However,
when we start speaking in chinese to the shop keeper, they will ask the following Qn: " Which country are you from? " Hahas I tink tis must haf happened to mani of us
when we are shopping in Xi Dan. =PP
Also, for tis time, some of the groups had asked Dan Dan & Apple along to shop with them. ( cos Dan Dan & Apple are realli GOOD in bringing down prices) Hahas.
Although I didn't get the chance to witness how good their skills are, however, from the satisfied look of the students aft the trip, I'm quite sure tat they are pleased
with the performance of our tour guides. =DD

Tink I shall stop here for the 2nd trip to Xi Dan. Hahas. If u haf much much more things to share, pls do write it in tis blog. ^^ We will luv to read more interesting
experiences. Lastly, I believe most of us will miss the experiences in Xi Dan...MISS XI DAN LOTZ...

Silk Street
27th Nov 2007. Our LAST day in Beijing.
Aft spending 10days in Beijing, it is finally time to bid farewell to Beijing. =((
However, before we depart for the airport, we were brought to our last shopping mall for tis trip, the SILK STREET. We weren't given much time (onli 45 mins) to do
our last shopping due to the tight schedule for tat day. =((
As I didnt get to shop the entire mall, thus I couldnt describe its structure. Sry!! But if u haf managed to shop the entire mall, pls help to write down its structure here.
Thks. =))

At SILK STREET, I brought a pair of children shoes for...( Hahas it's a secret). I'm quite glad tat I haf managed to buy something as it seems tat most of the students
didnt manage to get wat they want. =(( Perhaps it is due to the lack of time to shop. But it'ok, I tink most of us have had a great time shopping in Xi Dan already...
After shopping in Silk Street, we went for lunch at the Macdonald opposite it.
I'm realli going to miss all the times shopping in BeiJing...

-Joyce

Beijing Immersion Trip 2007王府街 – Wang Fu Jing Street Day 7 – 24.11.2007
One look and you would think that it is just an ordinary street lined with shops on both side. But, upon another close look, you would find that tall buildings mingling with the other shorter stores are lined along the street. This is something different from the ordinary structure of short to tall. Mostly youngsters and tourists were there. Even so, it is a rather quiet street.
In addition, there are many junctions and roads in between the row of stores. Hence, signs of people jay-walking are rather common. But one must be very careful of on-coming vehicles from one the turns.There are also many branded stores like adidas, Nike and Puma etc. And, the goods they sell there are definitely priced lower then what you would find in Singapore; they are not imitated goods.
Across the street is a lane of stores that sells different kinds and types of Beijing snacks which can satisfy all your cravings and fill your stomach.
Walking towards the south end of Wang Fu Jing is a big, tall modern building called Wang Fu Jing book store. I think I spent around 1 hr plus and bought five Chinese novels there. Can you believe it?! The total cost was just 105 RMB, that’s about $21.00 Sing dollars!
First, I quickly browsed level by level starting from level 2. English novels are located at the 3rd or 4th level under imported readings, which is a very small portion of all sections at that level. Those are definitely not the latest novels and most books are in Chinese. There are Chinese magazines and music scores of Guzheng and flute around the corner. Next level lays rows and rows of romance Chinese novels which only a few can be found in Singapore’s Kinokuniya.
At around 9am, the shopkeepers chased us out by shouting ‘Stop looking, please leave.’ in Chinese. I was shocked at first as I didn’t expect the shop to close at such early hours. This is very different from Singapore. Shops there do not close so early and shopkeepers usually allow people to enter the bookstore. Beijing people have no nightlife. Their shops usually closed at around 9-9.30 pm while Singapore have either 24 hrs shops or shops which closed at 10-11pm, latest.






Beijing Immersion Trip 2007 雅秀市场- Ya-xiu MarketDay 8 – 25.11.2007
Shopping at Ya-xiu market was fun. Price of goods can be bargained and it has to be gauged according to how much you feel that that good is worth. And comparatively speaking, since prices are low, those shoes, bags, ear pieces, wallets are all imitated goods, not real products.
You would be shocked that the shopkeepers would keep bugging you to ask if you want to buy their goods. Be it bags or shoes, their tone sounds desperate and seems very eager to sell away their products. Price can be bargained till as low as 70% off or more.
The shopkeepers there wore uniforms with flower pattern. Some were as young as 17 years old. Depending on what language you speak and your accent, the shopkeeper would price their goods differently. So, try to speak proper Chinese as much as possible.
The shopping mall was crowded with mostly tourist and stores are cramped. The first level is stores that sells clothes, mostly pull-over and jacket since it is winter season. Next level is stores that sell ipod ear piece and other electronic products. Basement level is filled with stores that sell shoes and bags. You can find a lot of these goods of different designs, patterns and styles. It can definitely satisfy the cravings and big appetite of shopaholics.


Qinlei

Education

19th – 22nd November
Location: The High School Attached to CNU
Resting for half a day after touching down at Beijing’s airport, we were finally ready to visit the High School Attached to CNU. Before we met up with our buddies, we were brought to a meeting room where we watched the introductory video of the school and met the teachers in charge of the exchange.

High School Attcahed to CNU

Next up we were brought around the school. I have to say that this school is very well furnished and also BIG. Well, then again, it could be due to the fact that PJC is smaller compared to the school. Amongst the places we were brought to, the auditorium, gym, indoor basketball court and the study room appealed most to me.




Before we set off discovering the college!

The auditorium was reminiscent of the hall I saw in Nayang Girls High School during an exchange where it was actually underground. The size however, was much bigger then the one I saw. From what we were told, that auditorium was a place to hold performances and also the place where students would gather to receive their graduation certificates.

The was also an underground gym. Apparently, the school used to be a bomb shelter and thus the gym was originally a bomb shelter for people to hide in whenever China faced bomb threats. While its size was about the size of a normal gym, it had pool tables in it. About 4 to be exact! That could very well be the place where many students could actually hang out and play pool after school or during breaks.




The gym

Breathtaking. That was how I could only feel when I saw the indoor basketball court in the school. Apparently, the school has one of the top basketball team in the whole of Beijing and this court was built for the school team to practice. It was something I never imagined could be inside a school.

They also have a study room where it was as big as the canteen in PJC. With many tables and chairs, students could go there to study or to complete their assignments. This certainly is something our school could come out with to allow students to study in a conducive and comfortable environment.

After taking a tour around the school, we met with out buddies. My buddy is really smart, he is afterall one of the top ten in his school.-_- We then attended their assembly where the students’ patriotic side was seen. They sang their national song with gusto that’s for sure. It was loud, audible and clear. Felt a little ashamed of myself though. We then went for classes and it was really hard to catch up with them. They learnt everything in Chinese except for their English classes and it was hard to understand a lot of their Chinese terms, especially when they spoke so fast. I practically told my buddy that their teachers spoke like machine guns that never ran out of bullets. -_-.

Each period is usually 45-50 minutes where there would be a 15 minutes break in between after each period. The lessons are also class room based unlike the junior college system of being lecture based. The system is actually the same as the one we experienced during our secondary school years. I personally prefer such their system over the one we have back in PJC. We can have better class spirit and also movement would have been cut down a lot. However, it is not possible to have a system like that in PJC due to the many different subject combinations we have. For the China students of our age, they get to choose between Arts or Science stream. However, they do not have the choice to choose what to major in and have to study 9 subjects in which they will be graded on later to see if they are eligible to enter the university.

After the first two periods, they would have a morning exercise where the students would do, well, a specially choreographed morning exercise. It was something like acers day in Singapore though. After that, they would have mini inter class activities such as tug of war to bond the classes together. The class I was attached to got 3rd out of 10 classes so I guess it’s a rather good achievement.

Tug of War time!

After that it was lessons per normal until lunch where we went out for some really great food, not to mention, cheap too. It would be great if we could go out to have our own lunch, but I guess it might not work as well in pioneer junior college as it would in the high school we were attached to.

That’s pretty much what happened over the course of 4 days of attachment to their school. I wished it was somewhat longer though. This way we could probably be more exposed to their way of life too.


XX-XXth November
First and foremost, the toilet at the place we were going was in pretty bad condition. One of the scariest ones I have to say!

We went to a museum called 军俯 where we managed to see many weapons on exhibition. Some of the most memorable items on exhibition were the unused fighter plane, missiles and of course the guns.

We not only managed to look at a plane itself, we could also read how the plane worked and the precise mechanics of the plane by reading the information on the display board. There were many types of guns on exhibit too. Those guns were not your normal pistols and revolvers, but also rifles, and a pen gun. Yes you got it. It was disguised as a pen but in real it was a murderous weapon where spies actually used to carry out their mission. Pretty cool huh.

There was also a section dedicated to the Chinese civil war and it showcased many of the equipments that were used during the civil war.

The last section that we actually went was the exhibition hall with many sculptures of historical figures such as Genghis khan and also Mao Ze Dong. These sculptures were coupled with brief excerpts about the historical figure and also their contributions or their actions that turned china into what it is today.



Tsing hua university

The top two universities in Beijing is non other than Beijing university and Tsing Hua university. It is hard to actually rank which is first and which is second due to the fact that they are both good in different areas. We were very privileged as not only did we have a chance to visit their campus but we were also brought around the campus by their student tour guide.
The campus is very huge. In fact, it does not look like a school, more like a small town. There were people jogging on the tracks, practicing tai chi etc. There were just many activities one could indulge in other then studying in this university. The faculty buildings had a very rustic vintage feel to it in my opinion. It looked old but it had the charm of an ancient English style building. There were many scenic spots in the university and despite the countless amounts of bustling activities going on, there were places where it was absolutely tranquil and serene.

There was even an astronomy tower in the campus where one could view the star whenever the night sky was clear.

These aside, we also learnt about the lifestyles of the students in school. I would have considered studying there if I could but upon hearing how many of the students were studying, I started to doubt if I could even study half as hard as them.

During normal school days, many students actually rise up early and make a beeline to the library and start to queue up in front of the library, awaiting the time when the doors of the library opens for them to study. I, for one would be sleeping sweetly in my bed and the thought of studying would certainly not be the first thing I think of when I wake up!

They also study until wee hours of the morning (3-4am) whenever they have major tests or exams coming up. I found that a little disturbing actually. Haha. How can one only survive on a few hours of rest? I guess I really should be studying a little harder then. -_-

The canteen in the campus was an eye opener. It was different in a sense that they had a very large variety of food from stewed meats, to claypot rice and croquettes. We were certainly spoilt for choice! They also had a card in which we would pay for our purchases with. The card had 20 Yuan credit in it and would be used to pay for our meals in the campus. I certainly ate my fill as the food was really cheap too!

We departed from the campus after lunch. Even though the university is one of the top universities, the thought of studying for almost 3 quarters of the day and studying everything in the chinese language gives me shudders. Too bad I guess.

Underground city

The underground city reminded me of a human version of an ants nest. Firstly, it was underground. Secondly, it had tunnel like pathways. Thirdly, it was linked to various parts of China like the Great Wall of China and the Tian An Men square. It was originally a bomb shelter for the Chinese citizens to seek shelter during times of distress.

The tour guide was very professional in a sense. She certainly was sure of her things and I really liked the underground city a lot. Mao Ze Dong and his officials certainly spent a lot of thought when constructing this underground city. There were ventilation holes, and also many pipes of water that prevented the place from being too wet. This would be good prevention for water bourn diseases form spreading around the people when they are hiding in the underground city.

Later on, we went to the silk factory located deep in the underground city where we were shown how the silk was manufactured. It was an eye opening experience where we witnessed the strength of the silk and we were enlightened about the good effects of the silk.

Silk indeed is a marvelous material where it could prevent sickness and has many health benefits. I guess, it would be safe to say silk is a material bestowed upon by the gods.

Local Culture

Beijing Immersion Trip 2007胡同 – Hu Tong StreetsDay 8 – 25.11.2007

The Streets of Hu Tong can be found near the Tiananmen Square in Beijing. In a glance you would think that it is a place where the poor settles in, as the houses are small and compact and the walls, very disheveled and peeling off. It is pretty hard to imagine how people live in such conditions, given the luxury and comfort of Singapore’s environment.
Some of the houses were already abandoned, with cement and bricks everywhere. I think it is natural that the wealthier Chinese are moving out to better places. However, and surprisingly, the costs of these houses are really exorbitant, matching to the higher-end flats in Beijing.
We took a trishaw ride through the narrow streets of HuTong, and I can say the bumpy ride is really a refreshing experience. The riders were really heartwarming and enthusiastic in introducing this place. However, their attempt to seek tips from us kind of pisses some of us off.
We had a dumpling meal with one of the family living there. En route, we passed by a toilet, with the wastes exposed to the open air outside. We all felt disgusted by that sight and quickly moved on. I think more or less, our appetites were affected. We later had a hands-on session to make our very own dumplings. Some of them were perfect, while others resembled the shape of our local curry puff. We tried something like pickles, but I think is soaked in a lemon concoction rather than the normal mixture of vinegar, salt and sugar. We later had a chance to eat our dumplings, and though the exterior differs, the dumpling still tastes the same in our mouth.
On the way back, we passed by a street with shops comprising of all bars and pubs, which was alike to Singapore’s Clarke Quay as there was a very large river opposite, akin to The Singapore River. The trishaw-rider told us that the place is very lively and full of entertainment at night, but it’s a pity we visited the place in the day.









Beijing Immersion Trip 2007景泰蓝– Cloisonné
茶博士 – Tea house
玉博物馆 – Jade Museum
珍珠- Pearl CentreOn Various Days

Empress Dowager Cixi has a typical liking to Cloisonné, a pottery that goes through many stages before it is formed. This form of pottery can display many vibrant colours, unlike the common traditional pottery, which does not portray colours vividly. In the factory, most of the workers are female, perhaps due to their nature of being more careful. (omg feminist) On top of that, the workers are quite old, wearing spectacles with extra thick lens. However, the eventual product is very dazzling and beautiful, but the cost is dazzling as well.
The Tea House we went to was very special. The entire group went into a room whereby the staff introduced 4 types of tea for to us and allowed us to sample them. They then taught us how to see if the water is hot enough for tea-making, by using a tool which resembles “Crayon (蜡笔小新)”. The extent of it “urinating” the hot water out displays the temperature of the water. There was also a fragrant cup that is used to pour water into the tea cup. Upon adding the hot water, the dragon carving on the cup will change its colour from blue to red. Upon pouring away the water, the fragrant cup will then give off a very fragrant smell.
In the Jade Museum, many types of jade were introduced to us. It allowed us to abolished the our original mindset that jade is only green in colour. In the Jade Museum, they also showed us how jade is carved and polished to the final shape. However, the actual jade factory is located in rural areas as they produce lots of noise and pollution. Similar to Cloisonné, the final steps of jade-making is done by females as they are more careful and precise than males.( omg sexist ) We learnt a lot of knowledge on jade, and why some jade are specially used for different purposes. E.g. Ice jade used to place on car seats or on pillows which will aid in our constitution.
Once we stepped into the Pearl Centre, the staff showed us how they “grow” pearls – oysters. He opened up an oyster for us and there were about 8 pearls inside it, while we were guessing about 1 or 2. He then let us sample a type of cream that is formed by such pearls and everyone was trying to take the most out of it. We then walked around the place to shop for accessories or creams, but most of them were too exorbitant for us to afford.




Beijing Immersion Trip 2007杂技 – Acrobatic ActsDay 6 – 23.11.2007

We were late for the Acrobatics Show on that night. Before we reached the place, we passed by a Sex Shop and it aroused curiosity of many of us, especially those at the back of the bus. Yiwen was so excited that she knocked her head.
The exterior of the building looked kind of run-down, as well as the inside. When we stepped into the theatre, the show had already begun. We had troubles looking for the seats as the place was not well-lit, as well as some of the audience changed the seats privately. Eventually, most of us had to sit at the very back row.
The show began, and the entire theatre went quiet, with camera flashes everywhere. The acrobatic acts were superb and amazing, making everybody in the audience seat jaws drop. Other than the music played, only “Wow!” or other words of astonishment could be heard. The bodies of the performers are very flexible, as they can do splits and other postures that seem so uncomfortable just by looking at it. There were some traditional acrobatics acts performed, like rotating plates on a stick, balancing on a plank of wood as well as 扯铃. However, what amazed me more was that 12girls can climb up onto a moving bike and do a formation which resembles a peacock.
The other performances such as 3 men that were striking some poses, with one of them just using his hand to support the other in the air and some boys jumping through hoops with different styles. I believe that these performers had endured toughest trainings in the childhood in order to be what they are today. If they have to hand such trainings and studies, I think that they are really admirable as they can handle such stress at such a young age.
During the break in between the two halves of the show, some of the staff began selling magnum ice-cream at 10Yuan each. Though it was more expensive there, some of us could not reject the temptation and forked out our money willingly. The Caucasians bought a lot of ice-cream while watching, and this really shows how they are willing to spend, compared to Asians.







Beijing Immersion Trip 2007功夫 – Kungfu ActsDay 8 – 25.11.2007
Learning the lesson that being late would not get us good seats we were very punctual for the KungFu show, too punctual, in fact. We then went to buy some chips and roasted sweet potatoes before entering the theatre. This time, we have to wait for the other audience than them waiting for us. Haha.The storyline of the show is that there is a monk who learnt martial arts secretly but managed to learn it from his master. He then chanced upon a secret manual which led him to become more powerful. He then challenged the Bronze Men thinking he could defeat them, but the outcome was not what he expected. Eventually, with much training, he managed to become the chief of his sect.
However, throughout the show, he was in love with a woman whom he met. Surprisingly, there was no ending that if the two leading characters were together, making me feel a bit curious.
Throughout the entire show, there were several scenes of kungfu display. What was more memorable was the couple swirling round the stage using cloths. Water came running down the stage as though it was rain. It was a very memorable and touching scene between two lovers. Another scene was a monk who whacked his head using 2 metal bars, causing the metal bars to split. I feel that this kungfu act really displays the prowess of Chinese kungfu to the tourists. Not only does it show the traditional kungfu, but also the mindsets of the martial artists, which is much more important than the stances and moves.



Preben =)

Tour Guide & Food

Tour guide
Upon our arrival at the airport, we were received by a young lady, Zhu Dan aka Dan Dan as our tour guide. She might look shy and sweet but when you get to know her, she is a really very friendly and fun person. We also get to meet the other tour guide, Apple, whom was guiding the group of teachers arriving two days. In the coming days, we built strong friendship and ties with them, they were not just our tour guides, but also like close friends. Through the friendship, we learnt many more things from them about their country. When we were going to shop, they thought us some tips on haggling; they even helped some of us to bargain over the prices to get the most out of our money. During our last night in Beijing, Apple and Dan Dan stayed with us and chatted with us the whole night looking through the time we spent together and the great memories we had. When it was for us to bid farewell at the airport, both Apple and Dan Dan burst into tears with us as we could not bear to say good bye. We exchanged our email address with them and are still in contact now. And next year, Apple is coming to Singapore and all of us are very excited about it. We hope that we can be the tour guide for her this time round.

Breakfast
Breakfast at the hotel was buffet style. There are cold dishes like the vegetable or fruit salads, ham, traditional Beijing dishes like peanuts with cucumber, etc. there will be hot dishes like the fried rice or fried noodles with a few dishes of vegetables like the stir- fried cabbage, shanghai green , xiao bai cai, tomato, carrots etc, very healthy. There is also steamed meat buns and man tou. On some lucky days, we get to eat eggs too, like scramble eggs, fried eggs or hard boil eggs, which somehow turned out to be our favourite food there. Occasionally, there is plain porridge cooked using rice or small wheat with condiments. Sometimes there are also soups, dan hua tang, where they add eggs and thinly sliced vegetables. To satisfy some customers for some western breakfast, there is toast with butter, custard buns and drinks like tea, coffee and warm milk which some locals drink it from a bowl.

Peking duck

On the fourth day, we had our mind on the Peking duck. When we arrived at the restaurant, we were all famished and could not wait for the food to be served. Before the Peking duck was served, some of us already finished the cucumber used as a condiment for the dish. The duck is sliced thinly in front of the diner before served. A thin round pancake is used to wrap the succulent meat with crispy skin, spring onions, cucumber and hoison sauce together. It was a dish with great culture and history, as it was first prepared for the Emperor of China in the Yuan Dynasty. We are eating what the Emperor was eating centuries back. After we finished, everyone was craving for more Peking duck. To my surprise, we found that Peking duck has become a local product where you can buy it a packet. The whole duck is vacuumed in the packet and after warming it up in the microwave, it can be served. Pricing is also reasonable, ranging from 30-50 yuan. This has brought business to another level where the convenience and hygiene allow foreigners to bring back some real delicacies home.

Steam boat

We indulged ourselves in a large mutton steam boat. To accompany the meat, the sauce is made according to own preference. There is about 5-6 like of sauce for you to mix and match, it is really fun where you become the little chef. Besides the large proportion of the mutton, there is also beef, fish and many other types of vegetables. However, some find that the meat does not suit their taste and this is where the sauce comes in. Adding on the course is the ‘Ja Jiang Mian’; it is noodles like Japanese Udon topped with meat sauce. It is very much like the Spaghetti. The restaurant is rather unique as our rooms are llocated in the basement, much like a chamber where food is brought down from upstairs. Besides the steamboat, the restaurant also serves other Chinese traditional food.