Monday, May 24 - Arrival at Beijing Capital International Airport, The Summer Palace, Beijing Shi Cha Hai Sports School, Donghuamen Night Market

With my Dragonair tickets ready, I head to HK International Airport to catch a plane to Beijing.

Hong Kong’s skyscrapers disappear as we head northward, since the plane flies low above the grassy plains of China. We arrive at Beijing Capital International Airport after a three hour ride. Interestingly the airport is almost shaped like a tortoise, with a smooth, wide dome and a “head” that juts out. Our tour group head out on a bus ride to Sichuan-style lunch, complete with tons of spicy meats and tofu, as well as a sour noodle soup. I shuddered at the amount of fat and salt content in each dish, but everything is worth trying. A masterful Sichuan mask dance followed, with a skillful dancer who can change masks in the blink of an eye.

 a large painting at Beijing Capital Int'l Airport

Sichuan-style dishes

Traditional Sichuan mask dance - watch him change masks in the blink of an eye!

Next stop, the Summer Palace, or the Yihe Yuan. The Empress Dowager Cixi lived in this palace as a summer resort, and each place of residence has a story. As customary in traditional Chinese courts, business buildings, and homes of officials, two large lion statues guard the entrances. The lion of the left holds a lion cub underneath its right paw – this is the female lion. The lion on the right holds a ball underneath its right paw – this is the male lion. Traditional lions that we usually see have curled manes, possibly due to Buddhist influences, and have a dog-like appearance, while modern lions actually look like lions. The buildings must be constantly renovated, as the colors of the tiles and walls seem as vibrant as if they were just painted. The details of each wall and ceiling are truly marvelous.

the entrance

 a kilin, a kind of traditional Chinese mythical beast

dragons also guard the entrance

monks gather around a tour of the surrounding buildings

 gorgeous lake

a beauty hidden from amongst the trees

the 8-meter, giant Blue Iris Hill rock

the Long Corridor

a bronze lion (male)

a quaint souvenir stand selling "ObaMao" t-shirts

view of the Summer Palace from surrounding buildings

outside the Long Corridor overlooking Kunming Lake

a dragon-shaped boat that will take you across Kunming Lake

all aboard!

view of the Summer Palace by boat

near the exit

After a trip to the Summer Palace, it’s off to the Beijing  Shi Cha Hai Sports School, where China nurtures her finest athletes. Men and women are hard at work at the track and fields.

 outside the Sports School

track field

 large statue of its founder, Chairman Mao

At night, we stopped by a cookie shop that sells traditional Chinese cookies.

 Empress Dowager Cixi's favorite cookies

Perhaps the highlight of the day is the outdoor Donghuamen Night Market, where stall after stall sells plenty of unique, delicious, and possibly unhealthy snacks. I quickly ran over the stall that sold scorpion, silkworms, snake meat, and bee cocoon. I did not dare try the scorpion or bee cocoon, but I bought a stick of six fried silkworms for less than 7RMB. It took about 5 minutes before I had the guts to bite into the fried mess, but I found it delicious. The outside has a crunchy chitin similar to shrimp, and the inside squirts a yellowish goo that tastes buttery and salty. The whole thing tastes like an oversalted French fry, which isn’t too bad. I also bought what we call in Chinese, “Dragon Whisker” candy, but it was rock-hard and too floury, so I threw it away.

 I had to try the fried silkworms

squishy, crunchy, gooey

try them all!

We will be living at the Ritz-Carlton Beijing, a five-star hotel that almost blew my mind in terms of fanciness. Never before could I lie on a clean bathroom floor on a plush rug in a bathroom with a flat-screen television, huge bathtub, and sparkling sinks. Luxury is nice.