Unique Places in China

Leo's Hostel runs a "secret tour" to the Great Wall, which was probably the highlight of my visit to China. A few of us got in a minibus very early in the morning for a 2 hour journey to the wall. We had arrived in a farming village in the middle of nowhere. Here a really old man took us up a goat trail for about 1 mile. It was quite a steep climb, but we were rewarded with a magnificent view of the mountains and wall. Climbing up to the first watch tower was hard work but worth it for the great views of the wall snaking across the surrounding hills. We were the only people on this section of the unrepaired wall. We walked along the wall for a couple of kilometres and made our way down after an hour or so by a different route. Lunch was included in the price of the tour and was made up of a variety of dishes.

The cost of the tour was 220RMB.

Tucked away in a corner of the old French concession in Shanghai is the "Massage Center of Blind Person". No hanky panky in this somewhat seedy looking joint, just a great massage at an unbeatable price. However, I have to be honest and say that the night we went here, not only could we not find any blind persons, we didn't even find nearsighted persons.

At first glance, Guangzhou seems like an enormous construction zone in which glittering skyscrapers and highrise residential buildings are being constructed at a feverish pace. However, the city, like all Chinese cities, contains many traditional neighborhoods. These areas are worth visiting to get a glimpse of the lifestyle of the majority of the city's residents.

Traditional neighborhoods are characterized by narrow streets and alleyways where the ubiquitous cars are conspicuously absent. In Beijing these neighborhoods are known as hutong, and in Shanghai they are known as shikumen. As far as I can determine, there is no special term in Guangzhou for these neighborhoods. In any event, the neighborhoods in Guangzhou have different styles of architecture from those in other cities. Most of the buildings in Guangzhou's older areas date from the 1860s onward, and are two to three stories high. Some of the neighborhoods also contain old colonial buildings from the time when foreign powers occupied different parts of the city.

Traditionally, these neighborhoods were constructed without any apparent central plan. They were occupied mainly by the common people who were merchants, artisans, and laborers. Even today, the lifestyle of the inhabitants is more like that of old-time China than of the modern nation that is now rapidly developing.

Because of China's rapid development, many of the old neighborhoods are being demolished to make way for highrise buildings and wide boulevards. As the residents move into modern, nondescript areas, a part of China's past and heritage is disappearing.

Even though all of Suzhou's gardens are on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list, it seems most tourists end up at the Master of the Nets garden and this one, the Garden of Cultivation, which is smaller and in the midst of the labrinyth of streets and canals, doesn't get as many visitors.

It is small but it's also less crowded and a great place to go and relax and enjoy Chinese gardens the way they were meant to be enjoyed - in peace and tranquility.

It's located at 5 Wenya Lane, Changmen Gate.

Okay, you may be asking yourself: Really? Off the beaten path? The Great Wall? But let me explain.

There are a lot of different places you can go to see the Great Wall. The Junggyuon Pass is one of the less visited and I think I know why. If you have trouble walking this is NOT the section of the wall you should go to. There are large sections of this part of the wall that are almost completely vertical and VERY difficult to climb.

The wall rings the hills surrounding this pass and drops from the tops of these hills all the way down to the river valley below. This was a strategic move because if an enemy army was able to make it through this pass it was an almost straight shot right into Beijing. To protect the city, they made the wall ring the pass, making it almost impossible to get through and, now, almost impossible to climb.

The steps come in varying heights, adding to the difficulty. Also, of the people who do come here, almost every single one of them leaves the parking lot and gets onto the wall by going to the right. I'm not sure why so many people do this (just following the crowd, I guess?) but that makes that section of the wall EXTREMELY crowded and also adds to the difficulty because you don't always have room to keep a hand on the railing (which helps you pull yourself up).

So, what to do? When you leave the parking lot and get onto the wall, go to your left! It is MUCH quieter over there. When I finally gave up and left the busy part and headed over to the left, I was over there for about 90 minutes and I ran into exactly 7 other people. It was delightful and definitely more enjoyable.

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Ask your driver to drop you at the 'Temple of Bliss'. Pay your RMB10 entrance, look around the temple and then stay in the temple grounds. You can walk through to the next temple, the Seven-Tiered Pagoda Temple. This has its beautiful pagoda, but also a large statue of Guanyin. The covered walkway behind the pagoda has wonderful paintings. The red timber against the grey walls of the temple was especially beautiful on the snowy day that I went.

After enjoying these two temples for an hour or so, I walked a out from the Seven-Tiered Pagoda and turned left towards an amusement park. In the park, you'll find the most magical old Russian Church. Its bell tower forms the gate to the park. Both gems are crumbling almost beyond repair, so see them while you can.

I exited the park to my right, through the main gate onto a main road. I turned right and walked all the way back to a McDonald's. At this big junction, you'll see one of the roads has an arch over it with a red star at its apex. Walk up that road for about 20 minutes and you'll come across a serene Confucian Temple at the end. It is very well maintained and has peaceful music piped through the grounds. It snowed heavily while I was there. I had the place to myself. It was a magical experience.

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If you walk down the hill towards the train station from Hongbo Square, you'll see classic russian architecture on both sides. The real gem is at the bottom of the hill, though, on your right as you approach the station. The low yellow building with the large canopy above the main door is the 'Lungmen Grand Hotel'. According to the plaque, this used to be the Russian Consulate. Art Deco features abound. The coloured glass, the wrought iron work, the wood and brass revolving door, the grand staircase inside... it's a beauty.

The train station itself is interesting. Stark and functional, it houses every ethnic group you can imagine. It's a real melting pot in there, hectic, smelly and a real thrill.

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Leave Hongbo Square, not along the main Dongdazhi Jie, but along the minor road which runs parallel to it on its left. The road is short, more of a small square really, and ends up in a mall. On this short stretch you will see two of Harbins most exquisite villas. I am sorry, again I don't know anything about either, but they must have been extremely beautiful. I carried on into the mall itself. It has a food court on the top floor and a supermarket in the basement. I exited back onto Dongdazhi Jie and walked NE long this major road. Much of it is now closed to traffic while they build the subway stations, but you'll walk down the pavements either side of the site. On the left, you'll see a twin spired, fairly modern church. You can go inside. The church itself is on the third floor. I found it very atmospheric. Across the other side of the road, you'll see two older, smaller Russian style churches. According to another VT user, one is the protestant Nielai Church, built in 1916. It was packed with worshippers when I visited on a Wednesday afternoon. The other is the orthodox Ukranian Church of St Mary. This was locked.