text and photos by Stephanie Wratten

Temple of Heaven

Coming from Japan, travellers find China refreshing or incredibly frustrating. The chaotic traffic, loud conversations, and spicy foods are the antithesis of life in the land of the rising sun. Things are cheap (certainly a welcome change from Japan!) but you will have to be prepared to do some serious bargaining. The haggling at least will end with a smile and a polite business exchange, but forget about conveniences like those nice little lines for getting on the trains. There are billions of people in China and it' everyone for him or herself. Whether you find it refreshing or frustrating, you might as well join the frayÑit's part of the experience.

Beijing Opera

When I visited, Beijing was in a frantic race against time, trying to complete some major construction projects. 1999 marks the 50th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, and the government has decided to spiffy things up for the occasion. Several areas of Beijing, most notably the main railway station, a few buildings in the Forbidden City, and the famous Wangfujing shopping street, are undergoing renovations. Many areas have already been altered by the construction of towering hotels and gleaming department stores, but you don't have to wander far to find markets, mahjong players, and other symbols of more traditional Chinese street life.

Tiananmen Square
Beijing has plenty to do, but the main sights are scattered about the sprawling city, often making it inconvenient to get around. The heart of the city is Tiananmen Square, a good place to begin a tour. Well-known in the West as the place where hundreds of demonstrators were killed in 1989, the square is still a popular destination for Beijing residents and tourists from other areas of China. Flying kites in the large open space, photographing themselves in front of the monuments, or waiting to see the raising or lowering of the flag, the visitors don't seem to let the square's sordid history spoil their fun.

The square gets its name from Tiananmen Gate on its north border. Passing through this gate brings you to the entrance to the Forbidden City. Twenty-four emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties ruled from the Forbidden City for almost five centuries. You could spend the whole day exploring the vast area of courtyards, palaces and gardens enclosed by the beautiful russet walls. For an extra fee buy a ticket that includes sights off to the side of the main palaces.

Forbidden City

The Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven is a group of buildings built in the fifteenth century for special ceremonies for the emperor. The main building is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. The round temple is set on a square platform; the shapes are believed to represent heaven and earth. Inside the temple are four central wooden columns, representing the four seasons, surrounded by two circles of 12 columns each, representing the 12 months of the year and the 12 hours in the day, according to the old Chinese calendar. South of this building is the Temple of the Gods, enclosed in a round stone wall. Supposedly, if you stand close to the wall and whisper something, the sound will travel all the way around and return to you. I can't say for sure that this works, but it is at least entertaining to watch the other tourists try to send messages to each other.

The Summer Palace and Great Wall
Two other famous sites are outside the city center. The Summer Palace had long been a royal gardens (there is an old summer palace nearby) but was considerably embellished in the eighteenth century and became a place for the imperial family to escape the heat of Beijing in summer. Kunming Lake occupies three-quarters of the park, and the main buildings are toward the north and east gates. In addition to the palaces and temples, the park and gardens have areas designed for strolling. On the lake, you can row a boat in summer or ice skate in winter. The Great Wall is also a day trip from Beijing. Most tours will take you to see the wall at Badaling, a section that has been restored and outfitted with restaurants and souvenir shops for tourists. If you prefer to see the wall in a more natural state, Simatai is the place to go. This 19km section of the wall is being renovated and a few restaurants have set up shop at the entrance, but for now it is still a place to avoid sharing your walk on the wall with hundreds of tourists. Some sections of the wall are very steep, but the spectacular sight of the wall snaking along the peaks makes the effort of the climb worthwhile.

Great Wall

Getting There
Many airlines fly from Narita to Beijing daily. If you have time, you can take a boat from Kobe to the port of Tianjin, about 2 1/2 hours by train from Beijing. Ask a travel agent for details. You need a visa to enter China. Most visas are single entry and valid for thirty days, and can be obtained directly from the Chinese embassy in Japan or through some travel agents. The embassy is located at 3-4-33 Moto-Azabu, Minato-ku (03-3403-3380).

Where to Stay
Beijing has a range of accommodations, from very cheap to very expensive, and of course the quality varies accordingly. The most popular budget place for Western and Japanese tourists is the Jinghua Hotel. Beds in a four-bed dorm room (shared bathroom) cost only 35 yuan, and a private room with two single beds is 180 yuan. The hotel has a small pool, computers with Internet access, and a restaurant/bar that serves Chinese and Western foods at reasonable prices. They also run a tour to the Simatai section of the Great Wall. The hotel is located on the southern part of the third ring road at Xiluiyuan Nanli, Yongdingmenwai (6722-2211).

Closer to the center of town and substantially nicer is the Qianmen Hotel. Standard twins cost 504 yuan. Even if you don't stay, it's worth going to the nightly Beijing Opera performance in the theatre inside. The performances are designed for tourists (only 1 1/2 hours and some subtitles), but still give you a colorful taste of the Opera. 175 Yong'an Lu, Xuanwu District (6301-6688).