Vacations Blog

Are you in the mood for a little peek into some of China’s major historic scenes but not in a position to actually visit China? Well you don’t have to look any further than the Forbidden Gardens in Katy, Texas (right outside of Houston).

This is an outdoor museum you don’t want to miss with guided tours where you can view intricately detailed miniatures of the famous Forbidden City in Beijing which boasts nearly 500 years of Imperial rule. Another must-see is the first Emperor’s 6,000 piece terra-cotta army replicated in 1/3 scale. The mystery of China in the third century BC unfolds before you in this magical museum.

When you are ready to relax and marvel at all you have seen then it’s time to visit the Calming of the Heart Lodge (or the Summer Palace) area of the museum. This black-roofed palace was a vacation getaway for those who lived and worked in the Forbidden City and was the ideal location for scholars and guests to rest, reflect, and get back to nature. Take a walk around the Lodge and I guarantee you will feel the relaxing sensation that it brought the Emperors and Empresses throughout the years. You might even begin to feel like an Emperor (or Empress, as the case may be) yourself!

This is an especially great trip for families with children 4-10 (old enough to understand the “you break it, you buy it” rule and still young enough to imagine walking and living in the miniature replica palace).

Until next time . . .

Paige aka PJsTravelinTexas

For some other reviews of the Forbidden Garden and Katy see these blogs:

1. Forbidden Gardens: A Chinatown Tiny Town by Wesley Treat
2. Things to do in Houston Chinatown by Chinatown Connection.Com
3. Only Katy: The Voice Of Katy Texas by OnlyKaty

From guest blogger, Marie Minder, MMW International, www.mmwi.com

In November 2007, I had the opportunity to travel for the first time to Beijing, China, with a friend who was traveling on business. One afternoon, while Kim worked, I observed this exciting new culture up close. As I waited on the sidewalk, the school across the street let out for the day. All of a sudden, I found myself surrounded by a crowd of school age children with their backpacks and the adults who came to meet them. In front of me was an ancient man wearing the traditional nondescript gray Mao jacket with loose fitting trousers. He was riding a bicycle ever so slowly through the crowd of pedestrians. On the back of the bicycle with his arm’s around the man’s waist was a little boy of 8 or 10. On the right side of the grandfather and the little boy on the bicycle was a young woman in designer jeans, spiked high heel boots, a short coat with fur trimmed sleeves. She looked like a fashion model. She was maneuvering her motor scooter and her young son calmly through the crowd.

Welcome to Beijing, China, a world of contrasts. High rise luxury buildings, one room apartments with no plumbing, 8 lane highways, hutangs (maze-like alley ways ) with no cars, modern subways, bicycles and more. It is hard to get your bearings because so much of Beijing is in constant change. The roads change daily. It is not unusual for life-long Beijingers to find themselves a little lost.

If you are planning on visiting China, here are 5 recommendations:

• Carry small packs of toilet paper with you, you might find they come in handy.
• Practice with chop sticks before you go. I did not see many forks. Alternatively, pull out your guidebook and be prepared to ask for a fork.
• Hire an English speaking tour guide and driver. I know this one may be hard for rugged individualists or budget conscious folks but it was the best thing that I did on my trip. Tour guides and drivers are great deals and will cater to your specific needs. Talk with your hotel concierge for suggestions on local guides.
• Everything is negotiable, and the best negotiating tip is to just say “No”. Negotiating is a game and can be fun to play, if you are prepared. Don’t be afraid to talk with other tourists about their shopping experiences, to find the good deals. Have an idea of how much you are comfortable spending and stick to it. And have an idea of the value of an item before bargaining, it will help you keep to your budget. Do not be afraid of offering an amount too low. If it is indeed too low then, the merchant will simply shake his head and walk away. If the amount that you offered is in the acceptable range then the response will be something like “Are you serious? Give me a serious response.” This is where the game gets interesting! Prepare yourself for a unique shopping experience.
• Keep your eyes open. China is a beautiful country, full of contrasts, with many unexpected surprises. Even though the crowds may feel overwhelming and everything feels different, enjoy your visit and the experience.

Beijing, a world of contrasts. It is an exciting, chaotic place to be as it prepares for the big 2008 Summer Olympic unveiling. So buckle up my friends and jump right in. It will be an amazing trip.

Have you recently visited China? Do you have recommendations from your trip to share with other travelers? We would love to hear about them!

It was my second time to join the bloggers at the Chinese Blogger Conference 2007 in Beijing on Nov. 3 and 4. Last year, I went to Hangzhou and met a lot of great bloggers, including one of the conference founder/organizers, Issac Mao, who has begun to be referred as “Chairman Mao” by bloggers; Rebecca MacKinnon from Global Voices Online；and Professor Chunyan Wang from Renmin University, who was the first person who introduced Creative Commons (CC) licence to China web-sphere. And this year, I had the chance to reunite with my blogger friends, and make new friends. How wonderful!

Weather in Beijing was welcoming, with a warm and clear sky. Early November is the right time for the changing leaves in XiangShan Park (Fragrant Hills Park), where the Fragrant Hill Hotel, a prize-winning hotel designed by I.M. Pei, is located. The conference was held in a 5-star conference hall in Tsinghua Science Park. Google China is one of the tenants of the science park.

So, it is easy to imagine that the once grassroots blogger party is now transforming into a glitzy Web 2.0 event, little by little. Like most Chinese conferences, this one has a theme: “Let hundreds of flowers bloom together, let hundreds of school of thought contend.” This is an idiom from more than 2000 years ago when a famous Chinese philosopher advocated “free thinking”. From my personal opinion, the theme is also one of the major reason that I saw a camera with “NBC’ logo, and Financial Times reporters. Rebecca moderated the most controversial panel and has very detailed coverage here.

But what attracts Chinese bloggers (like me) are diverse topics and the opportunity to have closer communications with bloggers who are passionate in building communities.

Exciting stuff from the conference:

1. jiwai, a micro blogging service provider “sponsored” the conference with a mobile messenger broadcasting service. Everyone can send a text message to a specific number and “twitter” on what she/he is thinking/doing about the conference. A message (shown on a big screen) rolls every 10 second and each message stays for 30 seconds, so people can comment and ask questions in real time mode without disturbing the speakers and audience. Most important, they can share their opinions with everyone. Bloggers outside the conference room can post online by following the ID.

Translation of the messages on the screen:

• QQ71527683: I am from QQ. (he/she is using the QQ instant messenger to send this message.)
• marcao: Mr. Wang Jianshuo said: “Chinese Blogger Conference is the only party for idealists in nowadays China.” ( Wang Jianshuo is one of the most well-known Chinese bloggers)
• Beijing：This speaker is performing very professionally, not like an amateur.

This picture was taken when the controversial panel discussion about “grassroots media v.s. professional media”was going on.

2. 1kg.org, a travel related volunteer coordinator/NGO. Its Chinese name is “pack ONE extra kilogram (stuff) on your trip”. The “stuff” is what you think you can give and help the children in remote villages where even a pencil is regarded as precious. This NGO will provide information on villages or schools that are close to natural attractions. The bloggers have raised funds by hosting photography exhibit in cities.

3. YeeYan: I had blogged about YeeYan in October 2006 when it was still a group blog of less than 10 people with a dozen articles/blog posts translated from English to Chinese. Thirteen months later it has grown into a thriving community with more than 10,000 registered users and 3,000+ translated articles. Founder Lei Zhang believes that social collaboration is the way to change the translation industry. A group of bloggers have translated “Inside Facebook” into Chinese. The book is published, and I got one too. Good to see they handle the copyright issue right so far.