Author’s Note: This article uses Adobe Flash in providing an immersive experience by means of virtual reality technology. Flash 10.0 is required to view the 360-degree VRs. Average VR size is 2.5Mb each.
It was just prior to the Christmas season last year that I took a trip to Shanghai and Beijing with my friends. Although this is my second time to China, it was my first time to visit these cities. We took advantage of Cebu Pacific’s “One Peso” promo fare from Manila to Shanghai. The smooth flight took about 3 hours, touching down at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai just a few minutes before midnight. The outside temperature was in the range of 7 to 10 degrees Celsius, thank God for the cheap winter jacket I bought at our local “ukay-ukay.”
Being a modern cosmopolitan city with a rich history, Shanghai has become a fusion of Oriental and Western influences. The city is dotted with marvelous skyscrapers, towering infrastructures, and contemporary architectures. Likewise, its old streets boast of neo-colonial buildings, ancient temples, and old traditional houses.
The highlight of our Shanghai tour included: The Bund, the heart of international settlement along the western banks of the Huangpu River; the Oriental TV Tower; the Huangpu River cruise and the sight-seeing tunnel underneath it; People’s Park; jade and silk factories; Yu Yuen Garden; and of course bargain shopping among the “secret shops” of the old districts which my female companions enjoyed so much.
Pigeons in People’s Park
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Performances at Xian Tian Ti
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Shops outside Yu Yuen Garden
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Fishes inside Yu Yuen Garden
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Compare to Shanghai, the capital city of Beijing is a sight of endless wonder. Apart from the rich historical heritage of ancient dynasties, a journey in Beijing is one of visual spectacle as well as a gastronomic experience.
Being higher up in the North, temperature was of course a lot colder than in Shanghai; and since it is in the winter season, most trees look barren with their leafless branches. Gone are the lush greenery, with very few birds in the sky, and frozen lakes. Even with a noon time sun above, you don’t feel its warmth; sunsets came much early as well, setting around 430pm local time.
We spent our first day scaling the Juyongguan Pass section of the Great Wall, said to be one of the steepest portion of the Wall. Then there was the Summer Palace where Emperors spent their summer months. Last stop of the day was at the Temple of Heaven where Ming and Qing Emperors prayed for good harvest.
The Great Wall
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Summer Palace
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The following day was a walking tour of Tiananmen Square; directly behind it was the Forbidden City. As China will be hosting the Olympics Games this year, a lot of renovations were on-going inside the former imperial grounds. The site of the Ming Tombs was the final stop, here; people who are more attune to their surroundings can feel a strange eeriness.
Tiananmen Square
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The Forbidden City
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Imperial Wedding House
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Ming Tombs
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Although I truly enjoy this trip, I was actually looking forward to having my first snow experience, alas, the conditions just wasn’t cold enough for one during the time that we were there.
VRs taken from December 13-17, 2007. This author can be reached at:
fung@firefly.ph
