Ok guys so I have been absent from the forum for a while, I along with a few good mates had the trip of a lifetime to China!
I started my trip in Beijing where I visited the Forbidden City, Great Wall and Tianemen square all amazing things. I'm still puzzle at how the Chinese managed to build the Great Wall to such an extent in the mountanous terrain. I also visited the Olympics sites and was astonished at how impressive the Birds Nest is!
The next place I visited was Shanghai, Wow! What a bustling metropolis. This city is the hearbeat of China's economy compared to Beijing the cultural centre! The amount of construction projects is unbelievable where ever you look there are the old run down buildings of older China being replaced by huge modern skyscrapers! I hit the town in Shanghai and was treated like a god at some of the asian clubs purely because we were white!
After Shanghai we visited Xian the first capital of China and home to many of the dynasties! The key reason for visitng Xian was to view the Terracotta Warriors. If you do one thing in your lifetime do this! It was amazing the sheer extent of the detail of the warriors is amazing. There are over 8000 and each has an individual facial expression! Surrounding Xian is an ancient wall which still stands in very good condition! Xian was backward, poorer and dirty compared to the huge cities i'd previously visited, however it was a cultural centre and I enjoyed roaming the markets and trying some different foods!
After Xian we visited Kunming the home town of the Chinese friend we travelled with, he is very wealthy in China and put simply we were treated like Gods! We visited the Stone Forest which is incredible and even through some friends of his dad got to visit a firing range and shoot two different types of Chinese pistols, I can't for the life of me remember their names but one fired 7.62mm ammo and the other was 9mm!
Finally we visited a holiday town (although it had 1.2million people) named Lea Jung (spelling is more likely than not incorrect) we climbed the Snow Mountain and visited the ancient town as well as getting very very drunk with some local policeman haha!
I will never forget my trip to China ever and I encouraged all of you to visit this amazing place! The contrast between the poverty and wealth of old and new China is incredible, you can virtually watch the rapidly growth of China from your Hotel window! At one point I witnessed a Bentley Supercar overtake a man still using horse and cart as his mode of transport!
I will put pictures up shortly but now I have to go! Can't wait to rejoin in discussion on the forum!
I started my trip in Beijing where I visited the Forbidden City, Great Wall and Tianemen square all amazing things. I'm still puzzle at how the Chinese managed to build the Great Wall to such an extent in the mountanous terrain. I also visited the Olympics sites and was astonished at how impressive the Birds Nest is!
The next place I visited was Shanghai, Wow! What a bustling metropolis. This city is the hearbeat of China's economy compared to Beijing the cultural centre! The amount of construction projects is unbelievable where ever you look there are the old run down buildings of older China being replaced by huge modern skyscrapers! I hit the town in Shanghai and was treated like a god at some of the asian clubs purely because we were white!
After Shanghai we visited Xian the first capital of China and home to many of the dynasties! The key reason for visitng Xian was to view the Terracotta Warriors. If you do one thing in your lifetime do this! It was amazing the sheer extent of the detail of the warriors is amazing. There are over 8000 and each has an individual facial expression! Surrounding Xian is an ancient wall which still stands in very good condition! Xian was backward, poorer and dirty compared to the huge cities i'd previously visited, however it was a cultural centre and I enjoyed roaming the markets and trying some different foods!
After Xian we visited Kunming the home town of the Chinese friend we travelled with, he is very wealthy in China and put simply we were treated like Gods! We visited the Stone Forest which is incredible and even through some friends of his dad got to visit a firing range and shoot two different types of Chinese pistols, I can't for the life of me remember their names but one fired 7.62mm ammo and the other was 9mm!
Finally we visited a holiday town (although it had 1.2million people) named Lea Jung (spelling is more likely than not incorrect) we climbed the Snow Mountain and visited the ancient town as well as getting very very drunk with some local policeman haha!
I will never forget my trip to China ever and I encouraged all of you to visit this amazing place! The contrast between the poverty and wealth of old and new China is incredible, you can virtually watch the rapidly growth of China from your Hotel window! At one point I witnessed a Bentley Supercar overtake a man still using horse and cart as his mode of transport!
I will put pictures up shortly but now I have to go! Can't wait to rejoin in discussion on the forum!
