According to the can, this Anhui green tea can trace back to Tang Dynasty (years 618 to 907). It grows on Dabie Mountain (大别山) with an elevation of 1,774 meters in the western part of Anhui province. HuoShan is part of Babie Mountain. The tea tastes yummy,
Hangzhou’s Westlake is beautiful, every day of the year.
It’s more enchanting when it’s quite. My first photo is taken at 5:29 am. Sofitel cross street is a huge motivation to get up early. A mere hour later the crowds arrive and the intimate ambiance is gone. So am I.
88 Nanjing Lu West, 3rd floor
上海新世界丽笙酒店
上海南京西路88号
Will return.
White glove service, literally. Delicious food, quite. The main dinning area is small – most area is private rooms. Clean bathroom and above average utensils.
333 West Lake Avenue
Hangzhou, 310002
Zhejiang Province, China
Will return.
An excellent location – cross street from the Westlake. It’s not new but they try to make most out of it.
A couple of little situations – they’re cross board in China: long check in and out line; check in time the room isn’t ready; thick smoke in the public bathroom (lobby, etc.).
We got to the hotel at 1:15 for 2 pm check in; and our room is not ready when we returned at 2:39. I wasn’t pleased and ask them to serve us champagne while waiting. The joke is on me because we’re on the 5th floor with executive lounge privilege. They ended up giving me a bottle. Oh well.
The staff is helpful and pleasant. The 5th floor executive lounge is a perfect place to watch the sunset, without crowds. One of the red wines Perle is pretty good.
Another ancient town. ¥100 admission, even for the overnight guests. But they’re free after 5pm, so some smart Travellers would get in after 5pm.
13 Guozijian St, Dongcheng Qu,
Beijing, China, 100007
Other names for it were, 国子学, 国子寺 or 太学 could translate to, Imperial National Academy, Imperial College, Imperial Academy, Imperial University, Imperial Central School, National School, National Academy, National University … It’s now combined with Kong’s Temple.
On my last visit there in spring 2018, the place is filled with tour groups and a Coming of Age party (chengrenli 成人礼) for a high school (Beijing tuanjiehu #3 School 北京团结湖第三中学). The tour guides teach the tourists how to salute (xingli 行礼) to Kongzi and the good karma will help their kids in gaokao. Really? Give me a break.
Glazed Memorial Arch (liuli pailou 琉璃牌楼) was built in 1784. The stone steles engraved with the list of jinshi from the Qing dynasty (Qingdai jinshi timingbei 清代进士题名碑).
Tangshan, Hebei
This is my first time but I knew it kind of well: my stepmother died during the 1976 earthquake.
Without traffic, it takes little over two hours from Beijing (facing the sun in the morning there and again, coming home). Speed train is only an hour away. First impression of the city: big, new, many cars but less people on the street, compares to Beijing.
People are warm and helpful. The ticket girl shares her two mangos with me – thanks sweetie.
3 XiangheYuan Road 香河园街
Beijing
This museum is all about water, tap water in Beijing.
We got there one minute late, at 3:31. They close at 4 pm but stop selling ticket at 3:30. I begged and it worked. The lady even let us in without buying tickets. 蓝天白云 浓厚情谊 … 勇闯博物馆: 迟到… 求… 然后撒丫子狂奔 闯进博物馆.
.. .. ..读万卷书 .. 不如 .. 行万里路 .. .. ..
