This China trip is pretty exciting. Aside from attending two tennis tourneys (missed Zhuhai WTA in November); two classical concerts and a play; new friends and relatives; plenty hairy/mitten crabs; five new cities. Ah, also two adventures, of which one results to the emergency room. Buckle up and enjoy my three weeks’ journey.
As usual, I take Cathay Pacific from JFK to Beijing; Shanghai to HKG and HKG back to JFK. They upgrade me on both long hauls which is, needless to say, very nice indeed. A little episode on the HKG-JFK leg.
Landing in Beijing on the following evening, unseasonably warm with unhealthy air quality. Half my dream come true: to visit a bathhouse. My dear friend won’t let me to sleep there. Hmmmm … I’ll have to try it next time.
The first full day in Beijing, visiting relatives as well as my mom’s dear friends. Lunch at the newest Dadong, which is to open a post in New York this autumn, next to the Library. A private dinner and the China Open.
Day two in Beijing, we visit the Cuandixia 爨底下村, a Ming dynasty village, 62 miles/100 km west of Beijing; lunch in a local home 农家饭 there; dinner at 99Dingzhanfang and then off to Taiyuan, Shanxi from the West Station.
Taiyuan is a pretty modern city. I stay with my relatives in Yuci/JinZhong, and visit Pingyao.
Xi’an is charming, enhanced by the terracotta army, lantian jade, bath, an adventure and the Concert Hall.
The Mount Rushmore moves to Zhengzhou, the city that’s made by trains.
Xuzhou, in Jiangsu has terracotta warriors too. 矿大; Laomofang 老磨坊; Yunlong lake, home of a jinshi & Ximatai 戏马台 @ Hubushan are worth visiting.
A week in Shanghai: play 樱桃园; tennis; SAS, BBF, jewelry show & Mutter concert; Sunday brunch; miss it again; an American in China; lunch @ 圆苑, a qipao, Chenglong Hang 成隆行; Sasano 酒吞
Wuzhen
Macau‘s cityscape, University of Macau, an unexpected bike tour that includes egg tart, lunch @ Chan Seng Kei & the House of Dancing Water.
Zhuhai
Some thing small but make big impression:
My itinerary by day:
- 2 Sun, JFK 10am-2pm, CX841 & HKG – BJ KA902 15:00-18:20
- 3 Mon, Beijing, Yihai
- 4 Tue, visit family/friends; Dadong; private diner; China Open
- 5 Wed, 爨底下村; 99; West Station; Taiyuan @ Shanxi
- 6 Thur, Eden & swimming; hotpot lunch; Old City, dinner
- 7 Fri, 剔尖 specialty
- 8 Sat, Pingyao, dinner
- 9 Sun, Xi’an 西安 N, terracotta army & jade; bath; an adventure & concert
- 10 Mon, Taiyuan-Zhengzhou; Jinjiang
- 11 Tue, Yellow River
- 12 Wed 徐州, breakfasts; Kuangda, Hubushang, dinner @ Laomofang
- 13 Thur terracotta of Han; Xuzhou E to Shanghai; 樱桃园
- 14 Fri, tennis; how the drinks are made
- 15 Sat, SAS; jewelry show; Mutter @ OAC 东方艺术中心
- 16 Sun, yoga; volleyball @ SAS; brunch; missing it again
- 17 Mon, meeting; Yuanyuan; qipao; Chenglonghang
- 18 Tue; icbc; a bakery; Wuzhen
- 19 Wed, Shanghai to Macau KA831, 8:40-11:20, to Macau/Zhuhai
- 20 Thur, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom + circus
- 21 Fri, typhoon; sun rise and set
- 22 Sat, Zhongshan, farmer’s lunch; Qi
