In October 2001 I first visited China. I loved it so
much and always vowed to return. I never thought that return
would be as magical as it was in March 2006 with Dr Chen,
his wife Liu and three other members of his Dubai Tai Chi
Group.
21 March - Day 1
We arrived in Beijing on the morning of the 21st to be met
by friends of the Chen's, who took us to their home outside
the city. They were a family of doctors, they checked our
blood and were able to analyze it and treat any problems
anyone had. All this for free. They opened their home to
us in such a generous way, something that we were later
to find all over China. We then went to a local restaurant
for lunch. Our first meal in China.
Late afternoon the mini bus took us back to Beijing and
our hotel. Back in Beijing the wind was bitterly cold when
we went for a walk, but we were delighted to find a Noodle
House opposite our Hotel that served delicious homemade,
buttery Noodles. We all slept well that night after our
journey.
22 March - Day 2
Not forgetting our reason for coming to China, we all woke
up early and walked to the gardens of the Temple of Heaven,
it was a cold clear morning and our small group of five
with Liu taking pictures began our Tai chi warm up, slowly
other larger groups arrived and we were happy to hear that
they were using the same music that we use in Dubai. Dr
Chen asked if we could join them, dubiously they agreed
and it seems were pleasantly surprised to see that we knew
what we were doing. Every one was welcoming and we really
enjoyed our first Tai chi morning in China. Afterwards we
took a walk to the Temple and were amazed how full the gardens
were with people exercising in so many different ways, clapping,
chanting, kicking shuttlecocks, waltzing, drumming and massaging
their backs on the knobbles of old Juniper trees that fill
the park. My main impression is that the Chinese people
are extremely health conscious and love exercising.
We then went for Chinese breakfast at another restaurant
in front of our hotel where they served sweet fried pastry,
and pasties with vegetable stuffing, bean porridge and soup
with dumplings and tofu, all made on the spot.
After breakfast we took a bus to Tiananmon Square we entered
the Forbidden City where we spent hours wandering and marveling
at that great structure in the center of Beijing, in one
of the many courtyards of the inner palace where years ago
only the Emperor and eunuchs beside the Empress and concubines
were allowed, we spontaneously fell into our Tai chi form
as the background music was so appropriate¡.
magical!
Walked through the Emperor's garden where trees were just
coming into bloom and finally left the Forbidden City. We
took a short walk to North Sea Park where we had dinner
at the beautiful old Fang Shan Restaurant opened years ago
by the chefs of the last emperor when he was deposed. It
was very rich with gold (the colour of the Emperors) carvings
and hangings everywhere. The menu was delicious, venison,
rabbit, prawns and many dishes that had been the favorite
of the late Empress. Taxi back to the Hotel where we had
a game of Mahjong before getting another good nights sleep.
23 March - Day 3
We woke at 5:20am. Breakfast at the same restaurant across
the street with pork dumplings and steamed tofu in a coriander
sauce.
Bus to the underground station, then a short walk to the
coach station where we caught a coach to the Great Wall
of China. Another cold but clear day, we arrived before
the tourists and so were able to take photos on the great
wall and then had another Tai chi session on the great wall,
amazing feeling! Some of the group climbed up to the sixth
tower. After a very exhilarating time we took the coach
back to Beijing. We had a sumptuous Peking duck lunch at
a famous Pian Yi Fang Restaurant. Back to the Hotel where
we had left our luggage and took taxis to the Southern Train
Station where the porter took all of our luggage on one
trolley which, while we walked down the stairs he proceeded
to slide down a ramp to the strains of Auld Lang Syne. We
found our sleeping cars equipped with televisions, embroidered
lace upholstery and settled in for the next leg of our overnight
trip to Xian in Central China.
24 March - Day 4
Slept well and had breakfast of eggs, bread and coffee in
the dining car. The views were different to the night before
much greener than in the north.
We arrived at Xian on another clear day, found our hotel
which was near the center of town and went by mini bus to
see the Terracotta Warriors which were discovered by four
farmers, we met the man who had found the first one. The
government paid him approx. US$ 35 for the find but now
pay him a stipend when they realized what a great discovery
he had made. The site has willow trees and cherry trees
that we were lucky enough to see in full bloom.
The mini bus then took us to the tomb of the Emperor who
had pulled China together uniforming their money, roads
and many other things, a very peaceful place.
We then returned to our Hotel where we changed for a dinner
in the Muslim part of Xian everyone had a splendid evening
we walked through the main Bell Tower Square where people
were flying kites and looking through giant telescopes at
the planets. We walked back to our hotel. The first day
with no Tai chi.
We slept well.
25 March - Day 5
We woke at 6am and took taxis to the City Wall between willow
trees and a round bridge very pretty. We began our Tai chi
and were soon surrounded by other Tai chi groups who invited
us to join them. Once again we felt exhilarated. Back to
the hotel for breakfast.
Then
the mini bus took us to a Buddhist Monastery surrounding
a tower/Pagoda that has the relic of a bone from The Buddha's
Finger. The tower cracks and splits apart every few hundred
years on the Buddha's birthday; the last time was in the
1980s so we were able to see photos of it, extraordinary!
It was a very Holy and Sacred place the Buddhist monks were
kind and helpful we all enjoyed the peaceful feeling. In
the afternoon back in Xian we went to the Antique Market
that sells art supplies, as both Liu and I paint we were
in our element.
Then we went to have an early dinner in a dumpling house
on the Bell Tower Square where we were served 18 different
delicious dumplings and soup served over flames before going
to the theatre to see a musical play about the Tang Dynasty
which had been the most prosperous time in Chinese History.
It was beautiful and some very ancient, newly discovered
instruments were played, the dancing was lovely too, we
all enjoyed the evening. Then back to the hotel where we
again slept well.
26 March - Day 6
Early Tai Chi in the hotel lobby before being dropped to
the Airport to fly to Shanghai. When we arrived at Shanghai
Airport we took the bullet train, the fastest in the world,
we traveled at 431 kilometers per hour to the Shanghai underground
where we took the train to the Nanking Road. From there
we took taxis to the hotel, after dropping our luggage we
were off to lunch at a nearby restaurant, then we took a
walk to the old part of Shanghai where we visited the Huxinting
Tea House on the lake pictured in the willow pattern plates.
We saw people making dumplings, beautiful shops and of course
the Tea House where three musicians were playing winsome
music, we were served tea in glass pots that when water
was added opened up into beautiful flowers the tea was delicious.
Taking an evening stroll along the Bund we stopped to practice
Tai Chi, many Chinese watched us, but we enjoyed it all
the same. From there we took the Bund Tourist Tunnel under
the river to the modern Pudong side of Shanghai. A most
dazzling tunnel, a child's delight! We rode in small trains
and saw coloured lights, puffs of smoke, balloon people
and many other things.
Then we went for a trip into the huge East Pearl Tower the
new landmark of Shanghai we visited all the floors until
the highest 350 metres and saw wonderful views of Shanghai
by night. Back down to earth we walked to our hotel via
a western fast food restaurant!
Again we slept well.
27 March - Day 7
6am Tai chi at the square in front of the Shanghai Museum,
again with a very friendly, helpful group of people. Western
breakfast near the square then a visit to the Shanghai Museum,
which we all enjoyed, there was something for everyone to
see, we practiced Chi Gong in the main rotunda the strong
sense of Chi was there.
Back to the hotel to collect our luggage and off to the
coach station where we had lunch and took the coach to Meichen,
Dr Chen's hometown. We were picked by Dr Chen's brother
and went to the Chen Family home and meet his parents and
many members of his family, we all sat down for a wonderful
feast cooked by his mother, they were so friendly and kind
and we all felt at home immediately,even though we were
speaking and miming in different languages. Every one joined
us to the Hotel where after a game of Mahjong we once again
slept well.
28 March - Day 8
6 am Tai chi on the City Wall of Meichen, with such a friendly
group of people who were all giving us hints of different
moves, then off to breakfast where the weather was warm
enough to sit out in the sun. Our next excursion was to
the Southern Tower/Pagoda overlooking the river, on the
way we passed fields and fields of fresh water pearls growing,
they take about three years to mature. The Southern Pagoda
is surrounded by beautiful old buildings and gardens. Back
to Dr Chen's parents home for lunch, that afternoon some
went exploring in the town, I just had a nap. In the evening
we were invited to a lovely restaurant in town with all
the family, by Dr Chen's uncle, after which we went searching
for Mahjong sets and visited a Mahjong House where the tables
are electronic we were all amazed!
Slept well as usual.
29 March - Day 9
6am Tai chi on the City Wall, many more people, word has
got around! All trying to help, one was a Master he gave
us demonstrations and helped a lot too. We were sorry to
say goodbye to this fellow Tai chi Group who had been so
giving of their time and patience.
9am we left by mini bus to Dayang, Dr Chen's birthplace,
where they have beautiful farmhouses and grow tea, oranges,
apples and strawberries. Some of the group went tea picking,
I sat and painted, an elderly lady brought me oranges and
two young gentlemen supplied an umbrella. When everyone
came down from the tea plantation Mrs. Chen served lunch
for us all.
Dayang
is a picturesque part of China with many shades of green
and bright yellow fields of linseed flowers in a plateau
surrounded by mountains and high hills. We took the bus
back to Meichen in the late afternoon visiting various relatives
on the way and picking up boxes of fresh strawberries. We
said farewell to Dr Chen's parents at the hotel. They had
been so generous and kind to us all, we especially felt
it because they had had to share their son with us for those
short three days that he was with them.
The four of us tried to manage one evening on our own, leaving
the Chen Family in peace. We found a western style fast
food restaurant in town but instead of the hamburgers we
had ordered we received chicken in buns, we were told by
mime that they didn't have the hamburgers shown on the menu!
Not a trip to take without Chinese speakers. But, great
fun we laughed a lot at our mistakes that evening and everyone
laughed with us, not at us, which is so typical of Chinese
people.
30 March -Day 10
We left the hotel by mini bus at 5:30am to Shanghai Airport,
on the journey, we had a feast of fresh strawberries, biscuits
and other goodies. At the Airport we said goodbye to Dr
Chen and Liu. We flew to Beijing and changed planes for
Dubai where we arrived at 10:30pm.
We couldn't believe how much we had seen, learnt and done
in those 10 days. Thank you Dr Chen and Liu for your hard
work in showing us your wonderful, cultural, colourful China.
Through out this article I have spoken about every night
that "I had slept so well" I hope that everyone
else did!
Angela Abou Alwan.
