Olive, Henry, Jo, Ni, and I went to Shanhaiguan (山海關) for sightseeing. Olive, Henry and I stayed over night in Beidaihe (北戴河), whereas Jo and Ni returned to Beijing because Jo would have a class next day.
After traveling to Europe for one month, I became to lose interests on travel, especially in China, not only because I don’t have much money now, but also because most traveling spots in China are similar, such as temples and ruins, etc. Although I was also looking forward to this trip, which was proposed by Oliver, my motivation was only to breathe some fresh air outside Beijing, regarding the journey only as a stroll much longer than a one-hour stretch after dinner.
In term of stroll, our two-day trip was really a good exercise because we did walk for a long time, especially the second day in Beidaihe.
We took train from Beijing Railway Station to Beidaihe first, and chartered a 7-seat vehicle until 8 o’clock for the first day itinerary, costing each person RMB 50. This saved us a big deal of time from searching for transportation tools and from transferring among them.
Our first stop is Laolongtou, (老龍頭) a name in Chinese literally meaning “the old dragon head”, where the Great Wall extends east into the sea, i.e. Buohai (渤海). We had a lunch first before buying tickets to enter the resort. Originally, we chose a restaurant, but, before ordering anything, we left for another one because Jo found that some dirt on the bowls and plates. Jo apologized for his insistence to change place to eat, but he said, “I don't want to be sick.” I respond to him that, “When I still lived in Shanghai, we used to wash our bowls, chopsticks and spoons with the tea before eating anything. Lack of hygiene in restaurants, especially in the rural locations, is commonplace in China.”
The scenery in Laolongtou was, actually, spectacular. The only thing uncomfortable was the freezing and winding weather.
Our second stop was Jiaoshan (角山), the first mountain that the Great Wall encounters and surmounts in a westerly direction. This journey has become the most appealing part for us, because of its several astonish and hazardous vertical ladders on the fortress of the Great Wall. Admittedly, this section of the Great Wall is the most charming one compared to other sections such as Juyongguan (居雍關) and Jiayuguan (嘉峪關). I found myself a personality trait that the more challenging a thing is, the more impressive I would feel. Huashan (華山), which ranks as my number one picturesque mountain among all the others, was a good example.
Our third stop was the well-known Shanhaiguan, whose ticket cost each of us 40 RMB, making Jo and Oliver to complain about the implementation of super capitalism throughout China. Everything in China charges a fee, no matter what it is and whether it is worth or not. I agreed with them that this place does not deserve that much of money.
The second day of our triad was not exciting. On the second day, however, we spent much more money on the sightseeing on the boat, on seafood which we picked up in person at the restaurant close to the pier, and on the cable car above the seawater between the mainland and a petty island called Nandaihe Whelk Island Amusement Centre (南戴河仙螺島遊樂中心).
The total expense of this travel costs me RMB 800 or so. At the end of the day, nonetheless, I found that actually I should only pay for RMB 500. In other words, I pay extra RMB 300 for the expenses of others, such as the expense of the chartered vehicle, the entrance tickets of Laolongtou, and the most fees of the second day. Any way, it is not a big deal as long as everyone had a good time.
More Photos of Shanghaiguan, please click here!
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