Beijing Free and Easy Blog: Day 3

Beijing Zoo

Beijing Zoo Entrance

Beijing Zoo was planned as a つまみ tsumami "side dish" rather than a "main dish".
The main reason we went to Beijing Zoo was the Panda House.

Entrance ticket to the Beijing Zoo

The entrance to Beijing Zoo + Panda House + Boat trip = CNY40
If you want to visit the aquarium, you can add some money. But I 興味がなかった kyoumi ga nakatta wasn't interested.

Panda House

Young bamboo shoots around the Panda House

Young 竹 take bamboo shoots were planted surrounding the area.
Whereas the pandas were 閉じ込められたlocked in their cages and play area.
The pandas can only see their food nearby but cant touch them...hahaha.

First went to their play area.
Expected the pandas to be 遊んでいる asondeiru playing, but disappointed.
They were sleeping. Motionless. Boring.

Sleeping Panda

Went to another area. Sleeping too.

Another sleeping Panda

Went into another area.
Sleeping too.

You must be kidding me. Sleeping again?

  Luckily another was awake and having 朝食 choushoku breakfast.

Panda biting on bamboos

Panda doing her morning business

Even saw うんこをする unko wo suru taking a dump right in front of us.
What a show!

Do Not Knock!!!

 

Honestly, I am not a zoo fan.
Seeing all the animals in their captivity sometimes just make me feel sad.

What makes me even more sad in the Beijing zoo is that despite the sad destiny of the animals, they still had to bear with some of the Chinese people that 簡単な指示を従うことができなった kantan na shiji wo shitagau koto ga dekinakatta could not obey simple instructions.

ガラスをたたかないで
garasu wo tatakanaide 
DO NOT KNOCK ON THE GLASS

Do Not Knock On The Glass

It irritated me when I was watching the sleeping animal and then I get startled by the loud noise of some id*#ts knocking on the glass.
That was damn annoying.

動物がおびえた
doubutsu ga obieta.
The animal was frightened.
So am I.

動物に餌をやらないで
doubutsu ni esa wo yaranaide 
DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS

Do Not Feed the Animals

Did you see what the lady in blue was doing?

The lady feeding the bear with cookies

そのとおり sono toori Exactly!!! She was feeding the animals with cookies...
Gosh, I hope the bear is not allergic to cookies.

Simple instruction.
Barely followed.

That was what I didn`t like in the Beijing Zoo.

Boat Trip

Boat trips from the Beijing Zoo

The part that excites me was the boat trip.
The combo ticket will include the boat trip.
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/zoo.htm

There are 2 boat trips:

1. Round Trip to Purple Bamboo Garden (returning to the Zoo)
2. Single Trip to Summer Palace (not returning to the Zoo)

Boat to the Purple Garden

My plan was to take the Round Trip to the Purple Bamboo Garden, then upon returning, I take the next boat to Summer Palace.
Sounds 完璧 kanpeki perfect!

I queued up for the Round Trip to the Purple Garden.
Imagined strolling alongside the aesthetic bamboos and a lush green garden.

Went into the boat.
A guide were explaining the history of the waterways.
The waterways that were using were also used by the Empress Dowager Cixi.
The bridge on top were low in height. During rainy days, the boat would not be able to pass through.
It was interesting.
At the end she announced that we have arrived at the Purple Bamboo Garden.
Excited. I was ready to get off the boat.

The boat turned around.

"That was the Purple Bamboo Garden. We are heading back," said the guide.

Oh my goodness. We are not getting off the boat? Just a glimpse?!
I can`t see much at all and now we are heading back?

That was it. Purely a boat trip.
Throughout the trip, you will be in the boat. Don't expect you will be able to get off into the Purple Bamboo Garden.

You thought that was disappointing.
When I got back to the zoo, I queued up for the next boat trip to the Summer Palace.

They told me that I have taken the boat to the Purple Bamboo Garden, I cannot take the boat to the Summer Palace.
If I want to take the boat to the Summer Palace, I would need to pay CNY40.

That was total ばかばかしい bakabakashii nonsense.

Angry and disappointed.
Although I can pay, I didn't pay.
I would rather go and take the subway to the Summer Palace.

Wasted an hour of my time to get to the Summer Palace.

Take the boat to the Summer Palace

My advice: If you plan to take the boat trip, take the boat to the Summer Palace.

Summer Palace

Entrance to the Summer Palace

Arrived at 4:30pm. Closing at 6:00pm.
Meaning I had only 1.5 hour until it close.

There are the combo tickets. CNY60.
And the entrance ticket. CNY30.

Bought the entrance ticket since I only had 1.5 hour there.
I didn't think that I had the time to visit all the places.

Same strategy as the Forbidden City.
Follow some guides, they will they you stories.

Interesting Facts and Tales in the Summer Palace

The Summer Palace is the resort for the Empress Dowager.
There is even a "cinema" there.

Cinema for the Empress Dowager Cixi

Of course, no movies, just Chinese operas.


Qilin, legendary animal with
dragon 頭 atama head
lion しっぽ  shippo tail
ox ひづめ hizume hooves
deer 角 tsuno antlers
うろこ uroko scales all over the body
is symbolic to justice.

Qilin in Summer Palace

It is said that if you were into business that counts on luck such as gambling business, you are not advised to place a Qilin.
The Qilin is there to watch over the ministers and officers to ensure they are always 公正 kousei just.


The Dragon and Phoenix usually represents boy and girl.
But in the Summer Palace, it represents the Emperor and her mother, the Empress Dowager Cixi.

Dragon the Emperor

Phoenix the Empress

The interesting point is the platform of which they are standing on.
The Phoenix will have plenty on the platform, while the Dragon will have nothing.
It means the Empress Dowager Cixi will hold everything, and the Emperor would have nothing.

The Emperor would have to ask from the Empress.

The Long Corridor

The long 廊下 rouka corridor stretch along the lake.
Believe me, it is very long. I didn't even finished walking till the end.
The interesting point is the painting on the 天井 tenjou ceiling of the corridor.
Every few steps, you will see a drawing on the left and right ceiling.
Every few booths, you will see a big drawing on the ceiling.
Each drawing is different and unique representing a certain stories.

The Light Pole to indicate the Empress is resting

If light is raised on the tall pole, it means that the Empress Dowager Cixi is resting, and not to disturb her.

When Empress Dowager Cixi is bored and missed her child, the Emperor, she would come to this building

Royal Telephone Room

and make a call to the Emperor using a public telephone.

The Royal Phone

Really??!!
Of course not, I'm just kidding.

Walking to the 17 Arch Bridge

The 17 Arch Bridge

By the time we had finished the Long Corridor, it was 6pm.
I really thought that I made a wise decision not to purchase the combo ticket.
Saved myself CNY30.

Since the building were all close.
I went for a walk to the 17 Arch Bridge.
It was a long walk, but a very relaxing one.

4 things made it relaxing.

• The Kunming Lake
• Draping tree leaves
• Cool breeze
• Sunset view

The combination was so calming and relaxing.
Honestly, I really didn't want to leave if it was not because the 空が暗くなる sora ga kuraku naru sky is getting dark.

Moreover, I was afraid the main gate was going to close and I had to walk a big round around the Summer Palace.

Luckily they had the small door opened when I left.
It was 7:30pm.

Gui Jie Again!!

Decided to visit the many restaurants selling all the "Ma Lat" spicy spicy food.

It took a while to decide which restaurant to enter.

Some usher were 押し付けがましい oshitsuke ga mashii pushy. 嫌いだ kirai da I hate it. Definitely not going in.
Some don't have menu to preview. I hate it. Not going in.

Honestly, you don't have to bare with the attitude of the usher.
If you don't like them, just walk away.

This one the usher were patient and had a menu.


I ordered
Ma La Pork.
Gosh, this is really 辛い karai spicy!!!
Brush off the chili aside to find the pork.
They really gave me lots of pork underneath those chili.

Ma La Pork

Mushrooms with vegetables.
Simple dish and I love mushrooms.
Inside there were 3 types of mushrooms topped with oyster sauce.