1
Hi scbissler
2
If you keep your trip to Beijing down to 4 days (which you can do if you're feeling energetic!), then there's plenty of time to squeeze in Xian, Chengdu & Shanghai. Chinese train timetables are actually very well planned, allowing you to take overnight sleepers that won't eat into your holiday time (and obviously also saving you money on hotels). In Beijing, I'd highly recommend you hire a bike and see the city that way -- especially before all the old hutongs (narrow alleyways) are destroyed for the Olympics.
3
You must see the Wall."A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road" - Henry Ward Beecher
4
Thanks for the advice. I have a couple more questions - I am planning on staying at the Lu Song Yuan hotel in the hutong area of Beijing. Any thoughts on this hotel?? And what is the easiest way to get from Chengdu to Shanghai??, I'm guessing by plane.
5
Yes l agree, you could spend at least a week in Beijing, so squeeze it into 4days. The Wall is a must, but can be done, early in the morning, about 1hr 40 mins, from Beijing, giving you the afternoon, in Tianaman Sq, Mao Mausolium. and then maybe The Hutongs, it`s nice to walk around The Hutongs, although you will be offered rickshaw bike rides, for $25/30, they are good too. Try Lotus Lane, one evening, at about 8-30pm. One day Forbidden City, one day Summer Palace, half a day Temple of Heaven. These are the must do`s, but there are many other things in Beijing. You can get the night sleeper to Xian, it`s the best train that l have ever been on, l think that it was about $50, each. You are going to a wonderful, and beautiful country, full of warm and friendly people. Two weeks, couldn`t scratch it, you would need a year, and maybe then some, but l am sure that you will have a wonderful time.
6
P S. It will be hot in Beijing in June.
7
Quote
And what is the easiest way to get from Chengdu to Shanghai??, I'm guessing by plane.
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I would recommend you spending 3 days or so in Chengdu and from Chengdu you can make it to Jiuzhaigou.
8
I'm a little more enthusiastic than #7 about Chengdu, but I agree that in a 2 week period it might be best to skip. All the truly stunning sights in western China are best seen with more time, including Jiuzhaigou.
9
If you were from somewhere else, how whould you spend 2 weeks seeing the U.S.A?Perfect Enough!
10
Assuming you have a full 14 days in China & budget is not a big issue you could easily do 4-5 days BJ, o/n train to Xi'an and 2 full days, then fly or o/n train to Chengdu (2-3 days) fly to Hangzhou (2 nights); train to Shanghai (2-4 nights). You won't see much countryside but you'll get a feel for the place. (Instead of Hangzhou - which is my fav. city in China you could spend longer in Shanghai & do a day trip to one of the water-towns)."If you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman." Margaret Thatcher
11
Hey, I'm plenty enthusiastic about Chengdu: it's part of my nom de plume, after all. I just had the feeling that perhaps the OP was looking for a bit of adventure in the interior and, given the time, they might be disappointed if Chengdu was the only place they could get to. You can see the pandas, of course, and maybe a day trip to Leshan for the Buddha, but what else? History, culture, and tradition -if that's what's on the menu- would be much better served and more efficiently taken in along the axes of their current ideas: Hangzhou, water towns, Suzhou, Pingyao, Datong, etc. have all been suggested and are easy to do from Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai. Of course, if they could fly everywhere...
12
Once again, thanks everyone! So many possibilities, so llittle time (for now). Flying everywhere is not out of the question, but not neccesarily preferred. Basically the entire trip, except for Beijing, is entirely up in the air. So assuming now 4 or 5 days in Beijing, I have 8-9 days to get the most out of the trip, and to me that means the things that always come to mind when I think "China" - food (very adventurous), landscapes (karst moutains, terraces), culture (Taosim, arts, markets, medicine), and some history (ancient/Imperial). Not really sure if the best way is to hit a string of places or base myself in just a couple of places for 4-5 days each?
13
In Beijing you can find most of what you're looking for, espcially history, but if you really want to get some landscapes in maybe you could do 5 days Beijing, and the rest going out to Longsheng/ Yangshuo in Guangxi. That would give you some good scenery as well as a taste of a part of China that is presumably very different from Beijing (haven't been there yet myself, unfortunately).
14
no,you can visit many cities and sites within 2 weeks
Posted By: VenessaP -- 28-Jan-2010 15:01
Posted By: VenessaP -- 09-Dec-2009 17:01
Asia is a spectacular assault on the senses, whether you're riding the trans-Siberian railway, gazing up at the temples of Angkor, struggling with the immense tide of humanity in India, or trying to s... more »
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