I Met Mr. Giant Panda in Beijing Zoo (北京动物园 Pinyin)

I first saw panda in Year 2006 when I went to The Ocean Park in Hong Kong.  It was so lovely to see this ever-shy mammal in the world.  I learned later that Panda originated in China and had been imported for breeding in other parts of the world.  Is this the reason why there is a movie, "Kung Fu Panda"?

So on our Day 2 in Beijing, we were up to be kids again and explored the zoological park of Beijing and scheduled to be transformed back into ladies as we set to shop in the afternoon.

at the entrance of Beijing Zoo

Our wake-up call is at 6AM so we left the inn at 8AM and proceed to Yonghegong Station entrance to Beijing Zoo. We took Line 2 first and get off in Xizhimen Station for our transfer to Line 4. You should be aware of the end to end station of the Line station, otherwise, you will be going to the opposite direction. For Beijing Zoo, you should check if the line is going to Bagou/Longbeicun. From Xizhimen, Beijing Zoo Station is just one station away. We took Exit A as instructed and just followed the group of families with kids as we surely knew they were bound to the zoo too. =)

At the entrance of Beijing Zoo

Since we only have three hours to spend in the zoo so that we can maximize the other attractions of Beijing, we prioritized the main areas of our interests.  This downloaded map from Travel China Guide helped us organized our stay in the zoo.

Panda Overload

We first went to the East part of the zoo to see the Giant Panda, Big Cats and Bear area, the Lion and the Tiger, and some of what the zoo labeled as "Australian" and "American" animals are located.  We spared North part where the Hipo, Elephant and Beijing Aquarium were located.

Next, we walked towards the West Area where we were able to see Giraffe, Golden Monkey, some Aviary and the Flamingo and Deer. We tried to see some penguins but unfortunately the place was closed to visitors.

More than the animals in the zoo, I did not expect that the park would be beautiful because of the flowers abundantly blooming there.

We walked towards the Southwest Gate for our next destination, Beijing Clothing Wholesale Market 动物园服装批发市场.  But, of course, we still managed to get some group photos.

I must have mistaken being a kid in the zoo, I was still a lady that I am.  I had fun having shots solo with the beautiful backdrop! It was a fine day at the zoo.

Important information about Beijing Zoo:

Ticket Prices:

• Entrance Fee (excluding the panda's house): CNY 15 (Apr. 1 to Oct. 31); CNY 10 (Nov. 1 to the next Mar.31)
• Combo Ticket (including the panda's house): CNY 20 (Apr. 1 to Oct. 31); CNY 15 (Nov. 1 to the next Mar.31)
• Cruise Boat Combo Ticket (including the panda's house and the boat): CNY 40 (Apr. 1 to Oct. 31); CNY 35 (Nov. 1 to the next Mar.31)
• Aquarium Combo Ticket (including entrance fee, the panda's house and the aquarium): CNY 130 (Apr. 1 to Oct. 31); CNY 120 (Nov. 1 to the next Mar.31)

* Free of charge for kids lower than 1.2 meters.

Opening Hours:

Zoo: 7:30 - 18:00 (Apr. 1 to Oct. 31); 7:30 - 17:00 (Nov. 1 to the next Mar.31)

Aquarium: 9:00 - 17:30 (Apr. 1 to Oct. 31); 10:00 - 16:30 (Nov. 1 to the next Mar.31)

Getting There:

Via Subway:

Subway Line 4: get off at Dong Wu Yuan Station, get out of the station from Exit A (northwest exit), and you'll find the south gate.

Via Bus:

Take bus no.27, 45, 105, 107, 111, 206, 209, 319, 334, 347, 360, 362, 534, 632, 634, 697, 714, 808, 814, 特4, Yuntong 104, Yuntong 105, Yuntong 106 or Yuntong 205 and get off at Dong Wu Yuan Station.

It's Spring in Summer Palace ( 颐和园 Yi Je Huan)

Who'd think that you can feel Spring in a Summer Palace?

After spending half of the day in Great Wall of China, we took Bus 980 back to the city to the next destination in our itinerary for Day 1 : Summer Palace ( 颐和园 Yi Je Huan).

Named as the largest imperial park in China and has been recognized as "The Museum of Royal Gardens", Summer Palace is located at Yiheyuan (Summer Palace) Road, Haidian District (northwest of Beijing City).  It is also recognized as one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites declared being "a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design". Mainly dominated by Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake covering 2.9 sg kms, three quarters of Summer Palace is water.

From Great Wall of China, we arrived nearly three in the afternoon in the bus terminal in Beijing. We have the list of buses that will pass by Summer Palace but we don't have any idea where these buses pass by so we were left with one option, that is, to take the subway.

Transportation
By subway	Subway Line 4: get off at Beigongmen Station (Beigongmen means the North Palace Gate); or get off at Xiyuan Station, get out of the station from Exit C2 (southwest exit) and walk west.
By bus	Take bus 209, 330, 331, 332, 346, 394, 683, 690, 696, 718, 801, 808, or 826 and get off at Yiheyuan Station. Take bus 469 or 539 and get off at Yiheyuan West Palace Gate Station. Take bus 209, 319, 320, 331, 332, 333(内), 333(外), 394, 432, 438, 498, 628, 664, 718, 801, 826, 特6, Yuntong 106, Yuntong 114, or Yuntong 118 and get off at Yiheyuanlu Dongkou Station (The Eastern End of Yiheyuan Road). Take bus 303, 331, 346, 375, 384, 393, 498, 634, 683, 696, 697, 718, 801, 808, 特5 or 特10 and get off at Yiheyuan North Palace Gate Station. Take bus 74, 374, 437 or 952 and get off at Xin Jian Gong Men (Yiheyuan New Palace Gate) Station.

Travel China Guide has this directions in English and Chinese characters and advised to be printed which the tourist can show to locals, if needed.

From Dongzhimen Station, we get off at Beigongmen Station and got out of Exit C2 (Southwest exit) and walked west.  We just walked along the Gongmenqian Street until we found the signage going to the Summer Palace.

We paid entrance fee of CYN 20.  There is a map sold at CYN10 so you can be fully guided how to maximize your tour inside the Summer Palace. But we were too tired to go around the palace and opted not to buy a map anymore. Instead, we just walked and walked and had some few stops to enjoy the sceneries surrounding the place.  With aching soles and very tired legs from the hiking adventure in the Great Wall of China, we only had so much energy to sustain.

Enjoying our first taste of ice cream that sounds like "Jing-min-er" while taking a rest in the midst of sleepy mid-afternoon air

Summer Palace is divided into four parts with its famous landmarks:
1. Court Area (East Palace Gate, Hall of Jade Ripples, Hall of Benevolence and Longetivity, Yiyun House, Hall of Virtue and Harmony, and, Hall of Joyful Longetivity)
2. Front-Hill Area (Long Gallery, Baoyun Pavillion, Hall of Utmost Blessing, Hall of Dispeling Clouds, Through the Wonderland, Tower of Buddhist Incense and Hall of Sea Wisdom)
3. Lake Area (Causeway, Nanhu Island, Kunming Lake, Bronze Ox, Back Lane and Wanzihe, Seventeen-Arch Bridge and Marble Boat)
4. Rear-Hill Area (Four Great Regions, Garden of Harmonious Interests, Suzhou Market Street)

We spent much of our time at the Court Area (which is at the East Palace Gate entrance) and the Lake Area where we had lots of "striking a pose" moments, just sitting down enjoying the scenery and the varieties of activities (families, students on a field trip, flock of tourists organized in a tour, couples and some groups like us) in Kunming Lake.  

Court Area

In the Court Area, that is where we had a taste of the sugar-coated haw in stick. It's yummy!

We enjoyed the view at Kunming Lake.  It was mid-afternoon and with the sun and the cool breeze of Spring, we all felt idle to go on walking. 

Kunming Lake

For a time, we stopped walking along the stretch of the lake, and just enjoyed eating ice cream and people watching.

the long stretch along Kunming Lake

After taking some rest, we continued walking, searching for the Marble Boat.  The walk took almost an hour as we had more stops striking a pose while enjoying the view as the sun was about to set.

along the stretch of Kunming Lake

With Summer Palace being recognized as "The Museum of Royal Parks", we found more of Chinese architectures that depict China's history, culture and tradition.

Stopping near the harbor where rentals for water bikes and floating boats can be found, we enjoyed the sunset with our jump shots instead.

 As we walked towards the exit of Summer Palace, we saw this Chinese man having the solitude of his life fishing under the bridge. 

To wrap-up my trip to Summer Palace, it was a place that I think is best to idly sit down, people watch, or just get the ambiance and beauty of the place ignite the writer in you. At the end of the day, you'll surely complete one good story.   It's also best place to jog or brisk walk in the morning, stroll a bit towards mid-afternoon and ride your bike in the late afternoon. 

at the other end of Seventeen Arch Bridge

It was an enjoyable place to end our first day in Beijing.  I climbed the Great Wall of China admiring the beauty surrounding Mutianyu with its bountiful flowers that only bloom in Spring, I ended up the day walking along the long stretch of Kunming Lake thankful for the opportunity to see the other side of my world.

Three Full Spring Days in Beijing

Athough I live in a tropical country, Philippines, I heart Spring so much that I chased it in South Korea in May 2010 but was a little bit late to experience the cherry blossom season.  Finally, I realized that dream in Beijing in Spring of 2011. 

the beautiful cherry blossoms and the magnificent Great Wall of China

Why do I heart Spring so much? 

Because this is when the flowers bloom, when everything around is vibrant, colorful and full of hope after the white winter season and this is where it seems love is everywhere. Just by reading books with a plot on Spring and watching movies with the season of Spring, I am always fascinated.

My trip to Beijing is quite different from the other travels that I had - it was full of surprises and expect the unexpected for me.  Anna was "unofficially" our assigned itinerary planner and did most of the research of the places that we visited. Here she shared the comprehensive itinerary including the pre-departure preparations and expenses of our whole trip. Without any idea of the whole thing, I found it more fun discovering the new experiences as we explored Beijing in three full days. 

Here, I will share my own personal experience of our Beijing trip. 

Day 1: Arrival and Checked-In at Candy Inn

19:00   Departure NAIA 3

00:30   Arrival Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 2

02:00   Check-In at Candy Inn

Day 1

Here's my travel friend, Anna's blog and my blog about Candy Inn.

Day 2: Great Wall of China and Summer Palace

05:00           Wake Up Call
07:00           Leave Candy Inn to Great Wall of China
07:00 -  13:00  Great Wall of China Mutianyu (including lunch)
13:00 -  18:00  Summer Palace
20:00           Dinner
22:00           Lights Off

Great Wall of China 万里长城

We kicked-off our own tour of Beijing in its famous landmark, Great Wall of China.  Check my post about my personal experience in conquering Great Wall of China here.

Summer Palace 颐和园 Yi Je Huan  the charming Summer Palace Summer Palace is such a charming place, a good place to relax and just get the day passes by.  I liked the long stretch of the road that connects to the other gate with the horizon of the river and surrounding trees that complement the architectural structures of temples and pagodas that depict the era of dynasties. Here's my post about Summer Palace experience.

Day 3: Beijing Zoo, Shopping and Peking Duck Dinner at Quanjude Restaurant

06:00           Wake Up Call

08:00 - 13:00   Beijing Zoo

13:00 - 14:00   Beijing Zoo Clothing Whole Sale Market

14:00 - 15:00   Zhongguanun Electronics

15:00 - 18:00   Tianyi Market

19:00 - 21:00   Dinner at Quanjude Restaurant

21:00 - 22:00   Quick Photo-op at The Egg, Bird's Nest and Watercube

23:00           Lights Off

Beijing Zoo 北京动物园

Not only the kids love the zoo, us too!

I've never been to a zoo as vast, spacious and green like Beijing Zoo. There I saw so many pandas, leopard, white tiger and other animals.  Check how I enjoyed being a kid again at the zoo here.

Quanjude Restaurant

Peking Duck experience

Quanjude Restaurant is famous for its Peking Duck so we splurge to our delights - our best dinner ever. Watch more of my culinary adventures in Beijing here.

NCPA (National Centre for the Performing Arts)or The Egg 国家大剧院

Bird's Nest 国家体育场 Natl Aquatics / Water Cube 国家游泳中心 Natl Stadium

the night view of Beijing's major landmarks

We wrapped up our day with more endless walking for a glimpse of Beijing's major landmarks at night. More of these soon.

Day 4: Wangfujing Street, Temple of Heaven and Forbidden City

07:00           Wake Up Call

09:00           Palm Sunday Mass at St. John Cathedral

10:30 - 12:00   Wangfujing Street Market

12:00 - 13:00   Bird's Nest and National Stadium

14:00 -         Check-Out Candy Inn (but left our luggages in the storage area)

15:00 - 17:00   Temple of Heaven

17:00 - 18:00   The Forbidden Temple

18:00 - 19:00   Wangfujing Street Market

19:00 - 20:00   Back to Candy Inn to get the luggages          

22:00           Check In Beijing International Airport

The Temple of Heaven

Temple of Heaven is a discovery for me.  I don't know about this place but I had enjoyed there even though the sand storm started to strike in Beijing during our last day. Watch out for my Temple of Heaven experience here.

The Forbidden City

We're not able to go inside The Forbidden City as it was closed already but worth the visit still.  But I'd love to know more its history too.

Wangjujing Street

The different faces of Wangfujing Street

Wangfujing Street can be considered as the best of both worlds - flea market at the other side of the street and premium outlets of signature brands at the other side.  It has different faces  as well from the materialistic facade of shopping sprees to the holiness of the Catholic Church.  Check more of my Wangfujing experience here.

Day 5: Departure from Beijing at 1AM

01:00           Departure Beijing Capital International Airport
05:30           Arrival NAIA 3

A Must Prep!

• I shared how to apply for a Tourist/Family Visit visa for Beijing here.
• Do-It-Your Own Itinerary (refer to Anna's blog, it's very informative). She shared the following points:
• Print the name of the places and useful phrases written in Chinese characters for the locals to look at when you ask them for help
• Exchange your PHP to CNY here to avoid the CNY50 charge when you have it exchanged at Beijing Capital International Airport
• Bring a set of spoon and fork if you're not used to dining with chopsticks. Most restaurants don't have spoon and fork.
• Print out Beijing Subway Map with Chinese characters. It's a great help for D-I-Y travellers.

My Beijing Take Aways:

• Great Wall of China is a valid proof for me that dreams do come true. You should not wait for it to happen but chase for it to come true! It left me in awe and I nearly had my tears fall when I saw the greatest work of mankind.  I just learned it in school and I got the chance to finally set my foot on this historical and partly political construction in the world.
• Cherry Blossom Overload - I only wanted to see even one cherry blossom but I saw other flowers that only bloom in Spring.  It will always be a beautiful scene for me.
• My first Peking Duck experience - Dining at the famous and fancy Quanjude Restaurant was a wonderful experience. Other than that, I enjoyed my gastronomic adventures in Beijing. Check my post about that here.
• An unexpected cheap tour - Never did I think that I won't spending much in Beijing. Not that I stopped myself from splurging but it was just that the food are not that expensive even the entrance fees of the famous places that we'd gone to.
• I won a chic luggage! - My entry to Travel and Leisure Magazine won me a chic luggage. It was so unexpected that I felt winning is like an icing to my cake of travels.

my winning photo

The Beijing Tour Wanderers

Credits: Anna for our detailed itinerary.

Travel Dates: April 14-18,2011
Joiners: Anna Bano (Itinerary Maker)
             Claire Dote (On-Tour Navigator) with Anna
             Vivian Siccuan
             Joan Guanlao
             Jen Zamora
             Lea Javier

Beijing Tour: Day 3 Wangfujing Street & Bird's Nest

On our third and officially the last full day in Beijing, we started off our mornings with different itinerary.

Anna went out of the city to attend her church service while the rest of us found our way to St. John Cathedral in Dongdan for the Palm Sunday Mass. 

Getting to St. John Cathedral

From Yonghegong Stn (Line 2), we get off in Dongdan Stn (Line 2) and transfer to Line 1 and get off in Wangfujing Stn (Line 1) just one station away. We then walked like 3kms to St. Joseph Cathedral church but we didn't feel tired because we saw the array of malls and boutiques of signature brands on the right while on the left is array of jewelry stores, electronics, flea market and famous Wangfujing street foods. It was like a one-stop-shop. The weather is cold seems like 7-10C and heavy winds -and we learned later on that it rained in Great Wall and slightly rain of snow. Good thing we scheduled our trip during our 1st day, otherwise, we did not see anything!

Of course, we first searched for the church. Indeed, just follow the star and you will find what you are searching for. =) And what i was looking for is a mall!!



the long stretch of Wangfujing Street



Amidst the tempting malls, boutiques and stores, we kept on walking until we found the church.   They have their own version of "palaspas" made out of pine trees and for FREE! It was a solemn mass though in Chinese language but somehow we managed to pray on our own, thanking God for a beautiful life I have.



St John Cathedral



After the mass, we had our breakfast in Mcdo and then went to the nearby flea market for a quick- 30 min-shopping!



Who can't miss Mcdo even in Beijing?



I recommend for a good place to buy souvenirs - Wangfujing Street!

Since we'd seen Bird's Nest at night, we decided to take a quick visit at day and had our photo souvenir of the famous Beijing landmark.

Getting there, we walked back to Wangfujing Stn (Line1) and transfer in Dongdan (Line 5). From Dongdan Stn, we took Line 5 going to Beituchengdonglu Stn to transfer in Line 10. From there, we get off in Xiongmaohuandao Stn to transfer to the Special Olympic Lane (Line 8) and get off in Olympic Green Stn. We took Exit D to National Stadium and had our quick photo-op.

We then headed back to our inn to meet Anna and check-out. We left our luggages in their storage area so we can continue with our tour. At 2PM, we checkout from Candy Inn and had our final lunch in the restaurant near Lama Temple. It was another bounty late lunch.

One thing I love in Beijing? - FOOD!