TRAVEL SPECIAL..... CHINA

CHINA

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The Great Wall is to China what the grand Taj Mahal is to India – a source of awe and adulation. But beyond that Wall – much like beyond the Taj – there are many things to see and do in this vast country, which is more than twice the size of India.

Beijing:

Beijing has many attractions. Right at the heart of the city is the Tiananmen Square, the biggest public square in the world. Next to it is the Forbidden Palace from where Chinese kings once ruled the country. When I first went around the palace, it reminded me a bit of the Delhi Red Fort. Other attractions include the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and the Houhai lake area, which is dazzlingly lit up every evening. (My personal favourite at Houhai is the East Shore Jazz Café with its weekend live music and fairly cheap single malts.)

A tour of Beijing’s hutongs or narrow alleys lined with courtyard houses is rewarding and allows tourists to get an idea of what this city was like decades ago.

Chengdu SICHUAN in the southwest PROVINCE: 

A visit to the Panda Breeding Research Centre and Sanctuary located close to the city is a must. It would be especially rewarding for children who will love to see the cuddly animals eating bamboo. English-speaking guides give you a tour of the sanctuary for about 100 Yuan or 1,000. On your way out, you can buy refrigerator magnets with pandas on them. For a few hundred Chinese Yuan, children are allowed to touch and hold baby pandas.

Lhasa:

Perfect for a solo traveller or a small group. Ideally, spend the first day in the hotel room to acclimatise.

Step out the next morning to visit the magnificent Potala Palace – a museum now – once the primary residence of the Dalai Lama. Wander around the streets, listening to Tibetan chants and picking up local handicrafts. One drawback: Lhasa is an expensive destination.

Shanghai:

Parts of Shanghai will remind you of certain cities in India. Visit the Bund or the riverfront area. On one side are old colonial structures now housing banks and bars. The other side has skyscrapers. The evening view is stunning. Take a sunset/ evening cruise on the river. Late evening, visit the former French Concession area with its many restaurants and bars to get a sense of the Shanghai hip. At the Propaganda Poster Art Centre, buy cheap prints of posters from the early part of the 20th century and the Cultural Revolution.

Food:

You will not find ‘gobi manchurian’ in China. Beijing’s signature dish is the Peking Duck, thinly sliced duck (often mostly skin, little meat) with cucumber and sweet sauce. The other dish to be tried is the ‘hot pot’ – the most popular Sichuan variety. Vegetarians need to be careful because meat is an intrinsic part of Chinese cuisine.

·          by Sutirtho Patranobis

HTBR27MAR16