The Middle Kingdom Beckons: A Personal Journey Through Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong & the Magical Mountains of Guilin

The Forbidden City

Stepping through the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City, I felt the weight of 500 years of imperial history. For nearly five centuries, this 178-acre complex was off-limits to commoners — home to 24 Ming and Qing emperors. Walking through the Hall of Supreme Harmony, I tried to imagine the dragon throne occupied, ministers prostrating, and eunuchs scurrying through secret passageways.

The Great Wall at Mutianyu

No photograph prepares you for the Great Wall. Snaking across mountain ridges like a sleeping dragon, it is simultaneously humbling and awe-inspiring. I visited the Mutianyu section — less crowded than Badaling, with breathtaking views. The cable car ride up revealed layer upon layer of green mountains, and standing on the watchtowers, I could almost hear the echo of ancient sentinels.

Memory that lingers: Touching the ancient bricks, knowing they were laid by hand over 600 years ago, and realizing that this wall stretches over 13,000 miles.

Temple of Heaven & The Hutongs

The Temple of Heaven, with its iconic blue-tiled circular altar, was where emperors prayed for good harvests. But what touched me more was the park outside — filled with elderly locals practicing tai chi, singing opera, playing cards, and flying elaborate kites. It was China's soul on display.

And then there were the hutongs — Beijing's ancient alleyways. Renting a rickshaw, I wound through narrow lanes lined with siheyuan (courtyard homes), watching life unfold: mahjong games, hanging laundry, the smell of jianbing (savory crepes) drifting from street stalls.

The Bund

If Beijing is China's heart, Shanghai is its wallet — and its showcase to the world. Standing on the Bund at sunset, watching the colonial-era buildings on one side and the futuristic Pudong skyline on the other, I felt like I was standing at the crossroads of two centuries. The Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, and Jin Mao Tower pierced the clouds, their lights beginning to twinkle as darkness fell.

Yu Garden & The Old City

Hidden among Shanghai's skyscrapers lies a Ming Dynasty garden — a pocket of serenity in the metropolis. Yu Garden's rockeries, pavilions, and koi ponds transported me to another era. The adjacent Yuyuan Bazaar buzzed with vendors selling everything from jade jewelry to soup dumplings.

French Concession & Nightlife

The French Concession offered leafy streets, art deco buildings, and boutique cafes. I spent an afternoon at Xintiandi — a restored shikumen (stone-gate) neighborhood that perfectly blends old Shanghai charm with modern sophistication. That night, I experienced Shanghai's legendary nightlife — from jazz at the Peace Hotel's Old Jazz Band to rooftop bars overlooking the Huangpu River.

Victoria Harbour

Hong Kong hit me differently. The energy was electric, frantic, intoxicating. From my hotel room on Kowloon side, I watched the Symphony of Lights — a synchronized laser and music show across the harbor — with Victoria Peak rising behind the Central skyline. The Star Ferry ride across the harbor cost less than a dollar but offered million-dollar views.

Victoria Peak

The Peak Tram — one of the steepest funicular railways in the world — carried me up to 1,811 feet for a panorama I'll never forget. The city sprawled below: skyscrapers jostling for position, the harbor busy with ferries and junks, and green mountains rising on all sides. Hong Kong is a city that shouldn't work — too dense, too vertical — but it does, brilliantly.

Wong Tai Sin Temple & Markets

For a different side of Hong Kong, I visited Wong Tai Sin Temple — famous for kau chim (fortune-telling) where devotees shake bamboo sticks until one falls out, revealing their fate. Then came the markets: Ladies' Market for knockoffs, Temple Street Night Market for seafood and souvenirs, and the frantic goldfish market in Mong Kok.

The Li River Cruise (漓江)

This was the reason I came to China. The four-hour cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo is not a boat ride — it's a pilgrimage through a Chinese landscape painting. The karst mountains rise from the earth like the spine of a sleeping dragon, their limestone peaks draped in mist. Water buffalo graze on emerald banks, while cormorant fishermen float on bamboo rafts.

I sat on the deck for the entire journey, camera in hand, unable to look away. Each bend in the river revealed a scene more spectacular than the last. The famous "Nine Horses" mountain — where Chairman Mao claimed he could see nine horses in the rock formations — was pointed out by our guide. (I saw four. I blame the morning fog.)

Yangshuo (阳朔): Backpacker Paradise

Yangshuo, at the end of the Li River cruise, is what happens when dramatic natural beauty meets a laid-back traveler scene. West Street — or "Foreigner Street" — was lined with cafes, souvenir shops, and bars playing Western music. But the real magic was outside town: renting a bicycle and riding through rice paddies with karst peaks as backdrop, climbing Moon Hill for 360-degree views, and floating down the Yulong River on a bamboo raft.

Evening ritual: Watching the "Impression Liu Sanjie" light show — directed by Zhang Yimou (of Beijing Olympics fame) — performed on the river itself with 600 local actors. Surreal and spectacular.

The Reed Flute Cave (芦笛岩)

Back in Guilin city, the Reed Flute Cave offered a different kind of wonder. This natural limestone cave is filled with stalactites, stalagmites, and rock formations illuminated in psychedelic colors. The cave has been a tourist attraction for over 1,200 years — Tang Dynasty inscriptions date back to 792 AD. The "Crystal Palace" chamber, 240 feet long and 150 feet wide, hosted underground concerts during World War II.

• Cashless Society: In 2009, I paid for almost everything with cash. Today, WeChat Pay and Alipay are universal — even street vendors and temples accept digital payments.
• High-Speed Rail: The overnight train from Beijing to Shanghai no longer exists for most travelers — replaced by 4.5-hour bullet trains.
• Air Quality: Dramatically improved in Beijing and Shanghai thanks to environmental regulations.
• Tourism Infrastructure: Better signage in English, more digital ticketing, and improved hotel quality everywhere.
• Visa Policies: More visa-free transit options, though the visa process remains required for longer stays.