One World, One Dream, One Giant Fence by xiaodi zhang at 08/14/2008

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Unlike my local Shanghai friends, I braved the crowds, the terrorists and pollution to attend the Olympics in Beijing! I just got back, and I dont regret my decision at all. The volleyball and tennis matches I attended were amazing, and I loved exploring new/old parts of Beijing which have been either under construction or renovation in the last two years.

At the same time, we took comfort in seeing all the security check points and security guards at the Games. Given what happened to the US volleyball coach's father-in-law, we were happy to see everyone taking security so seriously. We were subjected to multiple checks at the airport, random checks at any public space, and multiple checks at the venues. We saw the rationale behind all the security measure, until we tried to visit the Olympic Greens with our Olympic tickets.

Even though we had volleyball and tennis tickets, we found out that only those with tickets to venues physically located on the Olympic Greens could enter the communal Olympic Greens area. This rule sprung up out of nowhere, since the official Olympic guidebooks specifically says all Olympic ticket holders can check out the Greens. At the same time, this particular rule appeared to change every minute, since each guard told us conflicting versions of that rule.

After an exasperating argument with several guards, we finally pushed our way into the Olympic Green (after nearly coming to blows with the guard pictured), only to find ourselves practically alone. Given its sheer size, the Beijing's Olympic Green would have been difficult to fill even without all the rules and restrictions. After the new rules, the area felt deserted. We saw as many volunteers and journalists as spectators. The mood was noticably mellow. It didn't feel festive or Olympic at all. Granted the Bird's Nest and Water Cube were amazing to see, but it was still from outside the confines of yet another fence.

On our way out of the Olympic Green, we were not greeted by the five Fuwa, the Olympic mascots, or Olympians. Instead, we walked by more guards and a tank. In its effort to block out terrorists and dissidents, Olympic organizers in BJ have effectively blocked out thousands of passionate fans and dampened the Olympic spirit.
Apparantly, Olympic sponsors have also noticed the small crowds and have applied financial pressure on BJ. So, BJ will start issuing day passes soon. Unfortunately, money speaks louder than disgrutled fans.

What Not to Do in Beijing by xiaodi zhang at 07/30/2008

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With less than fourteen days to the Olympics, it seems like everyone is publishing guides on Beijing. While I love the interactive maps, great photos, and well-organized information, I am cringing at all the overrated places everyone is recommending over and over again.

So, here is my list of “un-recommended” places in Beijing. If you only have a few days in Beijing during the Olympics, do not waste your time, energy, meals or money on these destinations. There are more places that my local Beijing friends would add to this list, but here are the absolute all-time overrated places. Avoid them if you can.

Badaling Great Wall:  You absolutely need to go see the Great Wall, but just dont see it at Badaling! When I first went to Badaling ten years ago, it was already overrun by tourists and knick-knack stands selling everything from Mao pins to “I Climbed Badaling” tshirts. Imagine how crowded it is today. You don’t really climb the wall as much as your push your way through the crowds. If you sign up for a Great Wall tour, be sure to specify that you DO NOT want to go to Badaling. Otherwise, they will always take you there by default, since it is the closest and therefore the cheapest for the tour company.

Le Quai: The description of Le Quai could not sound more intriguing: a two-story traditional house transported from Anhui province and rebuilt inside a modern glass house in Beijing. The design did not disappoint at all. Le Quai is beautiful to look at, both inside and outside the restaurant. However, the food is a total after-thought in this restaurant. The “French-Asian-Fusion” thing just doesn’t work, and it is incredibly expensive. We ordered the one dish that every Beijing restaurant should get right (otherwise, don’t put it on the menu), Zha Jiang Mien, and it was impossible to imagine a worse version of this classic dish. Do not waste a meal at this restaurant. Go for drinks or tea, or just get a tour.

Li Qun Duck Restaurant: Yes, Al Gore has been here, but that doesn’t mean Al Gore knows good duck. We first heard about Li Qun in a Starwood Travel special (that should have tipped us off, but it was very well-made). The small hutong restaurant seemed like a hidden gem. When we got there and saw a long line of foreign tourists outside the restaurant, we began to worry about our decision. When we saw a tourist picking apart the duck skin and throwing it away, we knew we were really in trouble. This restaurant no longer caters to locals. It caters to people who don’t know that the best part of a Peking duck is the skin! Enough said. Have you duck at Made in China, or at the original Da Dong (only the original location though).

Grand Hyatt: It seems a little harsh to include such a landmark hotel on this list. But after a couple of recent visits, I feel the Grand Hyatt has lost its luster. The service has become shoddy, and the rooms feel too small compared to comparable hotels. In fact, a lot of high-end hotels have opened recently in Beijing. Rates are competitive, service has improved, and rooms are better and better. Grand Hyatt is no longer *the* luxury hotel in Beijing. Try the Westin instead.

Hou Hai: Hou Hai used to be the most peaceful and romantic area in Beijing. A favorite gathering place for local residents, you would find retirees playing Chinese Chess, poker or practicing qigong at sunset not more than six years ago. That was before the bars and clubs targeting expats took over and turned Hou Hai into a loud, obnoxious eye-sore at night. Walking around Hou Hai at sunset today, you will be accosted by countless bartenders trying to pull you into their bars to check out the “live music”. It’s a truly sad scene, especially if you have experienced Hou Hai in the past.

Silk Market/Pearl Market: While the two markets sell completely different types of products, one selling knockoffs and the other selling “pearls”, the experience is pretty similar. You will be confronted with endless rows of booths and stalls selling identical items at practically identical prices. The vendors will be yelling at you at every language imaginable, and they will try to pull you into their stalls. If that sounds like fun, then these markets are the places to go. But don’t think you are getting great deals. The products are that cheap for a reason. Speaking from personal experience, that LV purse is not made out of real leather, the Cartier watch will stop in a month, and those pretty coral necklaces will leave a nice red stain on your neck.

The Orchard: Touted as “rustic” and “charming”, the Orchard is known for its weekend brunch and use of organic herbs and vegetables. In theory, it should be wonderful. In reality, the Orchard is located nearly 1.5 hours outside of town, and taxi drivers have a hard time finding it. The food is nice, but its comparable to the brunch you can find back home in Texas (actually not as good as that). If you only have a few days in Beijing, don’t spend four hours on mediocre brunch.

China Club: Renovated prince’s palace: check, exclusive membership club: check, boutique hotel: check. China Club seems to have all the ingredients for an amazing hutong restaurant. Unfortunately, the management company neglected to hire a good chef. The club restaurant is overpriced and underwhelming. This is a place for business dinners on expense accounts.

I *HEART* BJ by xiaodi zhang at 01/07/2008

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I know the grass is always greener on the other side, or in this case greyer, but Beijing is really starting to grow on me.

I've been to BJ many times before, and this time has been my favorite. One reason is that since I've been to all the tourist destinations, I can just relax and enjoy the city. Here are a few reasons why I've grown to love "BJ".

• Beijingers: I am a little biased, because I am from the north myself, but I have always been more comfortable around Beijing people. I really appreciate Beijingers' laid-back attitude, and I love their drawl (reminds me of Southerners from my days in Alabama and TX). I also love the fact that taxi drivers actually acknowledge and even chit chat w/ me. Overall, I simply feel more relaxed when surrounded by Beijingers.

• Bodhi: I am going to run the risk of sounding like a pampered brat, but  Beijing's Bodhi spa is one of the highlights for me in BJ. I honestly have never had better massages than at Bodhi. Their Thai massages are better than the ones I had in Thailand, and therapist #1 gives one mean Chinese massage. Go for the 90 minutes, especially after a long day at the wall.

• NanLuoGuXiang Hutong: Similar to Taikang Lu 210 Nong, this old residential alley close to Houhai is one of my favorite places to spend an entire day in Beijing. In this past year, a ton of cafes, shops and restaurants have opened up. Tucked away from busy traffic and still relatively hidden from mass tourism, this place is great to relax, enjoy a cup of coffee or a drink. Check out Pass By Cafe, or any of the dozen cafes on this small street.

• Hidden Restaurants/Bars: While NanLuoGuXiang is a great concentration of cafes and restaurants, there are more and more hidden restaurants/bars that are popping up in other Beijing Hutongs. These places are typically right in the middle of a residential neighborhood, so they are even more quiet. For the most part, the food and drinks are also excellent. Try Vineyard for food, and Bed for drinks.

• Indie Music: If I came to Beijing in college as an exchange student, I might have dropped out of school to become a punk rocker! Okay, probably not.... Anyway, we checked out a couple of young indie rock bands at Mao Live, and it was so much fun! These kids are so young, and I just loved their energy and unique musical style. Its so refreshing to hear an alternative voice in the sea of pop music, which completely dominates mainstream music in China. We also picked up 10+ indie rock cd's at a fun local cd shop, which I have not found in Shanghai. Here's a cool picture Allen took of SKO, one of the bands we saw at Mao.

Weekend in Beijing, Part 1 by xiaodi zhang at 01/06/2008

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Visiting Beijing in the middle of winter is not something a lot of people would voluntarily do. I decided to go this weekend in order to take a friend who has been visiting from the States. I was not looking forward to the cold weather or the pollution.

To my surprise, the weather has been very pleasant, and I have been able to see BLUE skies everyday! Compared to my trip in July, this trip has been wonderful. I now wonder if winter is the best time to visit Beijing.

The city has noticeably changed since July. A lot of the Olympics-related renovation and construction projects are now complete, including the Olympic stadiums, new Performing Arts center, and a lot of the Hutong renovations.

We were lucky to find a nice boutique hotel inside a Hutong close to Houhai. The location has made our experience even better. We are w/in walking distance to many cafes, good restaurants, small bars, and even a street full of guitar shops and underground music venues.

We are headed to one of those underground music venues tonight. I feel cool already! :)