Igor The Troll

While in Beijing, China I visited the old and almost forgotten streets and alleys of Beijing. These places are called Hutongs and they are beaming with nostalgia and aesthetics. Wondering some of the Hutongs you will come across almost forgotten out of the way Chinese restaurants with perfect ambiance, serving authentic Chinese foods. Visit some antique shops selling Chinese memorabilia and traditional pieces of art. Watch the kids play oblivious to the surroundings. Explore and marvel at traditional Chinese architecture and the clay eves on roofs. Or just wonder through the street and alleys of Hutongs escaping industrialized modern Beijing.

The Chinese government is in a hurry to bulldoze these authentic house to build skyscrapers. They say it is for the best of Beijing inhabitants because it promotes economic growth I say China is destroying its wonderful past all in the name of progress!

Beijing Hutongs

I just surprised myself! I lite a cigarette, and as I am inhaling it I heard a whistling sound! I thought a mouse in the house!

Then I realized, the noise was coming from the cigarette’s filter. I rolled the filter squeezing on it and puffed the cigarette again! The noise was gone! Have this ever happened to you? For me it is my first! I was kind of scared that there was an intruder in the house, or a ghost!

Maybe it was some divine sign and I should stop smoking?

Are we as people so superstitious.? When something unexplainable happens we are awed with fear and reverence?

Friday The 13th, do not cross the path of the Black Cat, do not walk under a ladder! Pray to many Gods and worship many idles, because one of them must be the right one!

Divine Sign from God

Temple of Heaven in Beijing China is a wonderful place to visit. It is located inside a large park with fir and spruce trees neatly planted giving it a heavenly feeling. Visit the temples where ancient ritual ceremonies were performed for the the gods and the emperors. This is the place where everything had to be approved by the gods before an undertaking was to commenced. New emperors were anointed, a ready to battle ceremonies performed, a blessing for a new harvest! Chinese people were and still are very spiritual about their lives.

At a Music Academy you can see ancient instruments, some as old as 2,000 years ago. You can listen and observe a performance by gifted musicians playing these instruments. You can also watch some Tai Chi dancing with a ball and a racket done to sound of music.

Strolling through the park you will find Tai Chi practitioners searching for the perfect spiritual form!

Temple of Heaven Beijing

The Great Wall of China is a marvelous undertaking. Just its colossal size will make you tremble in awe when you see it. Built over the two millenniums it has been a marvelous architectural undertaking.

While it was made to protect the Chinese kingdom from barbarian Mongols of the North, it did not accomplish its task but served only as an intimidation. Because the wall was segmented, built and maintained by different provinces there were pours in the barrier! The Mongol warrior Genghis Khan skirted the wall and bribed guards to gain access to China in his campaign of 13th century.

The Ming dynasty were invaded by Manchurian Qing who gained access to Beijing via the wall because of a love affair that went wrong. The Ming emperor in love with a concubine who was also secretly involved with a Ming general who betrayed the Ming to the Ching allowing access trough the wall. The sordid love affair was stronger than the wall defenses!

With all its history and intrigue the Great Wall of China starches through out the whole China approximately 6,400 km (4,000 miles) from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west! Every part has its own story to tell. So like China which takes ages to explore, the wall and its different neighborhoods would require time.

The part that I visited is in Beijing. I trekked from Jinshanling to Simatai which is around 100 kilometers from Beijing. It is about a 10 kilometers hike but can become longer if you chose to explore the eastern side of the wall. Make sure to turn left after you ascended the wall in Jinshaling or one day will not be enough to do the whole thing and you will be walking in the dark, if not sleeping on the wall. The panoramic view is mind boggling and exulting. Climbing steps after steps you will walk through the towers that once served the soldiers guarding the wall. (You can also start in Simatai and trek to Jinshaling, but you will have trouble finding bus transport coming back to the city.)

The Great Wall of China
Beijing Simatai Jinshanling

Imperial City - Forbidden City in Beijing China is a huge palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties! As it guarded the Chinese nobility for centuries without any commoner having access to it, it is still guarded by the statues, urns, and spirits of the past.

To get to the palace you first have to pass through a formidable portrait of Chairman Mao Ze Dong. Then you walk from one court yard into another across bridges made of marble, while looked upon by the urns and sacred lions of the past to get to the emperor’s throne. The Ming built the Forbidden City on the principles of Feng Shui which dictates that the head of the family should be in the center. Please see the architectural difference of the Imperial Palace in Shenyang constructed by the Qing dynasty.

Forbidden City Beijing

Shenyang Imperial Palace is much smaller than the Beijing Imperial Palace in China, but it is a wonder to see for its architecture and design.

Shenyang Imperial Palace was build by the nomadic tribesmen who established the Qing dynasty in the first part of the 17th century. After the Qing emperor built the palace in Shenyang, the Manchuria North East China, he with his army proceeded to concur Beijing and wrestle the power away from the Ming dynasty emperor.

After defeating the Ming emperor, the Qing emperor became the supreme leader of the whole China. He moved the capital from Shenyang to Beijing while keeping the Shenyang as a secondary capital. All Qing emperors came to the Shenyang capital to pay homage to their ancestors all the way through until the end of their dynasty!

Shenyang Imperial Palace

The Front

The Throne

Approach the Sacred Hall

The Sacred Hall

Sacred Throne Chambers

The Roofs

The Facade

The Hallway

Art Work

The Red Colors

The Bed

The Seating Room

The Bridge

The Rock Statue

Jade Ornament

Porcelain Flask

Porcelain Plate

Porcelain Wine Pot

Porcelain Tea Pot

The Door Ornament

Please also read Forbidden City Beijing, so you can see the contrast between the Ming and Qing building architectures.

When I travel in China I love to eat Chinese Hot Pot, which is a soup where you add beef, pork, and vegetables. You add the stuff yourself while the soup boils on a small flame.

When you traveling by yourself, it is not fun to eat Hot Pot alone, so it is great to join some other people when you go into the restaurant. Chinese people are very friendly to foreigners and always welcome your company. Just ask them if you can join them and order the assorted condiments for your meal. Do not oder too much, because the portions are really large. Order one meat and a few vegetables. The people who you will join will let you eat some of their stuff anyway!

This time in Shenyang, China I joined a young family for Hot Pot Party and made a few new friends. Thomas is a international business man selling computers in China. He speak English very well and we were able to talk to each other and have fun!

While traveling in the North East China Heihe, which is right on the border with Russia, I was lucky to find a Shish Kabob restaurant operated by a Muslim Chinese. Very authentic Shish Kabobs and very cheap.

Heihe is a provincial town 12 hour train ride from Harbin in the North East China. Durring the end of 19th century North East China which is called Manchuria was colonized by Russians, so in Heihe the border town many Chinese people speak Russian.

As you know Russian people like to eat Shish Kabobs and drink Vodka! Well, I was lucky to find the authentic Shish Kabob restaurant and met some Chinese people there who I joined for a meal and some Vodka!

We talked about politcs and economy, how communism has its nostalgia, and how capitalism industrializing China very rapidly.  It makes it fun to travel when you speak different languages. You come accross different people and join them for some fun!

Harbin is the capital of Heilongjiang province in Manchuria North East China. Heihe is a provincial town located in the North of the Heilonjiang province. Heihe serves as a border point between Russia and China. Manchuria in the late part of 19th century was colonized by Russia. In the early part of 20th century and during World War 2 it was invaded by Japan.

As you travel through the North East China you will see a lot of Russian influence because of its colonization of the Manchurian provinces. You will see European style buildings in Harbin and Heiche. In Heiche many signs are both in Russian and Chinese, with some locals speaking some Russian because of the Russian tourists constantly visiting the region. While the Japanese occupied the region before and during World War 2, they did not leave any influence on the region. While traveling the region I did not meet any Chinese people who spoke in Japanese. I did not see any Japanese architecture. It is like Japanese were never here.

Harbin and Heiche are very industrial. You can see the different spectrums of industry and how it is evolving from the past to the present. Being that I am Russian born I did enjoy meeting some Russian people and speaking in Russian. I will be going to Shenyang next where I hope to see some traditional China. Shenyang was Manchu capital during the 17th century until the capital was moved to Beijing in 1644 after Manchurian conquest of Beijing.

China Russia Border Russian Warship

China Russia Border Chinese Immigration

China Palace in Hehe - Communist Party Building - Hotel

China Colonial Building in Hehe

Communist China Red Star

China Corn Barbeque Machine

China Rural Transportation

China SMBD Fetish

China Muslim Shish Kabab

China Mongolian Dumplings

North China Hot Soup

China Nuclear Power Plant

China Harbin Skyscraper

Harbin Russian Church

If you ever wondered what is a Japanese Okonomiyaki and how do Japanese people eat it in Japan, this is for you.

Okonomiyaki in Japan is very popular in Kansai area: Osaka, Kobe, and Nara; as well as in Hiroshima.

So the Pizza like concoction is a mixture of cabbage, flour, and eggs. The batter is mixed up and put on a grill. On top you put a selection of different extras like noodles, shrimp, thin slices of pork. After the Okonomiyaki is cooked you add some Okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise, thinly sliced dry fish strips of 1 centimeter in size (Katso Bushi), and finally Nori. It is ready to eat! Please use chopsticks when eating Okonomiyaki! If you ask for a fork the restaurant people will think you some dumb Gaijin!

The dry fish strips will turn alive to the heat, and start moving!

There are two ways of preparing Okonomiyaki in Japan, one the cook cooks it for you and a waitress brings it to your counter or table, and another is when a waitress cooks it for you. I personally like the later style.

Here are some nice pictures that I took when I went to eat Okonomiyaki with my friend in Osaka, Japan

Okonomiyaki Restaurant

Okonomiyaki Restaurant Table

Kayo at Okonomiyaki Restaurant

Okonomiyaki Restaurant Waitress

Cooking Okonomiyaki in a Restaurant

Okonomiyaki in Japanese Restaurant

Paying for Okonomiyaki in a Restaurant