Trip Report: Rediscovering My Chinese Roots

Americans give thanks during thanksgiving. This year I wanted to give thanks to my Chinese ancestors. However I did not know what would be the best way to express my gratitude to them. When my childhood and dear friend Irene invited me to accompany her on a business trip to China during Thanksgiving week, I decided this would be a good opportunity to express my gratitude to my beloved ancestors. This way I can rediscover my Chinese roots, get a feel of the country where they used to live and work, and stayed in five star hotels without paying a single dime (this was probably the primary motivator). I did not go to the villages they came from. I believe it is somewhere in the South of China, I went to Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou instead. What bad great grandson you say. I know, but at least it is the same country right? Incidentally, my two other friends from New York (Olga and Dede) were visiting the same three cities at the same time when I was there so it was really fun to be travelling in a small group together.

Our first stop was Beijing. Beijing is the cultural and historical capital of China. Founded in 1057 BC., the city took on many names before Emperor ChengZu from the Ming Dynasty chose the name Beijing in 1421. Beijing has a whole area of 6500 square miles, stretching 160 kilometers from east to west and over 180 kilometers from north to south.

There are many great attractions in Beijing to visit. The Forbidden City, The Great Wall of China, Summer Palace, Tiananmen and The Imperial Gardens just to name a few. The Forbidden City and Great Wall of China are attractions every visitor in Beijing cannot miss. Known as Gu Gong in Chinese, The Forbidden City served as the palace of imperial power during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911). It is located north of Tiananmen Square and is the world’s largest palace complex. When visiting the Forbidden City, I suggest that you rent an audio guide which will guide you through each palace as you approach them. Olga and I spent half a day touring the Forbidden City. We also spent half the day warding off the pesky and persistent locals who approached us for money or were all fascinated by Olga’s fair Caucasian skin and wanted to touch and feel it. Some also took pictures of Olga as I took pictures of her at the Forbidden City. Simply hilarious!

Beijing pales in comparison to Shanghai in the culinary arena. However, you have to try the famous Peking Duck when you are in Beijing. One famed restaurant in Beijing that has served over 5 million ducks (yes they do keep a count at the restaurant and display the number proudly) is the Quan Ju De Peking Duck Restaurant located in Qian Men area (No 32, Qianmen Avenue, Phone – 86-010-6710-1379). The website address for this historical restaurant is www.quanjude.com.cn/. It was established in 1864 and many famous celebrities and politicians had frequented that restaurant when they visited the Chinese capital.

Next stop, Shanghai. Located on the estuary of Yangtze River of China, Shanghai has got to be the most commercial city in China. The city is much hyped by the media around the world as the fastest growing city in the world. However, my impression of this city is that there is quantity but not quality. Even though you have many people with names like Cleopatra providing you customer service at places like hotels and restaurants, the quality of service lags the level that you receive from other world class cities such as Hong Kong, New York and Tokyo. Shanghai has neon lights and billboards everywhere. It is very much like New York’s Times Square spanning an area of 2,239 square miles.

Unlike Beijing, Shanghai does not have as many attractions as Beijing. The Bund (nothing spectacular if compared to the Hong Kong harbor view) is one of the top attractions here. Tourists can also visit Nanjing Road, the busiest shopping street where vehicles are prohibited. For pottery, antiques and artwork, you should visit the artsy neighborhood on Taikang Road. Here you can find potters, fashion designers and artists working side-by-side in restored factories.

But food in Shanghai does taste much better than food in Beijing. Shanghai has a great variety of restaurants serving world class cuisine. Among the restaurants offering local Shanghaiese food, here are my favorites:

Ye Shanghai (located in Xin Tian Di – a section of restaurants, café and bars in the city)

- My favorite dish here is the raw hairy crab (seasonal) and the minced chicken and pine nuts served with crispy pockets of sesame bread. Tel 6311-2323

Shanghai Uncle (located in Pu Dong), Yan’an Dong Lu 222, Tel 021/6339-1977

- The most authentic Shanghaiese restaurant in the city.

Restaurant in the historical Peace Hotel

- Shanghai dumpling is my favorite entrée here.

Kommune

- Café in the artsy Taikang road district. Here you can get a hearty breakfast of eggs and sausages.

For nightlife, Park 97 located in Fu Xin Park appears to be a popular choice on the weekends. I went there on a Saturday night and really enjoyed the music there. The crowd was also very pleasing on the eye. Expats, visitors and locals mingle at this spot until the wee hours of the morning. You will also find a hip gay bar named Home Bar down the street from Park 97. Of course it really pales in comparison to those gay bars in the Big Apple.

We took a day trip to Hangzhou from Shanghai. The city is a three- hour train ride from Shanghai. It is one of the seven ancient Chinese capitals, famous for its historical and cultural heritages. The city has a history of more than 2200 years since it was established as a county by the First Emperor Qing. The most renowned attraction in Hangzhou is Si Hu (West Lake). It is noted for the scenic beauty that blends naturally with many famous historical and cultural sites, such as The Solitary Hill, The Mausoleum of General Yue Fei, The Six Harmonies Pagoda and The Ling Yin Temple. Irene and I went for a boat ride on the lake for a couple of hours. The weather was exceptionally beautiful that day.

Off all the three cities I visited, I prefer Beijing the most. You can still sense communism in Beijing but not Shanghai. The people in Beijing also appear friendlier and more cultured than the Shanghaiese. The Shanghaiese seem to have huge egos and attitudes. A little disturbing considering they live in a city that, albeit expanding rapidly, lacks the standard of a world class city.

In all it was a great trip. This trip reaffirms that I like Chinese food and lots of it, and that I am not ready to live and work in Shanghai yet (I was entertaining that idea for a while). But I am still a three-quarters Chinese at heart and I am so glad I could visit the very country that a majority of my ancestors had originated from. I also had a lot of fun with the three girls that I was traveling with: Irene, Dede and Olga. It is nice not to travel by myself once in a while.