Wednesday, May 20, 2026

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China was built to protect and defend China.   It was continuously built from 3rd century BC to 17th century AD as a great military defense project.  Under Qin Shi Huang, sections of earlier fortifications were joined together to form a united defense system against invasions from the north. It became the world's largest military structure and the longest wall with an official length of 21,196 kilometers or 13,170 miles.

The Great Wall of China is the country's premier landmark.  It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site and is one of the new seven wonders of the world.

The Great Wall of China is divided into several sections.
1. Mutianyu - great for first time visitors and families with small kids.  It features fully restored walkways.
2. Badaling - this is the most visited section and the most popular, it is highly commenrcialized that it has a Great Wall Museum, cinema and accessible paved paths.
3. Jinshanling and Simatai - This section has both paved, rugged paths famous for hiking activities.
4. Jiankou - It is closed to visitors for safety reasons due to steep ruins, also for preservation.
It took millions of workers and centuries of effort and hardwork to build the Great Wall of China.  It was constructed using a mix of tamped earth, stone (granite and marble) and a legendary mortar made of sticky rice and lime.

Historians estimated that over 1 million people died during the building of the Great Wall of China over its 2,000 year-construction history.  The structure is often referred to as the longest cemetery.  Modern surveys including ground penetrating radar, have confimed human remains embedded within parts of the wall.  Workers, largely soldiers, convicts and peasants, died from exhaustion, hunger, cold and brutal conditions.

Despite a popular myth, the Great Wall of China cannot be seen from the outer space with a naked eye.
Great Wall of China entrance fees vary by section and it ranges from 40 to 65 CNY.
1. Mutianyu 45 CNY
Shuttle Bus 15 CNY
Cable Car (roundtrip) 140 CNY
2. Badaling 40 CNY
Cable Car (roundtrip) 100 to 140 CNY
3. Simatai 40 CNY
4. Jinshanling 65 CNY

There are also tours available from Klook, Get Your Guide, Trip.com and others


How to get here?
First choose your section.  There are direct buses going to Mutianyu section.  There are also fast and reliable high speed trains from running from Beijing North Station and Qinghe Station direct to Badaling section. Most of the visitors join the group tours like us.

Saturday, April 11, 2026

Forbidden Palace, Beijing

 

Forbidden City (Palace Museum) was commissioned in 1406 by the Yongle emperor, home to 24 emperors (14 from the Ming Dynasty and 10 from the Qing Dynasty), and the construction was completed in 1420.  It was called forbidden because access to the palace was extremely barred from the public, and only the imperial family and officials are allowed to enter.

The Forbidden Palace is located in the heart of Beijing, and is located directly north of Tiananmen Square.  The complex is open from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.  We are on a tour package so for DIY travellers, book your tickets in advance via Klook.


Forbidden City is a 178 acre, UNESCO-listed imperial palace, and is the world's largest preserved wooden structure complex, featuring over 9999 rooms and traditional Chinese architecture.  It is also among the top five buildings in the world alongside The Buckingham Palace, the Kremlin Palace in Russia, The White House in America and The Versailles Palace in France

Ninety percent (90%) of the roofs are finished wth glazed yellow tiles. Yellow was the official color of the Chinese emperors.


How to get to the Forbidden Palace?
Entry is only allowed at the Meridian Gate, the South gate of the museum.

Take the buses with numbers 1, 2, 52, 82 and 120 and get off at Tiananmen Station.

Or take a subway line 1 and get off at Tiananmen Station (East or West), walk at around 500 meters and walk north of the Meridian Gate.


Ticket prices are CNY60 from April to October and CNY 40 from November to March.       From 7 to 18 years old, the price of the ticket is CNY20.  They only allow a maximum of 40,000 visitors per day.

You are only allowed to exit at the Northern Gate of Divine Prowess and the East Prosperity Gate.

Lunch was a highlight—we found a fantastic hotpot restaurant just outside the Forbidden City.

Sunday, February 22, 2026

Summer Palace, Beijing

 

The Summer Palace (also known as Yiheyuan) in Beijing is a vast UNESCO World Heritage Site, known as the largest and best preserved imperial garden in China. It was built in the 1870s during the Qing Dynasty's (1644-1911).  It became a public park in 1924. It includes Longetivity Hill, Kunming Lake and Seventeen Hole Bridge.

The Summer Palace is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing.  It is one of the most popular landmarks in Beijing and one of the best example of an imperial palace in China.
The Summer Palace is more than just a royal residence.  It is also a place where Princess Dowager Cixi  and emperors of the Qing Dynasty conducted court affairs, accept royal visitors, and engage in foreign diplomats.  This place is a witness to important historical events and diplomatic relationships that shaped its legacy.  This historical site must be included in your places to visit when going to Beijing.


The places to look on in Summer Palace is the Long Corridor, Garden of Virtue and Harmony, Wenchang Gallery, The Hall of Serenity, and the Tower of Buddhist Incense. If it is your first time traveling this the city, Summer Palace is a must visit. The ticket prices are CNY 20 for off-peak and CNY 30 for peak season, through ticket CNY 60 (all inclusive peak) and CNY 50 (all inclusive off-peak).  It is CNY 15 for students and seniors and free for children under six year old.  


We visited the Summer Palace in December and the lake is all frozen.  The ideal season to visit the Summer Palace is during spring or autumn.  This UNESCO site can be reached via Didi or by the metro.  Its exact location is at 19 Xinjian Gongmen Road, Haidian District, Beijing or 20 kilometer drive away from the Tiananmen Square.

The Summer Palace has three gates: East Gate or East Palace Gate; North Gate or Beigongmen, or North Palace Gate; and The South Gate, also known as South Palace Gate.

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Bangkok, Thailand

 

Bangkok, officially known as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, is the capital city of Thailand. Its full name is Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahidilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit, and listed as the world's longest location name in the World's Guiness Book of Records, which means " The city of angels, the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city of Ayutthaya of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous royal palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn."


Bangkok is a major tourist hub known for its temples (Grand Palace, Wat Arun, Wat Pho),  lively streets (Khaosan road), delicious street foods, sprawling markets (Chatuchak, floating markets), modern malls,and lively nightlife.


Thailand as a country, is leaded by a king, under a constitutional monarchy lead by Kinga Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuha, also known as King Rama X.  He is the tenth king of the Chakri Dynasty. 

Chatuchak is primary a weekend market open on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 6pm, but also operates during weekdays with limited sections.  Wednesdays and Thursdays for plants (7am to 6pm) and Fridays for wholesale.   

the famous Poy-Sian

The 100 Baht Shop 

We tried the MRT during our first day and the grab taxis on the following days


We spent our second day exploring Iconsiam and tried the Meridian Cruise.  The boarding area for the cruise is at this mall. There are a lot of shops inside the mall but it will be more economical to shop at Chatuchak Market because the price difference is quite large.  For example the bags at Chatuchak costs 100 baht but in Iconsiam it only costs 150 baht. 

grilled crocodile at Iconsiam Mall


We spent our Christmas in Bangkok

the famous Iconsiam fountain

Netflix hosted a major Squid Game Promotion Season 2 in Bangkok



It was a lot of fun riding the Meridian Cruise.  Though there were problems in boarding the cruise because of the ongoing event at the Iconsiam (countdown event) and a lot of us became confused in transferring piers.  Nevertheless, our trip was amazing.  There's our kababayan singer who sang songs in different languages in a great tune - magnificent.  Buffet is great with a lot of choices.  The trip is awesome going through different tourist spots from afar.  Definitely you must grab this trip when visitin Bangkok.  It costs us Php 1200 through Klook. 




birthday celebrants for the month of December



 
Our accommodation is only 5 minutes walk from the famous Khaosan Road. It is the famous, bustling backpacker hub in the Bang Lamphu area, famous for its vibrant nightlife, cheap eats, street food, massage areas, hostels, bars, and market.  We bought our shirts and the famous elephant pajama in Khaosan Road, the prices are also affordable. 






we visited of Chinatown too!
                                                                                      

During our 3rd day in Bangkok, my kids chose to visit the Bangkok National Museum instead of the temples.  Bangkok National Museum is a must-see for anyone interested in Thai history and culture.  The collection is impressive, with magnificent pieces ranging from royal artifacts to Buddhist sculptures, traditional painting and objects.



One of the best thing in Thailand also is the presence of several 7-11 stores that are so cheap than the prices in 7-11 Philippines.  A Thai 7-11 is not just a convenience store, it is a heaven for us who are travelling on a budget. From snacks, noodles, coffee, shampoo, toothpaste, lotion (I bought one for 36 baht) to cheap meals to medicines (bought a lot) and all that you can think of.  

Sawadee kah!!! I love Thailand!
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