Destination Beijing, China

Red Square and the Forbidden City

The phrase “made in China” took on a whole new meaning for me when I arrived in the capital city, Beijing.

The dull, grey, buildings that once were the embodiment of China have been replaced with skyscrapers that are works of art in themselves. Modern shopping malls have sprung up. Gucci and Louis Vuitton stores – the originals – are almost as common place as Starbucks. Most of the old hutongs, once overcrowded slums, have been converted into high-rises or luxury homes that anybody would be proud to own.

Beijing

The Chinese, renowned for their ability to copy almost anything, have gone into creative mode to produce a no expense-spared futuristic-looking city that will sweep away any preconceived ideas you may have of this country.

There are so many cars clogging the roads that it makes driving through New York seem like a picnic. Bicycles are a convenient way to dodge the traffic which constantly snarls up. I stuck to taxis – a cheap and convenient way to get around the city – and the subway, when I was with my Chinese friend. In the city itself, I tended to walk everywhere – the best way to discover the hidden small pockets where China’s traditional way of life, almost oblivious to modernity, still continues.  

As for the pollution haze that hangs over the capital. Well, I didn’t feel compelled to wear a mask before I hit the streets. Walking around of Beijing felt safer than London. However, not everybody speaks English so don’t go out without having your hotel name and destination in Chinese, especially when taking a taxi.

Standing in Tiananmen Square, Beijing’s pulsating heart, watching the red flag of China fluttering in the breeze, I began to comprehend China and its people. 

Ready to climb the Great Wall

Mao Zedong, whose giant portrait still hangs over the gate of the Forbidden City, might have been dead for decades, yet he continues to draw in crowds that a pop star could only dream about. The longest queues I have ever seen snake past his embalmed remains.

Not wanting to join them, I headed to the Forbidden City, so called because only the emperors and their servants were allowed to live there. Like a scene from a film, this labyrinth of rich red walls and bright yellow roof tiles played out a bygone era. 

The next day I took a three-hour drive to The Great Wall of China. This jaw-dropping sight is more inspiring in reality than in pictures. Avoid touristy Badaling and go to Jinshanling.

View from the Great Wall

The climb maybe arduous, but it is extremely rewarding as you can see the sentry stations at the top and the wall zig-zagging across the mountain ridges stretched out in front of you as far as the eye can see.

Getting down is the hardest part. When I encountered some steps where the gaps were so wide, that my short legs couldn’t reach the next one, half of me wished I had taken the cable car. Necessity… as they say, so I ended up sliding down on my backside. Mao said you are not a hero until you have climbed the Great Wall. I now know why!

Getting there

British Airways (www.britishairways.com)

I stayed at the Grand Hyatt Beijing (www.hyatt.com)

Destination Moscow

Moscow’s energy and drive hits you like nowhere else in the world.

This sophisticated city is bursting with chic designer shops and world-class restaurants which sit comfortably alongside historic buildings and centuries-old decorative churches.

Red Square, the site of St Basil’s Cathedral, had to be my first stop. That cathedral and its brightly-coloured onion shaped domes, commissioned by Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century, is more impressive in reality than in pictures.

Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton 

The Kremlin is on one side and on the other is Gum, the former state department store, now a luxury shopping mall.

In Soviet times there were always long queues at Gum and not much on offer. Today there is plenty of choice, but it is incredibly expensive so you won’t have to wait long to be served. Go inside just to see the architecture, it is so grand. I couldn’t help thinking how ironic that Lenin’s mausoleum is opposite.

Next stop was the Kremlin, a fortified citadel with palaces. The past meets the present here. Once home to the tsars and heads of the Russian Orthodox Church, it now houses the President’s offices. 

The Tsar Cannon, the world’s biggest cannon is near Cathedral Square. Supposedly it has never been fired. A strange anomaly is that the nearby enormous Tsar Bell, also the largest of its kind in the world, has never been rung.

From the Kremlin's gardens, I had wonderful views of the River Moskva and the city’s eclectic mix of architecture. Dominating the skyline are the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour with its golden domes and the so-called Stalin’s Wedding Cakes (also known as the Seven Sisters) which are peppered all over the city. 

Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton

I stayed at the glitzy Ritz-Carlton, a complete contrast from the Intourist Hotel which formerly occupied the site. The hotel, which I can thoroughly recommend, is only a short walk away from the Kremlin, Red Square and the Bolshoi Theatre.

Taxis can be expensive in Moscow and the Metro is hard to navigate as the signs are in Russian. My ride was included in my sightseeing tour so I got to see many stations so lavishly decorated with marble, mosaics, bronze statues and paintings. It is one of the city’s highlights.

The weekend is a good time to visit Moscow as there is less of its notoriously bad traffic. But still cross the main streets by the tunnels or you will be taking your life into your hands.

I ended my trip with a visit to the infamous Lubyanka, the headquarters of the KGB and now home to the FSB (Federal Security Service).

There were times during my trip that I felt as if I had been catapulted into an episode of Spooks, but that only adds to the thrilling experience that is Moscow.

By Daralyn Danns

Getting there

Three nights staying at the Ritz-Carton hotel, with return flights with Swiss International Airlines including airport transfers, two half-day city guided tours and entry to the Kremlin can be booked through Russian specialists On the Go Tours, (020 7371 1113, www.onthegotours.com). Prices on application. 

A visa is required for Russia

Tip: get it through your travel agent