Beijing

Trying to catch up with some blogging for the first time in ages.

I had my first trip to China in September last year, with the ISO TC213 meeting series being held in Beijing.  The city is a fascinating mix of the traditional, the modern, and in the case of the traffic, the downright terrifying.  Parts of the city look as if they have remained unchanged for hundreds of years, whereas the efficient underground railway is full of young Chinese glued to smartphones and media players.

We were treated to the standard tourist trip to the Forbidden City, which is as vast as it is impressive, although many of the interiors are off-limits, which is a shame.

Food was interesting.  In the hotels we were paying western prices for food that was often very poor, whereas a few hundred yards away were local restaurants offering fantastic food for a fraction of the price.

The highlight of the trip was a banquet at the Baijia Dayuan ('Garden of the King') restaurant.  This is set in a beautiful courtyard, reputedly several hundred years old, full of pools and flower beds, and illuminated after dusk with a wonderful array of lanterns.  The staff are all in fabulous traditional dress, and put on a variety show of music and dance to accompany the food.  Highly recommended for anyone who gets the chance to go there.