Royal Mountain Travel Magazine Royal Mountain Travel Magazine Issue 1 | Page 32

From

Beijing to Kathmandu
Across the Himalayas
© RMT

Michael Straus

It started on a spring day in May when J. and I
took the plane bound for Beijing. A stopover
and a couple of naps later, we arrived at Beijing.
We just had time to get to the hotel where our
hostess was already waiting for us. On our first
day in Beijing, we visited the Great Wall at
Mutianyu. With more than 6,000 kilometers of
stone and mortar, it runs along the top of the
mountains. These walls were started in 214 BC,
and have been reconstructed and enlarged on
many occasions throughout history. They were
constructed to defend the Chinese empire from
foreign invasions and today they are known as
one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Walking on them was an impressive experience.
Back in the city, we went then to the Temple
of Heaven. This complex of temples was where
the Chinese emperor and his court prayed
to the gods for a good harvest. From here,

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we continued to Tiananmen Square and the
Forbidden City, two of the biggest complexes in
China. Beautiful gardens, enormous courtyards
and elegant buildings make up this huge palace.
Everything in here is massive, built to show
the power and the greatness of the emperors
who lived in the palace before the Cultural
Revolution transformed China into a republic.
Mao’s picture is painted on the main entrance
to the Forbidden City overlooking Tiananmen
Square. The square is surrounded by the
ministries and government buildings, all in a
Communist architectural style in strong contrast
with the Chinese-look of the Forbidden City.
The next day and we went on our Tour of the
Hutongs, a historical area of Beijing where some
remains of the old traditional architecture can
be seen. The Hutongs are a labyrinth of alleys
January 2012 - Issue 1

and squared houses with a central patio, usually
built in stone. Here is where the families close
to the Emperor and the important civil servants
used to live before the Cultural Revolution.
These houses, called “Kajingos” are composed
of several rooms around the central courtyard,
where the family used to meet during the day.
During our bike tour, we climbed an ancient
bell tower from where the views of the city are
impressive. Following a presentation about the
traditional tea ceremony and a sample of some
tasty infusions, we were invited to have lunch in
one of the Kajingos. Our hostess, an old lady, told
usabouthowlifehaschangedsincetheRevolution,
accompaniedbyawonderfulsmellfromthekitchen.

An unforgettable 44 hours

After lunch we rode back to the rental office and
went to the hotel to pack and go to Beijing’s West