Although I love New York is teeming with life at every street corner if its excess pleases me and if the traffic noise does not bother me, I'm more accustomed to large landscapes and islands around the world. But Saturday morning, arriving in Beijing for the first time on Chinese soil, nothing would have allowed myself to imagine such a surprise: Beijing is no longer living in the era of Mao, it has two feet firmly planted in the future !

Wide avenues that are more similar to that bypasses the city streets, buildings that climb to conquer the sky, most Chinese fashionistas as the most fashionable ladies of our Champs Elysees, the shops of all major brands Luxury scale of China, and millions of Beijingers who you staring at you cross in a little but not too surprised either. Beijing does not resemble the image that we kept Tien Anmen ', it is in the race to lead the most modern cities in the world.

So I'm coming full force in the Chinese world of today barely touching that tomorrow he must see the amazing silhouette of the Tour tarabustée CCTV (Chinese Television) to understand that ... we don ' have not yet realized how far will the Chinese.

Within 48 hours, and after a flight of 9 hours (not 11 as I stated previously), with a lag time of six hours under the skull, I have already devoured your teeth a China that has promised to surprise me. Just by being around the block from my hotel located just ten minutes drive from the Forbidden City, I let myself caught up in two malls: one well known to tourists and warned the Chinese who come here to negotiate false t Ralph Lauren shirts and true "truck fell at prices defying any consistency, the second much more recent and intended for businessmen and wealthy Chinese, representing all major international brands including some that I do not even know. And just imagine the girls that the Chinese fashion, if it has not yet invaded our Western magazines, however, should challenge more of our editors as I discovered last night of incredibly beautiful and modern shoes, boots, a rare elegance and other bags which require you to return any dry regime of such a trip if you let yourself be tempted by such profusion of good taste at a very affordable price after all ...

Last night I told my aching muscles in the hands of a young Chinese who do not understand two words of English. Hard to explain that a nerve (or a ligament?) Ached to the point could scarcely walk! However, by dint of mimes (from me) and understanding smile (part of), I lay on the table of torture after having negotiated the price of a traditional Chinese massage. Sixty looonnngues minutes that I thought I was going to scream in pain as the fingers of this young fool experienced crashing stack on the nodes that terrorized my muscles. Some stretching exercises before and I got up with the feeling of being up crushed by a tank ruthless but still able to walk back to the hotel, and without a limp this time! This morning I woke up fresh as a rose, retaining no memory of my weakness yesterday, but the deltoids, which always make me suffer, I feel I still have the imprint of fingers of runt magician sincere smile and nothing in the world I go back there tonight even if I am convinced that I undoubtedly have the greater good ...

The entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing, under the gaze of Mao.

Shall I tell you I visited the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven? I tested my new Canon 500D all day, and I forgot the video function! By cons ... I have spent my strength on the streets of the town, admiring the relics of past emperors and wondered if empresses life was enviable ... I'll tell you that in detail shortly.

Perhaps you'd more interested (e) by my tests greedy? ...

I did not understand everything that I tasted for two days even though I know myself limited to pork and chicken for the moment. But I noticed some "things" on cards, and others in the dishes on the table, that inspire reflection and understanding ... So far I've hunted small restaus locals, whose clients you go look in amazement, those to which old bicycle with you gentlemen kindly to make sure you do not lose, those are not the heyday of the reports that we see flourishing these days in magazines French and we are honored with a Chinese clean, beautiful and avant-garde. In restaurants I chose, I cleaned the board teacups discreetly with paper towel before filling a beverage flavored amber wish. And I was careful to wash my hands dirty in a sink before eating and after, as recommended by flashing one now hears on TV channels now, to believe that the French have never previously taken care to wash hands (in this case thank you for influenza A!).

But believe me, no matter how clean a bit dubious institutions that I had recommended, I really thoroughly! ... And for less than € 4 per meal the curious gourmet flavors that I have tasted of large plates too well-stocked with rice Cantonese larger than life and all with a teapot full of jasmine to reinvigorate any visitor exhausted. An happiness! ...

But I have to queue to visit other gardens, other palaces, other temples. Especially as the rehearsals for the 60th anniversary of the revolution beat their train and that I am not alone to pace the aisles. Yesterday officials were testing a sound system of acute resistance on some songs from Celine Dion ...

I still have three days to spend in Beijing and on about tomorrow and Tuesday I will spend two or three hours on the Great Wall, I hope he will do as good today!

I already love China! ...

This article contains the keywords: Beijing , China Travel

This article was published 21 September 2009 to 3 h 48 min in the category Asia . Follow the RSS comments.