5 Great Wall Hikes For Every Beijing Tourist

5 Great Wall Hikes For Every Beijing Tourist

“You’re not a great man (or woman) if you haven’t been to the Great Wall of China…” 不到长城非好汉。

…Or so the saying goes, originally coined by Chairman Mao, now a reminder to countless visitors who travel far and wide each year to personally step foot on the magnificent Great Wall of China that spans over 21km in total across the Middle Kingdom, built across several dynasties over thousands of years of Chinese history. A wall so great, where does one even begin to try to experience its grandeur or capture its beauty? In sharing extensive research conducted for my own recent visit to Beijing, below are 5 amazing sections of the Great Wall of China that you can visit from Beijing, one for every kind of tourist on any kind of schedule.

  1. Bādálǐng八达岭:  For the “Touristy” Beijing Tourist

The Great Wall of Badaling: Crowds of Visitors Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons

If you’re the kind of tourist who wants to go where everyone else has been and capture THAT famous photo you’ve seen friends capture at that exact place every tour bus makes a must-go-to stop, then Badaling is your best bet. Badaling is hands-down the most visited and best preserved section of the Great Wall. Close to downtown Beijing (70km) and easily reachable by public transportation, it may be the only option for those who have little time in Beijing, or those with limited mobility, allowing tourists young and old, regardless of physical fitness, the opportunity to experience the Great Wall. There is even a cable car and elevator readily available (as discussed in Chinesepod’s lesson “Wheelchair Access to the Great Wall”.  

Just don’t expect to get that perfect selfie without other heads in your frame. How to get to Badaling

  1. Mùtiányù 慕田峪: Badaling’s Less Crowded Alternative

The Great Wall at Mutianyu: over 90% is surrounded by lush forest. Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons

For those wishing for a bit more elbow room than offered at Badaling, Mutianyu is a commonly chosen alternative. Situated only a little further from central Beijing,  Mutianyu offers slightly smaller crowds. Also accessible by public transportation, most sections have been restored making it a safe and easy hike, offering beautiful views of forests and streams in the distance. Mutianyu is often combined with other challenging hikes, such as Jiankou and Huanghuacheng (below).  

  1. Jīnshānlǐng 金山岭 to Sīmǎtái司马台: For the Classic Backpacker

The Great Wall at Jinshanling to Simatai: Rugged beauty. Photo Source: Eng Chan

This 4-5 hour hike continues to be a favorite amongst international backpackers who dream of experiencing China’s Great Wall with all its rugged beauty on foot. This was also my very first Great Wall hike 10 years ago, introduced in the Lonely Planet Guidebook (the “bible” for many backpackers). Approximately 130km from downtown Beijing, this hike from Jinshanling to Simatai is definitely worth the extra time and sweat, if you wish for isolation, good exercise, and stunning beauty, all on a safe and moderately strenuous hike, offering unparalleled natural beauty. Learn more here.

  1. Huánghuāchéng黄花城: For the Off-The-Beaten-Track Backpacker

The Great Wall at Huanghuacheng: Enclosed by mountains, water, and flowers. Photo Source: Eng Chan

Never heard of the Huanghuacheng Great Wall hike? Probably because most backpackers don’t even know it exists (as of yet) and it is not an official Great Wall hike (despite the $5 entrance fee). Expect to see fewer people (more locals than foreigners, in fact) than any of the three hikes introduced above. While not as rugged or dangerous as Jiankou (below) due to a combination of restored and unrestored sections, it does feels more isolated than Jinshanling, due to its unofficial status. Extreme steep climbs and descents make this hike more physically challenging than Jinshanling, and sometimes scary, but because you are required to turn back to your starting point (unless you hike 2 days to Mutianyu), you have the flexibility to decide how far you want to continue based on your comfort level. On our recent trip to Beijing, we hiked Huanghuacheng section, and were pleasantly surprised as we hiked further, there was not a soul in sight! Many hikers stopped after the first uphill climb, so the further we went, the more wonderfully remote it became. It was just us and the magnificent Great Wall, surrounded by stunning mountains, water, and flowers. We didn’t, however, see the yellow flowers that gave its name.

How to get to Huanghuacheng: Bus 916 from Dongzhimen Bus Terminal to Huairou (approx. 1 hour), then take a taxi or hire a driver. We decided to hire a driver, who was willing to wait for us to complete the hike, to ensure we have transportation back to Beijing.

  1. Jiànkòu箭扣: For the Dare-devil Hiker-slash-Photographer

The Great Wall at Jiankou: Dangerously beautiful. Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons

Considered a photographer’s dream and the very definition of “wild Great Wall” Jiankou is also one of the most dangerous and mainly unrestored sections of the Great Wall, and not officially open to tourists. This section is best reserved for very experienced hikers, and best tackled with a local guide. People have actually lost their lives on this hike, so best to proceed with caution. I have not personally hiked this section, and suggest doing further research on the safety of this hike before considering tackling it. More information can be found here.

With so many sections of the Great Wall available, it can be hard to choose where to begin. Try out one of the above 5 sections of the Great Wall on your next visit to Beijing and share your experiences in the comments below. Remember, regardless of what part of the Great Wall you hike, it is guaranteed to leave you in awe!

So Who is This Grace Wong? And Why Are We Seeing Her All Over ChinesePod?

So Who is This Grace Wong? And Why Are We Seeing Her All Over ChinesePod?

I am Grace Wong, and I’m thrilled to be with you here on ChinesePod! I work mostly in the customer service area, but recently several people have suggested I take a more active role and even try to get in front of the camera.  So, I have decided to get out front and center so that I can become more involved with ChinesePod. I’m so excited!

I’ve always enjoyed learning online with CPod and I can’t wait to get know all of you in the ChinesePod community better. One of my new responsibilities as Community Manager will be to help host and setup MeetUps around the globe.  We will have our first one in North Florida and then will be rolling them out in other areas throughout the year.  Feel free to email me directly at Grace@chinesepod.com or message me in the forum if you would like to have one in your area.

So, let me tell you a little about me.  I was born in America, but my mother’s parents are from Hunan and Tainan.  My dad is from West Virginia. My mom fell in love with my Dad and he whisked her away to American and then came me!

I was born in the USA but my heart is in China!  My favorite thing to do there is eat! I love food – It’s a big motivator for me. One time my godmother bribed me with 粽子zòngzi to get me to let her pull my tooth out!

Hmmm.. looking back at my childhood the most vibrant memories I have involve piano and art – and FOOD!

I fought against the piano. I have many not-so-happy-memories of the piano with me throwing a fit on the piano bench, tears on the keys and the book thrown on the floor. Thankfully my parents saw my love of art and allowed me to quit the tortuous piano lessons.  It wasn’t expected of a Chinese mother to support her daughter’s pursuit of art, especially over the piano. I was fortunate to have been heard and encouraged.

Anywho…

Fast forward many years later, I went to college and majored in Fine Arts and minored in Chinese and Photography. Chinese has always been a part of my life, but it wasn’t until college that I fell in love with it. Chinese was so obtainable and I love being around people from China or who chose to learn this language. I’ve been committed to the language ever since. Check out this video of the Five W Questions in Chinese!

I have spent years teaching Chinese to children and adults alike. My first opportunity teaching the language was with adopted children from China. I was so impressed how their parents made it a priority for these kids to learn to speak their native tongue.  Then I created crash courses for companies which set up offices in Asia or had business in China.

I enjoyed teaching children and adults alike.  As an elementary school teacher, I established the Chinese program at my school! It’s amazing to see the drive these young children have to pursue this language on their own. I attacked Chinese much as I did the piano when I was a child – it wasn’t an activity I was jumping up and down to do. I can’t quite pinpoint what it was that I didn’t enjoy about it, however now that I’m all grown up, I realize I want to demystify Chinese and show everyone what an accessible language this is!  

All of my mom’s family are still in Asia.  While I wish we were closer, it has given me the opportunity to travel there often to visit. What a wonderful culture, steeped in tradition and history!

My family in Asia is so precious to me and I consider it my second home. I always cry as I leave my family there and wish I could stay longer.

 

I have traveled to the far east annually throughout my adult life and every time I go, I unlock new mysteries.  I am excited about many more trips to come and the new cultural experiences to be had.

I can’t wait to do our ChinesePod meetups all around the world with subscribers like you!  

Thanks for being part of the ChinesePod Community!  I look forward to hearing from you!

 

 

Why Laughing in Mandarin Could Get You in Trouble

Why Laughing in Mandarin Could Get You in Trouble

Have you ever wanted to laugh in Chinese but you’re not sure exactly how? Let’s rewind a bit.

In today’s technological world, our “conversations” are often electronic rather than verbal. There are many ways to express emotions using different messaging options available, including the widely used WeChat, and therefore, several ways to express laughter electronically in Mandarin. However, not all mean the same, and not all methods are identical to the English equivalent.  

Recently my Chinese friend texted me out of the blue:

“Does “hehe” (in a text message) have a negative connotation to it? Does it make you feel bad?”

The first thought that came to mind was: Of course it doesn’t! Why would it make someone feel bad? I proceeded to explain that in English“hehe”  is simply a way to display a laughing emotion electronically, similar to “haha”, both being positive expressions. However, during this conversation it came to light that there exists a fundamental difference of common displays of emotion when switching between languages; often times, they are not exact translations.

As it turns out, using Chinese to text hēhē|呵呵 is not equivalent to the English “haha”. It is best to err on the side of caution when texting Chinese friends, and only use this word when you are absolutely sure it is appropriate to the situation; otherwise you may leave them feeling offended or confused. In Mandarin, hēhē|呵呵 represents an unfriendly or cold smile (lěng xiào|冷笑), which conveys underlying negativity. Below are three scenarios in which hēhē|呵呵 is used appropriately:

  • Someone tells you a piece of gossip about an individual whom you dislike. Your response? “Hehe, such a jerk!” Hēhē,  húndàn|呵呵,混蛋!”
  • You don’t agree with something someone said. Your response? “hēhē|呵呵”.
  • You are arguing with someone and you don’t feel like texting anymore. Your response? “hēhē|呵呵”

 

Now we know we should not use hēhē|呵呵 for all situations of laughter. So, what should we use instead? Below are three alternatives for expressing laughter in Mandarin:

 

  1. Hāhā|哈哈: The most common way to express online laughter in Chinese, much the same as the English equivalent of “haha”. In most situations, you are safe to use this expression to convey happy laughter or a smile.
  2. Xīxī嘻嘻: Similar to the English equivalent of “hehe” or “heehee”, it is a positive way of showing humorous slyness or cuteness. For example: I love the cookies you made so much that ate them all and didn’t leave my sister any. Hehe.  You can substitute the English “hehe” in this situation for Xīxī嘻嘻in Mandarin.
  3. Hēihēi|嘿嘿:  A mischievous, naughty (tiáopi|调皮) laugh. For example, “Hēihēi Zhè jiùshì wǒ gàn de |嘿嘿,这就是我干的!”(That situation was my doing). This can be compared to the English equivalent of “heh heh” or even “hehe”.

Finally, try to avoid transporting English phrases into your Mandarin usage.  Reserve “LOL” for English text messages, as many Chinese people will not know what this means.

Shorthand methods of writing emotions are constantly changing, and it can be difficult to keep up in a second language. Next time you want to laugh in Chinese electronically, follow the above guidelines to choose the most appropriate way of displaying your digital smile for the situation at hand.

Learn more about laughing in Chinese by checking out Chinesepod QingWen lesson on different ways to say funny in Mandarin.  Or, if you are talking to someone and think they sound funny when they laugh, listen to this lesson on how to say  “You Laugh like a Donkey”.

Photo Sources: Wikimedia Commons

 

Learn Mandarin Chinese: 5 Reasons Why

Learn Mandarin Chinese: 5 Reasons Why

New languages — learning them is always a good idea. We live in a world where everything is constantly changing, so we must adapt.

Here at ChinesePod we believe tackling a new language is always a great first step for people of all ages. The most important thing to know is which language you should learn. Here are 5 reasons Mandarin should be your choice.

1. Chinese language is spoken by more people than any other language in the world

Chinese is a language that is spoken across the globe. There are more than one billion people who speak Chinese in Asia alone. And almost 900 million of those people speak Mandarin! You will find even more speakers around the rest of the globe, many of which are not necessarily Chinese people.

Learning Mandarin at www.chinesepod.com will help you in many ways in your life. ChinesePod allows you to study at you own pace, whenever and wherever you are. Additionally, it’s truly a gift to be part of a group with so many speakers.

2. Learn about Chinese history and culture

China has a lot to offer when it comes to history. China is one of the oldest continuing civilizations in the world with one of the richest cultures. Filled with talented artists, incredible temples and artifacts, you will always find something fascinating to learn about Chinese culture.

 

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Being able to speak Mandarin, you will actually be able to read all sorts of books and watch many movies in Chinese. It is always better to be able to experience everything created in its native language. Learn more in this video on the benefits of reading in Mandarin, featuring Mandarin Companions.

3. Learning Chinese isn’t all that difficult

While many people believe learning Mandarin is difficult, you shouldn’t let this idea stop you from learning the language. Chinese characters might seem scary, but written Chinese doesn’t have particular tenses or conjugations for verbs, so it becomes a lot easier to manage. Plus, Chinese has Pinyin — Pinyin(拼音) which literally means “spelled sounds”. Per Wikipedia, it was “introduced to primary schools as a way to teach Standard Chinese pronunciation and used to improve the literacy rate among adults.”

When you study Chinese you will soon come to find that speaking Chinese is even easier than writing it. You can easily practice and learn to speak Mandarin by listening to songs or watching movies and shows without subtitles. This way, you will be learning Mandarin Chinese in no time!

4. Boost your career

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Knowing Mandarin Chinese is bound to be an eye-catching skill on your CV. China’s economy is one of the world’s biggest and it is one of the fastest growing countries in the world.

By learning how to speak Mandarin, your employer will know that you will be able to work with companies and clients from outside your country. If you are looking to be involved in international business, this could be a great opportunity for you! Simon, with www.dawnoftruth.com, participated in the speak Mandarin Chinese in 90 days challenge.

5. Understanding Mandarin will help you to communicate while traveling

Did you know that Mandarin is not only spoken in China? Countries like Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore along with many others have large Chinese populations. Knowing Mandarin, you will be able to make your travels a lot easier.

Speaking more than one language will allow you to travel to many different countries and be able to communicate with the locals on a better level. It will also help you to better experience the country. While most people want to just travel to Hong Kong so that they can use English to communicate, you will be able to see so many more places!

Forming Questions with 吗 ma [ATWTI 21] · Chinese Lesson

Learning a language can broaden your horizons

Whether you wish to travel more, expand your future career opportunities or even learn the history of China, Mandarin is definitely the language you should pick to learn.

If you’re looking for the fastest way to learn Mandarin, you should definitely use ChinesePod. Not only do they help you learn easily and on the go, they also do not require you to have any previous knowledge of the language. Give it a try and you will definitely not be disappointed!

 

 

 

 

Chinese New Year Red Envelopes: How to Give and Receive “hóngbāo” Like a Local

Chinese New Year Red Envelopes: How to Give and Receive “hóngbāo” Like a Local

Delicious dinners and family reunions. Homemade dumplings, fish and glutinous rice balls. These are just some of the traditions of the Chinese New Year for millions of people around the world. There is much to celebrate as we ring in the Year of the Dog this January 16th, but one New Year’s tradition remains a favorite for a lot of people, young and old: Red Envelopes or hóngbāo|红包. These lucky red packets stuffed with cash are just as fun to give as they are to receive. But for Mandarin learners, this custom may leave you feeling nervous. Perhaps you wish to partake in the fun, but are wondering who exactly should you give them to? You could go broke trying to give a red packet of cash to everyone you know! And what is the proper way to receive a red packet? Have no fear! This Chinese New Year, learn how to give and receive hóngbāo like a true local. Below are the three things you need to know about this fun yet important Chinese New Year tradition that has stood the test of time.

  1. Who gives and who receives?

Children are the largest receivers of hóngbāo, called Yāsuìqián| 压岁钱. Any adult can give children red envelopes, but if you are married, there is a certain expectation for you to give to the younger generation (wǎnbèi|晚辈), as your married status signifies you have started your own family. However, children are not the only receivers of lucky money. Working professionals, regardless of age, often give hóngbāo to elders (parents or grandparents), as a sign of respect known as xiàojìng | 孝敬, an important concept in Chinese culture.

Generally, it is acceptable for anyone to give a hóngbāo, except to people of similar age. That will only lead to an awkward situation that is best avoided.

  1. How to properly receive lucky red envelopes.

Before receiving a hóngbāo, one should have a few traditional New Year’s well wishes (zhùfú huà｜祝福话) ready to recite, such as “Zhù nǐ xīnnián kuàilè, shēntǐ jiànkāng|祝你新年快乐，身体健康”, a common wish for a happy new year and good health. Often, the children will try to come up with the wittiest phrases to recite before bravely asking for their hóngbāo. When receiving a red envelope, just remember: never open your red packet in front of the giver.

  1. How much money should you give?

You can give as much as you wish and can afford to give. There is no standard amount, as it depends entirely on your economic situation, and your relationship with the receiver. A close relative would typically expect to receive more than a distant family friend. Just remember: crisp, new bills should be given to signify luck, and coins should be avoided.

Since 2014, red packets have also entered the digital age, as with most other things in China’s booming economy. Wechat Red Envelopes can now be sent electronically, of course, reserved for those who are more technologically inclined.

Yet, there is still something beautiful about keeping to tradition. By following the above customs of giving and receiving hóngbāo this Chinese New Year, you will be sure to gain appreciation and respect of those around you who are celebrating the Chinese culture’s most important holiday of the year.

Learn more about the intricacies of giving and receiving hóngbāo in Chinesepod’s entertaining lesson.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Xīnnián kuàilè! 新年快乐

Dàjí dàlì 大吉大利！

 

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