From Moscow to Beijing by train. Last part : Welcome to China !

[Nantais]

Here is the last thread about my train journey, in July 2010, from Moscow to Beijing.

The links towards the first threads :
Moscow
Across Siberia
The Great Baïkal
Going to Mongolia !
Ulan Bator and the surroundings
Experiencing the Gobi desert

1- Waking up on board, after the exhausting crossing of the Mongolia-China border (see the sixth thread) :


2- It's amazing how the lanscape has suddenly changed so much in one night while previously, it seemed that it changed so slowly day after day.


3-Passing by Datong. Huges Appartments blocks going up :


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5- Yes, we can see it... the Great Wall of China !


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7- The train passes by a lot of industrial zones in northern China :


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11- Little houses and new appartments blocks :


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13- No idea of what that means... but as an european tourist, chinese characters seemed so exotic, that I had to take the pic !


14- Trucks... I love them.


15- Another stop in a train station :


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17- First bicycle seen in China. I had to take that pic !


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20- A huge catholic (?) church in the middle of chinese countryside. I didn't expect that.


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22- Chimneys. We see hundred of them in China on the way to Beijing :


23- The most striking difference between China and Mongolia, as soon as we crossed the border, was that quasi-permanent fog due to high level of humidity.


24- Before arriving at Beijing, the train passed through a spectacular valley :


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28- Workers along the tracks :


29- The outskirts of Beijing :


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35- After 9,001 km on a train since Moscow..., here we are, Beijing !!! Goodbye the train !


36- Outisde the Beijing train station. Lot of people... and the heat, plus humidity, is unbearable.


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39- Beijing's sky... a subtle mix between humidity and smog. Positive side of it : we can stare at the sun, in the middle of the day, without any risk.


40- Mao and the Forbidden City :


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47- Visiting the Great Wall in the middle of this fucking mist :


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51- Visiting the Forbidden City. I think it's the greatest pic of all my trip :


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54- So many people. So much heat and humidity. Not the greatest conditions to enjoy the visit :


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60- Beijing is like the clash between extreme modernity and extreme dereliction :


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63- Grandpas playing dominos in the park :


64- Grandmas dancing on sino-eurodance music in the park :


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67- Beijing's alley :


68- Seeing a Kung-Fu Shaolin show at the Red Theatre :


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71- In the subway of Beijing. Extreme modernity :


72- Just a pic of the hotel where I stayed for three nights :


73- A night bar near my hotel. They didn't have Heineken actually.


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75- In front of a restaurant, early in the morning :


76- Don't look at me... I'm just a tourist ! Listen to your Chef !


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89- Here is the view from my hotel room, on the 6th floor :


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That's all ! It was time to fly back to Europe, after three days in Beijing.

Some funny personal facts about my stay in Beijing :
- I eated in numerous chinese restaurants, but also, for the first time of my life, in a KFC.
- ....and for the second time of my life, I eated in a Burger King (first time was in London back in 1997). I have to say they have particularly tasty burgers. Why there isn't any BK in France ? well, whatever...

[Segun]

I viewed the whole series, amazing!

[wisla_krakow]

great voyage! youre really lucky to have experienced it.
i hope to do something similar in my future.

[Cosperus]

amazing........what a great collection of photos and interesting story.....

please make a BOOK out of your experiences.....

I hope to take the same trip someday.....

thanks for sharing....

[highriser1]

I liked the whole series of pictures. I couldn't believe there is a highway so close to the Forbidden City. And I caught how that one wall there needs a paint job. The smog is of some concern though. It probably was from the summer heat

[xzmattzx]

Great pictures!

[Yankee]

Can't thank you enough for this tour.

[DLLB]

Excellent.

Thanks so much for the great tour.

[Coldrsx]

Inspiring and spectacular journey, thanks for reminding me how much more of the world there is to see and experience.

[Jarrod]

Awesome tour!!!!

[BnaBreaker]

Thanks so much for sharing your adventure with us...I enjoyed every part of the series! What a journey!

[photoLith]

I miss China so bad, your trip is like the most epic ever. One thing though, most smallish Chinese cities are terribly depressing looking and ugly. How much did the train ticket cost for all that?

[Nantais]

Originally Posted by photolitherland

I miss China so bad, your trip is like the most epic ever. One thing though, most smallish Chinese cities are terribly depressing looking and ugly. How much did the train ticket cost for all that?

I can't really answer... I got my train tickets by a travel agency which also provided me my plane tickets and reserved my different accommodations. I didn't pay attention to the details in the bill. But as far as I know, it's not the most expensive part in the total cost of the trip.
There are several European-based travel agencies specialized in Transsiberian trips. With all the formalities to get the visas and the train tickets, it's much more convenient to pass by them.

Thanks to all for the comments.

[Bedhead]

Amazing trip - great finale - what an amazing place.

[I-15]

Thanks for sharing! I have enjoyed each part of this series.

[Urban Zombie]

13- No idea of what that means... but as an european tourist, chinese characters seemed so exotic, that I had to take the pic !

In case you are still wondering, the name of the factory (which specializes in stainless-steel items) and some of the products it manufactures. I'm sure I just killed the exotic factor.

Great series, though. Loved every thread.

[ColDayMan]

Easily one of my favorite forum photo series I've ever seen. Thanks for the memories!

[ChiTownCity]

I Love the smog/mist!!! That grittiness just made my day

[LSyd]

awesome, thanks again for the tour.

this sounds like a good song lyric:

Visiting the Great Wall in the middle of this fucking mist

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[Infernal_Elf]

Thanks alot for this impressive and very good foto trip all the way from Moscow to Beijing.

and that photo from the forbidden city is very good indeed it has several key things that makes it great

1. its a photo of a very famous place

2. the two chineese teenagers clining togheter on the right side

3. the family on the left side of the picture wich also is trying to take a picture while one kid is hanging on his mothers arm.

4. and there is a also a person with alot of luggage behind the teenagers that looks kinda intresting


and generally through this foto tour i think you hawe captured the essence of the different places very well