So they came to the train stations hours or even days earlier in order to get a good spot in the queue. But sometimes the chance of getting a ticket is still slim.

A cardboard left at a ticket office at Beijing Railway Station, it says “I’m the first, I came here yesterday”.

People waiting in the queue was not as many as I imagined. But some were still reluctant to leave before the next batch of tickets was released.

Chun Yun (Transport during the Spring Festival period) in China is one of the biggest movements of people on earth. It is estimated to be 2.32 billion person-time travel around the country by various means during this year’s Spring Festival.

Thanks to the Internet, complaints regarding the difficulties of buying train tickets have brought the attention of the central government. Mr. Hu Jintao issued a special order to solve the problems.

Then, Deputy Director of the State Railway Department, Wang Zhiguo, made a public apology on TV.

Regarding the Ticket Office Scandal video (a video showing a railway personnel suspicious of selling bulk tickets to ticket scalpers), he said “there was a misunderstanding, but it has hurt our passengers’ feelings”.

According to Southern Daily, one of the few newspapers that have some independent journalistic spirit, a Real Name System can fundamentally solve the problem. But the Railway Department refuses to implement such a system because of technical difficulties. Whereas our neighbor India has already done that 70 years ago.

]]> http://www.recordingbeijing.com/home-home-im-coming-home/feed/ 4 http://www.recordingbeijing.com/a-taste-of-death-on-halloween/ http://www.recordingbeijing.com/a-taste-of-death-on-halloween/#comments Mon, 03 Nov 2008 04:06:07 +0000 huibo http://www.recordingbeijing.com/?p=680 Behemoth, legendary Polish metal heads, linked up with Bhelliom from Singapore, Truth Corroded from Australia, and an unknown Japanese trash metal band on Halloween at Mao Live House in Beijing.

Check out the vid. You will not find Behemoth’s performance because we were told not to take pictures and videos due to copyright issues. I said “what the hell…”, but anyway, it’s a virtue to respect copyright. And the other 3 bands’ performance is more than enough to release the DEMONS WITHIN YOU!

(Make sure to watch the Japanese band’s deadly explosive performance near the end of the vid!)

The 2008 Xiangshan Red Leaves Festival officially started today. Time to leave the stress, routines, and pollution behind and breathe some fresh and sweet air at Fragrant Hills.

The name of the hills was not derived from the aroma around the area as you may have imagined, but rather the shape of the hills. Looking at the hills from certain distance and use some imagination, you can see a faithful worshipper burning incense at the peak of the hills.

The best time to visit Fragrant Hills is in autumn when the leaves, mainly on Sumac and Maple trees turn red. The whole Xiangshan Park is covered in this warm and passionate color, embellished with green, yellow, grey, and the color of the earth.

Lots of native Beijingers come to the Park every year to collect red leaves on the ground. Some who live in the neighborhood climb the hills every morning as a form of exercise.

The Fragrant Hills Park, also known as Garden of Congenial Tranquility, used to be one of Emperor Qianlong’s favourite country retreats. It was built in 1186 by the Emperor of the Jin Dynasty as a place for Buddhism worship. In 1860 and 1900, the park was severely damaged by war and fire, and was rebuilt in 1949.

The park is located west to Haidian district, 25 miles from central Beijing. Best use public transportation to get there for you wouldn’t want this beautiful place to be surrounded with gas. It’s called Fragrant Hills after all.

Use the following buses: 331, 360, 634, 714, 696, 698, and 318, and try to avoid weekends.

For more information please visit Xiangshan Park.

Photos courtesy of blacart.

There are only 2 routes at the moment, far from enough to cover all the fantastic spots of the city, but this is just a start. Tourists, natives and foreigners alike, have been swarming the bus stations since the first day of operation. The first route covers major historical tourist spots such as the Temple of Heaven, Forbidden Palace, Jingshan Park (built in 1179 A.D., royal park since the Yuan Dynasty, fantastic birdseye view over the Forbidden City), Shicha Lake (one of the places to find the best pubs and traditional Beijing food), and the Bell and Drum Towers. The other route covers major Olympic stadiums like the Bird’s Nest and the Wartercube. No doubt that most foreigners and young people take the first route, and the native and elderly prefer the second.

Ticket cost is 3 RMB per person, obviously a bargain compared with other major international cities. Due to the huge number of tourists, it is highly recommended to have sun burnt protection in place and don’t forget to take portable entertainment devices such as Sony Psp, because you are most likely to wait for around 30 minutes under the sun to be able to get on a bus. But it’s totally worth it because the much improved traffic inside the city (thanks to Olympic traffic control) will sure make it a pleasant trip, no need to mention the charming girl tour guides speaking in both Chinese and English.