ANCIENT TEA CARAVAN ROUTE OF MONGOLIA

THE HISTORY OF TRANS MONGOLIAN RAILWAY It is unbelievable to think that the Trans–Mongolian Railway follows an ancient tea camel route from China to Russia and connects Beijing, China with Ulan-Ude, on Trans–Siberian railway in Russia. The ancient Tea  Road, which dates back to the 17th century, was a network of ancient trade routes that came into being after the Silk Road. StartingContinue reading “ANCIENT TEA CARAVAN ROUTE OF MONGOLIA”

EPIC TRANS- MONGOLIAN TRAIN 033

The ultimate railway journeys for lovers of epic train journeys are Trans Mongolian and Trans Siberian train trips. It is a trip like no other. TRAIN BETWEEN CIVILIZATIONS Measuring 2,080 kilometers, and situated between the borders of Russia’s far east and China’s North, the Trans-Mongolian railway is journey steeped in the history of great powers.Continue reading “EPIC TRANS- MONGOLIAN TRAIN 033”

THE WALL OF WALLS

Great Wall of China is titled one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Medieval World’ and it is also included in the ‘New 7 Wonders of the World’. Both of the two honors indicate how the monument has influenced greatly human civilization and world history. It deserved the name ” Great Wall of China”, howeverContinue reading “THE WALL OF WALLS”

BALM FOR THE SOUL – LAMA TEMPLE, BEIJING, CHINA

A peaceful oasis in the heart of the city, the Lama temple is a centre of Tibetan Buddhism dating back to 1694. As you wander the streets of northeast Central Beijing you will find the biggest temple of Tibetan Buddhism nestled in between the grey  houses of the Hutong neighborhood. The temple is known byContinue reading “BALM FOR THE SOUL – LAMA TEMPLE, BEIJING, CHINA”

TEMPLE OF HEAVEN – MAGNIFICENT IMPERIAL ARCHITECTURE

The Temple of Heaven is one of the most brilliant ancient architectures in China. It is an outstanding masterpiece of classic imperial buildings of Chinese history. The Temple of Heaven was built in 1420 by Emperor Yongle, then expanded by the subsequent emperors of both the Ming and Qing Dynasty, and had served as the holy place forContinue reading “TEMPLE OF HEAVEN – MAGNIFICENT IMPERIAL ARCHITECTURE”

THE MING DYNASTY CONCUBINES

The Ming Dynasty ruled China from 1368 to 1644. The Ming Dynasty would be known for its trade expansion to establish ties with the West. Equally the Ming Dynasty is also remembered for its drama, literature, and world-renowned white and blue porcelain. We were told by our guide on that winter’s day in Beijing, ChinaContinue reading “THE MING DYNASTY CONCUBINES”

THE DARK HISTORY OF MING DYNASTY TOMBS

Off the beaten tourist path in Beijing are the Ming Dynasty Tombs.  The tombs have such a fascinating history, but also a dark part of ancient Chinese history as we were about to discover on this winter’s day on our overland travel from Hong Kong to the Netherlands. The Ming tombs are a collection of mausoleums builtContinue reading “THE DARK HISTORY OF MING DYNASTY TOMBS”

HOW TO TELL THE TIME IN ANCIENT CHINA

All of a sudden, we were 14,500km away from Brisbane, Australia after leaving our beloved Overlanding truck “the Nest”, and we were in the middle of the ancient inner city of Beijing.  We had been on the road by now for six weeks. It was some days overwhelming what we were seeing and experiencing. OnContinue reading “HOW TO TELL THE TIME IN ANCIENT CHINA”

AN IMPRESSIVE PALACE OR PRISON – FORBIDDEN CITY

After 24 hours on the train from Hong Kong, we were finally in Beijing, China. We came to Beijing to see two bucket list items both UNESCO World Heritage listed: The Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China. We had six days in this city to wander, explore and discover. According to the LonelyContinue reading “AN IMPRESSIVE PALACE OR PRISON – FORBIDDEN CITY”

GUIDE TO INTERNATIONAL TRAIN Z98: HONG KONG – BEIJING, CHINA

We really wanted to be able to travel overland as much as possible without catching a plane, but that is not possible from Australia or New Zealand. The only overland option is to catch a cruise boat from Sydney to Hong Kong. All cruise boats leave the Pacific by end of the season in MarchContinue reading “GUIDE TO INTERNATIONAL TRAIN Z98: HONG KONG – BEIJING, CHINA”