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09-11-2019, 09:09 PM
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China

I'm off to China soon and wonder how I can keep in touch with family and friends as the great Chinese Firewall prevents access of many sites - including gmail, facebook etc.

The only way around this is to get a VPN (Virtual Private Network). Has anyone any experience of this?
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09-11-2019, 10:24 PM
2

Re: China

you won't have time for that. there is so much to see and if your tour guide is like ours they will pack in so much .

I loved China and would go back in a moment. Apart from the "Tourist" attractions there is far far more. Such as watching the silk being made into material- carving jade- pearl factory - tea ceremony.
Then there is not the so obvious sites such as the Bell Tower and Drum Tower tower inZian, having a 20 course meal in one of the Emporers palaces- bike ride around old part of Bejing.

The history of China is amazing ,how for example they kept the Mongolians invading for so long

One thing we did notice that most of the large tours parties got out of the coaches and walked on the wall. Avoid if possible and book a private trip, ours was included with the company we went with. They took us right out into the countryside to the mountainous region and we had to get a ski lift up to the wall a few thousand feet up.

This is where you can appreciate the scale and work that went into building it, not where the coaches park.

this is what you go all that way to experience, even if it costs a little more




to give some idea how high were were you can just see the road in the distance



Take a camera because there is so much to get photos of it will nearly always be in use.

Oh and yes we we exhausted art the end of each day, started of and finish in Bejing but flew to Zian mid holiday

W had oly been in our hotel for a couple of hours when the tour guide took us out on a site seeing trip, and what a lovely people both were on in each place. they really put themselves out to make you holiday memorable.
We were lucky we had our own car and driver as well as our own tour guide. Cost a bit but it is really once in a lifetime holiday. The company we used now longer exists, but it was about 10 years ago

One thing all the notice signs are in Chinese and English


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09-11-2019, 10:59 PM
3

Re: China

Thanks Realspeed. Great photos you have. I'm also doing a tour, starting in Shanghai and ending in Beijing - a Yangtze River cruise, Chengdu, Xi'an - then Beijing.
Really looking forward to it, but need to be contactable while I'm there - family and work clients. Hence my question.

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09-11-2019, 11:50 PM
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Re: China

Oh can I come? theYangze river is high on my bucket list as well. The thing about China is it is so vast there is no way one can see even a bit of it in one trip.
The type of thing you may miss is something like this



This is stone replica of a wooden boat on a man made lake. So what about it you may ask?
The guardian of the emperors children was a lady call Chi Chi (pronounced se se) and when the Emperor died she killed the children so she could rule in their place

Known as the wicken Emperoress she had this lake dug by hand and a wooden boat built so she could be rowed around the lake.
That is not all
She had a chair made so she could see the direction the boat was going in but also a huge mirror so she could also watch out behind. Anyone who got infront of her lost their heads she had them chopped off
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09-11-2019, 11:58 PM
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Re: China



so what is this all about??

This is the entrance door to a private residence and the number of wood studs denotes how high a standing in the community the owner has. having 4 wood studs means he is very high up usually in the government
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10-11-2019, 12:03 AM
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Re: China




China on the Left/ Mongolia on the Right(and yes we walked that and more) nearly killed me, air being a lot thinner


Oh by the way a chinese 4* hotel is the same as our 2* in the uk. But while out here one accepts their standard and way of living
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10-11-2019, 12:14 AM
7

Re: China

in Bejing something you might miss as well. Temple of heaven in the far distance



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10-11-2019, 01:05 AM
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Re: China

Realspeed, I think Lindy is asking if anyone knows how she can keep in touch with friends and family back home while she is in China.
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10-11-2019, 04:08 AM
9

Re: China

Lindyloo, I have used a VPN here in the states for work without any problems.

We are looking forward to your photos! Enjoy your trip!

Fabulous photos as ever, realspeed.
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10-11-2019, 04:16 AM
10

Re: China

Hi

Normal email is fine in China.

Using a VPN makes you a focus of attention for their Security Services and a world of pain.

You will be fine.
 
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