China
Trip Report 2007: Do not drive tiredly.
This trip was thrown together in 5 weeks.
Our son decided to marry his Chinese girlfriend, proposing to her just before she was returning to Beijing as her Canadian student Visa expired. It had been a whirlwind romance and despite our voiced reservations, he was determined. So he spent far too much money on a diamond engagement ring and popped the question. She accepted and then disappeared back to China into the world of long-distance and Skype. Weeks turned into months as they tried to decide what to do next.
Just after Christmas, they finally came up with a plan and a date for a wedding. He would fly to Beijing around the end of January and spend the month and they would get married there. And from that point, we were a go as well because there was no way in the world that my wife would let her son get married without being there.
So, we were going to China.
And we had to be quick to avoid the travel chaos of the Chinese New Year on February 18, 2007. Complicating the already complicated arrangements, the bride and her parents – both PRC bureaucrats – all lived in Beijing but her ill grandmother and other relations resided in Handan, an industrial city, a 5 hour drive southwest of Beijing in lower Hebei Province. So as preparations progressed, Handan was chosen to be the ceremonial wedding site. To take advantage of the trip, we decided to toss in a side trip to Xi'an for the Terracotta Warriors of Emperor Qin ‘while we're there.’
Our son decided to marry his Chinese girlfriend, proposing to her just before she was returning to Beijing as her Canadian student Visa expired. It had been a whirlwind romance and despite our voiced reservations, he was determined. So he spent far too much money on a diamond engagement ring and popped the question. She accepted and then disappeared back to China into the world of long-distance and Skype. Weeks turned into months as they tried to decide what to do next.
Just after Christmas, they finally came up with a plan and a date for a wedding. He would fly to Beijing around the end of January and spend the month and they would get married there. And from that point, we were a go as well because there was no way in the world that my wife would let her son get married without being there.
So, we were going to China.
And we had to be quick to avoid the travel chaos of the Chinese New Year on February 18, 2007. Complicating the already complicated arrangements, the bride and her parents – both PRC bureaucrats – all lived in Beijing but her ill grandmother and other relations resided in Handan, an industrial city, a 5 hour drive southwest of Beijing in lower Hebei Province. So as preparations progressed, Handan was chosen to be the ceremonial wedding site. To take advantage of the trip, we decided to toss in a side trip to Xi'an for the Terracotta Warriors of Emperor Qin ‘while we're there.’
Final Itinerary:
Feb 5 - Depart Toronto via Vancouver - Air Canada
Feb 6 - Arrive Beijing - spend night in bride-to-be's condo - Chaoyang District
Feb 7 - Beijing self-touring - another night in bride-to-be's condo
Feb 8 - Guided tour to Great Wall - night in Plaza Royale
Feb 9 - Drive to Handan
Feb 10 - Handan
Feb 11 - Wedding in Handan
Feb 12 - Flight to Xi'an
Feb 13 - Xi'an Touring
Feb 14 - Xi'an Touring and Flight to Beijing - 3 nights Plaza Royale
Feb 15 and 16 - Beijing self-touring and Shopping
Feb 17 - Depart Beijing direct to Toronto - Air Canada
We booked the Air Canada flights and the Hotel Plaza Royale in Beijing and for the rest we relied on the bride's mother, who insisted on booking everything locally at the last minute. As scary as this was to yours truly - the resident Intrepid Travel Planner - we threw caution to the wind and trusted.
Feb 5 - Depart Toronto via Vancouver - Air Canada
Feb 6 - Arrive Beijing - spend night in bride-to-be's condo - Chaoyang District
Feb 7 - Beijing self-touring - another night in bride-to-be's condo
Feb 8 - Guided tour to Great Wall - night in Plaza Royale
Feb 9 - Drive to Handan
Feb 10 - Handan
Feb 11 - Wedding in Handan
Feb 12 - Flight to Xi'an
Feb 13 - Xi'an Touring
Feb 14 - Xi'an Touring and Flight to Beijing - 3 nights Plaza Royale
Feb 15 and 16 - Beijing self-touring and Shopping
Feb 17 - Depart Beijing direct to Toronto - Air Canada
We booked the Air Canada flights and the Hotel Plaza Royale in Beijing and for the rest we relied on the bride's mother, who insisted on booking everything locally at the last minute. As scary as this was to yours truly - the resident Intrepid Travel Planner - we threw caution to the wind and trusted.