Monday afternoon at 2 pm I am in Beijing. The custums officer takes a short look into my passport and let me pass. Wow, in Japan and Korea I had to wait at least one hour at the custums area and here can I pass immediality. On the Exit door the taxi-drivers waiting. I'm sure to pay much to much when I arrive the Tiantan Hotel, but I'm tired and need a shower and something to eat. So I live the first night in China in that luxory hotel. In the evening I try to find the youth hostel in Beijing, the only one in China. But the taxi drivers don't know where for themselves! He took a short look on the map and said YES. Fantastic yes! He is driving through the town and talks rubbish all the time. I smile and hope he'll shut up soon. Somewhen he stops and has to ask by himself. After a long sightseeing tour we finally arrive. In the youth hostel (more a 2 ** Hotel) are free rooms. I check in for the next 3 nights and go to a restaurant. After the spicy korean food the chinese food is somehow tasteless. The today's taxi driver has also no idea to come to the youth hostel, so I have to show him the last part of the way. I'm not far away from Tian An Men Square and have to go if I want to see something. Finally: >The Forbidden City<. I cross the gate under the picture of chairman Mao Zedong and follow the tourists to the entrance. An Englishman with large glasses and many freckles recommends me the Guided Tour spoken by Roger Moore. Not very useful for me, because the german version is not from Ex-James Bond. All for all the tour is very interesting and amusing with a lot of funny episodes. The gigantic arrangement impresses with a fantastic architecture and wonderful gardens. Back to Tian An Men Square direct to South to the Temple of Heaven. It's not easy to find the temple inside the large park. The sunset paint the temple with golden light. The receptionist explains me, I have to take the bus or a taxi for the train station and there at 8.00 o'clock one of the coaches for Badaling to the Great Wall. I have to hurry, so I stop a taxi. The speeding through Beijings streets and the bikers, accompanied by hoots, makes me nervous, sometimes. In front of the train station I see some busses. All I get is a smile but no answers of my questions which bus is going to Badaling. Here I meet 2 german tourists from Berlin and together we find the right bus. A few hours later we are in Badaling at the Great Wall. Photos can't describe theese fantastic sight, when the Wall crosses the mountains and vanishes at the horizon. The 6000 km long wall you can only imagine from outer space. On the way back we visit the Ming-tombs, an underground tomb from Ming-Dynasty. 
Today I try the Trolleybusses in Beijing and decide to take the bus for the Summer Palace. After 2 1/2 hours and some transfers (sometimes the wrong bus) I arrive the Summer Palace. But the whole fun cost me only 2 Yuan (ca 0,40 DM). The large artificial lake and the the Marble Boat are known for the most from Bertoluccis Epic "The last Emperor", the Long Corridor as well as the Hall of Buddhist Incense and the island with small temples is also worth seeing. Somewhen in the afternoon my feets denied and I took the bus back to the city -  2 1/2 hours again. For diner I'm dated with two german students. They study chinese in Beijing. I get very helpful tips for Xian from them. 
After 20 hors with an express train I arrive Xian at 6 in the morning. In the student-hotel at North-West-University I get a room and breakfast. At the bus terminal (2 hours later) I met two nice girls from France. They want to the Terracotta Army too. The Mini-busse are too expensive, so we decide for the regular bus. 
Thousands of Terracotta soldiers are fascinating til today. 2000 years ago it must has been more fantastic and gigantic, with all the colors and armors, than today. The group becomes larger as a group of american students is coming with us. A small museum in Banpo shows the Reconstruction of a neolithic village. For the bus back to Xian the girls show a great talent for negotiation and stubbornness. Back in Xian our ways seperated. PS: So much bikes like in Beijing or Xian I've never seen again.
30 hours in a train are definitaly too much. I'm happy to leave the train in Chongquing. At the train station I met a group Americans from the same train. Freddy, Darrell and Myfanwy want to take a cruise on the Yangtse-River. On board we meet Ulla from Finland, Bob a Chinese and his friend a munich Globetrotter. Those group stood together for three days, during the cruise through the tree gorges, a terrific scenery which will be flood in a few years. The food on the boat was sometimes a little bit odd, thats why I ate like the others prepacked food or bought some in the towns. On 2nd day of the cruise we went on a trip to the three little gorges of the Yangtse. The little boat had to fight with the current and the low water level. The mountains reflecting in the turquoise water. This sight compensates for everything. When the boat came back to the harbour with delay we had only the hope to find our ship. They leave the boat at Yichang to come to Guilin; I take the next train at Yueyang for Hong Kong.