Beijing, the Great Wall, the Forbidden City ... and that's it, isn't it?
That's what I had thought before my trip to the Chinese capital but I couldn't have been more wrong. I boarded the aircraft from Dubai thinking that 96 hours would be enough to get a reasonable feel of life. In the end I barely dipped my toe.
Four exhausting days later, I came home realising Beijing is not only the administrative capital of the People's Republic of China but also the cultural, shopping and culinary capital.
Day One
We landed in Beijing on a bitterly cold afternoon, the scarf and the heavy winter jacket firmly in place as we ventured out of the impressive Capital Airport. From airport to hotel in the highly prestigious Chaoyang district was quick, cheap and efficient. It took us 40 minutes from door to door. And what a door!
Housed in the upper floors of Beijing's tallest building, the Park Hyatt has the benefit of fantastic city views no matter where you are. Every inch of the place oozes sophistication and the rooms have, without doubt, the best bathrooms I have seen.
After a quick shower and a gawp at the impossibly angled CCTV Building which was opposite our room, we headed for dinner and then to a local flea market. Exhausted, we retired early as we had a big day ahead of us.
Day Two
We woke up at 6am. We were going to see one of the wonders of the world. One hurried shower and breakfast later, we were in a car, heading for Simtai — the steepest and most secluded section of the Great Wall of China. Ninety minutes later we arrived, surrounded by heavy fog.
Stepping out of the car we glanced at a frozen lake. Trekking was out of the question and that meant we had to get the cable car.
I'm scared of heights and the fact that the "cable car" appeared to be crudely cast iron baskets that looked as if they last had a paint job in 1985, did not fill my heart with joy.
After reaching terra firma, it took another 20 minutes of uphill hiking before we reached the promised land. But instead of ruining the experience, the fog enhanced it. The towers peered through the mist, dancing up and down the hills, and the wall disappeared in and out of the gloom.
After a few hours, the fog had cleared and on the way down, we were treated to a breathtaking view of the wall stretching majestically over the mountains.
Back in Beijing, we had time to visit a teahouse before driving to Dongcheng district — a posh residential area now home to restaurants and shops.
The tightly grouped hutongs, or streets, criss-cross for miles but retain their traditional charm. After dinner at a place where you are encouraged to scribble your thoughts and pin them to the wall, we found another of Beijing's hidden attractions, a bar called 12m2. You could only fit eight people in the place at a time, so I'm not sure how the owner manages to make money.
Day Three
We were to see the terracotta army in Xi'an. A 2-hour flight and car journey later, we were at one of the most famous sites in the world.
As a child growing up in Edinburgh I was fortunate enough to see a small selection of the warriors when they made their first foray out of China.
But nothing could prepare me for the jaw-dropping experience of stepping inside the first "pit". Rows of soldiers guarding the tomb of Emperor Qin, the first man to unite the whole of China.
Archaeologists discovered 8,000 in this first pit alone, with every 2,300-year-old statue having a different facial expression or body shape.
Three pits, each the size of an aircraft hangar, filled with this detailed, handbuilt army. A cavalry and horses, carriages, acrobats and soldiers — everything an emperor would need to keep him safe and entertained in afterlife.
Hovering in the distance was a giant hill — Qin's tomb. Legend has it that there are jewels replicating the stars and rivers of mercury inside.
We flew to Beijing, ready for a night out in another part of Dongcheng. We spent time at delightful place called "Bed" and had a chat with the owner, a Malay Chinese.
And that is one of the things which struck me about Beijing. Despite having a reputation for being cold and unfriendly, there was hospitality and warmth all around.
Day Four
We slept until 9am. After a leisurely breakfast, we headed for the Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium. Another architectural marvel in a city of brave structures. The 50-yuan (Dh25) entrance fee was money well spent as it gave you the chance to see this unique building up close. Across the road was the Aquatic Centre, another beautiful legacy of the 2008 Olympics.
Next stop, Tian'amen Square and the Forbidden City. The efficient subway system had us there in no time and we were soon amid hundreds of tourists snapping souvenir shots under the portrait of Mao Zedong.
The Forbidden City was enormous. Palace after palace. Courtyard after courtyard. We wandered past endless structures of imperial architecture.
Well, except that it was minus 2 degrees and we were cold and hungry. A quick stop to watch the Chinese Army go through drills in sub-zero temperatures and we hotstepped it to the Donghuamen district, home to one of Beijing's famous food markets.
We walked from stall to stall, eyeing the tempting and downright bizarre (sheep's privates or starfish anyone?) treats on offer. But our minds were on Peking Duck.
So we headed for the nearest restaurant. It turned out to be one of the unexpected highlights of the trip. Stuck in the middle of Beijing, in a restaurant where no one spoke English.
A gesture and a few garbled words of Mandarin later, we managed to order a meal fit for a king. We had apparently ordered the middle tier of duck (there are three) and it was fantastic.
Our next stop was the Factory 798 district. This is an old industrial area that houses Beijing's art scene. Gallery after gallery, nestled in urban splendour.
It was a cultural haven and totally unexpected for the ignorant tourists that we were.
We were tired and it was time to leave. Realising that there weren't enough hours in a week to enjoy everything in detail was the only downside of the trip. Every day, five new things were added to the list. That means I'll have to pay another visit to this fascinating city very soon.
