Facing page: The Pangu 7-Star Hotel Below: A traditional dance at the Laoshe Tea House Bottom right: The Bird’s Nest Athletics Stadium
hand luggage than my collection from the carousel. The result of shopping sprees in far flung places, no doubt. I stayed at The Pangu 7-Star Hotel and
was confused as ratings only go up to five stars everywhere else in the world. After arriving at the hotel, I realised that this was the actual name, ‘The Pangu 7-Star Hotel’. Like everything else in China, you can’t take a label at face value, but it certainly built an expectation and was a constant talking point for visitors to CIBTM. The room at The Pangu Hotel was both
FACT BOX
China still saw 8 percent GDP growth last year despite problems elsewhere in the world. GDP growth is forecast for 9.6 percent in 2011 and almost the same for 2012, while most western economies will struggle towards 2 percent.
unique and state-of-the-art, making a change from the more non-descript badged hotels where rooms are often more uniform to com- ply with brand standards and the consistent expectations of loyalty card holders. There was a Bose system linked to a TV, a
fireplace with a plasma centre-piece made to look like a real log fire, a business desk with IP phone and a king-sized bed with an ‘under- duvet’ that made me feel like I was sleeping on a cloud. There was also an impressive Chi- nese artwork above the bed and a mosaic on the ceiling, carved into a recess that made it look like an atrium. Breakfast at The Pangu was a king-size
Napolean once referred to China as the ‘sleeping giant’ and commented that if it awakes it will shake the world. The coun- try has been roused from its slumber for some time and gave a good morning wake-up call that echoed around the world in 2008 with the most impressive Olympic Games opening ceremony in history. In 2011, the world is now hanging on to the country’s coat-
tails, struggling to keep up and hoping that China’s might will be its saviour. With such a backdrop, it is impossible not to arrive in Beijing with eyes, ears and mind wide-open, leaving any notion of western superiority behind at immigration. We are now entering a new world and China is at its core. I arrived in Beijing two days ahead of CIBTM’s opening
and approached the trip differently to other familiarisation trips or international shows that I have attended. I went with no expectation and simply wanted to take it all in. Beijing International Airport is both huge and heaving.
Here, the world is literally queuing up to get into China and it takes time to make it through passport control. Past immigra- tion and then you need to take a train to reach the baggage claim. The scale is amazing. I looked around and saw a family clad in designer wear. Two
sisters in matching Burberry skirts and Armani knee-high boots. Their green T-shirts with cartoon prints were at odds with the rest of their outfits. This being China, I asked myself the ques- tion, ‘Are they real?’. Airports are always fascinating places to people watch. West-
erners in baggy leggings, men in suits, and lots of Chinese vaca- tioners returning home laden with Duty Free bags and more
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buffet, with the only frustration being the tiny side plates that I found to be a consistent feature in all restaurants of the capital. It did however make for some enjoyable morning exercise walking to and from the buffet. Food does seem to be a bit of an obses-
sion in China. The front page of the Sunday China Daily that I picked up had as its cover story: “Ambassador in chef”, which was about the Spanish emissary for tourism. Page three continued the story at the bottom, with the remaining two thirds titled, “What Biden really ate in Beijing”. The whole paper extended to eight pages.
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