Last month in Beijing’s Opposite House, WildChina Founder Zhang Mei sat down with Peter Greenberg, Travel Editor for CBS News and regular guest on The Early Show. Known as the “consummate insider when reporting the travel business as news, Peter was named one of the most influential people in travel by Travel Weekly, along with Al Gore, Bill Marriott and Richard Branson.”
Mei and Greenberg discussed Beijing’s dramatic change since his inaugural trip “many years ago.” During his visit, The Great Wall Sheraton reigned as the only “it” hotel , but oh, how times have changed! Beijing is now spoiled with a long list of fantastic hotels, including the Opposite House where Greenberg stayed.
Mei and Peter delved into their experiences in visiting the Great Wall. During the same initial visit, he “left the hotel at 4:30 AM to be the first one there,” which many thought crazy. However, when Greenberg arrived and found the sun creeping over the Great Wall and a lone group of Chinese men performing early morning taichi, he knew he had made a good decision– even if it meant having less sleep.
Mei points out that “finding the right locals is key to opening doors” in China and gives some insider tips on how WildChina likes to visit the Great Wall. Here’s a clue– it doesn’t invovle sitting in morning traffic and you’ll find yourself with a glass of wine in hand!
Interested in listening to the live recording? Take a look here, including other speakers such as John Pomfret, Washington Post journalist and author of Chinese Lessons and Meg Maggio of Pékin Fine Arts.
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Interested in learning more about Peter Greenberg? Take a look here.
Photos by: Peter Greenberg, Opposite House, WildChina
