Beijing, the Capital

Number of days: 2 days
Time: June
Average cost: 10,000 yuan
With whom：a person
The author went to these places： Beijing The Great Wall Cuandixia Beijing Unname Courtyard Hotel The Forbidden City Prince Gong's Mansion

I loved watching My Fair Princess as a child.

I've seen it countless times, and I still remember every single scene vividly.

So many years have passed,

but I never imagined the profound impact this TV series would have on me.

When I decided to go to Beijing,

I hadn't thought of it having any connection to My Fair Princess at all;

but when booking the hotel, they said they wanted to stay in a courtyard house, and my first reaction was, I wanted to stay in a courtyard house like the one Ziwei lived in when she went blind.

It was only then that I realized that

Although it has now been dug up by many netizens and said to destroy our worldview, it is indeed a memory that has accompanied our generation; the rebellious and crazy Xiaoyanzi, the deeply affectionate Fifth Prince, the well-educated and well-mannered Ziwei, the talented Erkang, the noble and serene Qing'er, and the elegant Xiao Jian, they never give up on pursuing their own happiness, wandering the world hand in hand. It is a touching feeling that remains in our hearts no matter how much time has passed. The family, friendship and love in this drama are exactly what we envy and desire, which is why we can't forget it so much.

So, if you keep thinking about something, it will definitely resonate with you. Let's turn this spontaneous trip into a trip down memory lane, reminiscing about Princess Pearl, and return to our childhood together. Because we hadn't made any plans beforehand, summer vacation arrived with no plans in mind. Should we head to picturesque Gannan, the modern metropolis of Shanghai, or Huangshan, the world's most unique mountain? Or even go abroad? Airfare was expensive no matter where we went. Since we didn't have much time off and couldn't travel too far, we all agreed to go to Beijing. Beijing is a great place. I've always loved it. I'd been there once before, and I'd always wanted to find an opportunity to return.

My wish list before departure:

Stay in a courtyard house and spend some time there;

Walk through the alleys and streets of old Beijing;

Climb the Great Wall and experience the wisdom of ancient people;

Visit Cuandixia and see the Ming and Qing dynasty-style residential buildings.

While I didn't accomplish all of these, I was still incredibly satisfied with the trip.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to come to Beijing, Xiaoyan said that he wanted to take the A380 to fulfill his wish and celebrate his successful graduation from elementary school. It also broadened my horizons. Although I'd heard of the A380 many times before, I only realized this time that it's a double-decker aircraft, known as the "Big Mac of the Sky." I'm really short on experience. (I didn't realize it until I went through security.) I realized I still had three yogurts in my bag. I was so sleepy I'd forgotten yogurt wasn't allowed through security. The three of us foolishly ate them at the checkpoint. It was so embarrassing, but we couldn't bear to throw them away. We arrived in Beijing at 11:30 AM. Oh my god, it was hot, incredibly sweltering, with not a breath of wind. It was even hotter than Foshan. Everyone else was going there to escape the heat, but we were headed somewhere even hotter. We had originally planned to take the subway to the hotel, firstly to save money and secondly to avoid traffic. However, we were surprised to find that the sunscreen spray in our suitcase wasn't allowed through subway security. It was a shame to lose it. In the end, we decided to take a Didi taxi. Surprisingly, there was no traffic jam, and we arrived at the hotel in about half an hour. The fare was only 70 yuan. The subway would have cost 29 yuan per person. Is this a blessing in disguise?

Beijing Unname Courtyard Hotel

This hotel is a very unique old courtyard hotel. The room was very clean and tidy, better than I expected! The breakfast was also good, and you can order your favorite food in advance! The handsome front desk guy, Xiao Zhang, and the staff were all very welcoming! I look forward to staying here again with friends!

Beijingers are incredibly polite and helpful. We were reversing in front of the hotel for ages, and a passing driver, even on his phone, offered to direct us. When we weren't sure if we could turn right on a red light, a cyclist reminded us we could. Our Didi driver also shared insights into Beijing culture and the city's worthwhile attractions.

Also, the erhua (erhua) sound in northern Chinese dialects is truly beautiful. Within Beijing's Second Ring Road, high-rise buildings are virtually nonexistent. Instead, you'll find protected historical and cultural sites like the Forbidden City and Prince Gong's Mansion, along with numerous hutongs and courtyard houses. Here, you can truly experience the flavor of old Beijing. Rather than calling it "Beijing," it's better to call it "Jingcheng," which offers a more captivating feel. Beijing boasts thousands of hutongs, dating back to the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Most of the buildings lining the hutongs are quadrangular courtyards. A quadrangular courtyard is a building consisting of four houses arranged in a symmetrical, square pattern. Large and small quadrangle courtyards are arranged side by side, and the passageways between them form the hutongs. On our first day in Beijing, we wandered around, exploring this historic and cultural city on foot, traversing its streets and alleys, searching for traces of old Beijing. As we left our hotel, we spotted a small hutong stall. Buying directly from the small window was a novelty for us. How could we choose something from such a small window?

Further ahead is the North Campus of Beijing Normal University. The ancient buildings give off a strong academic atmosphere, and even the security guards at the gate are particularly polite and gentle.

The leaves here are vibrant green, giving off a lush, lush vibe. Where we live, you can only see this in the spring when the trees change leaves, and that's a very brief period.

Walking into the streets near Prince Gong's Mansion, the area gradually became crowded with tourists, and there were also numerous rickshaws on the road. These rickshaws were notoriously difficult to navigate, which was quite off-putting.

The entrance to Prince Gong's Mansion was teeming with tourists, cars, and people, so it was best to escape quickly.

Don't follow the crowds; wander into a quiet alleyway instead. It's quite peaceful and relaxing.

Quiet alleyways and courtyard houses with gray walls and red gates.

Move the cars away, and I feel this place has a special charm, a strong sense of life, blue bricks and green tiles, and a strong Beijing flavor. At that moment, it was as if I had stepped back in time.

Nan Gu Luo Xiang is famous, and since I was there, I planned to take a walk. However, before I even entered Nan Gu Luo Xiang, I could already feel its commercial atmosphere. As expected, every city has a street like that, and Nan Gu Luo Xiang is that street in Beijing.

I turned around and left, heading home. It was so hot and stuffy that I decided to go back to the hotel to rest for a while.

Going back another way, I encountered another old alley, with old walls mottled with tree shadows.

The blue bricks and ancient trees tell a story of the past.

How can one not love an alley like this?