Live Your Best Lives
Beijing, a vast city, carries the dreams of tens of millions of us. It is both rough and yet conceals a tenderness. The old city's broken walls have once held memories of Lin Haiyin's "Southern City" and imbued it with the human touch described by Lao She. The bustling glazed tiles and the ancient alleys of the city are all aspects of my life. I decided to pamper myself, let loose, and it led to a beautiful encounter.
I booked my ticket and met up with a friend at Beijing Station. We found a highly-rated hotel nearby, Jintai Home Beijing Station (bookable on China-TravelNote's hotel channel). It only took about seven or eight minutes to get there by walking with GPS. Since it was my first time there and I didn't know the way, the taxi driver gave me a free pass. When I got out of the cab, I said, "Isn't this across from the station?" My friend looked over and realized it was. "Oh, where's the taxi fare?"
As you walk out of the elevator, the corridor is equipped with natural raw materials, lavender fragrance. The light floral scent spreads to every corner with the wind blown by the sprayer. The scent of plants fills the whole building, soothing our emotions and souls.
With a cup of tea, a few snacks, and a variety of drinks, I watched the Masked Singer competition on TV. Before I knew it, I was feeling a bit sleepy, and seeing how late it was, I decided to take a shower. The bathroom wasn't large, and there wasn't a separate wet and dry area. But thankfully, it was small but fully equipped.
I listened to music while enjoying a refreshing bath. The all-natural bath set was gentle and soothing, relaxing my pores and skin. The bath set exuded a light, refreshing fragrance, and I lathered up some shower gel. My skin felt smooth and delicate, not dry or parched.
The front mirror allowed for better visibility, making it easy to remove eye and facial makeup. I hung up my coat, put on a soft bathrobe, and slipped on my sanitized slippers. As I blew my hair, I recalled the love songs from the show, humming to myself. The full-length dressing mirror by the entrance was incredibly convenient. In collaboration with the King Koil brand, we developed a mattress specifically for the hotel, designed to boost circulation, metabolism, and overall stress reduction, ensuring the most comfortable and healthy sleep. The mattress, with its perfect firmness and plant-based pillow, made even a restless sleeper like me feel comfortable and relaxed. I forgot how I fell asleep, but before I knew it, I drifted off to dreamland, enjoying a dreamless night. I dove headfirst into bed, and perhaps because it was so comfortable, I slept soundly until dawn. My friend had already taken the time to plan our itinerary, and since the location was excellent, we decided to explore the area around the hotel. We packed our bags and set off for our first day.
Day 1
In the morning, I asked for good food near the hotel. I had the impression that the area around the station was a mixed bag with few good options. However, this impression was overturned. The pancakes at a convenience store on the street next to the hotel were delicious. Soy milk, fried dough sticks, and pickles were also available, making breakfast a breeze. We walked along the way, enjoying the scenery, and took bus No. 1 or No. 52 to Tiananmen Square.
As night fell, we returned to Dazhalan to see how different it looked at night. Xianyukou Food Street also started to open for business. We were full after walking and eating all the way, so we didn't even have to have dinner. When we passed Quanjude, there was a long queue. There was a chef slicing a duck on the spot, and half a duck cost more than 300 yuan. We looked at our deflated wallets and then at our bulging stomachs, smiled at each other and left. Hi!
On the way back, we passed by a fruit shop and bought some seasonal fruits. A fulfilling and wonderful day ended with me soaking my feet in a foot basin provided by the front desk lady. I went to bed early and got up the next day to watch the flag-raising ceremony.
The next day
Because it is September now, the flag-raising ceremony is usually around 5:30 in the morning. We got up early. Because there were no buses or subways too early, we had to book a car to go there. It was still dark but there were already a lot of people. It seems that this project is still very attractive. We took great pains to squeeze to the front position. Wow, it was shocking. The soldiers were also very helpful. It lasted about 15 minutes. The feast finally came to an end. Because we had arranged a one-day tour of the Forbidden City today, we could only have breakfast nearby and came to Qianmen again. Qianmen was already bustling in the morning. I guess many people thought the same as us and went to the Forbidden City after dinner. Tickets for the Forbidden City can also be booked online in advance. Adult tickets are 60 yuan in peak season and 40 yuan in off-season. Before visiting the Forbidden City, you can visit Zhongshan Park from the side door first.
At lunchtime, we wandered along the road to Nanluoguxiang, where there is an entire street of delicious food and commercial shops.
We ate fried tripe and braised pork. The first bite was not familiar to us, but the more we ate, the better it tasted. After the meal, we took a taxi back to the hotel and rested for half a day. At 4 or 5 o'clock, we booked tickets but found that the only bus was at 10 o'clock in the evening. We thought we missed Wangfujing and had just packed our luggage, checked out and stored our luggage. We walked to Wangfujing, bought some cakes and handicrafts at Daoxiangcun, had a hot pot at the department store, and walked around the retro commercial street downstairs. Then we returned to the hotel and set off for home.
On the train, I was looking through the photos of my two-day itinerary and writing an article. I hope that every once in a while I will have time to see the world. The biggest highlight of this trip was the different experience I had with this random hotel. I'll introduce its transportation and geographical location below. You need to pick it up yourself. Later I heard that it is a subsidiary of a state-owned enterprise. No wonder it is safe and hygienic. I recommend it.
Transportation:
Beijing Railway Station: It is recommended to walk. If you don't know the way, please contact the hotel staff who will patiently and responsibly inform you of the itinerary.
Beijing West Railway Station: Take bus No. 9 or No. 2 to Beijing Station East, get off and walk. For the subway, take Line 9 to the Military Museum, then transfer to Line 1 to Jianguomen South Station, exit C and walk.
Beijing South Railway Station: Take bus No. 20 to the terminal directly, across the road. Take Metro Line 4 to Xuanwumen Station, transfer to Metro Line 2 and exit at Beijing Railway Station Exit B or Jianguomen Subway Station Exit C, then walk.
Number of days: 2 days, Average cost: 800 yuan,
Number of days: 1 day, ,
Number of days：3 days, Average cost: 4,000 yuan,
Number of days：5 days, Average cost: 3000 yuan,
Number of days：4 days, Average cost: 5,000 yuan,
Number of days:2 days, Average cost:1000 yuan,
