Live Your Best Lives
The imperial capital of Beijing has always been a destination that most Chinese people want to visit, and neither I nor my father-in-law are exempt. This time, I happened to have some free time, so I decided to accompany my father-in-law on a trip to the capital. We chose this time to avoid the May Day holiday, and also to consider the weather. However, it turns out that Beijing's weather in May is even hotter than in the south, and the average temperature for the few days we spent there was around 35 degrees Celsius.
Overall, this trip had its ups and downs. On the positive side, it coincided with the Belt and Road Initiative, so Beijing's air quality index was better than usual, but still relatively poor compared to other southern cities. On the other hand, due to the major event, many attractions were beautifully decorated, which was a bonus. On the negative side, also due to the Belt and Road Initiative, we sometimes encountered martial law and were unable to visit them. For example, Tiananmen Square required several trips before we could enter.
Overall, however, Beijing was a very pleasant trip. It has a rich cultural atmosphere, and the authentic local customs and practices are hard to imitate elsewhere.
Here are some pictures of the main attractions:
Temple of Heaven
Qianmen Tower
Day2: Temple of Heaven Park > Qianmen Street > Dashilan > Prince Gong's Mansion > > Olympic Park
Day3: Forbidden City > Jingshan Park > Tiananmen Square>
Day4: Huguo Temple Snacks > Summer Palace
Day5: National Museum of China > Madame Tussauds
Day6: Beijing West Railway Station
Day 1
As we spent most of our time on the road today, we did not arrange any sightseeing. After arriving in Beijing, we just casually looked around the area near our hotel and visited the famous Wangfujing Commercial Street
The scenery during flight
The scenery during flight
Capital International Airport
Beijing Airport is really big. The capital is different. The first feeling when arriving in Beijing is the sky. It is foggy and there is no sense of transparency. I heard that this is because of the “Belt and Road” initiative. Many factories have been closed, which has made the weather much better. I wonder what it would be like when it is not good?
Wangfujing Pedestrian Street
I often hear about Wangfujing in TV dramas. This time when I came to Beijing, I couldn’t wait to visit it. There are many time-honored brand stores that have opened branches here, such as Goubuli, Quanjude, Donglaishun, Daoxiangcun, etc.
There is a snack street inside, which sells a lot of local snacks. If you have the chance, you can come here to experience it. After all, traveling does not necessarily mean visiting various scenic spots. Experiencing local customs and culture, eating local food, seeing local scenery, and staying in local places are all part of traveling, aren’t they?
Beijing Quanjude (Wangfujing Branch)
Even those who have never been to Beijing have probably heard of Peking Roast Duck. When it comes to Peking Roast Duck, Quanjude is probably the representative. However, for old Beijingers, they may not necessarily go to Quanjude to eat it. In fact, there are many other small shops in the local area that also make authentic Peking Duck, but outsiders usually come here because of its reputation.
The chef first peeled off a portion of the roast duck skin, saying that this part was the best part, melting in your mouth, though a little greasy.
The duck meat was then arranged into the shape of a peony.
Day 2
The Temple of Heaven is located in southern Beijing, east of Yongdingmennei Street in Dongcheng District. It covers an area of approximately 2.73 million square meters. The Temple of Heaven was first built in 1420, the 18th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty. It was renovated and rebuilt during the reigns of Emperors Qianlong and Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty. It served as a place for emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties to offer sacrifices to the Emperor of Heaven and pray for good harvests. The Temple of Heaven, collectively known as the Circular Mound Altar and the Prayer Hall Altar, consists of two walls, forming the Inner and Outer Altars. The walls are circular in the south and square in the north, symbolizing the roundness of heaven and the squareness of earth. The main buildings are located in the Inner Altar, with the Circular Mound Altar to the south and the Prayer Hall Altar to the north. The two altars are situated on a north-south axis, separated by a wall. The main buildings in the Circular Mound Altar include the Circular Mound Altar, the Imperial Vault of Heaven, etc., and the main buildings in the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests include the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Imperial Ancestral Hall, and the Gate of Prayer for Good Harvests.
The Temple of Heaven is supported by 28 large golden nanmu pillars, which are arranged in a circle. The four central "Longjing Pillars", 19.2 meters high and 1.2 meters in diameter, support the upper eaves; the middle 12 golden pillars support the second eaves, which are painted with exquisite patterns using the method of gilding on a vermilion primer; the outer 12 eaves pillars support the third eaves; a three-tier ceiling is set up accordingly, with a dragon and phoenix caisson in the middle; the beams and rafters in the hall are painted with dragons, phoenixes and imperial seals. The four "Dragon Well Pillars" in the middle of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests symbolize the four seasons of the year; the twelve large pillars in the middle layer are slightly thinner than the Dragon Well Pillars and are called Golden Pillars, symbolizing the 12 months of the year; the 12 pillars on the outer layer are called Eaves Pillars, symbolizing the 12 hours of the day. There are 24 pillars on both the Chinese and Western sides, symbolizing the 24 solar terms.
Temple of Heaven Park
Temple of Heaven Park
Zhengyangmen
Zhengyangmen, commonly known as Qianmen, Qianmenlouzi, and Daqianmen, was originally named Lizhengmen. It served as the southernmost gate of Beijing's inner city during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It lies at the southernmost end of Tiananmen Square, on Beijing's north-south central axis, south of the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall. Construction began in 1419, the 17th year of Emperor Yongle's reign during the Ming Dynasty, and was one of the "Nine Gates of the Capital." It integrates the Zhengyangmen Tower, the Arrow Tower, and the Barbican, forming a complete ancient defensive system. Local chronicles record that the tower and the Arrow Tower were magnificent and tall, while the Barbican was imposing and majestic, representing a representative example of Beijing's ancient city wall architecture. Only the tower and the Arrow Tower remain today, making it the only relatively intact gate in Beijing. The tower houses the Beijing Folk Customs Exhibition Hall.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, we often heard of the position of “Nine Gates Commander”, among which Zhengyangmen was one of the nine gates and an important city gate for the defense of the capital.
Xiyuanju Old Beijing Shabu-shabu (Qianmen Store)
Beijing’s traditional hot pot, the soup base is just boiling water with some scallions, ginger slices and wolfberries. Compared to the usual broths, this is truly a refreshing change. While the broth may seem insignificant, it allows you to savor the mutton's true flavor. This is a popular hot pot restaurant, a truly authentic establishment. One look at the menu was astonishing! Beijingers have so many ways to enjoy their beef and mutton. The meats are categorized into so many varieties, each with its own distinct names, it's hard to tell the difference. So, I ordered their house-made 100-day lamb, lamb topped with mutton, lamb melon strips, and some vegetables. Tip: Pre-order your table on your phone to save time! Located on Qianmen Street, their hot pot is known to be quite famous locally.
There are still many people queuing up for Xiyuanju Old Beijing Hot Pot.
The hot copper pot of Xiyuanju Old Beijing Hot Pot is sizzling with heat. Where’s the meat? Put it in the pot quickly!
Xiyuanju Old Beijing Hot Pot
Xiyuanju Old Beijing Hot Pot This restaurant serves mutton and beef, and many of them are freshly cut, which has a richer taste. I like it very much! Xiyuanju Old Beijing Shabu-Shabu Lamb is available in freshly cut meat and machine-cut frozen meat rolls. We didn't order the frozen meat rolls because they have their own ranch in the northern grasslands, and all their fresh lamb comes from there. The meat is delicate and a little fatty but not greasy. The lamb and melon strips are probably one of the restaurant's specialties, and are said to be a must-order dish for Beijing-style hot pot.
Xiyuanju Old Beijing Hot Pot has lamb and melon strips. We originally wanted to order a few more frozen meat rolls, which were said to be good too. The frozen meat rolls are machine-cut. They are thinner and more tender, but we couldn't finish them. Xiyuanju Old Beijing Shabu-Shabu. My favorite is the sesame sauce, a recipe said to be handed down from the owner's ancestors! It's made with 29 ingredients, including fermented bean curd, chives, and braised shrimp oil. Cilantro is also added (optional). It's both fresh and salty, with a rich and satisfying flavor!
Dashilan Commercial Street
My trip to Beijing was almost over, and before returning, I decided to use half a day to buy some Beijing specialties to take back. After walking around Dashilan for half a day, I decided to buy some Peking duck and Daoxiangcun dim sum, which are representative of Beijing's specialties. However, when I asked at Quanjude, I found out that the Peking duck is not suitable for preservation in the current temperature of over 35 degrees in Beijing. In the end, I only bought some Daoxiangcun dim sum as specialties to take back.
Prince Gong's Mansion
A National Key Cultural Relic Protection Site, Prince Gong's Mansion was the largest princely mansion during the Qing Dynasty. It served as the residence of Heshen and Yonglin successively. In 1851, Prince Gong Yixin became the owner of the mansion, hence the name Prince Gong's Mansion. The Prince Gong Mansion witnessed the rise and fall of the Qing Dynasty, carrying a wealth of historical and cultural information. It's no wonder, then, that "one Prince Gong Mansion represents half the history of the Qing Dynasty." The Prince Gong Mansion consists of two parts: the residence and the gardens. The residence is not only spacious but also built to the highest standards. Distinctive features are the facade and the number of rooms. A prince's residence has a five-room facade, a seven-room main hall, a five-room rear hall, seven-room rear bedrooms, and side halls on both sides. Residences of princes below the rank of prince could not exceed these numbers. The form of the rooms and the color of the roof tiles also adhered to established regulations. The central, eastern, and western wings of the Prince Gong Mansion each have three courtyards, with the last two courtyards of each wing representing the main areas of interest.
Olympic Forest Park
Originally, our itinerary was to visit scenic spots during the day and rest or visit nearby commercial streets at night. However, we saw news online that due to the Belt and Road Initiative, the night view of the Olympic Park is very good. The weather happened to be quite hot, so we decided to visit the scenic spots here at night. Overall, it was good. The park is very large and the scenery is beautiful.
The famous Bird's Nest, the main stadium of the 2008 Olympic Games and the main venue of the opening ceremony, was designed by China and Switzerland at a total cost of 3.5 billion RMB.
This is very sci-fi.
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Day 3
Forbidden City
I estimate that 99% of people who come to Beijing will come here to have a look. After all, this is the location of the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Because of this, there are simply crowds of people here. It is recommended to book tickets online, and you need to book tickets one day in advance. The Forbidden City does not provide same-day online ticket booking services, and the upper limit of the number of people accepted per day is 80,000.
Normally, it's recommended to visit Tiananmen first and then the Forbidden City, because behind the Tiananmen Gate is the Duanmen Gate, and behind the Duanmen Gate is the entrance to the Forbidden City: the Meridian Gate (the one where the emperor is often beheaded in TV dramas).
I took photos of the main buildings in the Forbidden City. This article will describe the photos first and then the description, so I won't go into too much detail about the photos.
The Forbidden City Entrance to the Forbidden City: “Wu Men”
The Forbidden City
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The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City
Jingshan Park
For more information about Jingshan Park, please refer to Baidu. We chose this park for three reasons:
1. It is right at the exit of the Forbidden City, which is convenient
2. You can see a panoramic view of the entire Forbidden City from Jingshan Park
3. I heard that Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty was hanged on the crooked tree on Jingshan Mountain. I wanted to go see this famous tree (but I couldn’t find it)
The exit of the Forbidden City, across the road is the entrance to Jingshan Park. From the top of the Wanchun Pavilion, you can see a panoramic view of the entire Forbidden City.
The White Pagoda in Beihai Park. Unfortunately, the weather was bad and the visibility was very poor.
Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen: This is a place we have tried many times but failed to enter. Today we can finally go in and take a look. Due to the Belt and Road Initiative, martial law was imposed here a few days ago. We have come several times but failed to successfully visit. Today we finally got our wish.
Why are you so persistent? Since I learned it since primary school, “Beijing, Tiananmen, five-star red flag, I love Beijing Tiananmen, the sun rises above Tiananmen…”, don’t you want to come and see it when you come to Beijing?
Chairman Mao’s Memorial Hall. I went there several times but it was not open. I didn’t see the remains of the great man, which was a bit regrettable.
The symbol of China, the five-star red flag
Tiananmen Gate Tower
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On the Tiananmen Gate Tower
On the Tiananmen Gate Tower
Standing on the Tiananmen Gate Tower and looking at Tiananmen Square, imagining the National Day military parade in my mind, I suddenly felt like a great man.
To the right of the Tiananmen Tower is the Great Hall of the People
The Summer Palace
Let me first give my personal evaluation of this place: it is a very nice place, a place not to be missed when traveling to Beijing.
The Summer Palace, an imperial garden during the Qing Dynasty of China, was formerly known as the Qingyi Garden. It is located in the western suburbs of Beijing, 15 kilometers from the urban area, covers an area of about 290 hectares, and is adjacent to the Old Summer Palace. It is a large-scale landscape garden built on the site of Kunming Lake and Wanshou Mountain, modeled on the West Lake in Hangzhou, and drawing on the design techniques of Jiangnan gardens. It is also the best-preserved royal palace and imperial garden, known as the "Royal Garden Museum", and is a national key tourist attraction.
The area here is equivalent to 4 Forbidden Cities. If you want to have a good time, it may take a whole day.
Day 5
National Museum of China
If you want to learn about the history, culture, and people of a place, then a museum is the best place to go.
The National Museum offers a wealth of information about Chinese history and culture. A truly comprehensive tour wouldn't be enough even if you spent several days. If you have the time, I recommend spending a little longer here to learn more about China's history.
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