24 Hours Alone in Beijing

Number of days: 2 days
Time: March
With whom：a person

For frequent business travelers, going from Shanghai to Beijing is no big deal, right? But for those who don't have the opportunity to travel for business, visiting Beijing once in a lifetime is already a big deal. After all, who would want to visit another city repeatedly?

I am one of those people who can occasionally make business trips to Beijing.

This is my fifth trip to Beijing. I always use business trips as an excuse, taking advantage of the spare time to wander around the streets and alleys of Beijing.

It's been about 10 years since my last trip to Beijing. 10 years~~ It feels like the blink of an eye, and the memory is not blurred at all, as if it was just yesterday.

Quanji Hotel (Beijing Andingmen Store)

This time I went to Beijing on a business trip, and I didn't plan to go out for fun, so the principle of looking for a hotel was to be close to the company. Fortunately, the company is located in a prosperous area, and I found this Quanji Hotel, which has a good location, across from Guozijian Street. I wanted to get up early and go shopping, but ended up going to Jingshan instead...

It was my first time staying at a Four Seasons Hotel, and I was very impressed. While the unhygienic corners couldn't be more scrutinized, the decor and other aspects were very suitable for business travelers. Overall, it felt very comfortable. They also have a robot that guides people and delivers food (allegedly). It usually stays by the wall charging. One time, it reached the elevator, which was full of people, and it muttered to itself, saying it needed to take the next elevator. It was really cute. Check-in was also very different. It felt like there was no human at the front desk anymore. You just put your ID card on a self-service machine, and your key card came out. Hmm, it seems like this is the trend.

Nanluoguxiang

Let's talk about food. The only downside to visiting alone is that you can't eat much because your stomach isn't big enough.

I was first drawn to the "churros," not because of the name, but because they looked delicious. They're actually crunchy puff pastry sticks stuck into ice cream, and they're 38 yuan each! I bought them anyway. The first bite was truly delicious. If two or three people could share, the delicious feeling would linger. But I was eating alone, and I got tired of it. It took up too much space for me. It was just too much. Why can't they sell it in small, medium, and large portions? I only need two.

Nanluoguxiang

Actually, the main problem is that the snacks on this street are too expensive. A short grilled sausage costs 15 yuan!

Nanluoguxiang

A roast duck roll for 30 RMB! I remember it was only 18 RMB in Shanghai! Maybe there wasn't as much roast duck in it as in their rolls?!

Nanluoguxiang

Finally, I went to Wenyu Cheese Shop and packed a cheese bag to take back to the hotel. I don't know if it was because of the swaying on the way or because I didn't eat it right away, but by the time I finished it, it was a bit watery. It felt like a waste, but I had to finish it.

Nanluoguxiang

After visiting Nanluoguxiang, my impression is that it doesn't have much of the flavor of Beijing, but you can buy some souvenirs to take home.

Jingshan & Corner Tower

Thanks to shared bikes, getting around has become so convenient.

At 7:30 this morning, I arrived at the entrance of Jingshan and decided to go to the top to admire the Forbidden City from a distance. If I had the time, I'd really like to visit the Forbidden City three times.

Jingshan was very quiet in the early morning, devoid of tourists, only elderly people who had risen early, doing boxing exercises on the top of Jingshan.

My goal was to reach the top to see the Forbidden City. As I climbed, I saw several rest pavilions on the upper slopes, which, paired with the early spring wild peach blossoms, were also enchanting. Jingshan Park Jingshan Park Jingshan Park Jingshan Park Jingshan Park Jingshan Park Jingshan Park Jingshan Park Jingshan Park

In just half an hour, I've already moved on to the next attraction.

Since we're here, I have to take a picture of the corner tower. I still remember the last time I took a picture of the corner tower, a very friendly person told me how to take the picture. This time, my picture is definitely better than last time! Forbidden City Corner Tower

Beihai Park

I hesitated for a while before going to Beihai Park, but I finally decided to go. After all, the peach blossoms were in full bloom.

It wasn't even 9:00 when I arrived at the Beihai Park entrance. You need to buy a separate ticket to enter the White Pagoda Scenic Area on Qionghua Island, which opens at 9:00. Walking in from the entrance, around to the north, and climbing up slowly took about 15 minutes, just the right amount of time.

Beihai Park

The peach blossoms to the west of the White Pagoda were already at their peak and were fading. I just happened to take some photos of the tail end of the blossoms, but unfortunately the weather was bad that day, so the photos didn’t turn out bright enough. The White Pagoda wasn’t white, and the peach blossoms weren’t vibrant. Beihai Park Beihai Park Beihai Park Beihai Park Beihai Park Beihai Park Beihai Park Beihai Park Beihai Park Beihai Park

We happened to run into two tourists with beautiful little parrots, and everyone was snapping photos of them. Beijing is such an amazing place! You don't even need a cage to walk your bird.

Beihai Park

After taking photos around the White Pagoda for a while, I headed south down to Qionghua Island. The path was all steep, straight steps, and it seemed like it would be easier for someone like me to climb up the back hill and then down the front. While it's not very high, for older people, the winding climb might be less stressful.

Beihai Park

The following is about my business trip. Thanks again to shared bikes for making travel so convenient. No need to wait for a car or listen to the driver's nonsense, I can travel the entire Dongcheng District freely. Riding a bike through the alleys of an unfamiliar city is a great feeling!