Live Your Best Lives
Beijing, after four years, I'm back!
Time: August 6, 2025 - August 10, 2025.
Transportation: High-speed rail, 781*2=1562
Accommodation: All-season, 500*4=2000
Other attractions, cultural and creative industries, and transportation: 3730
Total: 7292
Attached is the reservation schedule for each attraction
Arrived at Beijing South Railway Station at noon and took a taxi for half an hour to reach the hotel. The hotel is close to the Military Museum, China Millennium Monument, and Beijing West Railway Station, with convenient transportation.
First time staying at the All Seasons Hotel, this is what the room looked like. After checking in, I had lunch. There's a restaurant downstairs from the hotel. It looked nice, and luckily, the food was pretty good too.
Long Baiwan, the hotel entrance. 
Beijing-style shredded pork with soy sauce
Dry-fried green beans with minced meat. I really like to eat dry-fried dishes. I finished this dish in the end. Now I drool just looking at these food pictures. 
You can't go to Beijing without trying zhajiangmian (fried soybean paste noodles). The bowl I ordered was huge and I couldn't finish it. The noodles were chewy and the soybean paste was slightly salty. 
Peking duck is a kids' favorite. The crispy duck skin is dipped in sauce and topped with cucumber and scallions. It's incredibly delicious. I was in a hurry to eat it, and only now, looking at the pictures, do I notice it's drizzled with osmanthus sauce. 
After a delicious meal, we were fully satisfied and ready to go out. It's an 8-minute walk to the Military Museum. Admission is free, but reservations are required. It was around 2 p.m., when the sun was at its peak, and it could melt you. There was a line at the entrance, but thankfully it was short. Inside, the Military Museum was much cooler. Both hot and cold water were available. There were no food stalls, so you could bring your own snacks. There are no cultural and creative shops inside the museum, which I think is a good thing. Although cultural and creative tourism is popular now, the excessive promotion and consumption of culture can make people feel forced to spread culture. The Military Museum is better for pure viewing.
The Military Museum has four floors, with elevators, making it convenient to visit. This should be a paradise for boys. There are also many planes, tanks, missiles, ships, guns and cannons inside. It looks quite shocking.
Military Museum
After spending over two hours at the Military Museum, we took a taxi to the Beijing Planetarium, located on Xizhimenwai Street, across from the zoo. As soon as we approached the planetarium, we could smell a strong odor of animal feces. The children weren't interested in the zoo, so we skipped it. Admission is free for children, and 10 yuan for adults. It was already past four in the afternoon, and the sun was still high in the sky. I was so overwhelmed by the heat that I didn't even bother taking photos at the main entrance. I just snapped this one from a distance. The first two days in Beijing were incredibly hot. Not only was taking photos difficult, but even walking was difficult. I almost wanted to shuttle from one air-conditioned room to another. Actually, things will get much cooler after the Beginning of Autumn, so I recommend considering the weather before traveling. Beijing Planetarium The exhibits are very rich, covering the history of astronomy, the origin of the universe, the formation of the solar system, the evolution of stars, the mysteries of black holes, and more. Movie tickets require reservations, so we missed out. We'll see next time we get a chance! The cultural and creative shop here sells meteorites. I'm not sure if they're real, but I think they're fake. How could there be so many beautiful meteorites made into jewelry? I guess it's just a gimmick.
Unable to contain their curiosity, the children bought a Nandan iron meteorite and a fridge magnet. It was already six o'clock when we left the planetarium, and we quickly headed to the National Museum of Natural History. The museum requires reservations and is free. We booked evening tickets, so there were fewer visitors due to the light show. This museum was the most beautiful and meaningful one of the day. It's different from the Shanghai Natural History Museum. The Shanghai Natural History Museum exudes a modern, technological feel, with modern architecture both inside and out. The National Museum of Natural History, on the other hand, has a more historical feel. Its exterior appears calm, yet its interior is rich in culture, making it a must-see for children. The National Museum of Natural History has three floors, and free stamp books are available at the entrance. Stamps can be obtained at twelve locations throughout the three floors.
Natural History Museum in the Sun
Leonardo da Vinci Exhibition
The dinosaurs look okay in photos, but they're actually just models. The one at the Shanghai Natural History Museum is a dinosaur skeleton, much more impressive. 
This fish looks like pickled fish; it feels like it's been salted a lot, very salty and crispy. 
Fridge magnets and commemorative coins After spending over two hours at the National Museum of Natural History, it was past 8 p.m.—a truly commando day. I had dinner nearby. Of course, when you're in Beijing, you have to drink douzhi (soybean juice). I missed it last time, so I made up for it this time. It's not as bad as I imagined, a bit sour and bitter, but I only took a few sips. It's impossible to finish it all.
Douzhi, Jiaoquan (fried dough sticks), and Xiaoxiancai (small preserved vegetables) 
Douzhi, Jiaoquan (fried dough sticks), and Xiaoxiancai (small preserved vegetables) all have the same refrigerator magnet. This one is pretty cute, isn't it? 
Drink soy milk 
Pea yellow, it should be mung bean cake, it tastes good, no problem. 
Luzhu, I love the large intestine inside, any restaurant is delicious, but I don’t like lungs. The rest of the tofu and huoshao are good. 
I ordered dumplings for the kids, and they tasted normal. 
The special forces day is over, and I took a taxi back to the hotel to rest.
After breakfast at the hotel, I took the subway to the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall. Before I even arrived, I was shocked by the endless queue. I thought there must be tens of thousands of people waiting in line under the scorching sun, so I decisively gave up because I had an appointment for a guided tour of the Forbidden City that afternoon and was worried I would miss it. I bought colored animal tickets for 400 yuan for three people at the Forbidden City, with a tour guide.
Walking to the Forbidden CityThe scenery along the way is nice, with small alleys and small shops.
After visiting Ziguang Garden, I will have the chance to visit Four Seasons Minfu and Bian Yi Fang again in the future. 
It wasn't too hot this morning, so I took some photos. Honestly, taking photos in these alleys is absolutely amazing, but it's a pity it's inconvenient to bring kids with you. If I get the chance, I'm going to have to take a photo in a princess costume. I've even thought of the background music—there's a girl. I'm going to make it happen by next year at the latest.
I think the cultural and creative products here at the Forbidden City are really top-notch, with a wide variety of styles, realistic images, and good texture. Please stay tuned, you will see the most expensive refrigerator magnet I have purchased so far. 
Donghuamen Let me first describe our route for the day. We first entered the Forbidden City on our own, wandered around for two hours, and then returned to the Meridian Gate. Our guide then took us back from the beginning. I walked over 25,000 steps that day, which was incredibly tiring. The heat was even more intense; the sun was suffocating.
The Corner Tower, just around the corner, is the Meridian Gate. 
The blue sky, white clouds, yellow roof, and red walls—it was breathtakingly beautiful. 
Inner Golden Water BridgeHere I must talk about the biggest gain of my trip to Beijing.
The tour guide had already begun explaining the Forbidden City's Meridian Gate. There are two gates on the north end of the two city walls, each facing east and west. The gate under the wall of the eastern Yanchi Tower is called the Zuoye Gate, while the gate under the wall of the western Yanchi Tower is called the Youye Gate. After entering the Yemen Gate, you turn north to exit, sharing the same wall with the three gates on the front of the Meridian Gate. Therefore, the Meridian Gate has three gates when viewed from the front, but five when viewed from the back. This architectural style is known as "three visible, five hidden." Oh my goodness, my favorite card game, open three and concealed five, actually comes from here. I think I'll remember this story forever. It's true that reading thousands of books is worth traveling thousands of miles. Seeing is believing, and the visual impact is still very impressive.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony at noon
Record myself listening to unofficial history, haha.
These photos were taken blindly under the scorching sun, with an umbrella and backlight, so I couldn't see anything. So they may lack aesthetic appeal, but that's all I can say. It was really hot and tiring, and I couldn't even open my eyes.
Sundial
The Hall of Supreme Harmony is the largest hall in the Forbidden City. It has ten auspicious beasts on its roof, which is unique among existing ancient buildings. The order of these auspicious beasts is: dragon, phoenix, lion, celestial horse, seahorse, Suanni, Yayu, Xiezhi, Douniu, Xingshi, plus an immortal riding a phoenix. I learned these from visiting the Ancient Architecture Museum. 
The faucet for drainage ensures that the Hall of Supreme Harmony does not accumulate water. In the distance is the China Zun, Beijing's tallest building. You can vaguely see the CCTV Big Pants. We arrived at the Forbidden City two hours earlier than our tour guide had agreed. The tour guide's ticket did not include entry to the Treasure House, so we bought our own tickets and went inside first. If time permits, I recommend buying a ticket and exploring the museum; there are many treasures inside. Sadly, the Jin Ou Yonggu Cup, the Lotus and Crane Square Pot, and the Pingfu Tie, all of which the children had been eager to see while watching videos before their visit, have all been removed from the exhibition. It's said that the original Along the River During the Qingming Festival is only exhibited once every ten years...
The Nine Dragon Screen in the Treasure House. 
I also wanted to grab the Lotus and Crane Square Pot and the Qianlong Golden Ou Yonggu Cup that I didn’t get, as well as the Nine Dragon Wall refrigerator magnet. I had a late breakfast, so I bought some fast food in the Forbidden City in the afternoon for a simple meal. These were the only things they sold in the Forbidden City.
I've seen these queens and princesses quite often in Beijing. Their makeup looks really good. The key is that even in such a hot day, their makeup doesn't look smudged at all. And almost every princess is very beautiful.
The Wanchun Pavilion in the Forbidden City has the same name as the Wanchun Pavilion on the top of Jingshan Park. 
Caisson
Looking at the caisson up close is quite shocking. There is a saying that goes, "It's a good thing the Eight-Nation Alliance didn't look up at that time. If they had looked up, even the roof would have been taken away." 
Even the Linxi Pavilion caisson fridge magnet in Cining Garden had to be bought at full price. 
It was a little after 4 p.m. when I finally finished touring the Forbidden City. Actually, I only visited the north and south sections. I didn't really explore the east and west harems and six courtyards. It was so vast and hot that I couldn't move around much. Jingshan Park, across from the Forbidden City, is said to be the heart of Beijing. If you have the chance, you should definitely hike up Jingshan. The bird's-eye view of the Forbidden City is truly breathtaking. After touring the Forbidden City, I felt it was quite new. Although I expected the Forbidden City to have yellow walls and red tiles, the colors weren't nearly as bright. The floor tiles were neat, but only a patch of old, mossy, uneven bricks beneath the main entrance of the Hall of Supreme Harmony gave me a glimpse of history. I can interpret the renovations of the Forbidden City as a sign of timeless freshness. Another lesson learned: when visiting the Forbidden City, you absolutely must find a guide. Don't listen to the explanations through headphones; it's more engaging to hear them told by a real person. I really enjoy listening to unofficial histories. Official accounts may not be authentic, but they certainly have a sense of wildness. From the Forbidden City, we took a shuttle bus to Shichahai, which is a small park. There were still so many people and the weather was still as hot.
Shichahai 
I bought the famous Ziguangyuan Naipizi yogurt. It was delicious, not disappointing, but it had a standard yogurt flavor. 
Then I strolled down Yandaixie Street and found a place selling chocolate beer. Seeing so many people buying it, I thought chocolate-flavored beer must be delicious, so I bought one. Guess what it tasted like? It tasted like pure beer, without even a hint of chocolate. Aside from the chocolate-colored bottle, it was pure beer. In the end, I forced myself to finish it. Those who love drinking can give it a try, otherwise don't waste your money. 
I was already exhausted after strolling around Yandaixie Street until around 6 o'clock. I took the subway back to the hotel and headed straight to Long Baiwan. I didn't eat enough yesterday, so I had another meal today. I thought it was quite delicious.
The sesame paste sugar pancake is really delicious. Sisters who love sesame paste should hurry up and have it. It is sweet in the mouth, mixed with the crispy crust. It is really delicious. 
The tomato and dumpling soup was also delicious. My child drank several bowls. I can skip a meal but I can't skip soup. After a tiring day, I just want to sit down and drink a hot egg soup. This tomato and dumpling soup is so delicious. 
Milk Skin Yogurt It rained all day today, which was perfect for our indoor activities. Today, we checked in at the China Science and Technology Museum. A science and technology museum is a must-see wherever I go. I'm not interested in it, but my kids do.
There are a lot of people, there are a lot of people everywhere. 
The museum's treasure is the Shenzhou-1 re-entry capsule. This is the authentic re-entry capsule of China's first unmanned test spacecraft, which was successfully launched and returned in 1999. The surface clearly shows traces of atmospheric friction and ablation. If it weren't for the surrounding guardrails, I would have been tempted to touch it. 
It rained all day, and the weather turned cooler. The air conditioning in the Science and Technology Museum was quite good, and I still felt a bit cold by the end of the visit. The China Science and Technology Museum requires advance reservations. It's divided into the main exhibition hall, special effects theater, and children's hall. The special effects theater was incredibly crowded, so it was impossible to get a reservation during the summer vacation. I played at the Science and Technology Museum until it was almost closing time, then went to Qinghe MixC. Why did I go to Qinghe MixC? Because I wanted to go to the Zero Gravity Restaurant, which was closest to the Science and Technology Museum. Why did I go to the Zero Gravity Restaurant? Because I had previously charged my card there, so I had to spend it quickly. After taking a taxi to MixC, I realized there was a big mistake. This Zero Gravity Restaurant in MixC was not open at all and was under renovation, even though the online information showed it was open. Isn't that infuriating? It was already lunchtime, so I just found a random restaurant to eat.
I had seen Wang Fanxing Noodle House on Douyin before, and since they were there, I decided to try it. It tasted like a standard southern noodle house, with toppings and unlimited refills.
Shanghai xiaolongbao
Signature shrimp and beef noodles
After dinner, I passed by DQ and thought it had been a while since I had eaten there, so I ordered two cups of the classic flavor.
The first time I ate DQ was in Tianjin when I was in school. I was amazed at how high-end the ice cream was. It held the cup tightly and tasted delicious. After dinner, I experienced the Beijing public transportation. Finally, I could rest.
It rained all day yesterday, so it's much cooler today. I dare say that yesterday's visit to the Forbidden City was the most painful day I've ever spent outdoors.
I have to say something about the National Museum. Booking online in advance is free, but the problem is that I couldn't get an appointment. So I found the first place that had a colorful animal, but it didn't work out. Then I found a second place that had a colorful animal, and I got one at the last minute. 900 yuan for a two-hour tour guide was really a rip-off. I suddenly realized that being a colorful animal, isn't this the best job!
Queuing at the entrance of the National Museum
There were few people today because there was a military parade rehearsal in the afternoon and the museum closed early at 3 pm. There were only 3,000 people, while usually there are tens of thousands of people. Relatively speaking, there are fewer people, and the experience will be a little better. However, I have to say that the air conditioning in the National Museum is turned on too high. I was so cold that I wanted to go out immediately. 
A pair of exquisite refrigerator magnets, they must look great on the refrigerator doors. 
The National Museum of China houses a collection of cultural relics from different periods and cultures of China. Please enjoy the artifacts in the museum below.
Drumming and Rapping Figurines
Jade Clothes with Gold Threads
Sanxingdui Cultural Relics. There was a special exhibition of this Sanxingdui at the Xuzhou Museum at the beginning of this year, which was also very exciting. 
The Houmuwu bronze square tripod, formerly known as the Simuwu tripod in textbooks, has now been renamed. 
Four-Ram Square Tripod
This bronze lantern, decorated with painted geese and fish, works similarly to the Changxin Palace Lantern, automatically directing smoke into the lamp's belly. 
Bronze rhinoceros, a wine container
Blue and white porcelain ceiling, Yuan Dynasty
A Tang Dynasty tri-colored glazed camel, with both Han and Hu people on it, clearly from the Tang Dynasty, a period of great ethnic integration. 
An ivory comb, forbidden from leaving the country, is unexpectedly placed in an inconspicuous corner. 
The collection unearthed from Li Xiaohai's tomb, those who know will understand. Below is the museum's treasure, the Nine Dragons and Nine Phoenix Crown of Empress Xiaoduan, the only cultural relic in the National Museum that requires queuing to visit.
Empress Xiaoduan's Phoenix Coronet
Nine Dragons and Nine Phoenix Coronet
A summary of the differences between the Forbidden City and National Museum Phoenix Coronet. It's a shame that the Fu Hao Owl Zun, the green glass bottles and jars from Li Xiaohai's tomb, and the Old Summer Palace rat-head and rabbit-head artifacts, which my child really wanted to see, have been removed from the exhibition. This was quite frustrating for him, but since the National Museum was relatively quiet today, he was able to reserve a limited-edition National Museum Phoenix Coronet cultural and creative refrigerator magnet.
The two above are limited edition Nine Dragons and Nine Phoenix Crown refrigerator magnets, one metal and one wooden. The one on the bottom left is the Four-Ram Square Tripod with lights that my children really like. 
A small collection of bronzes, including the Fuhao Owl Tripod, the Houmuwu Ding, the Li Gui, the Four-Ram Square Tripod, and the Dayu Ding. 
The west gate of the National Museum faces Tiananmen Square. 
Coming out of the National Museum is the Great Hall of the People. I specially took out a 100-yuan bill and restored it 10:1. 
I took the subway to Wangfujing for lunch, passing Tiananmen Square. Once I arrived at Wangfujing and entered the mall, I was stunned. The announcement said it would close at 4:00, but it was almost 3:00. I had originally planned to have some hot pot, but it was completely too late. The whole Wangfujing area was closed for parade rehearsals. I was shocked. How could such a huge Wangfujing be completely cleared out? I heard that all hotels would be closed for two days. I quickly bought some bread mats and took a taxi to the Old Summer Palace.
I had originally planned to go to the Summer Palace, but it was closed due to a typhoon last time I was in Beijing. I was thinking of visiting it this time, but it was really hot. The Summer Palace is even bigger than the Old Summer Palace, and it was getting a bit late, so I decided to go to the Old Summer Palace instead.
Iced green bean paste, a cup on a hot day, it's so refreshing. 
Replicas of the Twelve Animal Heads of the Old Summer Palace
Great Waterworks
Beijing also has a street stall economy just like here. There are stalls selling vegetables at the door, which makes me drool just looking at it. 
The roast duck tasted just fine to me, not as good as the one at Long Baiwan downstairs in the hotel, but everyone has their own taste. But the duck bones are especially delicious, especially the crispy ones. 
Kung Pao Chicken is sweet, but without the green cucumber as garnish, it doesn't taste as good as the one at home, and the peanuts are not particularly crispy, but I saw that every table ordered this dish. 
Qianlong cabbage is a dish that makes everyone drool when looking at it now. It is a lucky dish for lovers of sesame sauce. Of course, I also tasted the strong flavor of MSG, and I finished the whole dish in the end. 
The duck rack is here. The duck rack in Beijing probably costs extra money to make. This duck rack is wrapped in a thin layer of noodles, and then added with onions and peppers to stir-fry until fragrant. The onion is the finishing touch. The first bite is much more fragrant than roast duck, crispy and sizzling in your mouth. But if you eat too much, you will get tired of it. Fortunately, I am particularly good at fried food, so I finished this plate in the end. 
Order some old yogurt to gain energy and slowly climb the Great Wall. I have been to the Great Wall before, but I will not go this time. 
The fried beef is very fragrant. I bought some to taste it. Today is the last day of traveling to Beijing. I must have felt like I was finally going back. It was hot and tiring every day. In fact, late August is a good time to go out and the weather can be much cooler. Today’s main task is to go to the Temple of Heaven. The Temple of Heaven is the place where the emperor used to worship. The pictures I saw on the Internet are quite impressive, but there are probably a lot of people there. There were people who paid to take pictures at the scene, but I didn’t take any because it was too hot. I couldn’t open my eyes.
Huang Qiong Yu
Echo Wall
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest
This is a photo I took when I left the Temple of Heaven. Look at the number of people entering. It is impossible to squeeze in, so there is no fun in visiting. After leaving the Temple of Heaven, we took a taxi to the Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum. There were not many people and it was a niche attraction.
Taisui Palace
XiannongtanI made an appointment online for Xiannongtan's caisson refrigerator magnet to see if it is the same as the original.
The original caisson of Longfu Temple was produced in the Ming Dynasty and has exquisite craftsmanship. It consists of a six-story structure, with lifelike carvings of cloud patterns, Qiongtai Jade Pavilion and other heavenly scenes and 28 constellations. At the top is a starry sky, inlaid with 1,400 stars, based on astronomical star charts discovered in the Tang Dynasty. 
Longfu Temple caisson refrigerator magnet, a total of five layers can be disassembled, very exquisite, worthy of being a limited edition
Another picture of the Panlong caisson in the worship hallAfter leaving the museum, we went to Niujie, which my children wanted to visit. I had never been here before coming to Beijing. After going there, it was obvious that everything here was halal.
Niu Street, next to Ziguangyuan Head Office
The famous meat pie Wan
Tender and juicy meatloaf
Sesame Salt and Pepper Fire
Hong Kee, which has a lot of queues, is just a big meat skewer. I don’t know what is delicious, maybe because I am a herbivore! This has brought a successful conclusion to the 5-day trip to Beijing. The experience of this trip was average. Maybe it was because I caught a cold before leaving and my body was still in a state of fatigue. The high temperature, high walking volume, and poor sleep really confirmed what was said on the Internet that I wanted to stay in the hotel when I went out to play. If it weren't for taking children out to play, who would stay in a high-priced hotel and buy colored animal tickets during the hottest or coldest season of the year, but have the most crowded and worst experience?
I still like places with landscapes. The only reason I want to come back to Beijing is probably to take a real photo of the style clothes.
Writing this, the September 3rd Military Parade has ended. Watching the military parade ceremony, I felt very excited. I thought that I had stood on this land where Tiananmen and Chang'an Street were not long ago, and I could feel the solemnity and power of the military parade up close. This is a concentrated display of the achievements of a strong military in the new era, and a firm oath of peaceful development. We have grown up in such a new era, with a sense of national pride and security arising spontaneously. We also understand that today's peace is because some people are forging ahead, and of course it also requires the relay struggle of each generation.
Suddenly found a wish card made by a child during the New Year, which can be regarded as realizing his little wish.
People will have many wishes in this life, and some of them will come true. When they come true, they will be very happy and even forget about it. But afterward, when the mood calms down, it will feel like that. There are also some wishes that may not come true, or may never come true in a lifetime. As time goes by, some of these wishes will be slowly forgotten, some will be buried in the bottom of our hearts, and some will accompany us throughout our lives. There will be deep regrets at the time, but they will gradually fade away like the peace after the wishes come true.
In short, I think you must have a wish, just in case it comes true.
Number of days：4 days, Average cost: 1,000 yuan, Updated: 2025.04.22
Number of days：5 days, ,
Number of days：6 days, Average cost: 5600 yuan, Updated: 2025.05.15
Number of days：3 days, Average cost: 2000 yuan, Updated: 2020.04.04
Number of days: 1 day, Average cost: 120 yuan,
Number of days：3 days, Average cost: 2000 yuan, Updated: 2020.12.25
