China's official capital location has moved several times, however, Beijing has always maintained a dominant role in the country's affairs. Today the city is not only the capital but also a hub for entertainment, sports, and business. With a population of twenty million people and even more flocking to the city for vacation and temporary work it feels like there are people everywhere. Beijing is going through a period of rapid modernization and has recently been more careful to preserve historical areas that give the city charm - the challenge with visiting Beijing is that there is so much to see and so much to do that it becomes difficult to find time to escape the crowds. If you are able to escapre the crowds you will see that Beijing still has a few neighborhoods operating as they have for hundreds of years. A well planned metro system makes it possible to reach most areas of Beijing's city sprawl.
The Chinese cuisine can be a bit hit or miss until you reach Beijing where it seems every restaurant is serving up good food. It was a difficult to decision whether to return to a good restaurant or try another one because every restaurant seemed amazing. Where you stay will likely influence where you eat because at the end of a long day traipsing all over Beijing you may not want to wonder too far in search of a meal. Staying away from the tourist sites may also help you to see another, less crowded side of Beijing.
I relied on Timeout Beijing to assist with finding certain restaurants but - and this is a major caveat - Timeout seems to be written from a Western Expat perspective and they tend to recommend the "cool" places, such as a microbrewery (which admittedly was pretty cool), over those that have been operating for the past fifty years.
The Chinese cuisine can be a bit hit or miss until you reach Beijing where it seems every restaurant is serving up good food. It was a difficult to decision whether to return to a good restaurant or try another one because every restaurant seemed amazing. Where you stay will likely influence where you eat because at the end of a long day traipsing all over Beijing you may not want to wonder too far in search of a meal. Staying away from the tourist sites may also help you to see another, less crowded side of Beijing.
I relied on Timeout Beijing to assist with finding certain restaurants but - and this is a major caveat - Timeout seems to be written from a Western Expat perspective and they tend to recommend the "cool" places, such as a microbrewery (which admittedly was pretty cool), over those that have been operating for the past fifty years.
THE FORBIDDEN CITY
The common refrain in traveling in China is to wake up early to avoid the crowds. The Forbidden City's gates open at 8:30 - arrive earlier so you can pass through security first, purchase your ticket, and then you are ready to go - on some days the gates may open slightly earlier. Even with the early arrival there will still be lots of Chinese tour groups. The tour groups tend to move as a pack so it's possible to find open space, sit back, and enjoy the experience in relative peace.
Map of the Forbidden City
The entrance to the Forbidden City is near the Meridian Gate, on the southern side of the complex, near Tienanmen Square.
CLICK OR TAP IMAGES TO ENLARGE
Map of the Forbidden City
The entrance to the Forbidden City is near the Meridian Gate, on the southern side of the complex, near Tienanmen Square.
CLICK OR TAP IMAGES TO ENLARGE
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There’s no need to rush through the Forbidden City—to try and get in front of the tourist crowds. I thought that the best parts of the Forbidden City were at the beginning. When I reached the rear exit, I contemplated walking through the entire complex a second time, regretting that I hadn’t spent as much time in the entrance areas—I would done the second loop if not for the Forbidden City being such a large site.
I thought that the south entrance gate, the Meridian Gate, the Gate of Supreme Harmony, and the Hall of Supreme Harmony, were the Forbidden City showstoppers. The scale of these buildings and the surrounding courtyard put the “City” in Forbidden City.
I thought that the south entrance gate, the Meridian Gate, the Gate of Supreme Harmony, and the Hall of Supreme Harmony, were the Forbidden City showstoppers. The scale of these buildings and the surrounding courtyard put the “City” in Forbidden City.
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There’re not many informational displays inside the Forbidden City explaining the significance and background of the site. A guidebook and pre-visit reading are essential to make the most of a visit. The Forbidden City was constructed in the early 1400s and remained China’s cultural and political seat of power through the 1920s when nationalist self-rule took over. The Japanese invaded in the 1930s. After World War Two the Chinese Civil War broke out. And fortunately, the Forbidden City has survived, intact, through it all. For that matter, it would behoove a visitor to China to read books on both the country’s ancient and modern history. I’m a big fan of Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth but doesn’t cover multiple centuries of China’s past or the country’s recent past.
The Forbidden City is the largest palace complex in the world covering 180 acres, which makes it sound smaller than it appears, if that’s possible. That the complex has 980 buildings with 8,886 rooms is the more impressive sounding figure. There is a 170 foot moat surrounding all sides of the complex.
The Forbidden City is the largest palace complex in the world covering 180 acres, which makes it sound smaller than it appears, if that’s possible. That the complex has 980 buildings with 8,886 rooms is the more impressive sounding figure. There is a 170 foot moat surrounding all sides of the complex.
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What The Forbidden City has in scope and size, it lacks in intimacy and there's not a palace complex (at least one that's open to the public) with a bedroom, dining room, ball room, etc. as you find at Versailles or other European Royal Residences which seem to furnish buildings with period designs. at least one that's open to the public. Mostly you are wandering outdoors through several large open courtyard areas, then a few smaller courtyard areas. With this setup it's very difficult to gain an understanding of what Forbidden City life may have been like - at least for an insider. In the morning it's possible to escape the tour groups by heading to the Nine Dragon / Treasure Gallery area on the east side of the complex. This area stands as a sharp contrast to the massive, 100,000 person accommodating courtyards that greet the visitor upon arrival.
Another noteworthy or photo-worthy piece of artwork are the kneeling bronze elephants near the Forbidden City. You see the knees bending backwards in prayer—that was the power of the emperor that even the elephants kneeled in respect to him.
Another noteworthy or photo-worthy piece of artwork are the kneeling bronze elephants near the Forbidden City. You see the knees bending backwards in prayer—that was the power of the emperor that even the elephants kneeled in respect to him.
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If you are in the area, it’s worth a quick stop at the Meridian Gate at night to see it all lit up. I walked past here one night on the way to the National Centre for the Performing Arts.
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TIANANMEN SQUARE AND MAO'S MAUSOLEUM
Pack light - no cameras or backpacks are allowed in Mao's Mausoleum. The line to see the former chairman is long (at least a mile) but it moves quickly (an hour start to finish). After passing through a final security checkpoint you can purchase flowers to place at a memorial. Your appreciation of the Mausoleum may be linked with whether you like seeing dead people with an orange glow - I thought it was pretty cool and seeing Mao's giant orange head, a bit like a pumpkin, emerging from his well dress body under a glass case was worth the wait. You are escorted through the Mausoleum is less than ten seconds but that bulbous head is still in my mind.
The rest of Tienanmen Square is crowded and closed off in most places so after you've seen Mao it's back across to the other sites in the area - The Forbidden City, National Museum, and National Center for Performing Arts.
The rest of Tienanmen Square is crowded and closed off in most places so after you've seen Mao it's back across to the other sites in the area - The Forbidden City, National Museum, and National Center for Performing Arts.
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THE GREAT WALL
So great that it's covered in it's own section.
798 ART DISTRICT
Guidebooks, at least mine, list the 798 Art District as a Top Ten site, however, since there's so much time involved in seeing the Top Five Sites and reaching the 798 Arts District involves a city bus ride instead of the subway, very few tourists make it out to see this area. The 798 Art District occupies a former warehouse zone - warehouses have been replaced by art galleries, cafes, and restaurants.
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OTHER SITES
SANLUTIN
Anybody who states that China is a communist country has never visited; specifically they haven't been to Sanlutin.
This area in the northeast section of Beijing is an upmarket area catering to the young and rich, as well as the diplomatic community. If you are only in the city for a few days this would be a good area to stay because it's away from the tourist zones and has lots of dining and nightlife options. Sanlutin is "centered" around the Tou Lo Ki "lifestyle" shopping mall - the malls in China don’t seem to be as crowded as those in Singapore and Hong Kong...supposedly the mainland Chinese aren’t as attracted to the European luxury goods. Tou Lo Ki a modern building that shows off the creative side of China. On the north side of this complex is Opposite House - one of the swankiest hotels in Beijing. It was a bit of juxtaposition to be reading the Price of Inequality while sitting in the cafe with diplomats, politicians, and businessmen were having power lunches.
Anybody who states that China is a communist country has never visited; specifically they haven't been to Sanlutin.
This area in the northeast section of Beijing is an upmarket area catering to the young and rich, as well as the diplomatic community. If you are only in the city for a few days this would be a good area to stay because it's away from the tourist zones and has lots of dining and nightlife options. Sanlutin is "centered" around the Tou Lo Ki "lifestyle" shopping mall - the malls in China don’t seem to be as crowded as those in Singapore and Hong Kong...supposedly the mainland Chinese aren’t as attracted to the European luxury goods. Tou Lo Ki a modern building that shows off the creative side of China. On the north side of this complex is Opposite House - one of the swankiest hotels in Beijing. It was a bit of juxtaposition to be reading the Price of Inequality while sitting in the cafe with diplomats, politicians, and businessmen were having power lunches.
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A walk south from Sanlutin is another upscale area centered around The Place Shopping Center, home of the world's largest LED screen, and the boldly designed CCTV Tower.
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PEKING DUCK
Beijing has the best food options in China so there's no need to research where to eat before looking for a meal...unless it involves Peking Duck at which point I would try to find a restaurant because you may not come across one if you are wandering aimlessly. I went to Xiang Man Lou which is a short walk north of Sanlutin. It's one of the better Peking Duck restaurants in the city but due to out of the way location has a locals only atmosphere. The duck wasn’t as meaty as duck I had in the past but in spite of the fat it tasted very light. The main dish included a few complimentary items to enhance the taste - a wrap, cucumbers, some sort of nuts, and a thick soy sauce and the combined wrap seemed better than the individual parts. |
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HUTONGS
Tourists flock to the Nanluoguxiang Hutong district. This area was incredibly crowded with lots of cafes and shops catering to Chinese tourists...which means it's not exactly a Hutong. Hutongs are all over Beijing and the best case scenario is your hotel/hostel is on a quiet hutong street - this will give you the more authentic experience than the Nanluogaxiang area.
Tourists flock to the Nanluoguxiang Hutong district. This area was incredibly crowded with lots of cafes and shops catering to Chinese tourists...which means it's not exactly a Hutong. Hutongs are all over Beijing and the best case scenario is your hotel/hostel is on a quiet hutong street - this will give you the more authentic experience than the Nanluogaxiang area.
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DONGLAUMEN AND WANGULING SHOPPING AREA
Donglaumen is night market offering exotic meats (and occasionally insects) near the north side of the Wanguling Shopping Area. Prime area and may give the impression insects are being eaten everywhere. For all the people in Beijing, there's few places to actually sit and people watch. Wangfuling had a few cafes in the center of a walking street where you could grab a beer and watch the Chinese scurry past.
Donglaumen is night market offering exotic meats (and occasionally insects) near the north side of the Wanguling Shopping Area. Prime area and may give the impression insects are being eaten everywhere. For all the people in Beijing, there's few places to actually sit and people watch. Wangfuling had a few cafes in the center of a walking street where you could grab a beer and watch the Chinese scurry past.
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SUMMER PALACE
The Summer "Palace" is a bit of a misnomer...it's not really a palace but more of a giant, walled outdoor park with a centerpiece lake. There are a few temples on the north side but other than providing a good view of the lake the temples are otherwise unmentionable. A 17 Arch Bridge connects an island in the lake with the mainland. The nicer the day, the larger the crowds and despite being a park the pedestrian walkways aren't very wide and it can become a contact event to move around.
The Summer Palace is conveniently accessible from the Beigongmen metro station. There’s not much, if anything, beyond the northwest side of the summer palace so once you exit the metro station, it’s straight to the Summer Palace. The palace is built on Longevity Hill and overlooks Kunming Lake to the south.
The Summer "Palace" is a bit of a misnomer...it's not really a palace but more of a giant, walled outdoor park with a centerpiece lake. There are a few temples on the north side but other than providing a good view of the lake the temples are otherwise unmentionable. A 17 Arch Bridge connects an island in the lake with the mainland. The nicer the day, the larger the crowds and despite being a park the pedestrian walkways aren't very wide and it can become a contact event to move around.
The Summer Palace is conveniently accessible from the Beigongmen metro station. There’s not much, if anything, beyond the northwest side of the summer palace so once you exit the metro station, it’s straight to the Summer Palace. The palace is built on Longevity Hill and overlooks Kunming Lake to the south.
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Similar to The Forbidden City, the Summer Palace is a one directional walk, this time starting on the northern side of the palace complex and walking south before exiting into a large public park.
The metro ride out to the Summer Palace, the walk through the Summer Palace, the walk down to Shi Qi Kong Qiao, better known as the 17-Arch Bridge, and return to central Beijing is at least a half-day excursion.
The metro ride out to the Summer Palace, the walk through the Summer Palace, the walk down to Shi Qi Kong Qiao, better known as the 17-Arch Bridge, and return to central Beijing is at least a half-day excursion.
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PUNJIAYUAN MARKET
A market in Beijing selling items from China's past!?!?!? Sounds awesome but I thought it was a bit disappointing. The market is mostly comprised of jade sellers and there's not as much Mao / Communist Era nostalgic items that I came looking for. There are lots of older looking pottery items but who knows whether or not they were made last week in Guangzhou, which wouldn't have bothered me if the pieces actually looked cool. I picked up a small flower vase for my mom but wish there was more I was interested in purchasing. If you decide to go start practicing your negotiation skills on the metro ride.
A market in Beijing selling items from China's past!?!?!? Sounds awesome but I thought it was a bit disappointing. The market is mostly comprised of jade sellers and there's not as much Mao / Communist Era nostalgic items that I came looking for. There are lots of older looking pottery items but who knows whether or not they were made last week in Guangzhou, which wouldn't have bothered me if the pieces actually looked cool. I picked up a small flower vase for my mom but wish there was more I was interested in purchasing. If you decide to go start practicing your negotiation skills on the metro ride.
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SHIJINGSHAN AMUSEMENT PARK
Renowned for being “inspired” by Disney World, Shijinshan Amusement Park features a quasi Cinderella’s Castle but more closely "inspired" attraction is the Epcot Center. The amusement park also has a Thunder Mountain and Flying Elephant (Dumbo) ride. Admission was only 10Y although you needed to pay another 10-30Y per ride. All the kids and family seemed pretty happy even though half the rides were closed which I'm not sure if was for safety reasons or lack of a crowd reason. I'm not sure how the creepy, red-eyed Bugs Bunny fits in. I arrived shortly after the park opened and there were no lines at the entry gate or for any of the rides. The park is easily accessible from the Babaoshan Metro Station. |
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Speaking of Chinese fakes, here is an interesting side-story. I read a book about every country I visit. Sometimes the book is literature from one of the country's preeminent authors. Sometimes I read a history book or a biography. Sometimes a business book. In China, I read Poorly Made in China written by Paul Midler. The author recounts headaches and sleight of hand trickery Chinese manufacturers pulled during his decades of sourcing products (mostly toiletries like shampoo) from China; however, the passage that stuck with me the most was about 18th Century Ming Dynasty Emperor Qianlong. The passage goes that while admiring his jade collection, Emperor Qianlong noticed that a small jade cup looked slightly different than the other jade pieces from the Han Dynasty (about 200 BC). The Emperor called one of his top artists for his professional opinion on the cup. The artist looked at the cup and said, "this is a fake, my Grandfather made this cup." Instead of being outage, the Emperor was impressed. The Emperor noted that many artists had created fakes in China but none were as skillful as his jade cup and had a special commemorative box made for the cup. The Chinese do not seem to be bothered by fakes...so long as it's a good fake. That cup is now in the National Palace Museum in Taipei. None of this is to say that Shijingshan is a good fake.
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OLYMPIC PARK
From Barcelona to Atlanta to Sarajevo, I'm a sucker for Olympic Park complexes so one afternoon I headed north to see the what was left from when Beijing hosted the 2008 Olympics. I saw the massive Bird’s Nest National Stadium and Water Cube - I wasn't the only person there and shops were set up indicating the area must have a steady stream of local visitors - there was even a small grocery store. I hoped to enter the Water Cube's water park but the evening admission was 220Y not the 120Y per the website guide - which seemed a little too high for a small water park with just a few rides. I was only going to spend an hour at the park so decided to head back to central Beijing a little earlier.
From Barcelona to Atlanta to Sarajevo, I'm a sucker for Olympic Park complexes so one afternoon I headed north to see the what was left from when Beijing hosted the 2008 Olympics. I saw the massive Bird’s Nest National Stadium and Water Cube - I wasn't the only person there and shops were set up indicating the area must have a steady stream of local visitors - there was even a small grocery store. I hoped to enter the Water Cube's water park but the evening admission was 220Y not the 120Y per the website guide - which seemed a little too high for a small water park with just a few rides. I was only going to spend an hour at the park so decided to head back to central Beijing a little earlier.
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BEIJING AROUND TOWN
I spent a week in Beijing and didn't give much thought to the time I spent walking around the city until I began typing this section more than five years later. I tried to remember what it was like walking around the city. And I couldn't remember much. I remember very, very long walks. I remember that beyond the hutongs the walks were boring. Not much excited. Not many people. It's not like walking around Tokyo or Hong Kong or Bangkok. Beijing has always been a massive city. It reached a population of 1,000,000 in the 1450s and has never looked back. The city has spread and spread. I don't remember many neighborhoods were you could go for a stroll. Get lost hopping from cafe to cafe. Beijing has so many attractions, so many places to go, so many places to eat but the city itself is not much of an attraction. For as much as I liked China, as much as I enjoyed learning about the Chinese culture, Beijing was a bit of a dud.
I spent a week in Beijing and didn't give much thought to the time I spent walking around the city until I began typing this section more than five years later. I tried to remember what it was like walking around the city. And I couldn't remember much. I remember very, very long walks. I remember that beyond the hutongs the walks were boring. Not much excited. Not many people. It's not like walking around Tokyo or Hong Kong or Bangkok. Beijing has always been a massive city. It reached a population of 1,000,000 in the 1450s and has never looked back. The city has spread and spread. I don't remember many neighborhoods were you could go for a stroll. Get lost hopping from cafe to cafe. Beijing has so many attractions, so many places to go, so many places to eat but the city itself is not much of an attraction. For as much as I liked China, as much as I enjoyed learning about the Chinese culture, Beijing was a bit of a dud.
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For additional Beijing photos see FLICKR ALBUM.