Beijing, Fall 2018
Have not been putting up pictures for too long, so this will be a post with pictures. Note: All pictures belong to me.
Beijing was one of my top picks for a getaway due to 3 reasons: affordability surpassing the other half of the globe, absence of a language barrier, historical and cultural richness. I needed a companion, so I asked even those I felt had a slim chance of being willing and able to travel with me. I thank Yan Ping with all my heart for being so readily agreeable to go on this adventure. I also thank her for having a great temper and attitude, and acting as an extremely helpful navigator.
Beijing Capital Airport is so huge that we had to take a train to the baggage collection area after clearing immigration. We stayed at Swissotel Beijing, which is located right outside exit C of Dongsi Shitiao metro station. This hotel will not blow you away, but it was a comfortable stay and has one of the lowest prices you can ask for, for a 5-star hotel in a prime location. Not long after checking-in, we headed to Ritan Park. It is just a public space for recreation but pretty large and well-manicured. There is a pavilion, a lake, a flower garden, and stone formations. Some people were practising Taichi as the setting sun cast a warm yellowish-orange glow in the sky. Dinner was at a restaurant modeled after the inns in ancient China (think Dian Xiao Er in Singapore). We ordered some of their popular dishes and the crispy prawns stood out the most.
We walked to The Place, which has one of the world's biggest LED screen installations. It is a pretty place, but pretty boring as well. Did not venture into the malls and merely snapped pictures on the central boulevard, under the LED screens. One of my objectives was to buy at least two 361 Degrees apparels, so Yan Ping accommodated to me and we walked several hundred metres to the nearest mall which had a 361 Degrees store. I wondered if it was due to the season but there was no dri-fit tees on sale. The best I could find were compressors, which were not what I was looking for. So, day one ended seemingly unexcitingly. But hey, we had an awesome dinner.
The next morning, we went to Nanluoguxiang. This is probably one of the most commercialised Hutongs in Beijing, so expect a huge crowd, many shops, and well-maintained buildings and pavements. We bought a famous rose pastry (the filling is said to contain real rose petals), a famous yogurt (has the texture of a pudding), and a drink. I bought a snuff bottle because I appreciated the art. Felt like supporting it so that it continues to live on. Not easy drawing from the inside of a tiny bottle - requires a great deal of patience and concentration, plus the flair for drawing of course. Not everyone can do it. Bought some herb powder to fill it up too, since the effects were boasted so appealingly. "Nan" means south, and there is Beiluoguxiang, which is its northern counterpart, and less busy. There are considerably fewer shops in less commercialised Hutongs, but if you look carefully, you might find some hole-in-the-wall diners.
We walked on and saw a well-known humble store selling buns, so we bought some to try. It was then we realised that buns in Beijing are not our thing, because the skins are exceedingly thick. We reached Gulou and Zhonglou, 2 of the structures on Beijing's Central Axis. If you look it up, all the important historical buildings lie in a straight line. And starting from the Palace Museum as a central point, Beijing is divided into rings because tram lines used to run back then. We bought tickets for both towers, and first made our our way up a steep flight of stairs to the top of Gulou (Drum Tower). There are some apparatuses on display, and you can see some of the equipment the ancient people used to keep track of time. The top also provides some good views around the vicinity, and you can see the rooftops of old houses juxtaposing against tall skyscrapers in the distance.
After that, we paused for a lunch break. Wanted to try Yaoji Chaogan, which is arguably the most famous restaurant in the area, but it was bloody crowded so we settled for xiaolongbaos and zhajiangmian next door. Again, the skin of the xiaolongbaos was too thick... Up to Zhonglou (Bell Tower) next! Man, it was rubbish. There was almost nothing to see. There is a corridor surrounding the hall where a huge bell is placed (similar to Gulou), but they placed barricades between the corridor and the hall so we couldn't even step out. Hence, the views were greatly obstructed. There were barricades at Gulou as well, but at least they were placed against the tower's balustrade so you could step out to the corridor for that one. Didn't spend too much time at Zhonglou and proceeded to Yandai XieJie, another commercialised street.
Later, we went to Lama Temple. It has a big and beautiful compound with various halls. You can get a bundle of joss sticks for free, but if you aren't there to pray fervently or have nobody to share the incense with, then I'd suggest you don't take any, because there are 36 sticks in that bundle and you use 3 each time, meaning you need to pray 12 times to finish them all. After the temple, we returned to the hotel to wait for the arrival of Yan Ping's parents. Yeah, her parents were coming along and I really salute her father for walking long distances (and even hiking the great wall) without complaints despite having slight difficulty ambulating.
After some rest, we headed out together for Peking roast duck. Initially I chose a restaurant that did not seem too touristy but later we changed plans to go Liqun Roast Duck despite knowing how popular it is. We walked through a series of quiet Hutongs and arrived, spirits dampened by the mass of hungry diners before us, some who had even waited for 2 hours. Ok, we underestimated its popularity and made a mistake of arriving during peak dinner hours. Tried to revert to the original plan but the problem was getting out to a busy area to facilitate hailing a cab or to even find a bus stop. It was a futile attempt to get into an available cab and I was discouraged to do anything but Yan Ping stepped up voluntarily to find a bus route. The thing was, we were not traveling by ourselves, but with 2 older adults. So naturally there were more things to consider, and being her parents, I guess it was also better for her to decide on a proper course of action. Fortunately, the restaurant was still open and...there was still roast duck available! There were diners who came after us and the restaurant was out of ducks. Their frustrations were palpable as they started whining "We walked for an hour to get here" and stuff like that.
Back to the duck. Goodness gracious, the duck was nothing like the those I've eaten. So Peking duck is sliced in 3 ways, one with just skin, one with just meat, and one with both. Each gives a different sensational enjoyment. They do not waste the bones too. For us, the bones were used with cabbage to prepare a soup, which was so rich in flavour. The other dishes were satisfying as well. Their mutton had a strong taste of cumin, still not enough to mask the gaminess, so might not be embraced by some people. We squeezed the best out of the remaining time to go Wangfujing. I thought it is all about the touristy snack street but I was wrong! There is one stretch of malls but the place starts losing life at maybe 2200 hours, and by 2230, you are left with few options because most stores would have closed. Time to retreat for the night.
Morning came and I navigated to a jianbing place for breakfast. Went out of the way just to try the jianbing and I was disappointed. Another food that I didn't appreciate. Give me Taiwan's congzhuabing or congyoubing any day. Taiwan's street food still has the greatest appeal to me. Then, we took a long ride on the metro and arrived at the Summer Palace. I suggest you buy the through ticket which will allow you to enter other venues within the gigantic, picturesque, glorious compound that require separate entrance tickets. It was a Sunday and a public holiday, and the crowd was not to be reckoned with. By 1045 hours, the palace/garden had already received over 37k visitors. In the Summer Palace, you get to appreciate the epitome of Chinese architectural beauty with intricate carvings, vivid colours, symbolism, and iconic building designs. The Summer Palace is said to be the emperor's garden retreat and seriously, kind of over-the-top. But thanks to Qianlong's crazy idea, we get to appreciate such a wondrous place today. The first notable scenic attraction is Suzhou Street - an image of what a busy street would've looked like in the olden days with shops on 2 sides and a river running in between.
You got to hike up the stone paths up Longevity Hill and look down from the top. You'll be rewarded with splendid views. The Tower of Buddhist Incense lies atop Longevity Hill and inside stands a gilded thousand-handed guanyin. Take your time to revel in the marvels of both man-made and natural aspects of the garden. If you're tired, sit (and maybe pose for a photo) on the balustrades at any of the long corridors.
Through the halls and doors and it seems like another world emerges as you find yourself overlooking the huge Kunming Lake. A ferry service actually runs from the back of Longevity Hill across a part of the lake but the service was called off that day due to "unfavourable weather conditions". The lake really reminded me of the West Lake in Hangzhou.
There are never-ending halls after halls. Some weren't open while some held exhibitions. If you are thirsty for knowledge, I think they provide a better education than books. Your thirst for knowledge is bound to be quenched if you do scrutinize each and every information panel or eavesdrop on the many tour guides around. After emerging from the maze of halls, we walked over 1km along the lake's perimeter to get to the 17-Arch Bridge, another notable attraction. The bridge leads you to one of the islands on the lake that is lush and pristine but we did not explore the island in depth. And I am seriously running out of vocabulary to describe this imperial garden.
After 3.5 hours of walking, we still left parts uncovered, but we had our share. We took a bus and then switched to metro to Prince Gung's Mansion. Before we entered, we tried one of Beijing's street food, chaogan, which is a gooey bowl of pig intestines and liver. It was all right, a combination of lor mee and kuay chap. We bought Gong Cha and it tasted like some mediocre shit. Wonder if it was fake.
Warning: Arranging Prince Gung's Mansion or anything of huge disparity in grandeur right after the Summer Palace will make you feel nonchalant and unimpressed. But if you imagine that as your residence, it is indeed jaw-dropping. Again, symmetry and a garden are key, so expect the mansion's layout to be as such. We were going to catch sunset at Beihai Park. Just as we were making our way there, we were approached by a guy operating an auto rickshaw who said he would give us a Hutong tour and drop us off at Beihai Park. This is not my kind of thing because it is always a scam. But we still got on anyway. The guy was very knowledgeable and spoke fast. Better to have some basic knowledge because many things he said were based on "things you should already know". Around 30 minutes of ride for 200 yuan and he shamelessly asked for a tip.
I didn't expect an admission charge, but whatever. Yan Ping and I made our way to the cluster of pavilions inside the park and stayed there till the sun set. Avid photographers were stationed around, pointing their cameras at the moon. Mid-autumn was the next day so it was nearly a full moon. Underneath the moon stood some buildings, and the China Zun stood out from the rest. It is the world's 9th tallest building nearing completion but I think it has a low aesthetic value. Maybe it prides itself more on being functional just that I do not know what cutting-edge or innovative technology it has employed. As it was incomplete, it stood like a metal rod with a burnt end, making it even uglier. Out of the cluster of pavilions, the Five-Dragon Pavilion probably stands out for its intricate roof design - 3D dragons. I came across a very beautiful photo online taken at this place and aimed to reproduce it, but I realised that person came during sunrise, not sunset, and that a wide-angle lens was used.
Time for dinner, at Beijing's first privately owned restaurant. 30 odd years, and it is still located at the same place in Cuihua Hutong. The dishes were served very fast, probably prepared beforehand to meet the crowd's demands. That was the downside, because the food were kind of cold. There wasn't a long queue that time but...the place is small so it cannot accommodate too many people at one time. Still pretty alright; they have some interesting creations of their own. We headed to Sanlitun thereafter. It isn't as glamorous as I pictured it to be. Did not venture into the bars and restaurants, but the shopping part was underwhelming.
Driver for the Great Wall came to pick us up at 0730 hours. Traffic was very smooth and it took about 1.5 hours to get to Mutianyu, excluding time spent for breakfast outside the city. They added no sugar to their soy milk - healthy living. I was somewhat surprised to learn that dough fritters and soy milk are considered Beijing's street food/traditional breakfast. Took a cable car up to watchtower 14 of Mutianyu, and there I began, spamming the capture button on my camera. You can choose to take a helicopter tour but I do not understand people who do that. The great wall is an architectural masterpiece stemmed from a crazy idea. I had always thought of visiting it, and it finally came true. Before I was diagnosed with AML, I saw a video of adventurers hiking from the Jiankou section to Mutianyu of the great wall, where they rode the toboggan down. Jiankou is a relatively unrestored part of the wall, some parts with vegetation forcing their way through the cracks on the worn-out path, and walls that have crumbled to bits. In September, I did not do this route that I've always dreamt of, but just a section of Mutianyu. However, I am contented that I still did the toboggan ride and blessed with a clear, azure sky kind of day. I forgot where I read it, but it said that the great wall, once intended to ward off enemies, now serves to bring people together as visitors from all around the world come to pay pilgrimage to the monstrous structure. I concur.
The driver drove us to a place for lunch and it was crazily cheap. The portions were huge but the bill totaled to only 128 yuan for 5 of us, even though there was a fish in our order. In some places the fish alone would probably exceed 128 yuan. The driver dropped us at our hotel where we rested before heading out again. Night fell and we went to the Olympic Park to see the iconic National Stadium, known better as Bird's Nest, and the aquatic centre, better known as Water Cube.
Had wanted to dine at yet another handpicked place, but decided to spare the trouble and ate at the KFC right outside the metro station. If you think the chickens in Singapore's KFC are scrawny, then you haven't taken a look at those in Beijing. And they do not have the crispy skin! The KFC was in a mess because they did not make use of the queue display monitor and impatient Chinese kept rushing to the counter hurrying their orders. I stood there for a good 5 minutes before I could find the chance to ask for more hot sauce. We then proceeded to the Tiananmen area, seeing those buildings in a different perspective as they were being illuminated. Headed back after a slow walk from Qianmen station to Tiananmen.
Second last day was of the Temple of Heaven and the Palace Museum. We had been blessed with smog-free days and blue skies throughout, and restaurants I shortlisted were all open on the 3 days of public holiday. Temple of Heaven is actually the name of the whole complex, but many seem to mistake that for the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests, which is the main attraction. I feel nothing but awe for this magnificent building for it has no beams, no nails, and can still stand for hundreds of years. The structure is very symbolic and the number of columns etc carries a meaning. Abashedly, I did not read into detail but it is easy to find those information online.
We exited the complex at 1120, in time for our reservation for hotpot outside the south gate. They use plain water for the "broth" so the only flavours you get are from the meat itself or from the sauces. They say if you hold the plate of meat upside down and the meat doesn't fall off, then it is fresh. Yup, it didn't. It was the first time I tried Roselle tea and it was very nice.
Finally at the Palace Museum. I posted a somewhat alternative photo on IG. It doesn't show any of the main palaces but avoids the crowd and features the Golden Water River as the focal point. Might not be "pretty" according to the expectations of certain people but I know there are some who appreciated it. If the river is "just a river", it wouldn't have a name of its own, not to mention it is a river inside the Palace Museum, of course it got to carry some meaning. If you are enthralled by the Chinese television drama "Story of Yanxi Palace", you can find the palace among the Eastern Six Palaces, where we did not go. Honestly, I think even if you substitute the palace with another but claim you checked-in to Yanxi Palace, the average person wouldn't be able to tell the difference. The building I was more interested in, was the Corner Tower at the north-eastern side. It makes a good photo if you're capturing it outside the palace as you can get both the tower and the moat in the same frame. However, it is a bit far from the back gate (Shenwumen/Gate of Divine Prowess). If I had been alone or with just a companion, I would've gone out of the way to view it.
Anyway, Yan Ping and I went up the hill in Jingshan Park to get a bird's eye view of the palace. It offers a 360-degree view albeit the vegetation obstructed certain parts. If you exit from the Palace Museum and skip this park, you're really missing out big time, because it is like an observatory tower but for far cheaper (2 yuan). It took only 10 minutes to reach the top.
We decided to have an early dinner at 1730 so we thought we could give one of those popular Peking roast duck restaurants a go. So, off to Siji Minfu we went, the branch on the eastern side of the Palace Museum right beside the moat! If you choose outdoor seating, the palace is just before your very eyes. It is a popular restaurant indeed. Despite arriving at 1730, we waited 1.5 hours for a table. We were sitting outdoors when it started to drizzle and get colder. The staff feared the rain might splash onto us and that the food would turn cold quickly, so they moved us inside. The service there was impeccable, so was the roast duck. No complaints for other dishes too.
Final day. Morning was spent walking down Qianmen street. It is very clean and well-maintained. At some 200m in, it branches off to 2 streets, Xianyukou and Dashilar. Dashilar is where China's oldest cinema, Daguanlou, can be found. You can watch some of the latest releases here if you have got the time. It may have stood around for a long time but lots of money have been invested in its renovation works, and it boasts of classic opulence. You can find many time-honoured brands in the area as well.
I hadn't wanted to buy anything but towards the end of Qianmen street we saw a nougat shop where I bought 5 packets + 1 free. There was free-tasting and the nougats were delicious. They also had some interesting variations I've never seen, such as raisin and rose. Lunch that day was going to be my last meal in Beijing, at a place I found on dianping, a Chinese website where you can find and leave reviews of different amenities. The meal marked a memorable full-stop to this trip because the food were scrumptious. Even a dish as simple as noodles tossed in oil can take you to heaven. It was my first time trying beggar's chicken. Before the server removed the clay, a red cloth covered it and one of us had to hit it 3 times ceremoniously as the server uttered words of blessings. At first I found the chicken a little dry, but it was only the breast part. Overall, it was a bliss eating at this place and I were to return to Beijing, I would patronize it again.
That's all for what I have to share. Don't be narrow-minded and do visit China (although the people there still generally irritate me). Thank me if this has helped you in planning for a trip to Beijing :)
Beijing was one of my top picks for a getaway due to 3 reasons: affordability surpassing the other half of the globe, absence of a language barrier, historical and cultural richness. I needed a companion, so I asked even those I felt had a slim chance of being willing and able to travel with me. I thank Yan Ping with all my heart for being so readily agreeable to go on this adventure. I also thank her for having a great temper and attitude, and acting as an extremely helpful navigator.
Beijing Capital Airport is so huge that we had to take a train to the baggage collection area after clearing immigration. We stayed at Swissotel Beijing, which is located right outside exit C of Dongsi Shitiao metro station. This hotel will not blow you away, but it was a comfortable stay and has one of the lowest prices you can ask for, for a 5-star hotel in a prime location. Not long after checking-in, we headed to Ritan Park. It is just a public space for recreation but pretty large and well-manicured. There is a pavilion, a lake, a flower garden, and stone formations. Some people were practising Taichi as the setting sun cast a warm yellowish-orange glow in the sky. Dinner was at a restaurant modeled after the inns in ancient China (think Dian Xiao Er in Singapore). We ordered some of their popular dishes and the crispy prawns stood out the most.
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| Prawns, tofu, and chicken at Na Jia Xiao Guan |
We walked to The Place, which has one of the world's biggest LED screen installations. It is a pretty place, but pretty boring as well. Did not venture into the malls and merely snapped pictures on the central boulevard, under the LED screens. One of my objectives was to buy at least two 361 Degrees apparels, so Yan Ping accommodated to me and we walked several hundred metres to the nearest mall which had a 361 Degrees store. I wondered if it was due to the season but there was no dri-fit tees on sale. The best I could find were compressors, which were not what I was looking for. So, day one ended seemingly unexcitingly. But hey, we had an awesome dinner.
The next morning, we went to Nanluoguxiang. This is probably one of the most commercialised Hutongs in Beijing, so expect a huge crowd, many shops, and well-maintained buildings and pavements. We bought a famous rose pastry (the filling is said to contain real rose petals), a famous yogurt (has the texture of a pudding), and a drink. I bought a snuff bottle because I appreciated the art. Felt like supporting it so that it continues to live on. Not easy drawing from the inside of a tiny bottle - requires a great deal of patience and concentration, plus the flair for drawing of course. Not everyone can do it. Bought some herb powder to fill it up too, since the effects were boasted so appealingly. "Nan" means south, and there is Beiluoguxiang, which is its northern counterpart, and less busy. There are considerably fewer shops in less commercialised Hutongs, but if you look carefully, you might find some hole-in-the-wall diners.
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| Nanluoguxiang |
We walked on and saw a well-known humble store selling buns, so we bought some to try. It was then we realised that buns in Beijing are not our thing, because the skins are exceedingly thick. We reached Gulou and Zhonglou, 2 of the structures on Beijing's Central Axis. If you look it up, all the important historical buildings lie in a straight line. And starting from the Palace Museum as a central point, Beijing is divided into rings because tram lines used to run back then. We bought tickets for both towers, and first made our our way up a steep flight of stairs to the top of Gulou (Drum Tower). There are some apparatuses on display, and you can see some of the equipment the ancient people used to keep track of time. The top also provides some good views around the vicinity, and you can see the rooftops of old houses juxtaposing against tall skyscrapers in the distance.
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| A view from Gulou |
After that, we paused for a lunch break. Wanted to try Yaoji Chaogan, which is arguably the most famous restaurant in the area, but it was bloody crowded so we settled for xiaolongbaos and zhajiangmian next door. Again, the skin of the xiaolongbaos was too thick... Up to Zhonglou (Bell Tower) next! Man, it was rubbish. There was almost nothing to see. There is a corridor surrounding the hall where a huge bell is placed (similar to Gulou), but they placed barricades between the corridor and the hall so we couldn't even step out. Hence, the views were greatly obstructed. There were barricades at Gulou as well, but at least they were placed against the tower's balustrade so you could step out to the corridor for that one. Didn't spend too much time at Zhonglou and proceeded to Yandai XieJie, another commercialised street.
Later, we went to Lama Temple. It has a big and beautiful compound with various halls. You can get a bundle of joss sticks for free, but if you aren't there to pray fervently or have nobody to share the incense with, then I'd suggest you don't take any, because there are 36 sticks in that bundle and you use 3 each time, meaning you need to pray 12 times to finish them all. After the temple, we returned to the hotel to wait for the arrival of Yan Ping's parents. Yeah, her parents were coming along and I really salute her father for walking long distances (and even hiking the great wall) without complaints despite having slight difficulty ambulating.
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| Lama Temple |
After some rest, we headed out together for Peking roast duck. Initially I chose a restaurant that did not seem too touristy but later we changed plans to go Liqun Roast Duck despite knowing how popular it is. We walked through a series of quiet Hutongs and arrived, spirits dampened by the mass of hungry diners before us, some who had even waited for 2 hours. Ok, we underestimated its popularity and made a mistake of arriving during peak dinner hours. Tried to revert to the original plan but the problem was getting out to a busy area to facilitate hailing a cab or to even find a bus stop. It was a futile attempt to get into an available cab and I was discouraged to do anything but Yan Ping stepped up voluntarily to find a bus route. The thing was, we were not traveling by ourselves, but with 2 older adults. So naturally there were more things to consider, and being her parents, I guess it was also better for her to decide on a proper course of action. Fortunately, the restaurant was still open and...there was still roast duck available! There were diners who came after us and the restaurant was out of ducks. Their frustrations were palpable as they started whining "We walked for an hour to get here" and stuff like that.
Back to the duck. Goodness gracious, the duck was nothing like the those I've eaten. So Peking duck is sliced in 3 ways, one with just skin, one with just meat, and one with both. Each gives a different sensational enjoyment. They do not waste the bones too. For us, the bones were used with cabbage to prepare a soup, which was so rich in flavour. The other dishes were satisfying as well. Their mutton had a strong taste of cumin, still not enough to mask the gaminess, so might not be embraced by some people. We squeezed the best out of the remaining time to go Wangfujing. I thought it is all about the touristy snack street but I was wrong! There is one stretch of malls but the place starts losing life at maybe 2200 hours, and by 2230, you are left with few options because most stores would have closed. Time to retreat for the night.
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| Wangfujing Department Store |
Morning came and I navigated to a jianbing place for breakfast. Went out of the way just to try the jianbing and I was disappointed. Another food that I didn't appreciate. Give me Taiwan's congzhuabing or congyoubing any day. Taiwan's street food still has the greatest appeal to me. Then, we took a long ride on the metro and arrived at the Summer Palace. I suggest you buy the through ticket which will allow you to enter other venues within the gigantic, picturesque, glorious compound that require separate entrance tickets. It was a Sunday and a public holiday, and the crowd was not to be reckoned with. By 1045 hours, the palace/garden had already received over 37k visitors. In the Summer Palace, you get to appreciate the epitome of Chinese architectural beauty with intricate carvings, vivid colours, symbolism, and iconic building designs. The Summer Palace is said to be the emperor's garden retreat and seriously, kind of over-the-top. But thanks to Qianlong's crazy idea, we get to appreciate such a wondrous place today. The first notable scenic attraction is Suzhou Street - an image of what a busy street would've looked like in the olden days with shops on 2 sides and a river running in between.
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| Suzhou Street |
You got to hike up the stone paths up Longevity Hill and look down from the top. You'll be rewarded with splendid views. The Tower of Buddhist Incense lies atop Longevity Hill and inside stands a gilded thousand-handed guanyin. Take your time to revel in the marvels of both man-made and natural aspects of the garden. If you're tired, sit (and maybe pose for a photo) on the balustrades at any of the long corridors.
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| Tower of Buddhist Incense |
Through the halls and doors and it seems like another world emerges as you find yourself overlooking the huge Kunming Lake. A ferry service actually runs from the back of Longevity Hill across a part of the lake but the service was called off that day due to "unfavourable weather conditions". The lake really reminded me of the West Lake in Hangzhou.
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| Kunming Lake |
There are never-ending halls after halls. Some weren't open while some held exhibitions. If you are thirsty for knowledge, I think they provide a better education than books. Your thirst for knowledge is bound to be quenched if you do scrutinize each and every information panel or eavesdrop on the many tour guides around. After emerging from the maze of halls, we walked over 1km along the lake's perimeter to get to the 17-Arch Bridge, another notable attraction. The bridge leads you to one of the islands on the lake that is lush and pristine but we did not explore the island in depth. And I am seriously running out of vocabulary to describe this imperial garden.
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| 17-Arch Bridge |
After 3.5 hours of walking, we still left parts uncovered, but we had our share. We took a bus and then switched to metro to Prince Gung's Mansion. Before we entered, we tried one of Beijing's street food, chaogan, which is a gooey bowl of pig intestines and liver. It was all right, a combination of lor mee and kuay chap. We bought Gong Cha and it tasted like some mediocre shit. Wonder if it was fake.
Warning: Arranging Prince Gung's Mansion or anything of huge disparity in grandeur right after the Summer Palace will make you feel nonchalant and unimpressed. But if you imagine that as your residence, it is indeed jaw-dropping. Again, symmetry and a garden are key, so expect the mansion's layout to be as such. We were going to catch sunset at Beihai Park. Just as we were making our way there, we were approached by a guy operating an auto rickshaw who said he would give us a Hutong tour and drop us off at Beihai Park. This is not my kind of thing because it is always a scam. But we still got on anyway. The guy was very knowledgeable and spoke fast. Better to have some basic knowledge because many things he said were based on "things you should already know". Around 30 minutes of ride for 200 yuan and he shamelessly asked for a tip.
I didn't expect an admission charge, but whatever. Yan Ping and I made our way to the cluster of pavilions inside the park and stayed there till the sun set. Avid photographers were stationed around, pointing their cameras at the moon. Mid-autumn was the next day so it was nearly a full moon. Underneath the moon stood some buildings, and the China Zun stood out from the rest. It is the world's 9th tallest building nearing completion but I think it has a low aesthetic value. Maybe it prides itself more on being functional just that I do not know what cutting-edge or innovative technology it has employed. As it was incomplete, it stood like a metal rod with a burnt end, making it even uglier. Out of the cluster of pavilions, the Five-Dragon Pavilion probably stands out for its intricate roof design - 3D dragons. I came across a very beautiful photo online taken at this place and aimed to reproduce it, but I realised that person came during sunrise, not sunset, and that a wide-angle lens was used.
Time for dinner, at Beijing's first privately owned restaurant. 30 odd years, and it is still located at the same place in Cuihua Hutong. The dishes were served very fast, probably prepared beforehand to meet the crowd's demands. That was the downside, because the food were kind of cold. There wasn't a long queue that time but...the place is small so it cannot accommodate too many people at one time. Still pretty alright; they have some interesting creations of their own. We headed to Sanlitun thereafter. It isn't as glamorous as I pictured it to be. Did not venture into the bars and restaurants, but the shopping part was underwhelming.
Driver for the Great Wall came to pick us up at 0730 hours. Traffic was very smooth and it took about 1.5 hours to get to Mutianyu, excluding time spent for breakfast outside the city. They added no sugar to their soy milk - healthy living. I was somewhat surprised to learn that dough fritters and soy milk are considered Beijing's street food/traditional breakfast. Took a cable car up to watchtower 14 of Mutianyu, and there I began, spamming the capture button on my camera. You can choose to take a helicopter tour but I do not understand people who do that. The great wall is an architectural masterpiece stemmed from a crazy idea. I had always thought of visiting it, and it finally came true. Before I was diagnosed with AML, I saw a video of adventurers hiking from the Jiankou section to Mutianyu of the great wall, where they rode the toboggan down. Jiankou is a relatively unrestored part of the wall, some parts with vegetation forcing their way through the cracks on the worn-out path, and walls that have crumbled to bits. In September, I did not do this route that I've always dreamt of, but just a section of Mutianyu. However, I am contented that I still did the toboggan ride and blessed with a clear, azure sky kind of day. I forgot where I read it, but it said that the great wall, once intended to ward off enemies, now serves to bring people together as visitors from all around the world come to pay pilgrimage to the monstrous structure. I concur.
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| Mutianyu Great Wall |
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| The toboggan was fun! |
The driver drove us to a place for lunch and it was crazily cheap. The portions were huge but the bill totaled to only 128 yuan for 5 of us, even though there was a fish in our order. In some places the fish alone would probably exceed 128 yuan. The driver dropped us at our hotel where we rested before heading out again. Night fell and we went to the Olympic Park to see the iconic National Stadium, known better as Bird's Nest, and the aquatic centre, better known as Water Cube.
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| Bird's Nest |
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| Water Cube |
Had wanted to dine at yet another handpicked place, but decided to spare the trouble and ate at the KFC right outside the metro station. If you think the chickens in Singapore's KFC are scrawny, then you haven't taken a look at those in Beijing. And they do not have the crispy skin! The KFC was in a mess because they did not make use of the queue display monitor and impatient Chinese kept rushing to the counter hurrying their orders. I stood there for a good 5 minutes before I could find the chance to ask for more hot sauce. We then proceeded to the Tiananmen area, seeing those buildings in a different perspective as they were being illuminated. Headed back after a slow walk from Qianmen station to Tiananmen.
Second last day was of the Temple of Heaven and the Palace Museum. We had been blessed with smog-free days and blue skies throughout, and restaurants I shortlisted were all open on the 3 days of public holiday. Temple of Heaven is actually the name of the whole complex, but many seem to mistake that for the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests, which is the main attraction. I feel nothing but awe for this magnificent building for it has no beams, no nails, and can still stand for hundreds of years. The structure is very symbolic and the number of columns etc carries a meaning. Abashedly, I did not read into detail but it is easy to find those information online.
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| Qiniandian (Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests) |
We exited the complex at 1120, in time for our reservation for hotpot outside the south gate. They use plain water for the "broth" so the only flavours you get are from the meat itself or from the sauces. They say if you hold the plate of meat upside down and the meat doesn't fall off, then it is fresh. Yup, it didn't. It was the first time I tried Roselle tea and it was very nice.
Finally at the Palace Museum. I posted a somewhat alternative photo on IG. It doesn't show any of the main palaces but avoids the crowd and features the Golden Water River as the focal point. Might not be "pretty" according to the expectations of certain people but I know there are some who appreciated it. If the river is "just a river", it wouldn't have a name of its own, not to mention it is a river inside the Palace Museum, of course it got to carry some meaning. If you are enthralled by the Chinese television drama "Story of Yanxi Palace", you can find the palace among the Eastern Six Palaces, where we did not go. Honestly, I think even if you substitute the palace with another but claim you checked-in to Yanxi Palace, the average person wouldn't be able to tell the difference. The building I was more interested in, was the Corner Tower at the north-eastern side. It makes a good photo if you're capturing it outside the palace as you can get both the tower and the moat in the same frame. However, it is a bit far from the back gate (Shenwumen/Gate of Divine Prowess). If I had been alone or with just a companion, I would've gone out of the way to view it.
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| Qianqingmen (Gate of Heavenly Purity) that leads to Qianqinggong (Palace of Heavenly Purity) |
Anyway, Yan Ping and I went up the hill in Jingshan Park to get a bird's eye view of the palace. It offers a 360-degree view albeit the vegetation obstructed certain parts. If you exit from the Palace Museum and skip this park, you're really missing out big time, because it is like an observatory tower but for far cheaper (2 yuan). It took only 10 minutes to reach the top.
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| View of the Palace Museum from Jingshan Park |
We decided to have an early dinner at 1730 so we thought we could give one of those popular Peking roast duck restaurants a go. So, off to Siji Minfu we went, the branch on the eastern side of the Palace Museum right beside the moat! If you choose outdoor seating, the palace is just before your very eyes. It is a popular restaurant indeed. Despite arriving at 1730, we waited 1.5 hours for a table. We were sitting outdoors when it started to drizzle and get colder. The staff feared the rain might splash onto us and that the food would turn cold quickly, so they moved us inside. The service there was impeccable, so was the roast duck. No complaints for other dishes too.
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| Siji Minfu's Peking Duck |
Final day. Morning was spent walking down Qianmen street. It is very clean and well-maintained. At some 200m in, it branches off to 2 streets, Xianyukou and Dashilar. Dashilar is where China's oldest cinema, Daguanlou, can be found. You can watch some of the latest releases here if you have got the time. It may have stood around for a long time but lots of money have been invested in its renovation works, and it boasts of classic opulence. You can find many time-honoured brands in the area as well.
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| Entrance of Dashilar. Note: The hanyu pinyin is actually Da Zha Lan |
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| Tram running through Qianmen Street |
I hadn't wanted to buy anything but towards the end of Qianmen street we saw a nougat shop where I bought 5 packets + 1 free. There was free-tasting and the nougats were delicious. They also had some interesting variations I've never seen, such as raisin and rose. Lunch that day was going to be my last meal in Beijing, at a place I found on dianping, a Chinese website where you can find and leave reviews of different amenities. The meal marked a memorable full-stop to this trip because the food were scrumptious. Even a dish as simple as noodles tossed in oil can take you to heaven. It was my first time trying beggar's chicken. Before the server removed the clay, a red cloth covered it and one of us had to hit it 3 times ceremoniously as the server uttered words of blessings. At first I found the chicken a little dry, but it was only the breast part. Overall, it was a bliss eating at this place and I were to return to Beijing, I would patronize it again.
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| An interesting dish of sweet potato at Lan Xi |
That's all for what I have to share. Don't be narrow-minded and do visit China (although the people there still generally irritate me). Thank me if this has helped you in planning for a trip to Beijing :)
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