“Hello, do you know the password for the Wi-Fi?” I curiously ask the Asian girl, sitting on the sofa in the hotel’s lobby.
“Yes, it is youth1234,” retorts she in a ringing voice.
“Thank you very much,” reply I, and add, “By the way, where are you from?”
“I am from China,” replies Zhen with a charming smile.
“Oh, I know so many things about your huge and enormously interesting country,” immodestly add I.
We continue chatting and Zhen turns out to be one of the most captivating interlocutors I have ever met, let alone in a random hotel in the French-Swiss city. Two hours pass in an instant.
“I shall come and visit you, Zhen,” I promise her confidently and say good night.
8 months later, Ms. Wang Zhen greets my friend, George, and I at Beijing Capital International Airport’s Terminal 3. China starts amazing you even before you have passed its customs.
To say that the terminal is gigantic would be a huge understatement. Indeed, it is the second largest airport terminal in the world after Dubai International Airport’s Terminal 3 and the sixth largest building in the world.
Zhen welcomes us with the most beaming smile despite our delay of more than an hour and a half. We quickly get on the subway and head to Haidian district where she has already booked us a great hotel at a decent price.
It is a good place to say that Chinese people bargain for everything. Not only on the street for confectionery – at hotels too. As soon as we arrive there, Zhen manages to further reduce the price by putting her exceptional bargaining skills into action. We are yet to experience more of them in the following week.
First Impressions of Beijing – Sheer Grandeur
After a quick shower, we meet her at the West Gate of Renmin University of China (or the People’s University of China), where she is following her second major. Renda, as it is colloquially called, along with Peking University, two of the most eminent Chinese hubs of knowledge, have the honour to teach one of the brightest and most hard-working young ladies I have met.
Zhen takes us to a student cafeteria where we have our first bite of China – a quite tasty and hearty meal for a negligible amount of renminbi. During dinner, we make a plan for the next week of exploring the most stupefying city I have ever set foot in. We head back to bed early as we need to recharge our batteries and deal with the jetlag.
George and I are curiously agitated to suck in every inch of Beijing. Since Zhen is busy on the next day, we have to sight-see on our own. This proves to be a challenge. Armed only with our gorgeous smiles, diplomatic approach, and a tiny Chinese phrasebook, we enter into a local restaurant.
My Mandarin vocabulary is around a dozen words, George’s is non-existent. We are lucky that there are photos of the meals. We point to some, smiling and nodding. There are some surprises, but overall, the meal is quite delicious. After having finished, with the help of the phrasebook, we order the bill (maidan), pay, and proudly march out of the restaurant.
In the evening, Zhen introduces us to her sister and a friend of hers, and they take us to the Renmin University’s playgrounds. It is a beautiful campus, with breath-taking flowers and loads of sports facilities.
Since my friend and I are keen bars lovers (in this case, the ones that are used for pull-ups), we are astounded to see how good the sports base is. We show the girls some moves and some random people even applaud us. I start to fall in love with this city.
The Summer Palace of Beijing – a Mesmerising Getaway from the Summer Heat
I have heard stories, rumours, and even legends that Beijing’s air is one of the worst in China, respectively in the world. It could be a media jibber-jabber, it could be true, but in seven of our eight days in the Chinese capital, a blue, cloudless sky accompanies us.
The temperatures hit around 30 C (86 F) at noon, which is perfect for a walk in the Summer Palace. The emperors used to retreat there from the scorching summer sun when the mercury of thermometers can reach as high as 40 (104) degrees.
The Palace is in a mesmerising park with a huge lake in the middle. The park is teeming with people and we quickly decide to head for the pedal boats in order to escape the crowd. While George and I pedal our way through the lake, our three Chinese friends sing us some traditional songs.
Chinese Karaoke – an Orgasm for all Your Sanities
We have no idea what the lyrics are (later we are told that they are about the lake we are in), but they have angel voices. Since the Chinese language is a tone language, pretty much everybody who can speak it fluently is capable of singing. That explains the craze about KTV or karaoke bars.
Chinese karaoke bars are very different from their Western versions. KTV buildings resemble somewhat a hotel in the sense that your friends and you rent a room where you can sing with them, drink something, and sometimes order food (I believe in Guangzhou you can do the last). In this way, you are not embarrassed to sing in front of many strangers and practise your performance skills.
Must-Visit Spots and Delectable Local Cuisine that Mercilessly Plays with Your Senses
You cannot go to Beijing and miss the Forbidden City – the place where the Ming and Qing dynasties have resided for almost 500 years. It comprises 980 buildings, 9,999 rooms, including antechambers, and covers an area of around 180 acres. Even a month is not enough to explore its one-of-a-kind architecture.
Despite our busy programme, we decide to spend a whole day there trying to absorb as much as we can. We enter into it from Tiananmen Square (a square so large it could hold 1 million people at once).
The Forbidden City – a Staggering Enormousness
Astonished by its enormous buildings and palaces, we slowly push our way into the City. The day is even hotter than the one before it, so from time to time, we hide in the shades, which gives us an opportunity to admire the structures, constructed for such a short time.
The Forbidden City was built from 1406 to 1420. There is a host of museums inside, but due to the limited time, we satisfy ourselves with buying a book about the City and leave for Jingshan Hill. Atop, we witness a stupendous view of Beijing, its parks, and spectacular skyline. From there, we also get a picture of how colossal the Forbidden City is.
How to Get to the Forbidden City
The Forbidden City is at the very heart of Beijing, so to get there, you have plenty of options. However, despite its massive size, there’s only one entrance – the Southern Gate (Meridian Gate) – and one exit – the Northern Gate.
By Bus
Buses that will get you close to the Southern Gate (故宫南门):
- Hop on buses 1, 2, 4, 10, 20, 37, 52, 59, 120, 126, 728, 802, or Te 1 to Tian’an Men Dong (Tian’an Men East – 天安门东).
- Hop on buses 1, 4, 5, 10, 22, 37, 52, 728, 802, or Te 1 to Tian’an Men Xi (Tian’an Men West – 天安门西).
After that, you’ll have to walk for a couple of minutes to reach the Southern Gate.
By Metro
Metro is the best way to reach the colossal Forbidden City. The closest metro stations are Tian’an Men East (天安门东) and Tian’an Men West (天安门西). Both of them are on Line 1.
Once you’re there, just head north through a gate that has the portrait of Mao Zedong, and then through another one, and you’ll arrive at the entrance.
By Taxi
Hopping on a taxi to reach the Forbidden City could turn into a hassle because they’re not allowed to stop at Tian’anmen Square. If you still wanna take one, I’d suggest you to tell the driver to drop you off at Donghuamen (东华门). After that, walk south and then west for five minutes, and you’ll reach the Southern Gate.
HOT POT time – an Appetising Escapade
The evening is for a gourmet visit. Our lovely hosts take us to a famous hot pot place. Slightly resembling the French fondue, you receive two bouillons (spicy and milk-based) and you can order the ingredients you would like to dip into the bouillons – ranging from different kinds of fresh meat (I recommend goat) to all kinds of delectable vegetables.
The Chinese lotus flower is edible and is a real treat. In addition, you can fill a bowl with a throng of sauces – garlic, peanut, sweet and sour, coriander, to name a few – with which to garnish your boiled delicacies. Make sure you get enough green ice tea to put out the fire in your mouth as the spicy broth is quite piquant.
The Great Wall of China – a World Miracle
Another must-visit place is the magnificent Great Wall of China(万里长城). The Badaling part of it is the closest to Beijing and on the next day, we are regally seated in a bus where we curiously suck in the scenery from the window.
After arriving at the foot of the mountain and in order to get on top, we take a small chain train. Probably the Mandarin language has better words to describe the fascinating view when you are on the top of the hills. We are speechless before this world wonder.
It ranges from 5 to 15 metres in height, around 5 metres in width, and runs for more than 6,500 kilometres. According to some sources, with its branches altogether it is more than 21,000 km.
We decide that walking all the way will take years. Thus, we just admire the views and head back to Beijing, not missing an opportunity to bargain for T-shirts, with “I have climbed the Great Wall” on them. Thanks to Zhen, we get a sound discount and go back happy.
Beijing Duck – the Most Succulent Meal
After this architectural wonder, we are ready for one of the culinary wonders of China – the eminent Beijing duck. The succulent skin of the duck should be eaten with sweet sauce while the fillet is supposed to be consumed with soy sauce. You put all that into a small rice pancake (or a crêpe) and add finely sliced cucumbers or onions.
The meal also includes a mouth-watering duck soup. In order for our senses to fully blossom, we decide to accompany this emperor’s treat by a ginseng tea. A real celebration of life.
The Olympic City of Beijing – a Feat of Contemporary Architecture and Engineering
Beijing’s Olympic City is another wonder of the modern world. Situated on a massive territory, you find yourself between the Bird’s Nest (the Olympic Stadium), a monument of five running women representing the Olympic symbols, and the Aquarium (where water sports take place).
While taking photos in front of the running women, we are also shot (photographed) by passing Chinese girls who thank us warmly afterwards. Foreigners in China, even in cosmopolitan Beijing, are celebrities in themselves. In return, we bestow them with our kindest smiles. A fair deal, I trust.
Bargaining Time – Hell for Some, Heaven for Others
The afternoon is reserved for some bargaining. The venue – Hong Qiao Pearl Market where you’ll find some of the best Beijing prices for Chinese goods. As soon as you enter its colourful chambers, myriads of Chinese merchants, speaking decent English, immediately surround you and start advertising their merchandise.
Seething with emotions, we dive into a world of opulence, silk, pashmina, and chopsticks. At some point, I start negotiating with a woman who begins the trade with a much higher price than expected. Since George and I are not easily deceived, and after a failed round of initial trade negotiations, we decide to continue our stroll around the market.
The lady, however, is not content and starts chasing us. Since I don’t pay her the attention she seeks, she starts lightly hitting me on the back. Chinese could get quite aggressive. We dexterously evade her grasp and go down to the ground floor where we see the real prices.
Minutes after that when we ascend again, the hostile woman is now as calm as a puppy. She offers us a reasonable price and we become friends. We spend a couple of hundred renminbi on silk scarves and chopsticks and leave the market at dusk.
Not in the mood for bargaining? Check out this post on food markets in Bejing to seduce your delicacy-thirsty palate!
Beijing – the Flabbergasting Metropolis that Nestles in Your Mind Forever
On our last day in Beijing, we decide to audaciously immerse ourselves into shopping. Zhen shows us a huge market and leaves us for several hours.
We quench our thirsty eyes in a world of confectionery, scrumptious Chinese delicacies, swarms of tea, and luxurious Chinese porcelain. We spend a good amount of money on those and save our last yuans for a performance show with Chinese acrobats. It’s a pity taking pictures of that magical spectacle is not possible, but we have to respect the artists.
After a hard-to-say goodbye and affectionate hugs, we take a taxi to the airport. On our way, around midnight, we are yet to observe the real Chinese construction power.
It is how China grew in the last several decades – by non-stop work, assiduity, and discipline. Our breaths are once again taken away by the fairy-tale of generously lit skyscrapers, residential buildings, and gargantuan boulevards where even the asphalt is flabbergasting.
I wow like a little child at this fascinating multitude of lights and buildings. Speaking of children, here’s a great post about going to Beijing with kids. I know one day, I’ll take my children there. 🙂
谢谢, 妹妹! 谢谢,中国!
Some months later, I find myself in the capital of Guangdong province – Guangzhou – which in February 2015 became the largest world agglomeration by surpassing Tokyo, Japan. But that is a different story.
Travel Tips to Know Before Visiting Beijing
- Beijing is an ancient city. Its history dates back three millennia. It’s six times older than New York City but only half as old as Plovdiv, Europe’s oldest city and Bulgaria’s second largest city.
- Beijing, also known as Peking, has been the capital of China six times.
- 221 BC – Yan State Capital
- 1271 – the capital of the Yuan Dynasty.
- 1402 – the capital of the Ming Dynasty.
- 1644 – the capital of the Qing Dynasty.
- 1912 – the capital of the Republic of China.
- 1949- present – the capital of the People’s Republic of China.
- Beijing (北京) literally means “north capital“. Bei (北) stands for “north”, while jing (京) is “capital”. The name refers to the location of the city in North of China, in the central part of Hebei province.
- Renowned for its resplendent palaces, parks, and gardens, Beijing is home to seven UNESCO Heritage Sites. The list encompasses the Great Wall of China, the Temple of Heaven, the Forbidden City, the Ming Tombs, the Grand Canal, the Summer Palace, and the Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian.
- Beijing is the second largest city in China. Its urban population of 21.45 million is close to that of Australia. The city comes second after Shanghai.
- Beijing is home to the world’s busiest subway system in annual ridership. The rail network carries 3.78 billion people yearly and consists of 22 lines and 350 stations.
- Since 2010, Beijing Capital International Airport has been the world’s second busiest airport after Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson. Bear in mind these mind-boggling statistics when commuting through it so you don’t miss connecting flights.
- Beijing is characterised by a humid, continental climate, with hot, humid summers and dry, cold winters. Extremes range from −27 °C (−16.6 °F) in February to 42 °C (107.6 °F) in June.
- The Chinese capital is home to the biggest number of Fortune 500 companies in the world.
- An education hub, Beijing houses 91 universities. The two most notable ones are Tsinghua University and Peking University, which rank among the top world 60 universities.
Have you been atop the Great Wall of China? Have you treated your palate to the succulent Chinese duck? What was your impression of Beijing?
PS: If you wanna march the streets of the Chinese capital at your own pace, consider these self-guided tours of Beijing.
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