Beijing, China! Experience The Amazing, Unpredictable and Utterly Spectacular Beijing

Beijing, or Peking as it was previously known, is the capital of the People’s Republic of China. It is one of the most crowded cities in the world, with more than 20 million inhabitants, with only Shanghai to beat it in size. Beijing is, however, the nation’s political, cultural and educational center. Beijing means Northern Capital in Mandarin, but it has held many names for the past 3000 years. The remains of the emperors, once roaming the forbidden city, are one of the reasons why a trip to this part of the world is recommended.

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China

Beijing is home to one of the seven wonders of the world, the great wall. A massive wall built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China, in part to protect the Chinese Empire against intrusions.
This wall is an awe-striking piece of building that continues as far as the eye can see in both directions.

The Great Wall started out as several walls, being built as early as 700 BC. These walls that were later joined together and made bigger and stronger, are now collectively referred to as the Great Wall. The Great Wall itself stretches from Shanhaiguan in the East to Lop Lake in the West, and was meant as a protection against invaders from Inner Mongolia. The length of the Wall is debatable, but a BBC archaeological survey has concluded that the Ming walls stretch for 8,850 km. Where 6.259 km is actual wall, and the rest is trenches and/or natural defensive barriers like mountains and rivers. A recommendable part of the wall is Hiking Jinshanling great wall, located a few hours outside of Beijing. 

The Great Wall of China

We had a bit of a special experience when we climbed the wall. We had booked a driver for the day and were paying him foreigner price. He drove us out into the middle of nowhere and stopped in the middle of the mountain range. He led us to a narrow path and told us to follow it. It led us up and unto the wall. But not the wall we had imagined…much better… We had an empty wall all to ourselves. All we had to do was explore and enjoy (we had agreed that he would pick us up 6 hours later at the end of the cable car station). For the first few hours, we were walking on an unrestored part of the Great Wall of China. It had big holes and in some places didn’t look very stable, but it was amazing. After several hours we met a soldier with a gun who very angrily told us this was a forbidden part of the wall. We apologized many times, and after some time, he lowered his voice and weapon and let us pass on to the ‘official’ and restored part of the wall where we, and several other people, continued our expedition.  

Beijing, the city of Wonders

With its thousand temples, Beijing sounds like a city for archaeology students. But along with historical buildings, the city has modern new architecture. As it hosted the Olympics in 2008, the streets of Beijing were cleaned up and the city built lots of brand new malls and neighborhoods. But if you are looking for old China, it can be found all around, by visiting the old Hutton areas places all over the city. The best time to explore Beijing, in my opinion, would be springtime, it’s cooler, and usually good weather this time of year. In spring there are fewer crowds than at peak times and better deals to be found.

The Palace in the Forbidden City

The View from Jingshan Park

The Forbidden City is the ideal place for you to begin your exploration of Beijing. It was the home of the Ming and Qing dynasties and is a magnificent piece of architecture. The Palace park is located in the center of Beijing and was home to the royal family. 

It consists of over 9,000 rooms and more than 250 acres. It dates back to 1400 but the Forbidden City has burned down and been rebuilt, sacked and renovated several times. This makes most of the architecture around 250 years old and build in the Qing Dynasty. Insider tip, after visiting the city, run across the road and into Jingshan park and walk up the tallest hill. Here you will find the most amazing views of The Forbidden City. Another empirical home worth a visit is the Summer Palace located just outside Beijing. Here you could easily spend a day in beautiful nature and historical exciting surroundings. You can take a rest here or wander around old pavilions, buildings, temples, bridges and the huge lake. Longevity Hill Summer Palace and Kunming Lake make up the biggest part of the Summer Palace grounds.

Other places to stop by are The Tiananmen Square, which is unarguably one of the most important places in Beijing. Placed in the heart of the City. This is where Chairman Mao announced the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. In the south is also where you can find Mao's Mausoleum.

The Temple of Heaven. It is located in the southern Beijing City. In the mornings, you can find many people exercising and doing Tai Chi. It is also a place where people get together and play music and dance in the surrounding park. You can join them if you are up for it.   

Lama Temple is Beijing's most frequented religious place. The Lama Temple is dedicated to the Yellow Sect of Buddhism. The temple has a valuable relic: the biggest Buddha statue carved from a single tree. It is easy to find. It has its own metro-stop. The Bell Towers, The Olympic City, The Tanzhe Temple (The oldest temple in Beijing), The White Pagoda Temple and Fahai Temple.

The Summerpalace, Beijing

Exploring the Summer Palace, Beijing

Getting around

There are nine million bicycles in Beijing, that is a fact, “a fact we can’t deny” as Katie Melua sings. And Beijing is well known for the number of bicycles in its streets. Although motor traffic has created a great deal of congestion and bicycle use has declined, bicycles are still an important form of local transportation. Large numbers of cyclists can be seen on almost every road in the city, and most of the main roads have bicycle lanes. Being relatively flat, cycling is a convenient mean of transportation, and a cycle can be rented cheaply.
Remember this is the law of the jungle: if it is bigger than you, you move. This means that it can be a bit overwhelming to try to get around the city along with the 20 million other citizens and the additional tourists. If you are not a dare-devil or interested in getting a few adrenalin rushes and near-death experiences, once you get your bearings, the Subway system can take you wherever you want to go in Beijing. Taxi is another option, but get the hotel to write the places you want to go in Chinese characters. Should you find yourself lost, you might be in trouble finding your way. People on the street were more than happy to help me, but most of the people I encountered were unable to read my map, and rather would send me in the wrong direction rather than admitting they didn’t know.

Shopping in Markets and Stores

If you like markets, Panjiayuan is an antique market where you can find things in every price-class. The Silk and pearl market are also places worth a visit in the hunt for treasures. Do not forget to bargain.
Regarding Boutique shopping, Dashanzi 789, located in the art district, is a personal favorite of mine.

A little family in the Hutong Area

When to visit

Planning a trip to this ancient capital? Why not go in March, it is the time of the Lantern Festival which celebrates the end of Chinese New Year. During the Lantern Festival and there will be midnight parades around the city. And if not March, April is another good time. The Qingming festival will be on, celebrating and greeting the spring. Flowering Crabapple Festival in Yuan Dynasty City Wall Relics Park also takes place in April.

Must-Eats

The most famous dish, which you must try while visiting Beijing, is Peking duck. There are thousands of restaurants serving it around the city, but Bianyifang is the oldest place in the city to serve it.
In the mood for a lighter meal? The Night market is a definite must. Here you can have every kind of food from insects and seahorses to “normal” meals.
Last but not least, smelly tofu is a Chinese delicacy that should not be missed.

In terms of drinking spots, Nanluoguxiang is the perfect place to be heading. This is located just east of Hauhai, and is one of the oldest places in the city and hosts many intimate cafes and bars.

If this sound like an adventure you would like, then join Mulan in the quest to explore China...

Hutong Area, Beijing

Hutong Area, Beijing

Great Wall of China

Summer Palace

* All photos are private and taken by me