"Whirlwind Tour of Beijing" a Beijing Travel Page by DSwede

[I have been to Beijing a few times, but I wrote this page after my first visit... my feelings have not changed and I dare not edit my page...]

Here I was, working in Qingdao (home of Tsingtao beer), watching my workers slowly disappear for the Lunar New Year holiday, but the management was determined that I stay at site... why? I do not know. I was finally able to get them to confirm that I would in fact have no labor force for the holiday, and more importantly, I was able to convince them that it was of absolutely no benefit or value for me to be at site twiddling my thumbs and playing on the internet (basically updating my VT pages) while on their dime.

So I finally got them to agree to some days off (even though my workers were gone for longer). At the last minute I was able to get good discount reservations to spend a few days in Beijing and Xi'an, compliments of C-Trip... but I digress. I also made it to Confucius' home in Qufu.

[I've subsequently returned to Beijing a few times. Most recently as a stopping point to get my Visa from the Consulate to visit North Korea (DPRK), and then Dandong]

Obviously I did the tourists sites like the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, etc. But I do not like organized tours or the throngs of people, so I opted for visiting the Wall at Mutianyu using public bus (cost me a whole 23Y round trip).

I very much enjoy walking the back streets and seeing the everyday life of the city and people, basically getting off the main tourist thoroughfares to get back and watch the city breathe with its own life.

I could have easily taken a 15Y taxi or a 1~3Y bus/metro to every destination (bus and metro in Beijing are extremely easy), but I wound up walking the city west to east, north to south several times in the short time I was there.

After visiting the Wall, I walked to the Watchtower, via the HuTong's on the north. Then I walked to Beihai Park and Jingshan Park, via the HuTong's and the Xihai & Houhai Lakes. Then walked back to the far east side where I was staying.

The next morning, I walked the streets and HuTongs again, but aimed to arrive at the Forbidden City, then walked around Tienanmen Square area & museums. As a side note, Tiananmen Square is billed as the largest city square in the world (not to be confused as a park, but rather a city square), so why in all of that great expanse of brick, concrete, monuments, etc.... why are there absolutely no benches or anything to sit on?!? Things that make you go hmmm....

Third and final morning (departure in afternoon), I opted to take the buses to Hepingmen in order to hit the Liulichang market areas. OK, so I know it was Lunar New Year, so most of the shops/vendors were closed, but the few that were open were still more than happy to do business, but I wound up spending most of my time walking Nanxinhua Jie to enjoy the street festival and performances. I originally planned to stay in these market streets for an hour or so, but was engrossed in watching the people, dances, vendors, foods, etc.

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(for more pictures, feel free to visit my China Gallery. If you enjoy the pictures, please leave a comment.)

Also, please see my China page for more general comments.

I highly recommend walking the back streets and HuTongs (before they disappear, they are slowly evaporating due to city growth and development). Do so politely and discretely since you are walking where people live. Do not be a tourist snapping photos of everything, it can be intrusive and offensive to the locals. Instead, realize that you are looking through their windows and make mental notes and if you do snap some photos, use tact and courtesy.

Obviously the Forbidden City is a tourist must-do. Similarly is Beihai Park, paying particular attention to the north shore area. Third would be the Great Wall. Seeing the Wall will not give you any profound understanding of China, but is simply is a structure, a creation, a marvel to remember.

Other parks, museums and sites are up to your own tastes.