Also known as Peking. Population 22 million.
Our flight was more or less continuously turbulent, which meant 3 hours of occasionally wondering if today my time was up. Luckily, it was not my time up, and we landed safely in Beijing. A rather long and tedious trek through customs, two hours later, we were met by our local guide for the next few days, Suzanne.
We arrived at the hotel around 7pm and were all a bit zonked from the day, so we had some nibbles and vinos in the hotel bar. I tried a popular Chinese beer, Tsing Tao, which was apparently brewed to resemble a German pale lager. Our hotel is stunning and we feel very lucky, and a little bit fancy, to stay here.
The next morning began with the most incredible hotel breakfast I’ve ever experienced. I sneakily tried to take photos but failed, so the below really doesn’t capture it. It wasn’t until after we’d booked and paid that we realised breakfast was $65 per person! I don’t think I could ever eat enough to make that pay off.
But I did try.
With very full tummies, we were collected from the hotel and set off to visit the Temple of Heaven. This is a complex of imperial religious buildings built in the early 1400s. They were used by the Emporors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for a good harvest.
The grounds cover 2.73 km2 and even though it was 30 degrees, it is far less humid here, so relatively easy to wander around without becoming the sweaty mess we’d become accustomed to in Thailand. Our guide told us how safe it is in Beijing because there are so many cameras. We thought it was funny it is so normal and accepted here. I doubt Kiwis would be as chill about it.
Next we had a Chinese Tea Ceremony and learnt a lot about traditional Chinese teas and their symbolism. We also learnt about the many health properties of teas, and I wish they were all as effective as they sound. Particularly the youthful one. We bought a couple of different teas to take home, so if I look youthful in 3 months, it’s the tea, and I’ll share it with you if you like.
After a VERY indulgent lunch of spicy beef soup, kung pao chicken, fried green beans and plum juice, we waddled down to explore Qianmen Street.
Qianmen Street is a pedestrian thoroughfare in the city centre made up of restored buildings, which reflect the architectural charm of old Beijing (Peking) that now house mostly shops and restaurants. You have to scan your ID/passport to enter the street.
Maybe it was the sun, maybe it was the two giant meals we had, but I needed a nap. Following this, I was in need of a beverage, so to continue our tradition of no alcohol free days, we found a rooftop bar. Here, we enjoyed a few tasty cocktails in the less humid, warm evening as the sun went down.
Initial thoughts of Beijing are that it is very clean. Apart from cigarette butts, there is no litter. They drive on the other side of the road here, and while the streets are busy, traffic seems to flow, though I’m not sure of some of the road rules, it seems a bit chaotic. The buildings in the area where we are staying are very grand and vary in architectural style. We have seen a lot of luxury car and clothing stores and many fancy hotels.
We will explore other areas later in the week, but for now, another chill evening in the hotel bar. Dinner was definitely not needed and we got by with the free snacks they provided us while we enjoyed mojitos and vinos. We were even each given a complimentary wine. I don’t quite know why they were free, but we did not argue .
A Small Adventure 