A worth to visit list of Beijing
I was born in Beijing, and live here till present. It’s hard to pick up some highlights from Beijing, since most of the highlights only preserved in my memory. Beijing is a changing city, as other big cities around the world, it’s a bit lost. It’s a emperor’s capital for hound of years, the residents shows open attitude, those lifelong residents in Beijing is the soul of Beijing.
I have a disease of perfectionism, I made too much fluff. Let’s go stuff.
Place to visit
Route 1
MuTianYu Great Wall (official website) is the first choice if you only have one day here. Since Great Wall is the most famous landmark of China. Badaling Great Wall is more famous than MuTianYue Great wall, but from my point of view visiting MuTianYue Great Wall is easier, and it’s has better view around the great wall. There are 2 cable car, I recommend going up from the lower one and climbing the great wall from lower part to higher part, it saves your legs. If you didn’t go gym regularly, you can take a round trip on cable car, it saves time too. Getting some cheap souvenir here, I think it gives you a better price than city area, though don’t expect good quality, souvenir just helps you remind this place. Go subway (fast food) at root of great wall is a good choice. And if you are beer lovers, don’t forget to take your favorite beers with you. Have a bottle of cool beer take you to the heaven, this great memory remains.
When you are back from MuTianYu, you still have time to visit Summer Palace. This this emperor’s royal garden, I think it’s a place you must visit when you are in Beijing. Because it shows Chinese’s sense of landscape beauty, try our taste of gardening. You will see how our emperor mashup different elements of architecture and landscape designs together. The subway line 4 has a stop near the north gate of Summer Palace, if you go to the great wall early enough, you will have enough time to go through north climbing up the mountain, watch the view of the sea (lake), going down the hill and visit the long fence (great Chinese decorated painting). The shuttle boat service is busy, don’t waste time there. Go along the bank of the lake, have a round-trip back. This long way will worth the value.
If you are a energetic person, try visit the Olympic gymnasium at night. You can take subway line 4 and line 10 to this area. Since those gymnasium has attractive looking at nights.
Route 2
This will be a challenging trip. Save the first target if you are not tough enough.
Take a taxi and arrive Temple of heaven at early morning. This is a royal temple for pray ceremony. It has a good looking temple in the middle, it stands for the most advanced Chinese wooden architectures. And the park is full of local senior people, they stands for Beijing spirit (IMHO).
Take a taxi and go to Forbidden city, you can also take subway (which is easier). At day time, you can come across TianAnMen Square (Take a picture here, it’s the core of China goverment) and arrive the south gate of Forbidden city. You can only buy tickets and enter Forbidden city from south door, don’t be here too late, the tickets is limited every day. Forbidden city is a museum, it’s where the emperor lives, and there’s tons of good looking attics, you must visit this place. I’m not sure if you can exit Forbidden city from north door, do if it’s eligible.
When you visited those 2 awesome places, it may approach sunset. The best view of Beijing is close to Forbidden city. That’s JingShan Park, it on the opposite side of Forbidden city’s north gate. Enter the south gate of JingShan Park, climb up the hill. It’s easy to be on the top. If it’s the sunset time, you will see a overwhelming awesome golden color Beijing city around you, that’s the best scene of Beijing. You will see Beijing has a symmetry layout, and it’s a master piece indeed.
It’s not too late to visit Beihai Park, it’s royal garden of emperor. Enter the south door, and exit from north door. Then you will be on lotus lane, it’s a pub street along a water system (lake). The pubs is not outstanding here, don’t waste your time here. Take a look at the lights around the water lanes, walk a way down to Drum Tower, this place has some awesome pubs provide nice drinks. Waste your nights here, you won’t regret.
Pubs
- Sanlitun pub street. Nice pubs and restaurants which covers most styles of cuisines around the world. There’s lots of big brands. And it’s the embassy area, so you will see lots of foreign people here.
- Nan Luo Gu Xiang. Best pub street in Beijing, it has a mashup of styles, but it has it’s own soul. A will find lots of interesting stores and pubs here.
Food
Actually there a too many choices in Beijing, but I can’t tell which is most unique and local. I just pick up some place I love and they are domestic styles.
- Najia Xiaoguan|那家小馆 Good chinese cuisine, it’s both looking good and tasting good. HuaJiaYiYuan|花家怡园 is a alternative.
- Roast Duck is Beijing’s famous local food. The best taste one is DaDong roast duck|大董烤鸭 which is a expensive restaurant by worth to try, DaDong is a good chef and the duck their has it’s signature taste. And QuanJuDe roast duck|全聚德烤鸭 is the most famous traditional style Beijing roast duck, this is most visitor’s choice.
- Chinese Hotpot is a must have. For Beijing local flavor hotpot, I recommended JuBaoYuan hot pot restaurant|聚宝源. SiChuan flavor hot pot is quite hot, if you are a fan of spicy food, go to DongZhiMen Gui Jie(簋街), there are lots of SiChuan hot hot pot. And there is a sheep spine hot pot, which is also good, try LaoChengYiGuo|老城一锅, it has lots of branches.
- HongBinLou|鸿宾楼 is a Beijing Muslims style restaurant, it’s has lots of local foods.
- ChuanBan restaurant|川办餐厅 SiChuan government Beijing agency, the restaurant has best SiChuan style food in Beijing. By some numb peppers for your friend.
- Jincite restaurant|金丝特餐厅（巴州办事处） It’s another government agency restaurant, it’s mongolian style. The best lamb dishes is here, it’s also a BBQ lover’s heaven.
- Snacks
- HuGuoSi Beijing Snacks|护国寺小吃店 Neer my home, tasty local snacks.
- Lao Xi’an Restaurant|西安饭庄 best lamb and bread soup (羊肉泡馍) in Beijing. But this is a Xi’an’s traditional snack.