Five days in Beijing: Day 1

Five Days in Beijing: Day 1

For the first day in Beijing, I recommend that you stay close to the center of the city there is a lot to see.  In terms of hotels, I have recommended a number on another post that you can find here.  Take your pick or search for something that is more your style.  I would still stay close to the center as it’s easy to get to and you are bound to find several people who speak English in the area.  Another possible location is in Chaoyang which is where all of the embassies are in Beijing, so you know that the people around there are already used to dealing with foreigners.


Breakfast

One of the most common breakfasts in China is what is called baozi.  What is it?  It is a steamed bun with meat and vegetables inside it.  They are easy enough to find and cheap as well.  Maybe only a 1-3 RMB.

Morning

The first stop in your trip should be the Forbidden City in the middle of Bejing.  It’s one of the more famous spots in the city and might as well get it out of your way.  It’s easy to find just go to one of the Tiananmen MTR stations and well look for the big red walls when you leave. 


The Forbidden City is the old palace complex that was used by the Qing.  The complex was built by the Ming dynasty the last dynasty to be of Han ethnicity.  The most famous of the old Qing rulers was Empress Dowager Ci Xi who doesn’t have a great reputation nowadays.  The Qing originally came from Manchuria in the northeastern region of China. 


The Forbidden City or Gu Gong has seen 24 emperors in residence.  The palace was built in 1407 by the Ming dynasty.  It contains two different sections.  The southern part is where the emperor held court while the northern part is where the emperor and his family lived. 


The palace is open to the public.  The site is open from 8:30 to 4:00.  With tickets for adults being between 40 to 60 RMB based on the time of year.  Small children are only 20 RMB and should be accompanied by an adult.  You will need to show them your passport to get inside the complex.


There is a lot to see, gardens, buildings and all kinds of different stuff in the palace.  Take the morning and go around.  Photos are totally fine unless otherwise indicated by the museum staff.  Seeing most of the complex will take most of the morning so plan for that.  Also, there is not a lot of shade in the complex so bring protection in the summer.  Water and snacks can be brought inside towards the rear gate.

Lunch

Beijing cuisine is not famous in China.  It’s only known for two things, the duck and the noodles.  No one will say that the noodles are better than Shanxi noodles but they’re not bad either.  Beijing noodles are just wheat noodles with some meat in a brown sauce.  Nothing special but pretty good.  There are numerous shops around the Forbidden City.


Old Beijing Noodle also is known as Siji Flower Shop is on the western side of the Forbidden City.  Head west on Jingshan Street then south on Beichang street.  There is no rating on trip advisor for this restaurant so you could be the first to leave one!


Afternoon

You will exit the Palace Museum from the back, across the street is Jingshan Park.  You might be tired from walking but it has some beautiful scenery and park benches to sit down on and take a bit of a rest.  That being said there are a billion people in China and you are never alone, even in parks.  So finding a park bench might easier said than done.

Across Jingshan West Street is Bei Hai Park which is one of the most famous parks in Beijing.  Also an old imperial garden and well worth a calm peaceful stroll through the see the buildings and the landscape.  It's busy year round, but the warmer months will see more people.

Dinner

For your first night in Beijing, you really should try the signature dish, the one that everyone knows Beijing for, the roast duck.  Also known as Peking Duck.  There is a restaurant that is easy enough to find called Siji Mingfu Roasted Duck Restaurant it is on Nanchizi Avenue.  Walk east down Jingshan front street, then south on Beichizi avenue, eventually bei will change to nan then start looking on the west side of the street.


To me, duck tastes like a greasier version of turkey.  In Beijing, they normally eat it with some pancakes, leaks, and a brown sauce.  Keep in mind this is China so you will be getting a lot more than just the meat if you’re not careful.  You can expect all the bones along with the head, feet and whatever organs are still in the bird.  But hey that’s part of the adventure!  I often accompany trying dishes for the first time in China with a Coke, it kills the taste and gets rid of the gross out factor.

Evening

Across the street from the southern entrance of the Forbidden City is Tiananmen square.  It’s nice to walk around taking pictures, but don’t expect any moments other than those dedicated to Chinese communism and the people involved in the different movements. 


On one side of the square is the national museum.  It houses works of art and historical artifacts from Chinese history.  They occasionally also have work from outside of China.  I have seen work from Picasso displayed in one of the galleries.  A word of warning, however, the Chinese love to take photos but the phone has replaced the camera.  It is common to see groups of people crowed in front of the exhibits taking photos with their phones to post on wechat(Chinese facebook.)


On the other side of the square is a large shopping mall.  They have stores and restaurants from all over the world.  The prices might be cheaper than in the US.  That being said the sizes are more geared towards the Chinese and some people from America and other countries might have trouble finding something that will fit them.  I have had to order shoes online to find ones that fit me as an example.  That being said if you are generally looking for something, the western stores will probably be a better a bet.

That is the end of Day 1, click on the link below for the next day.  Please support this blog.

Five days in Beijing: Day 2 Coming soon, but here are some other articles you might be interested in.
8 Tips on Travel to China Hong Kong in 1 Day 10 Travel Tips for China Beijing in 5 Days: Day 2