During my travel around China with half my APLP cohort, I had the opportunity to explore a little of Beijing in-between our meetings and discussions. So, in addition to the must visit Forbidden City and some of the places in our Discover Beijing challenge, I highly recommend the following special six Beijing experiences which I enjoyed most.
1. Relax at the Summer Palace
We had a free morning on the day of my birthday so some of us decided to visit the Summer palace. After a delicious breakfast of steamed dumplings at a local specialty breakfast place, we took two cabs to the palace ensuring that one of the two Chinese speaking people in our group was in each of the two cabs. After getting our tickets, we walked around the summer palace.
The summer palace, a World Heritage site, has its origins dating back to the 12th century Jin dynasty though subsequent dynasties have added to the original structures and landscape designs of the 2.9 square kilometres palace area.
Photo credit: Mami Sato
After wandering around the temple and going up to the summit of the Longevity hill, we walked down to the lake area, where the boats were. A few of us decided to go for a boat ride on a self-paddling boat,instead of waiting in the long queues for the large dragon boats.
Photo credit: Mami Sato
Despite the heavy smog, I enjoyed my visit to the Summer Palace. The palace had a very pleasant and tranquil vibe and I would recommend walking around the palace and taking the boat trip on Kunming lake.
2. Visit Peking University
Peking University in Haidian district is considered China’s leading university and it has a very interesting history. It is China’s first modern national university founded in 1898. It replaced the ancient Imperial Academy, as part of the hundred days’ reform. Therefore, the university campus area has an interesting mix of ancient structures and modern buildings which make it a very fascinating place to visit.
I was most intrigued by the beautiful lake, as you can see from my photos above.
I was also fascinated by the pretty buildings with their intricate roofing and creepers weaving themselves along the walls and the green trees besides them.
3. Enjoy a special dining experience at the Red Capital Club
The Red Capital Club at 66 Dongsi Jiutiao Dongcheng district is an interesting dining venue in a historical Hutong neighbourhood. Said to have been the former home of a Manchu princess, the club has been restored and designed to preserve the lovely architecture as well as create a museum dedicated foremost to the Communist party of the 1950s as well as a tribute to the Qing dynasty. The club is a kind of living museum and one can choose to stay at the place or just enjoy a meal and explore the club’s public rooms.
According to Lawrence Brahm, the founder of the red capital heritage foundation, who also founded the NGO Himalayan Consensus Institute in 2005 and the Shambala Serai Group of social enterprises in 2011, the foundation established in 1999 is the first social enterprise in Beijing. The Foundation restored a few homes, including the club venue, in the Dongsi neighbourhood and converted them to sustainable businesses, which has led to the heritage protection order being given for the neighbourhood.
Photo credit: Michelle Taminato
Photo credit: Mami Sato
Photo credit: Michelle Taminato
Photo credit: Michelle Taminato
The restaurant menu is in line with the theme and boasts of using recipes that were favourites of Chinese leaders across the centuries.
4. Browse through the collection at Bookworm, a delightful bookstore
Bookworm at Nan Sanlitun Road, Chaoyang district, is a place with a lovely vibe. It is a coffee shop/ English bookstore/ library/ event space all rolled into one store. We were there on the afternoon of my birthday, for a little gathering held at the event space of the store. While waiting for the event to start, I enjoyed browsing through the books as well as enjoying my coffee and tiramisu treat.
5. Walk around an old Hutong
During our time in Beijing, we stayed in an old Hutong neighbourhood. While hutongs are considered to have been introduced in the 13th century, they obtained a distinctive flavour during the Ming dynasty when neighbourhoods were planned in concentric circles with the Forbidden city at the center and the aristocrats and high ranking officials closer to the Forbidden city and the merchants and artisans in the furthermost circles.
Photo credit: Mami Sato
Photo credit: Mami Sato
Photo credit: Mami Sato
Photo credit: Mami Sato
Photo credit: Mami Sato
Photo credit: Mami Sato
While many hutongs have now given way to modernization and been replaced by modern buildings, there are still some old Hutong neighbourhoods and if you decide to stay in a guesthouse in such a neighbourhood, you are in for a special treat as you walk around the old neighbourhood.
6. Enjoy a traditional tea experience
We had our final morning in Beijing free for doing anything we left for the last minute. Our group broke up into smaller groups to go for some sightseeing or shopping, as per their interest. I was not in the mood for sightseeing or shopping but I was interested in visiting a traditional tea house, before we left China. My room-mate decided to join me in this little trip to Lao She tea house, near Tiananmen square. The tea house is named after the Chinese novelist, Lao She, who was famous for his 1957 play ‘Teahouse’.
The tea house was an interesting experience and I enjoyed the jasmine green tea, which was in the form of a dried ball that blossomed as hot water was poured over it.
My recommendation is that you do go through the tea menu carefully and ask for recommendations from the tea guide as the tea sold here is very expensive and several are along the USD 500 price range. I personally preferred to focus on the tea as it is an experience in itself and forego the food or snacks or the theatre performance, which can add to your hefty bill. After trying out this special flower tea, I simply had to splurge on a small gift box for home.
Have you tried any of these six special experiences? Which experience was your favourite or which would you like to try out?
[I am linking this post to
*Monday Escapes #41, hosted by My Travel Monkey and Packing My Suitcase
**City Tripping #40, hosted by Mummy Travels and Wander Mum
***Wanderful Wednesday, hosted by Snow in Tromso, Lauren on Location, The Sunny Side of This and What a Wonderful World ]
Perspectives Quilt 
Fascinating to read about your experiences in Beijing. Visiting a palace, bookshop and university sound wonderful and that jasmine tea looks incredible.
#mondayescapes
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Thanks, Trish. The jasmine tea tasted as incredible as it looks.
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Very interesting post ! I’m going to China in November, but I will stay with family around Tangshan so even if I land in Beijing, I’m not sure we will really visit the city. I would love to visit the Summer Palace, it looks really beautiful and peaceful #mondayescapes #citytripping
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Lovely to hear that you are visiting China in November. Enjoy your stay in Tangshan and hope you get to visit Summer palace in Beijing as well!
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Lovely post. I’ve been in Beijing 2 years ago and stayed in an old hutong as well, it’s been one of the things I preferred while in Beijing!!
Unfortunately I didn’t have the time to experience a teahouse though… next time 😉
Umberta
https://thesecretlifeofanactress.blogspot.com/
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Thank you. The hutong experience is really special, isn’t it? We stayed at a guesthouse converted from a 600 year old house, which was very special.
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The most surreal experience I had in Beijing was witnessing the vast, and I mean vast, amount of accordion players in a city park one Saturday morning. It was wonderful. Wish I’d had time for a tea experience, you make it look so relaxing. #citytripping
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That must have been a unique experience. Actually visiting public parks around China is a very special experience because you do come across interesting groups of people, participating in group clapping sessions, dancing, tai chi etc. The tea experience was relaxing especially as the tea house had great tea guides who were happy to explain the different varieties of tea and make recommendations without trying to impose on you.
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Great to hear about your time in Beijing and see your pictures. I agree, the lake looks beautiful…so does the coffee and tiramisu – what a wonderful birthday treat! The flower tea is pretty special too. #citytripping
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Thanks, Elizabeth. The summer palace was indeed a beautiful place. I was fascinated by the blossoming flower tea and amazed by the range of tea in China.
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Thank you for linking to APLP – I had wondered about the programme you were on during your visit. I’ve loved joining you on your visit to Beijing. It really does look like a fascinating city. #CityTripping
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Thanks, Mandy. Beijing is fascinating and I especially enjoyed it more exploring it with my friends on the Asia Pacific Leadership Program. Do consider applying for APLP (9 months) or the Advanced Leadership Program (10 weeks), if you are interested. It was a very special experience for me.
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Ahila, the photos of the summer palace literally took my breath away!! I need to book a trip NOW! xoxo, nano | travelwithnanob.com
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Indeed, Nano, you will certainly love your visit to the summer palace! Thank you.
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Anything I can do on the water is always a favourite, Ahila. Thanks for the many suggestions. 🙂
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Thanks, Jo, and sorry your comment got caught in my spam filter and I just saw it.
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I do tend to lurk in spam sometimes. 🙂 No worries!
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Lovely to read more about your trip to Beijing – I loved the Summer Palace but wished I’d had more time to explore the hutongs too. The university sounds fascinating too. And what a lovely way to end with the team experience. Thanks for linking up to #citytripping
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Thanks, Cathy. The tea at Lao She tea house was indeed a lovely way to end my visit to Beijing.
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When I think of Beijing I think of noise and crowds but you tell a totally different story! Loved seeing those nature pictures – certainly wouldn’t have expected such a green and calm side in a metropolis like that!
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There is the congestion and high rise buildings but there are also several, large parks with old temples and palaces around Beijing so one could always escape into a green oasis easily.
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These definitely are some special experiences! I’d love to paddle around in one of those boats on the lake at the palace! 😀
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I am sure you would love the paddling boats as well. I enjoyed admiring the long dragon boats from our little boat and tried to imagine how it was during the Emperors’ time.
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GORGEOUS! What really stood out for me from all of these photos, is the variety of lovely looking architecture you saw, I love the colourful ones the most and the mix between old and new 🙂
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Thank you for your lovely comment, Marcella. The colourful ones are indeed fascinating.
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I think that’s a great list of things to do in Bejing. If I were to go, I think the teahouse would be at the top of my must-do list. Although I’m a bit shocked at the 500 USD price tag for some of the teas! I’m sure they are good, but I just don’t think I could ever pay that much for tea!
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I could not pay that much for tea as well so with the help of the tea guide, identified the cheapest on the menu. The flower tea I had was wonderful so was happy about the experience.
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Wow, what great experiences to have! I love the idea of the blossoming tea flower – and the Summer Palace looks stunning! #WanderfulWednesday
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Thanks, Jessi. The summer palace was my favourite palace + park of all that I visited in Beijing.
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These are pretty cool experiences! I never imagined Beijing to be so green.
And wow, tea can be really expensive 😀
Thank you for joining #MondayEscapes 😉
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Thanks, Allane. I actually went for the cheapest tea in the tea house, with the help of the tea guide, which was around USD 15. It was wonderful as well.
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No, unfortunately I haven’t been to Beijing yet. But will definitely keep these ones in mind!
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Thanks for stopping by, Isabel. Have a lovely weekend!
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I visited Beijing many years back but strangely I did none of these?? Our trip pretty much revolved around Forbidden City, Hutong and Great Wall of China. And being shuttled from souvenir shop to souvenir shop where we got locked up until we gave in and bought something. *roll eyes*. Guess it was a mistake to join a group tour. Seems I missed out a lot! #CityTripping
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The Great Wall and the Forbidden city are must-see places so you seem to have covered the essentials in your group tour. I am indeed lucky that my first visit to China was with friends, some of whom were either Chinese or had visited Beijing before.
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I did explore the Hutong area, but I was there in the winter so it was freezing and we did it in rickshaws. Still a great experience. One I would add to your list is visiting the markets. I bought so much stuff when I was in Beijing. Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard.
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Glad to hear that you also enjoyed exploring the Hutong area and the markets, Anisa!
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I really enjoyed Beijing when I traveled there, but I love the smaller places in China more. Did you get to go anywhere else?
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While I enjoyed Beijing, my favourite is Yunnan province where I spent a lot of time during that visit and a subsequent one.
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Unfortunately I have never visited Beijing. Your post evokes a world that so far I have only dreamed of. What a variety of colors and architecture, what a variety of experiences! I’d love to go there.
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Thank you and I am sure you would enjoy exploring Beijing!
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Great list. You include some not-so-typical suggestions. I’ve only been to the Summer Palace and was quite sad I didn’t have time to squeeze in a visit to a hutong.
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Thanks, Michele. I hope you enjoyed the summer palace.
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