5 Days in Beijing:
Part 2

The Great Wall & Temple of Heaven

I did a 5-day trip to Beijing on route to a longer trip in Australia. Breaking up the Journey in this way isn’t just a great way to combat the jet lag of an individual point-to-point journey, but also allows you to see and experience both a new place and dive headfirst into a new culture.

With a lot of flight options from Europe and the UK to Australia having a connection in Beijing, this was a no-brainer for me. In addition, China offers a 10-day (240 hours) ‘Transit’ visa on arrival, without the need for a full visa for specific areas and regions of the country, providing you have valid onward tickets showing your departure within this period of time, and even better – Its Free! It is available at Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xi’an and Tianjin airports, and the selected ports serving Macao & Hong Kong.

China has both fascinated me, and been on my to-visit list for years. Beijing is a city of a massive scale, significantly larger than even Moscow, has a long and deep and varied history with a huge amount to see and do, even on a short visit. 4-5 days is enough time to see the main sights, eat some amazing food, and get yourself ready for your onward journey.

China: Some things you Need to know / be aware of!

Carry Your Passport:

Foreigners in China are LEGALLY REQUIRED to carry their passports on them at ALL-TIMES when outside their hotel. Not doing so can result in a nasty fine, and a LOT of wasted time!

Residence Registration:

Unless you are staying in a hotel (hotels will do it for you), you must register your temporary residence with the Public Security Bureau (PSB) within 24 hours of your arrival. You will also need to re-register is you move or change documents

Cultural & Social etiquette:

Avoid sensitive Topics (Politics, Taiwan, Tibet, Tiananmen)
Avoid Demonstrations
General:
- Be punctual
- Avoid whistling
- Don’t point with your finger
- Only drink bottled or boiled water
Greeting People:
- Greet elders first
- Shake hands while making eye-contact and give a slight nod
- Use surnames with title Eg: Mr / Mrs / Miss
When Dinning:
Order an even number of dishes
Don’t finish all of your food – Leave a tiny wee bit
Leave space for guests
Don’t stick chopsticks upright in food
Don’t point with Chopsticks
Photography:
Respect ‘No Photos’ signs
Don’t take photos of Police, military personnel or sites
- Especially at protests or demonstrations
Some government buildings are considered sensitive – If in doubt, ask
If taking pictures of locals, ask first. Especially elders/children

Restricted Areas:

Not all areas of China are open to foreigners. Do not enter one of these areas without the relevant permit, which must be obtained in advance

A heads up for Men with Beards (Random, but bear with me):

I don’t know if it’s because I visited in early January and was one of the few westerners around, comparatively tall compared to the locals or because I was rocking my ‘Winter beard’, but:

People will randomly try to touch your beard (both on the Underground/Metro and on the street)
People will randomly take pictures of you (less than subtly too – Especially on the Underground/Metro)
When I visited the Forbidden City, the number of people that put their arm around me while someone else took a photo of us ceased to be funny (Seriously, I could swear more photos were taken of me, than the museum). Needless to say, there are a fair few very random photos of me (looking very confused) floating around China

Other than that, China is and feels very safe, and the people generally lovely. Aside from the men with beards thing, you will mostly be left to your own devices other than the usual people trying to get you to hire them as a guide or sell you something.

Accommodation: Treat Yourself (You can afford to!)

If you plan on using the 240 Hour Transit visa, it pays to have your stay planned out in advance. This will help you to identify the best area to stay in, based on your plans and potential Underground/Metro access, as location matters in a city as VAST as Beijing! As I was planning on seeing the main sights, and wanted to get around easily, I opted to stay in the New World Beijing Hotel, a lovely 5 star hotel a 10 min walk from Tiananmen Square, a 5 min walk to Chongwenmen Metro station.

I am not ‘Bougie’ by any stretch of the imagination; the choice of this hotel was simple: Location & Price. A 5 star hotel in China is significantly cheaper than in other parts of the world, and as this was a trip to enjoy, but also a trip to recover from initial jet lag and prepare for yet another long-haul flight, comfort was also high on my list of priorities.

I got the most basic room available, which, as you can see from the pictures, was still pretty epic. Warm, clean, (Very) comfortable, large by City hotel standards and well insulated against the winter cold and traffic noise - and about as far from a hostel as you can get! It was an ideal place and location as a base for my stay, and help me to recover from jetlag and prepare me for the next stage of my trip (And that bath after a long day of Exploring was EAXCTLY what the doctor ordered! The onsite bar and restaurant(s) were also excellent and good value for money.

Travellers should be aware that while the majority of hotels in Beijing offer internet access, you will have extremely limited access to sites and tools you take for granted (Instagram/Netflix/News sites etc – Internet access is restricted for those without a residency permit), and using your home mobile network provider is VERY expensive. So for that reason you should get a yourself a Saily eSim, and NordVPN (Virtual Private Network) for your phone (NordVPN download for your laptop as well!). This will make sure that you can still access all the websites and services you take for granted while you are in China!

Day 1 - Getting my bearings

As I said, I picked the hotel for the location based on what I wanted to see (and eat), so starting my exploration with the area in and around Tiananmen Square – and there is a lot to see! The Forbidden City deserves at least half to a full day in its own right, so I decided on exterior exploration, and heading back there on day 2.

On arrival at Tienanmen square, you are greeted by 2 massive gates, the first on the edge of the square, Zhengyangmen, and across the street, Zheng Yang Men Jian Lou. I recommend crossing over to Zheng Yang Men Jian first (as I did), and exploring the area behind it down Qianmen Street, including some impressive looking traditional buildings (One containing a Starbucks – and no – I didn’t go looking for one!), the Zheng Yang bridge, Dashilan street, the surprisingly western looking China Railway museum and the Temple of Guanyu.

Zhengyangmen

Zheng Yang Men Jian Lou & Zhengyang Bridge

Qianmen St, Beijing

Once done I headed over to Tiananmen square proper, and there is a lot to take in. One thing you should note, is that due to being the political heart of China, there are a lot of Government buildings in the area, and you will need to go through security checkpoints to get into the square. This includes metal detectors and bag scans you would expect in the airport. You may also be asked to show your passport as a requirement for entry. All of this is completed by people in military uniforms (Use common sense – If it doesn’t look like a checkpoint, it’s not!). But after you complete this, you are largely free and unhindered.

The square itself is vast (much larger than you think). Beyond Zhengyangmen, and the checkpoint on the Guangchang East side of the square, the first thing you encounter is the Chairman Mao Memorial hall, containing the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong. If you want to tour the inside, and see the man himself, you will need to book tickets online in advance (You will also need your passport to enter). You can book these here: https://jnt.mfu.com.cn/page/user. From here, I headed behind the Mausoleum building to the monument of Peoples Heros.

Chairman Mao Memorial hall, Beijing

Monument of People's Heros, Beijing

From here you can see 2 large buildings flanking either side of the square (If facing north – Towards the forbidden City) The Great Hall of the People (Chinese Parliament) is on the left, with the National Museum of China directly opposite on the right-hand side, both of which make for great photos, given their prominence and substantial size.

At the top of the square, sits the famous red entry gate to the Forbitten City, the Monument to the People’s Heros, featuring a portrait of Mao Zedong, and mandarin script bearing the message “Eternal Glory to the People’s Heros!”, which honours those who sacrificed their lives for China’s liberation & revolution – one of the most recognisable images of Beijing, and makes for a brilliant and unmistakable photo of your trip.

Once finished with taking in the sights of the square, I headed to Quanjude on the south-east corner of the square for some authentic Chinese food, where better after all to have Peking Duck than in the old Peking! One thing I will say about Beijing is that all of the food I had here was fantastic, and the Peking duck was exceptional.

After lunch, I headed east along East Jiaomin Lane, heading back to the hotel, and taking in more sights along the way. This notable street features the Beijing Police Museum, China’s Supreme People’s Court, the very 80’s looking Capital Hotel and the site of the former French Post office, culminating with the lovely, but very out of place looking St. Michael’s catholic church.

National Museum of China, Beijing

Monument to the People’s Heros, Beijing

Day 2 - The Forbidden City

One of the things I love about travelling, is indulging in local customs and food, and in China this is particularly fun at breakfast time. Yes the hotel had a full western style continental breakfast, but I instead opted for the beef and Chinese broccoli soup - thin sliced cooked beef, in a beef soup broth with full stem Chinese broccoli. Sounds random the first time you encounter it, but it is delicious and much to my surprise, set me up until lunchtime.

Like the Mao Mausoleum, you will need to book your tickets for the Forbidden City in advance to planning your trip across the number of days of your stay is essential. The combined ticket price (Assuming high season – although it is 20 RMB cheaper in low season) for general admission, the Treasure Gallery & the Gallery of Clocks totals £10/€11.50 – and for the scale of what you are about to see, I’d call that a bargain! You can book your tickets here: https://intl.dpm.org.cn/visit.html.

I also recommend visiting from opening time onwards, that way it is quieter for you to explore. When I was there, the opening time is 08:30 daily throughout the year, and having had a quick look, it is still the case (Note: The forbidden city is closed every Monday!). This is a place that deserves to be given time, both to take in the details and the sheer scale of it, and for that reason, I recommend giving it at least half a day, if not a full day to explore.

The quickest route to the Forbidden City, is like yesterday, via Tiananmen Square, so I set off to and through the same checkpoint as the day before, and through the pedestrian tunnel under the main road, and through the portal of the Monument to the People’s Heros through to the ticket check in front of the Meridian Gate, and following another quick security check, you are good to go.

Once through the Meridian Gate, I turned back on myself and climbed the staircase to go the gallery in the upper gate, as well as having a walk along the walls to view the scale of the Forbidden city and a few photos, before heading back the way I came and heading through the Gate of Supreme Harmony and moving into Tianhedian Square.

Forbidden City, Beijing

Forbidden City, Beijing

From here I explored the Forbidden city through the central meridian from South or North. This ensured that I seen all of the main sights of the Forbidden city, after which I circled back, initially exploring the west side of the central squares. Given the amount available to see, I suggest doing some research in advance to see what specific parts are of interest to you, particularly if you have a time constraint. Also – As many of the independent buildings on either side of the central courtyards are identical.

On the west side of the city, I opted to see the ‘Hall of Double Brilliance’, the ‘Palace of Longevity & Peace’, the Palace of Benevolence & Peace’, the ‘Garden of Benevolent Peace’ and the ‘Hall of Military Prowess’, the latter also being known as the Painting Gallery, which houses a number of masterpieces, and paintings depicting Imperial life. Again, this space alone is somewhere you could easily spend a day in its own right, so remember to be economical with your time. Finishing exploring the west side of the city in this order, takes you back to the front of the Forbidden city, so I existed the West side via the ‘Tower of Enhanced Righteousness’ (An internal Gate), across Tianhedian Square, and through the ‘Tower of State Benevolence’ on the opposite side.

On the east side of the city, I focused my attention, Initially on the ‘Hall of Imperial Supremacy’ which houses the Treasure Gallery, and when finished I headed next door to the ‘Hall for Ancestry Worship’ and ‘Hall of Honesty & Respect’ which collectively house the Clock and Watch Gallery. I finished off the east side of the city by visiting the Bronze Gallery, housed across the ‘Palace of Great Benevolence’ & ‘Palace of Bearing Heaven’ and the ‘Palace pf Prolonged Happiness’. Once Finished, I ended my visit by heading north, back up to the Imperial Garden, and exited the city through the North Gate, ‘The Gate of Divine Prowess’.

Imperial Garden, Forbidden City, Beijing

Bronze Gallery, Forbidden city, Beijing

By this time, it was 14:00… and my tummy was rumbling! I stopped for lunch at a restaurant on the way to the my next point of interest, both for food, and a sit down, having been on my feet continuously for 7.5 hours already. As it was January, and having finished lunch around 15:30, daylight was already starting to fade, and I was happy and, intellectually and physically full, so I got a local taxi back to my hotel, and called it quits for the day. The North of the Beijing could wait a few more days.

Hints & Tips:

Plan your visit – Book your tickets to the Mao Mausoleum in advance: https://jnt.mfu.com.cn/page/user
Plan your visit – Book your tickets to the Forbidden City in Advance: https://intl.dpm.org.cn/visit.html
A day bag with a large bottle of water in it is your friend!

This Blog continues in '5 Days in Beijing - Part 2'. You can access this from the button below.

PS: Detailed Beijing & Forbidden City Maps and Itineraries are available in ‘Ready to Go’ for a broad mix of sightseeing, ‘Customised’, more tailored to you and your interests or ‘Bespoke’, for an experience entirely curated for you.