My First DIY Trip to Beijing in 2021: Fun Places to Go and Must-See Attractions
I’ve always believed that the area east and south of the Forbidden City is the most worth exploring. On this trip to Beijing, I spent a long time in this area and really got my fill of discovering old Beijing.
Accommodation: Yingxiang Cheng Hotel (Beijing Wangfujing Branch)
The most important reason for choosing to stay here was the location. The hotel is at No. 9 Shijia Hutong, within my target area, and just a stone's throw from Dengshikou Station on Line 5. Using this as a base, you can get anywhere very conveniently and quickly — it’s truly the top lodging choice. The hotel is inside a hutong, and the facilities are very modern, clean, and hygienic. It's close to Wangfujing, so eating, drinking, and having fun are all easy. It really feels like a fresh way to live in an old hutong. The front desk staff were also very friendly. I originally booked their Super-Window-View King Room, but upon arrival I was upgraded for free to a suite with a bedroom — great value, very nice! Their suites are truly huge for a place like Beijing where land is money. I’d estimate the size at over 40 square meters, and it even had a bathtub and sofa.
Day 1: Shijia Museum, Wangfujing, Forbidden City, Qianmen Street
I bought an afternoon ticket for the Forbidden City. After having breakfast at the hotel at 9 a.m., I set off and first visited the Shijia Museum, which is in the same hutong as the hotel. I spent about an hour there. The exhibition displays old Beijing hutong life, with miniature models of siheyuan (courtyard houses) and biographies of historical figures from the area. Afterwards, I walked to Wangfujing. It truly lives up to its reputation as Beijing’s shopping paradise, with dazzling luxury brands, distinctive architecture, and surprisingly clean streets — the grandeur is spectacular. I then strolled around the Wangfujing Bookstore, found an authentic noodle shop, and ate a bowl of specialty zhajiangmian (noodles with fried sauce). Well-fed and rested, I headed for the day’s highlight: the Forbidden City. I can’t stress this enough: bring your ID card, bring your ID card, bring your ID card!
The Forbidden City in Beijing was the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties, formerly known as the Purple Forbidden City, located at the center of Beijing’s central axis. Centered around the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony, and the Hall of Preserving Harmony — collectively known as the Three Great Halls — it covers about 720,000 square meters with a floor area of around 150,000 square meters. There are over 70 large and small palaces and more than 9,000 rooms. The buildings are divided into the Outer Court and the Inner Court. The Outer Court’s heart is the Three Great Halls, where major state ceremonies were held, flanked by the Hall of Literary Glory and the Hall of Martial Valor. The Inner Court centers on the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the Hall of Union, and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, collectively called the Three Rear Palaces, which served as the main residence of the emperor and empress. Behind them is the Imperial Garden. On both sides of the Three Rear Palaces are the Six Eastern and Six Western Palaces, where the consorts lived and rested.
After exploring the Forbidden City, I walked along its wall moat and made my way to the second stop: Qianmen Street.
Qianmen Street is a very famous commercial street in Beijing, lying on the city’s central axis. It runs from Qianmen Moon Bay in the north to Tianqiao intersection in the south, linking with Tianqiao South Street. Thanks to its long history, the street is lined with many time-honored Chinese brands, such as Liubiju Pickle Shop, Tongrentang Pharmacy, Ruifuxiang Silk Store, Changchuntang Pharmacy, Neiliansheng Shoe Shop, Zhangyiyuan Tea House, as well as Yueshengzhai Braised Meat Shop and Duyichu Shaomai Restaurant — 16 old establishments in all.
Day 2: Gulou East Street, Shichahai, Nanluoguxiang, Ghost Street
I left the hotel at 8 a.m., took Line 5 from Dengshikou to Beixinqiao, then walked west to explore.
Beijing’s overall layout is based on a central north-south axis, with the Bell and Drum Towers located at the northern end of this axis. The Bell and Drum Towers mark the western start of Gulou East Street. The street is about 1,098 meters long and 23 meters wide. From east to west and north to south, the hutongs in this area include Xiaojingchang Hutong, Shoubi Hutong, Beiluoguxiang, Nanluoguxiang, Baochao Hutong, Hougulouyuan Hutong, Caochang Hutong, and others.
Shichahai is a historical and cultural scenic area and a protected historic district in Beijing. It is located in the Xicheng District, adjacent to the central axis of the inner city. With a water area of 336,000 square meters, connected to the Zhongnanhai waters, it is the only open scenic area in Beijing’s inner city with vast open water. It is also the largest and best-preserved historical quarter in the city.
Nanluoguxiang is a hutong located in the Jiaodaokou area on the east side of Beijing’s central axis. It runs from Gulou East Street in the north to Ping’an Street in the south. It is 8 meters wide and 787 meters long, built during the Yuan Dynasty. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Beijing, with over 740 years of history, and is listed among the 25 protected old city areas. Because the terrain is high in the middle and low at both ends, like a hunchback, it was originally called 'Luoguo Lane' (Hunchback Lane). In the Qing Dynasty, the "Complete Map of the Capital" drawn in the 15th year of the Qianlong reign (1750) renamed it Nanluoguxiang.
Ghost Street (Guijie) is located on Dongzhimen Inner Street, from the west section of Dongzhimen Overpass on the Second Ring Road in the east to the east end of Jiaodaokou East Street in the west. Today, this street is a fantastic showcase of Beijing’s cuisine. Ghost Street has become a symbol of Beijing’s food culture and a landmark for trendy dining. It has also turned into a place of longing, joy, and even a topic of after-dinner conversation. Many people’s 'night out' in Beijing begins here. On many exciting days in Beijing — such as the successful Olympic bid, China’s football team going global, the Asian Cup loss to Japan, and other momentous or emotional anniversaries — people spontaneously gather here, staying up all night to vent their feelings. They sing, drink, shout, hug, and cry together, the whole street immersed in the atmosphere of the moment. That’s what Ghost Street is like today.
Day 3: Mutianyu Great Wall
I booked a car through the hotel at a reasonable price. We arranged for a pickup at 9:30 a.m., and after just over an hour, we arrived at the day’s destination: the Mutianyu Great Wall.
Mutianyu Great Wall is located in Huairou District, Beijing, 73 kilometers from the city center. With a long history and splendid culture, it is renowned both at home and abroad as 'the most beautiful section of the Great Wall.' The scenic area is set among rolling hills with over 90% vegetation coverage. The wall is 5,400 meters long — the longest section in China — and is one of the famous 'Sixteen Scenic Spots of Beijing' and a national AAAAA tourist attraction. Mutianyu was originally built in 1368 under the supervision of Xu Da, a general of Zhu Yuanzhang, on the ruins of a Northern Qi Great Wall, and represents the essence of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall. This section connects to Gubeikou in the east and Juyongguan in the west, serving as a key military fortification guarding the capital since ancient times. It features famous sights like the Zhenguan Platform, the Corner Tower, and the Eagle-Flying-Backward Cliff. The wall remains well-preserved, retaining much of its ancient charm.
After returning to the hotel, I had a wonderful sleep and took the high-speed train home the next morning. Thus ended my delightful three-day independent trip to Beijing!
