24 Hours Alone in Beijing
For frequent business travelers, going from Shanghai to Beijing is nothing special, right? But for those who don't have the chance to travel for work, visiting Beijing even once in a lifetime is a big deal. After all, who would repeatedly visit another city just for fun?
I'm one of those who occasionally gets to go to Beijing on business.
This was my fifth time in Beijing. Each time, I used the pretext of a business trip to explore the streets and alleys of Beijing in my spare moments.
It had been about ten years since my last visit. Ten years—it feels like the blink of an eye. The memories are still clear, as if it were yesterday.
On this trip, I hadn't planned any sightseeing, so my main requirement for a hotel was proximity to the office. Fortunately, the office was in a bustling area. I chose Ji Hotel, which had a good location right opposite Guozijian Street. I had originally intended to explore the street in the early morning, but ended up heading to Jingshan instead...
It was my first time staying at a Ji Hotel and I was quite impressed. While there might be some hard-to-reach spots where cleaning isn't perfect, the decor and style were very suitable for business travelers. Overall, it felt very comfortable. They even had a little robot that could guide guests and deliver takeout (or so I heard). Usually, it would be charging against a wall. Once, when it arrived at the elevator and found it full of people, it mumbled to itself that it would catch the next one. I found that utterly adorable. Checking in was also unusual—there was almost no need for staff at the front desk. I just placed my ID card on a self-service machine and the room key popped out. It really felt like the wave of the future.
I'd heard their congee at breakfast was excellent, but unfortunately, I was out exploring and came back too late to try it. When I asked at the front desk if breakfast was already over, the staff kindly gave me two pastries and a carton of milk. At that moment, I had no idea that these would be the only things I'd eat all day during my constant rushing around. I was so grateful!
Ten years ago, I visited Nanluoguxiang early in the morning. It was so quiet, the shops weren't open yet, and the architecture felt authentic. After three hours of walking, looking at doors and walls that all seemed alike, it became rather boring. The former 'historical buildings' had all become private residences, with signs on the doors saying 'No Visitors'.
Ten years later, I hopped on a shared bike and arrived at Nanluoguxiang late in the evening. Because of the pandemic, you had to make a reservation to enter, but luckily you could do it on the spot. At night, Nanluoguxiang was still bustling with visitors. The main commercial street in the middle was lined with neat shops. Occasionally, I saw lit signs in the hutongs branching off to the sides, but they were too dark to explore, so I didn't venture in.
The commercial street sold the usual tourist trinkets and street food you find in ancient towns across the country. I even spotted a sachet shop exactly like one in Zhujiajiao Ancient Town, complete with the same puppet grinding spices at the entrance. But most of the items were quite Beijing-specific. I lingered in the souvenir shops, wanting to buy everything. In the end, I picked a 'Lord Rabbit' fridge magnet and a Great Wall jigsaw puzzle, and I unearthed a bookmark I absolutely adore—very textured and can double as a ruler. It's the best souvenir I've bought recently. There were two or three identical souvenir shops along the street; I bought things from two of them and realized the owner was the same person! There were even more identical shops selling cheap trinkets. And identical food stalls—at least two of them exactly the same. Same with the fan shops, and the shops selling post-80s nostalgic snacks. If they kept just one of each duplicate store, half the street would be empty. But the upside is, if you miss one shop, you don't need to walk back because there's an identical one ahead.
Let's talk about food. The only downside of exploring alone is you can't eat much because your stomach isn't big enough.
First I was drawn to 'Jishi Guo', not by the name, but because it looked delicious. It turned out to be crispy churro sticks stuck into ice cream, selling for 38 yuan!!! I bought one anyway. The first bite was heavenly. If I had been sharing with two or three people, that delicious feeling would have lasted, but eating it alone, it soon became too much. It was too filling and too large—why can't they sell small, medium, and large portions? I only needed two sticks.
After a long rest, I passed Fangzhuanchang No. 69 Zhajiangmian. Drawn by its popularity and the many celebrity photos on the wall, I went in. This zhajiangmian reminded me of the bowl I once had in Bada Hutong. I remember that time there were even more condiment bowls, at least eight. I poured my favorite condiments into the noodles and added some sauce, but I put too little at first and it tasted bland. After adding more sauce, I realized the essence of zhajiangmian is in the sauce! With enough sauce, it tasted great. Even though I was full, I finished every last bit, which meant I couldn't eat anything else later.
Truth be told, the street snacks were just too expensive. A tiny grilled sausage for 15 yuan! A roast duck wrap for 30 yuan! I remember they sell them in Shanghai for only 18 yuan—maybe they don't stuff as much duck inside?
Finally, I went to Wenyu Cheese Shop and packed a cheese dessert to take back to the hotel. Whether it was because it got jostled on the way or because I didn't eat it right away, by the time I tried it, it was a bit watery. It felt like a waste to throw it away, so I forced myself to finish it.
After visiting Nanluoguxiang, my impression was that it didn't really have much of a Beijing vibe, but it was a good place to buy souvenirs.
Thank you, shared bikes, for making getting around so easy.
At 7:30 am, I was at the entrance of Jingshan. I decided to climb to the top to see the Forbidden City from a distance. If I had more time, I would have loved to visit the palace again for the third time.
In the early morning, Jingshan was peaceful, with no tourists—only elderly locals up on the hilltop practicing tai chi.
My goal was to reach the hilltop and gaze at the Forbidden City. On the way up, I saw a few rest pavilions on the hillside, framed by wild peach blossoms of early spring—quite enchanting.
After about half an hour, I moved on to the next spot. Since I was already there, I had to go take a photo of the Corner Tower. I remembered last time, a friendly person told me how to get the best shot of the tower. This time, my photo was definitely better!
I debated for a while about visiting Beihai Park, but finally decided to go, especially since the peach blossoms were in full bloom.
I arrived at the entrance to Beihai Park just before nine. To enter the White Pagoda area on Qionghua Island, you need a separate ticket, and it opens at nine. From the park entrance, I walked in, circled around to the north side of the island, then climbed up. A leisurely walk took about fifteen minutes, perfect timing.
The peach trees west of the White Pagoda were already past their peak, so I just caught the tail end of the blossoms. Unfortunately, the weather was overcast, so the photos didn't turn out vibrant—the White Pagoda wasn't crisp white, and the peach blossoms weren't vivid.
I happened to see two tourists who brought their own beautiful little parrots out with them. Everyone went crazy taking photos of the two birds. Beijing really is a magical place—you don't even need a birdcage for a pet outing!
After circling the White Pagoda for photos, I descended Qionghua Island from the south side. The path was steep and straight staircases. It seemed easier to climb up the back way and come down the front way like I did. Even though it's not very high, for older folks, a winding, gradual ascent might be less daunting psychologically.
After that, it was time for my business activities. Once again, thank you, shared bikes, for making travel so convenient. No waiting for taxis, no listening to drivers' chatter—the whole Dongcheng District was mine to roam. Zipping through the hutongs of a strange city on a bike felt absolutely wonderful!
Beijing will always be special.
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