Dora’s Amazing Trip: The Imperial Capital

This summer, Dora went to Beijing for a summer camp, reluctantly bringing along her mom and dad as her two tag-alongs. Dora sweated buckets at the Temple of Heaven, struck bold poses for the camera, while Mom and Dad just ate, slept, and played—a little embarrassing to admit.

It’s been over 20 years since Dora’s dad last visited Beijing. Returning to the imperial capital, the biggest impression is… not much of an impression. Back then, he only remembered that Badaling was far, Tiananmen was huge, and Beijing was hot. Maybe for Dora, after so many years, not much will stick either. But for us, every day at camp was wonderful—showing visible, qualitative progress. Sleeping alone in a tiny bed, washing her own hair and taking showers by herself, eating buffet meals with her buddies on her own, stepping out of Mom and Dad’s sight onto an unfamiliar stage… Reading ten thousand books builds your foundation—knowledge, manners, your baseline. Traveling ten thousand miles broadens your horizons—geography, astronomy, your ceiling.

Day 1: High-speed train to Beijing South Railway Station, subway Line 14 to Shangezhuang, taxi to the hotel.

Day 2: Camp opening ceremony at the Temple of Heaven, Mom and Dad on logistics duty.

Day 3: Dora attended classes; the parents went into town for a stroll after their own parent class.

Day 4: Dora gave an on-camera speech; Mom and Dad wandered around town (Yonghe Temple).

Day 5: Closing ceremony; Dora dragged her parents to the city center, checked into a hotel, and embarked on an eat-and-stroll spree.

Day 6: Dora led her parents on an adventure into the Forbidden City.

Day 7: Taxi to the subway station, then high-speed train home from South Station.

Beijing’s Transport:

The first four nights we stayed at a hot-spring hotel arranged by the camp, out in the northern outskirts near the 6th Ring Road. It took a 20-minute taxi ride and then nearly an hour on the subway just to reach the city center—a time cost unimaginable for folks from a small town like ours. The last two nights we stayed near Guangqumen. Though you had to wait about ten minutes for a taxi, the distance wasn’t far, and walking to the subway station was manageable. Beijing’s extensive subway network is incredibly convenient. Download a mobile app, link a payment method, and you can zip around effortlessly. Even if you ride all day, it’s only a few kuai—really good value.

Beijing’s Food:

Before the trip, we asked our Beijing buddies about local eats. We sampled everything: roast duck, grilled meat, hotpot, and even tried zhajiangmian (noodles with fried sauce). But what Dora missed most was the salad at the camp buffet. While her friends piled up chicken, she’d fill her plate with a rainbow of veggies.

Beijing’s Weather:

We were lucky with the weather this trip. The heavens smiled on us. We heard it rained every day before we arrived, but once we got there, it cleared up. On the day we visited the Forbidden City, there was a light drizzle, but otherwise it was cloudy or overcast—perfect.

And now, an upgraded version of my WeChat Moments photo-and-caption dump:

After a long journey, we arrived at the hotel late at night.

Probably one of the last to check in.

Got our various passports and badges.

Dora, camper number D287.

The next day we got up early for the opening ceremony at the Temple of Heaven. The kids had their own bus. From that moment on, they started moving independently, learning to take care of themselves.

The accompanying parents’ duty: waving red flags.

Entrance to the Temple of Heaven park

The weather was truly fantastic—classic Beijing blue skies.

Plenty of tourists, and just as many local seniors taking advantage of annual passes, monthly passes, and other discounts.

Red walls, green tiles, ancient trees soaring to the sky.

Catching sight of the iconic landmark from afar.

Praying for a year of good weather and prosperity.

The kids start to line up.

“A strong youth makes a strong nation”...

Parents wander around nearby.

The summer camp took over a corner.

A side hall of the Temple of Heaven.

Another entrance to the Temple of Heaven.

The ride back was so jammed it made you want to cry. Beijing traffic is terrifying. Checking Amap, the roads were red to purple.

Parents attended class, Dora attended hers.

The training room was in the hotel’s conference center.

A bit far, a bit old, but the environment was really nice.

All sorts of lounge chairs.

This quote left a deep impression—let’s encourage each other.

Playtime right after class.

Dad decided to take a three-hour round trip to see the night view downtown.

The most central street in China.

How much per square meter do you think a place here costs?

Turn a corner, and ahead is Wangfujing.

Where history meets modern trends.

Too bad Dora wasn’t with us; she’d have loved to browse inside.

Countdown to the Winter Olympics.

This is the real Wangfujing landmark.

Dora takes the stage...

It’s all in the little raindrops...

Summer camp group photo.

Two flowers bloom, each telling a story.

The parental duo goes to explore Yonghe Temple.

Ahead lies our destination—the palace where Emperors Yongzheng and Qianlong once lived, a blessed place.

Now it has become a sacred site for Tibetan Buddhist blessings.

When in Rome... we picked up a free bundle of short incense sticks.

Every side hall is steeped in stories.

Many worshippers hold lotus flowers, praying for career success, love, health, and smooth sailing.

The local specialty is incense-ash bracelets, made from the ashes of incense offered by devotees. They come in ceramic and glazed varieties, with many colors and different symbolic meanings.

These are all civil and military officials.

And this is the queue to have bracelets blessed.

My wife bought me two bracelets...

After we came out, we went to the nearby Dawanju. Beijing’s San Ge (Third Brother) said the noodles here are good.

Camp over, checked out and off we went.

The garden’s billboard still there.

Let’s have roast duck for lunch.

Before I could snap a photo, the duck was gone—devoured by our kid. So here’s a side dish just to have something.

After lunch, we passed by the ‘Big Pants’ (CCTV Headquarters).

Everyone said we should go to Sanlitun for some delicious ice cream.

Turned out the internet-famous shop was closed, so we settled for one from the ‘Second Red’ shop across the street.

Handling with care, afraid of dropping it.

For dinner, it was Nanmen Shuairou (Nanmen hotpot).

A classic old-Beijing copper hotpot.

Dora and her pal couldn’t stop eating.

Grabbed breakfast then off to the Forbidden City!

A well-known snack chain.

Order a little bit of everything to try.

Ever had a pancake bigger than your head?

After breakfast, we headed to Tiananmen. The moment we emerged, we were awed by the magnificent sight. Dora took photos to remember it.

Let’s see if we captured the grandeur.

Can someone photoshop the tourists in the background out?

I so want to go see, I so want to go see it again and again... (from a first-grade textbook).

Our peaceful lives are thanks to your heavy-laden march forward.

Celebrating the centenary.

A group photo with Tiananmen.

Following the crowd through Tiananmen, the distant Palace Museum drew near.

The Forbidden City we’d been dreaming of day and night.

Forbidden City tickets must be booked online in advance. You have to snipe them on your phone at 8:30 pm ten days before. If you miss out, that’s it—you can’t get in.

We had wanted to see the flag-raising ceremony, but you have to get up at 2 am and stand for two hours. Dora simply couldn’t handle that, so we saluted here just to show our respect.

Right as we saluted, the honor guard uncles marched back from training in perfect step.

One minute on stage takes ten years of practice off stage. They train in the coldest winter days and the hottest summer days. Seeing their light-green uniforms soaked dark green with sweat, I seized the moment to lecture Dora with a big life lesson.

Picked up our tickets and arrived at the ticket check under the Meridian Gate.

Rented audio guides, with little maps. I listened to the Wang Gang version, Dora listened to the kids’ version.

Through a long, narrow passage, ahead lay the sky of history.

Far fewer people than outside.

Listening to the guide while snapping photos.

Beginning a day of measuring the imperial city with our feet.

A nearby kid shouted, ‘Xiji! A big Xiji!’

Every brick in this square tells its own story.

Stepping through the gate into the emperor’s work zone.

At first, Dora said she wanted to inspect every room, but that enthusiasm lasted only half an hour.

Cranes symbolizing auspiciousness and good fortune.

Enormous squares in front of each palace.

Up ahead, the emperor’s office.

Currently under renovation—can’t go inside the main hall, only peek from outside.

All the main halls were off-limits; we could only take photos from outside.

As a layperson, every palace looked pretty much the same. Only by listening to the explanations could we learn the stories and meanings behind them.

By this point, Dora was on her last legs.

Many tour groups were taking a break here. Throughout the Forbidden City, there are plenty of benches and dining spots, and the prices are reasonable, very visitor-friendly.

Dora and her mom perked right up the moment they spotted a souvenir shop. They bought lots of bookmarks and trinkets.

We exited the Forbidden City through the Gate of Divine Prowess after a full five hours of walking.

In the distance, that must be Jingshan Park. They say from there you can overlook the entire Forbidden City.

Right outside the Forbidden City, there were shuttle buses to subway stations or other attractions. Dora led us to Nanluoguxiang, where we got a sugar-blown figure—a little horse for her to eat.

Truth be told, it’s overly commercialized.

The grilled meat recommended by Beijing’s San Ge was in a small alley, packed with locals.

Lay on another layer, then dig in.

Today was homeward day, but Dora noticed we all had prayer bracelets and she wanted one too. So we squeezed in another trip to Yonghe Temple before heading home.

While in line, a shopping-agent girl behind us said enviously, ‘Wow, you’re making a killing on this order, huh?’

Ticket gate for the train home.

End of the Beijing chapter. Next stop: Nanjing, Chongqing, or Xi’an...