Roaming Ancient Capitals with My Mood: Beijing & Handan & Anyang, a Spontaneous Trip for the National Holiday!

I had been planning this trip for a long time.

From the initial planning to booking hotels and train tickets, and joining tours,

I handled everything myself, and the entire trip lasted 12 days.

We departed from Shanghai on September 26th (to avoid the National Day crowds in Beijing, we arrived a few days early to explore Beijing)

and returned to Shanghai on October 7th.

The route passed through three historic ancient cities: Beijing, Handan, and Luoyang.

Traveling brings not only joy but also a series of frustrations.

Overall, it went smoothly. I hope that from my travel notes,

you can find an itinerary that suits you—that would be the most rewarding part.

First, let me clarify: we traveled independently and did not drive at all!

September 26: Shanghai to Beijing, train at 7:00 AM, arrived in Beijing at 11:35 AM.

https://hotels.ctrip.com/hotel/14017409.html?startdate=2020-10-09&depdate=2020-10-10

Advantages of this hotel: friendly front desk, good location, close to the subway station and Nanluoguxiang, quiet environment.

However, the facilities are average! Overall, it's acceptable, and the price is very moderate. For those on a budget, it's worth considering!

After dropping off our luggage, we headed to the Temple of Heaven!

For introductions to all the attractions, please search on Baidu. Thank you!

When we arrived in Beijing, the air quality was not great, and the sky was gray.

When we got to the Temple of Heaven, there weren't many people. In addition to the park entrance fee, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Echo Wall, and other attractions required separate tickets. I bought a combo ticket.

After visiting the Temple of Heaven, we took a bus to Wangfujing and ate Peking duck. I recommend Sijimin Fu (a popular roast duck restaurant).

We arrived at the roast duck restaurant around 4:30 PM, so there was no queue; we went straight in to eat (there was a group-buy deal).

After eating and drinking our fill, we headed to Tiananmen Square!

When we arrived at Tiananmen Square that day, we had to go through security. The large flower basket shown on TV could only be viewed from a distance; we couldn't get close. We just took a few photos and then returned to the hotel to sleep.

Originally, I wanted to watch the flag-raising ceremony that day, but when I asked a security guard, he said we would need to arrive at Tiananmen Square by 4:30 AM.

I found this itinerary a bit difficult and gave up. Maybe next time. Sigh, laziness.

Today's itinerary: Forbidden City — Jingshan Park.

The most important reason for coming to Beijing this time: the Forbidden City's 600th Anniversary Exhibition — Danchen Yonggu.

At the entrance of the Forbidden City, I rented an audio guide to explain the situations in each palace. It cost 20 RMB per unit, which was not expensive.

This exhibition mainly displayed some treasures of the Ming and Qing emperors and some small stories about the construction of the Forbidden City.

It was a major exhibition for the 600th anniversary, and it runs until mid-November. If you get a chance to go, you should definitely see it!

After coming out of the exhibition, we officially began touring the Forbidden City.

Clock and Watch Gallery — many beautiful clocks and watches, all brought from abroad back then.

Treasure Gallery — a must-visit. It was the residence of Emperor Qianlong after he became the Emperor Emeritus. A really great place, haha.

The site of the Thousand Elderly Banquet.

The famous Concubine Zhen Well.

Jingshan Park — to see a panoramic view of the Forbidden City.

Exiting through the Gate of Divine Might of the Palace Museum, the park is right opposite.

A very good congee restaurant near Nanluoguxiang.

September 28: Group Tour.

Great Wall — Dingling of the Ming Tombs.

At the Great Wall, we climbed to the Good Man Slope and then went to other parts. Suggestion: if time is very tight, you can take the cable car round trip (140 RMB round trip).

If not in a hurry, it's more fulfilling to climb up yourself, though it will definitely be tiring!

Ming Tombs — Dingling (the tomb of Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty).

Had dinner near the Bird's Nest; the taste was very good.

National Museum of China — Yonghe Temple — Prince Gong's Mansion.

The National Museum of China requires advance reservation. With a green health code and reservation code, you can enter the museum smoothly.

If you have ample time, I suggest spending a day in the museum; if not, the "Ancient China" exhibition on B1 is a must-see.

A summary of the National Museum: if you want to see great things, go to the National Museum. The best bronze artifacts are definitely in the National Museum.

Yonghe Temple was the residence of Emperor Yongzheng when he was a prince. Emperor Qianlong was born here, and it was later converted into a royal temple.

Compared to traditional temples, the architecture is relatively magnificent. To enter the temple, make a reservation and buy tickets on the official website one day in advance!

The temple provides a free bundle of incense; no need to buy outside!

Took the subway to Prince Gong's Mansion.

The most famous is the residence of Heshen. It is said that his wealth was equivalent to more than ten years of tax revenue during the Jiaqing period.

You can imagine how wealthy he was, jokingly called the richest man of the Qing Dynasty.

Prince Gong's Mansion emphasizes the character "福" (blessing). You can see the presence of "福" everywhere!

Prince Gong's Mansion focuses on the concept of blessing. There are five places within the mansion that embody the meaning of blessing. If you're interested, you can look for them.

Dinner: Coconut Chicken near Guijie Street.

September 30: Summer Palace — Capital Museum.

For the Summer Palace, I booked a guided tour on Ctrip, including a 1.5-hour guided explanation of the Summer Palace, entrance fee, and boat ride fee.

Personally, I think the guided tour is necessary; other things are a matter of personal opinion.

Currently, the northern part of the Summer Palace is not open. Be careful when taking the subway! Remember to enter through the main gate!

Had some dumplings for lunch; the taste was good.

My younger brother had Beijing Zhajiangmian (noodles with fried sauce), which was just so-so, haha.

Capital Museum: if time is limited, I don't recommend it!

There is a museum AI interactive experience inside, which is a great highlight.

But there aren't many exhibits. If you want to see good stuff, go to the National Museum.

However, if you want to interact with national treasures, you can come to the Capital Museum.

In the evening, we took the train from Beijing West Railway Station and arrived in Handan two hours later.

October 1: Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day. On the day of the double festival, we chartered a car to Guangfu Ancient City in Handan.

Introduction to Guangfu Ancient City from Baidu:

Walking around the ancient city is free, but many small attractions inside require tickets (buy a combo ticket at the ticket office for 58 RMB per person, excluding the county office attraction).

One attraction — Hongji Bridge: about 3 kilometers from the ancient city. Although it's just a bridge, it is as old as the famous Zhaozhou Bridge. Although this bridge is now listed as an attraction, you can still walk on it. Considering the distance, we paid for an internal scenic vehicle that could take us to all the attractions, costing 20 RMB per person, which was quite worth it because it saved time.

The county office also displays the workflow of the ancient Six Ministries, which is very interesting and educational. Recommended!

Had lunch inside the scenic area; the prices were reasonable and the food was tasty.

Guangfu Ancient City is also known as the hometown of Tai Chi.

Ganlu Temple — the scenery inside is super beautiful, and currently, entry is free.

Returned to the city in the evening and had a nice meal.

October 2: Jingniang Lake.

It wasn't exactly a group tour; a bus took us to the scenic area. After buying tickets, we entered freely and at the designated time, the bus took us back to downtown Handan.

Let me say a few more words: there are self-funded items inside this scenic area. The scenic vehicle costs about 10 RMB per person per segment, the cable car costs 40 RMB one way to the top of the mountain.

Taking a boat allows you to see the canyon scenery; it's quite worthwhile. The boat ride takes about 20 minutes, and you disembark at Siyou Valley.

If you are traveling with the whole family (including elderly and children), I suggest paying for these services all the way because it will be more relaxed. Also, the mountain climbing path is a bit dangerous; many places have no railings, so it is not recommended for children and the elderly to hike! The descent path is gentle and has railings, so it is not dangerous.

If you're traveling with friends and have good stamina, I suggest taking the scenic vehicle partway up (from Longfeng Spring to Longbi Mountain Waterfall) and then climbing to the top (1.5 hours).

The scenery at the top is quite good, and things sold in the scenic area are not expensive, so there's no need to bring a lot of water!

I brought a self-heating hotpot to eat at the top; it was very economical!

After descending, since there was still a long time before the bus departure, we didn't leave the scenic area immediately but walked towards the boat disembarkation point. The scenery along that path was superb!

We also saw a small waterfall. Although it was a 1.5-hour round trip, it was worth it!

October 3: Handan Museum — Congtai Park — Zhaoyuan Park.

The Handan Museum has moved to the new building! The old museum was opposite Congtai Park; now it's near the Handan Art Center. Reservations are required!

When I went, it was in a trial operation, only the 4th and 2nd floor exhibition areas were open. The main exhibition on the 3rd floor was not accessible, which was a bit regrettable!

The bridge from the idiom "Learn to Walk in Handan."

Zhaoyuan Park: Although some Handan travel recommendations include it, I do not recommend it.

Everything inside is just a stone marker; it's not worth a special trip!