Travel in Beijing - Walking along Qianmen Commercial Street

Hello,everyone. Today Let me take you travelling in Beijing , the first destionation is Qianmen Commercial Street. Qianmen, in mouth of people, includes Zhengyang Gate, Pearl Market and Dashilan area. Qianmen is the most important place on axle wire of Beijing, also is the core area of protection of ancient capital features. In Ming and Qing Dynasties, Qianmen is the necessary road to Temple of Heaven and Altar of the God of Agriculture. Nowadays, Qianmen Street still keeps the style of history.

Panorama View of Qianmen Street

Eating in Qianmen. Walking in Qianmen Street every time, I have a feeling of pass through. Even through Qianmen Street is crowded with tourists and fashion music, the Dashilan is still old and restores ancient ways. In ancient time, Beijing was called as Peking, the Qianmen is the gathering place of cate including many characteristic restaurants. After hundred years, Quan Ju De shapes its own style of cooking including Quan Ju De Roast Duck and 400 dishes, which was loved by the governments, officials and social celebrities. The past Prime Zhou liked to select the Quanya Banquet as the state banquet.

Go shopping in Qianmen. Qianmen Street is the famous business street and old culture street, located at axle wire of Beijing, and starts from Moon Bay in north to Tianqiao Intersection in south. With 570 years history, Qianmen Street is also known as Heaven Street. It is 845 meters totally, is Pedestrian Business Street. Only both sides of Qianmen Street is covers an area of 66,000 square meters, contains about 180 shops. The long history of Qianmen Street shapes the old famous shops such as Liubiju Paste, Tongrentang Drugstore, Ruifuxiang Silk Store, Neiliansheng Shoes shop, etc.

Tramcar in Qianmen Street

Play in Qianmen. The world famous Laoshe Tea House created in 1988, is located at west of Qianmen Street, and close to Tiananmen Square. It is the representative gathering place of tea house culture of old Beijing, national demonstration base of the cultural industry and AAA tourist scenic spot. Here, you can enjoy the original characteristic performances, taste Chinese famous tea, buy top-level tea and eat the imperial characteristic snacks. Especially, you will see many celebrities in night shows. All these featured national art and programs attract travelersdeeply. Laoshe Tea House is called as the window of showing the essence of Chinese culture art and the bridge connects the friendship of home and abroad, and it is the human landmark of Beijing culture.

Qianmen Street is good place to eat, play and go shopping of travelling in  Beijing. Here, you have good chance to appreciate the most characteristics of Beijing.

Resource: http://www.beijinglandscapes.com/beijing-travel-blog/strolling-along-qianmen-street.html

Rediscover the Beauty of Beijing - Hutong

A mention of hutong travel of old Beijing, mounts of people think of the Nanluoguxiang firstly. Seemingly, the Nanluoguxiang has become the pronoun of Beijing travelling hutong. In fact, the Nanluoguxiang, full of local Beijing culture, changed more and more noisy. It is not the Nanluoguxiang in our mind. Nowadays, the hipsters find a new place – Wudaoying Hutong, characteristic with folk culture. Close to Lama Temple, the superior geographic location is called as "Next Stop Nanluo" by these developers.

Wudaoying Travel Hutong in Beijing

More international, more compatibility! Even a small hutong of old Beijing has more tolerance and forgiveness, including the noble culture and the popular literature. Mixed beauty is performed perfectly. Romantic restaurants, leisurely coffee houses and delicate shops, all gathered at Wudaoying Hutong. As the background, the sihe courtyards and residences recount their stories. Perhaps, you could meet the aunt with flip flops to buy the breakfast, and you could also meet the fashion young in modern clothes. The foreigners ride across these hutongs, kids play the sands, if you are lucky enough, you have chance to enjoy the shouts of street vendors. This is Wudaoying Hutong, a creative cultural folk custom hutong.
Walking around this hutong, you could find many characteristic shops. From the decorations and characters of these shops, you could distinguish the obvious style of their owners.

Teahouse in Wudaoying Beijing Hutong Tour

The Yard, located at NO. 55 in Wudaoying Hutong, is a tea house. Owing to its location, his logo is the other style of 55. With small frontispiece, this tea house has another feeling in the courtyard. A fruiter sitting in the yard, no matter have seat under the tree or the terrace of second floor, you can enjoy the quiet and unique style easily. I hope the owner could raise more cats, sleeping under the big tree. Next time, I must save much money enough to have a seat in second floor, talk the life and taste tea.

The Save As, take you to aftertaste the old times, was closed when I get there. Through window, I looked the old ceiling fan, white and black TV come from long time ago, enamel washbasin, etc. Full of the old style goods, describe the painting of home when we were young in perfect order. Memory should be recorded by these little things specifically. Though the digital camera, DV and computer have been popularized in every home, and make our records more and more convenient, make the memory becomes more and more unreliable. Just like the slogan out of shop door: No records, no happen.
Give you chance to wake up your memory, Wudaoying Hutong just sits there!

Resource:http://www.beijinglandscapes.com/beijing-travel-blog/beijing-hutong-discovery.html

Tips Must to Know Before Traveling to Beijing

As the capital of China, Beijing is the center of culture, political, economic hub. Beijing is a pretty safe place, and you can enjoy a pleasant and secure time here. Here I would like to list top tips in order to make your Beijing travel more convenient. 

Visa

For those who desire to travel to Beijing for sightseeing, tourists should obtain a tourist visa from Chinese Embassy or Consulate in your home country. It is more convenient for tourists booked through Chinese travel agencies to get group visas for their travel to China.

Climate and Clothing

In Beijing, four seasons are distinctly recognizable. Autumn is the best time to travel in Beijing, with mild temperature and the sun is out a lot. The temperature in spring is nice, too, but it is very dry and winds whip sand around the city.

In autumn, jeans and a sweater are usually enough. In the warmer months, T-shirts and light pants or shorts are the best bet. In the colder months, it is wise to dress in layers; long underwear and jeans, shirt, sweater and down jacket.

Foreign exchange

On entering, there are no restrictions are imposed on the amount of foreign currency, traveler checks, and credit cards. However, non-residents carrying more than 5,000 US dollars in cash should declare to the Customs the Customs shall permit foreign exchange to be carried out based on the declarations or on relevant regulations issued by the National Administration of Exchange Control.

Accommodations

Tourists need to show their passports and fill out a temporary residence form when checking into a hotel. Beijing hostels are the best way to go for budget lodging in Beijing. Ask to see a hostel room before you pay and choose a dorm for the cheapest Beijing lodging. Expect to pay US$ 8 - 15 for a Beijing hostel bunk.

Beijing Transportation

Transportation is very important for the tourist in Beijing, and you could rent a car. Except the car rental, there are some other vehicle methods such as Taxi, Subway, Bus, etc.

If you have any question for your Beijing travel, please contact us.

Why Large Quantity of Tourist to Visit Beijing ?

What Beijing showcases is a colorful China, both ancient and modern. More and more tourists are allured by its profound culture deposit and ancient buildings.

As a professional travel agency, we have well selected some routes for your Beijing travel.

• 1 Day  Beijing Travel: Badaling Great Wall, Ming Tombs, Olympic Stadium from US$46/pax
• 1 Day  Beijing Travel: Badaling Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City from US$54/pax
• 1 Day Beijing Travel: Badaling Great Wall, Summer Palace from US$55/pax
• 1 Day Beijing Travel: Mutianyu Great Wall, Ming Tombs, Olympic Stadium from US$52/pax
• 1 Day Beijing Travel: Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace from US$52/pax
• 1 Day Beijing Travel: Hutong, Lama Temple, Olympic Stadiums from US$54/pax

Badaling Great Wall & Mutianyu Great Wall

As the most famous and best preserved section of Great Wall, the top floor of Badaling Great Wall is paved with square bricks which made the floor very orderly and smooth, and suit for hiking.

Mutianyu Great Wall is the most beautiful section of Great Wall. And it is one of the most dangerous parts of Great Wall. In addition, Mutianyu Great Wall is less crowded than Badaling Great Wall. Many climb lovers and photograph lovers are more like Mutianyu Great Wall.

Ming Tombs

Ming Tombs is the largest cluster of imperial cemeteries in China.

Summer Palace

With beautiful nature scenery, many tourists are more interested in its long history.

Tiananmen Square

Like a witness, Tiananmen Square has witness many important events happened here.

Forbidden City

Forbidden City is full of charming and it is the largest wooden cluster in existence in the world today.

Temple of Heaven

Used for worshipping heaven and praying for good harvest in ancient China, Temple of Heaven is regarded as one of the greatest architectural structures in the world. 

Hutong

Most Chinese history are preserved in Hutongs, tourists can experience the lifestyle of old Beijing.

Lama Temple

Also called Yonghegong, Lama Temple can be said as treasure house of relics which is indeed an epitome of the religious art of China. 

Olympic Stadiums

Bird’s Nest and Water Cube are main stadiums for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. And both of them are become new land marks after the game.

Moreover, there are many other famous attractions you can visit during your Beijing travel, such as Fragrant Hill Park, Prince Gong’s Mansion, Shichahai and so on. Though not listed here, you can browse our website and book one you most interested.

Would You Want to Tasting Beijing Snacks?

It would be a shame if you travel in Beijing but not enjoy the Beijing Snacks. The snacks in Beijing are as numerous as they are tasty. From porridge to stuffed sausage, you will undoubtedly find several of your own personal favorites as you eat your way through some famous snack street or famous snack restaurants. So Beijing Snack is a must for your Beijing travel.

If you want to taste the traditional Beijing Snacks, you could go to the restaurants that listed below.

Long Fu Si Snacks

Long Fu Si has many years history such as bean soup, fried circle, Madoufu, Lvdagun, Ai Wo Wo, etc. It is one of the oldest and most popular old snack shops in Beijing. Long Fu Si Snacks filled with pure local delights, and was formed by a collection of stall vendors from the Long Fu Si temple fair.

Large numbers of people make a run for Long Fu Si Snacks first thing in the morning. The stuffed sausage here is very famous, with a burnt outside and a tender inside. If you want to sample Beijing Snacks and don't make it to Long Fu Si Snacks, you will regret it.

Huntun Hou

As a chain Beijing restaurant cooking wontons, various wontons offered in Huntun Hou. Wontons are one of Beijing's famous local snacks.

There are many wonton shops you can easy find within Beijing, but only "Huntun Hou" has enjoyed a great reputation around the world spanning decades. There isn't a wonton enthusiast out there who doesn't know about this old restaurant. 

You may ask why Huntun Hou is so famous. Now I will give you the answer. It enjoys such a high fame for the reason that there is a very exacting process for making wontons at Huntun Hou. The distinguishing features of their wontons are: thin skin, fine stuffing, excellent soup, and tasty seasonings.

Numerous foreign heads of state have come here to sample the unique, delicious flavors in Huntun Hou.

Fengnian Stuffed Sausage

With more than 50 years’ history, Fengnian Stuffed Sausage is famous for its stuffed sausage. if you want to try the real deal, then Fengnian Stuffed Sausage should be your first choice. The stuffed sausage taste amazineg and they will deftnitely fire up your appetite. Fengnian's superb sausages will have you joining the endless stream of customers that come here every day.

As a famous Chinese food, you will regret if you do not taste the Beijing Snacks during your Beijing travel.

Let’s Seek Out Ancient History of Beijing in China

Take a boat slowly into the long river of history, I will find memorable attractions that record the footprints of this great country-China. When I tours in Beijing, I visit those ancient buildings such as Altar of Night Moon, Altar of the God of Agriculture and Imperial Collage.

 

Altar of Night Moon（西月坛）

Located in Xicheng District, Altar of Night Moon was a place where worshipped the God of Moon during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Covering an area of 13 square meters, The Altar of Night Moon was a square stone terrace facing to the east. Walls and Lingxing Gates were built surrounding the Altar. 

Altar of the God of Agriculture （先农坛）

Situated in Xuanwu District, Altar of the God of Agriculture was the place where the emperors of Ming and Qing dynasties offered sacrifices to Shennong, the God of Agriculture. Built with bricks and stones, the Altar of the God of Agriculture is a single, storied square terrace,15 meters in length and width, the altar is 1.5 meters high.

Now, the Altar of the God of Agriculture has become a protected important cultural relic unit of Beijing. If time permits, you should come to visit it.

Imperial Collage（国子监）

 

As a typical layout according to the Chinese ancient architectural rule, Imperial Collage indicates that the institution should be built on the right while the Temple of Confucius built on the left. First constructed in the 24th year of Yuan Emperor Zhiyuan's reign, Imperial Collage is recognized as the highest official institution of learning during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Subsequently, it enlarged several times, attaining its present dimensions, more than 1 0, 000 square meters in area, during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty.

Comprising of three well-arranged courtyards and cocooned by luxuriant vegetation, the Guozijian has such main buildings as Jixianmen, Taixuemen, glazed arch, Biyongand Yiluntang, of which Biyong is the core building in Guozijian.

Surrounded by water on four sides, Biyong was a national college and was once a stage for the emperor. Standing in the center of Guozijian, the Biyong was constructed in the 49th year of Qing Emperor Qianlong's reign.

It was here that Qianlong came to expound the classics to an audience. Thereafter, emperors Jiaqing and Daoguang also came and gave lectures in Guozijian.

While looking around these famous buildings, I could deeply impressed by the long history of China. So if you plan to have a Beijing tour and want to learn more history of China, they are worth visiting.