I always thought my walking game was legendary... until Beijing.
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Wow, let me share with you my "blood and tears" story in Beijing:
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When I was visiting the Palace Museum (Forbidden City), I started to feel something was a bit off with my feet as they began to hurt.
- For those who may not be familiar with it, the Forbidden City is the former imperial palace in Beijing. It's super, super large, beyond your imagination! I thought it might just be because I was walking too much and my feet were getting tired.
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Generally speaking, I tend to sweat a lot on my feet when walking excessively.
- So at the time, when I felt something wet on my feet, I simply thought it was due to sweat and didn't think much about it... but little did I know it had actually bled because of blisters on my feet!
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I endured this until I got back to the hotel at night and only after taking off my shoes did I come to learn the truth!
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Just then, I suddenly realized and said to myself, "Oh no! I still need to visit the Summer Palace tomorrow!"
- Also known as Qinghui Garden, it’s another royal garden in Beijing dating back to imperial times, with the amount of walking involved being just as extensive as at the Forbidden City.
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Oh, goodness! God bless me.
️Pay attention please, if you plan to travel to Beijing:-
Exceedingly high pedestrian traffic: Many famous tourist attractions in Beijing, such as the Palace Museum, Summer Palace, and the Great Wall, are very, very large. You really will end up walking a lot, so it's crucial that you wear your most comfortable, well-fitted shoes!
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Watch out for unusual sensations on your feet: If you feel discomfort or wetness while walking, don't assume the same thing I did!
- What to do: Quickly find some place to take a break and check if there's any skin abrasions or blisters on your feet after removing your shoes and socks.
- Why: By identifying issues early, you can take immediate action such as using a band-aid as first aid. If not, like me, your situation will turn sour, and you'll have to suffer through the next day’s itinerary, making it even more dispiriting.
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Comfortable Shoes are Key: I can't emphasize enough how important a pair of good shoes is! This is more important than anything!
#Beijing #Travel #LessonsLearned
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Beijingers are gifted walkers! I once had a whim to just walk... and went straight from Dawanglu to Gongzhufen.
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Mad respect.
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I consider myself a decent walker. On my second day in Beijing, I planned to visit the Summer Palace AND the Old Summer Palace. Little did I know how brutal that would be. After the Summer Palace, I was already feeling a bit tired, but I pushed on to the Old Summer Palace and... somehow managed to drag myself through it, gritting my teeth.
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Hahahahahaha, I'm cackling like a goose!
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As someone from Chongqing visiting Beijing, I found Beijing super easy to walk around. It's such a breeze!
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People from Chongqing just have a natural stamina buff.
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I always assumed all tourist spots were as vast as those in Beijing. My first time in Suzhou, at Hanshan Temple, I was mentally prepared for a climb like Fragrant Hills. But after just 20 minutes, I was like, 'Wait, that's it? We're already at the top?' Feeling completely bewildered.
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The first time I took my son to Suzhou, our first day's plan was the Humble Administrator's Garden. We hired a guide and were done in just over an hour. We just looked at each other, like, 'Now what?' So, we hopped on a random tour bus at the entrance and ended up visiting Hanshan Temple, Maple Bridge, the Silk Museum, and the Pearl Museum. The local driver even asked, 'Do you guys think every place is as huge as the Forbidden City?'
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Oh, and I have to mention three friends—one each from Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou—who told me certain places were 'just a short walk away.' Turns out, each 'short walk' was at least 20 minutes! You first-tier city folks are basically urban infantry units when it comes to walking.
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Twenty minutes? That is pretty close, just over a kilometer. I walk that much pretty much daily.
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From Tiananmen to Xidan, I asked a policeman how far it was. He said, 'It's very close, just a short walk.' Then I checked – it's 2 kilometers! That's 'very close'?
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2km isn't close? It's just a hop, skip, and a jump!
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After spending the last couple of days sightseeing in Beijing, I swear a kilometer here feels longer than a kilometer in Shanghai.
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Won't it be cold with nothing much to see along the way?
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That's why they say Beijing tour guides have the toughest job in the country.
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They have to walk so much and memorize tons of information, huh.
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I actually managed to schedule the Badaling Great Wall, the National Museum, AND Tiananmen Square all in one day in Beijing! My feet were absolutely killing me by the end.
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Are you sure you won't get stuck in traffic?
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@momo Hahahaha, remember when we walked from Wangfujing back to Xishiku? I was so freaking done with it, especially since they wouldn't even let us cross the road!