Beijing 5.26 🎈: Just Back! Our WTF-Proofing Tips (aka How to Dodge the Bullet Points).

[Howard Legros]

Hello everyone! I just returned from a five-day trip to Beijing with my grandparents and need to share this amazing experience with you. Before we started, I have been reading some travel reviews of Beijing on popular Chinese social media apps (such as Xiaohongshu), but to be honest, many of these reviews were unhelpful as they only presented beautiful pictures without useful advice. Today, I would like to share with you what we learned during our trip.

Here are some details about the famous landmarks that we visited:

• Tiananmen Square: A ceremony of flag-raising takes place at the square every morning.
• Chairman Mao Memorial Hall: We paid tribute to former leader, Chairman Mao.
• The Forbidden City (the former imperial palace): It is huge!
• Qianmen Street: An old commercial street with local characteristics.
• Badaling Great Wall: Considered the most famous section of the Great Wall.
• Olympic Park: We visited the Bird’s Nest (the National Stadium) and Water Cube (National Aquatics Center).
• Temple of Heaven (used by emperors to worship the heaven): A historic landmark.
• Summer Palace: A vast royal garden with well-preserved imperial structures.
• Ruins of Yuanmingyuan: A site of the royal gardens that has been ruined due to historical reasons.
• We even went to Qinghua University and Peking University and took some photos outside their gates!

Let's first clear up some misconceptions. Many people online warn that booking tickets can be quite difficult, especially for major attraction sites such as the Forbidden City; however, even though tickets may appear reserved online, there are still chances to purchase tickets on-site, so don't give up too early!

Now let's talk about carrying bags into the scenic spots. It is said that bringing no bags can make security check faster, but actually it will still take more time when in crowded places no matter if you're carrying something or not. So, feel free to bring your bags with you, without being afraid of unnecessary inconvenience.

Some reminders for visitors to Beijing: Firstly, the bridge in front of Tiananmen Tower (Jinshui Bridge) is one-way, leading you only to the direction of the Forbidden City. If you plan to visit the nearby Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, National Museum of China or the Great Hall of the People, be sure to start your visit here before heading to other locations! Secondly, we recommend a sightseeing route as follows in sequential order: watch the flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square → tour the Monument to the People's Heroes → visit the Hall of the Great National Assembly (People’s Great Hall)→ return to Tiananmen Square and climb the Tiananmen Gate Tower → enter the Forbidden City. In addition, those aged above 60 years (70 years for visiting the Great Hall of the People), pregnant women, and physically-challenged people could get fast-track service through “Love Channel”, together with their accompanying partners. This is another excellent point!

Other important reminders: It is worthwhile to arrange a full day for a visit to the Great Wall which is far away from downtown. Finally, remember to go into the park not from the West Door but from the South Door to save time in exploring the main attraction points and to stay away from the detours.

With all these tips and recommendations, we hope that the trips to Beijing will be rewarding. Have a great time!