Around Beijing, China : Wangfujing and The Forbidden City (Palace Museum)

-
My recent trip to Beijing, China was business-related so I wasn't really expecting to be able to visit much of the touristy sites or have as much free time to roam around and to have food trips on my own. It was pretty good actually as it was my first time to travel alone thus I don't feel very comfortable go around such a HUGE province on my own. I happily tagged along with the group wherever our host takes us. That set-up worked perfectly fine for me. At least, the next time I get to go back with Paul, I'll have a better idea on where to go!

beijing china 1
Out of the four days that we were there, our gracious host took the afternoon off on our 3rd day to take us to the Palace Museum, otherwise known as the Forbidden City. This is located right at the center of Beijing and as we were told, everything surrounds the Forbidden City.

We entered through the North Gate where the ticket counter was located. Believe me, the Forbidden City is HUGE! It actually reminds me of the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Korea. It has a main palace at the entrance followed by slightly smaller ones behind and offices lining the sides. It's a good thing, I went prepared with my trusty rubber sneakers as we did a lot of walking that afternoon.

beijing china 5
It's amazing how China has well-preserved this World Heritage Site. Despite the warm weather, the place was pack with tour groups peeking into every single palace and offices in the area.


beijing china 4
I simply enjoyed the intricate details seen on roof...

beijing china 2
or on the huge stone statues scattered around.

beijing china 6
Here I am with my OK! counterparts at the exit gate of the Forbidden City.

beijing china 9
On my last day, I made a quick shopping/eating trip to Wangfujing. This is a huge pedestrian area lined with shopping malls, food stalls and a lot more. Start your journey at the south of Wangfujing where Oriental Plaza mall is located. Make your way in as you see the Wangfujing Bookstore up until you hit the Xin Dong An Plaza and the Wangfujing Catholic Church.

beijing china 10
As you walk further down the street, you'll see the Wangfujing Food Street to your left. It was raining quite hard when I went yet I checked it out for a while until I can feel myself getting extremely soaked wet. Sadly, I forgot to bring an umbrella. Tsk!


beijing china 11
I really enjoyed my short visit to Wangfujing and I'm definitely visiting this again should Paul and I decide to go back to Beijing someday. It's here where I feel most at ease. With shopping and eating as the main activity, I think I just found my favorite spot in Beijing.

It was really a short trip and I have yet to visit the Great Wall of China, the Olympic Stadium and the Water Cube, more temples and palaces. I will definitely be back, Beijing!

Related posts:
Onboard China Southern Airlines
XiZhao Temple Hotel in Beijing, China
Sushi Express at the Oriental Plaza, Beijing

How to get to the Forbidden City: Take Subway Line 1 and get off at Tian An Men Xi or at Tian An Men Dong or take Bus #s 1 or 5 and get off at Qian Men Station.

How to get to Wangfujing: Take Subway Line 1 and get off at the Wangfujing station. 

Popular posts from this blog

Bag of Beans (Charito) in Tagaytay

-
Image
I can't believe that we have been frequenting Tagaytay for more than a decade now and not once have I written about Bag of Beans ! I tried searching all over this blog and I found..nothing. To think that not a single trip to Tagaytay, back then, would ever be complete without stopping by Bag of Beans for lunch or merienda. I must have been to engrossed with their coffee and bread that I wasn't able to take photos of the place and their food thus no blog entry. They, after all, have one of the best brewed coffee in Tagaytay and the yummiest bread to go with it too. Bag of Beans has been an institution in Tagaytay. Just like us, other tourists and visitors would make sure to drop by in order to grab a bite or to take home some of their homemade goodies every time they find themselves in Tagaytay. Bag of Beans started with one branch along the Tagaytay-Nasugbu Main Road across Residence Inn Zoo and it wasn't even overlooking the Taal. While they may lack in having a scenic ...
Read more

Franny Mommy Finds : Happy Noz Sticker Patch

-
Image
As a parent, I have one thing that I dread the most and that's when any of my kids fall sick. From the moment we detect the faintest sniffle followed by sneezes and runny nose, we know one thing is for sure -- we will be having a couple of sleepless nights. For twins, it is very common that when one falls sick, expect the other one to follow suit in just a matter of days, sometimes within hours even.  A few years ago, my twins would catch a cold and we really would struggle because they'd become very fussy and cranky at night. They're sleepy and tired from the cold but with a clogged nose, they can't really have a restful night and this means, either one of us will have to sit up and carry them all throughout the night. It came to a point wherein both kids were sick and Paul and I eventually caught the bug too. It was just so hard to care for the kids while you're not in the best condition as well. This got me researching on remedies on how we can have a good night ...
Read more

Lumbung Sari: House of Coffee in Ubud, Bali

-
Image
Aside from its beautiful beaches and sunset views, Bali is also known for its coffee. Actually Indonesia is one of the world's top coffee producers and Bali, in particular, is known for a certain type of coffee called kopi luwak . It's actually one of the more premium kind and this is because of how it's produced. Kopi Luwak otherwise known as civet coffee  is produced by this tiny furry creature called the civet cat. They're fed coffee cherries and the coffee beans actually comes out when they poop. I know it sounds gross but people believe that the enzymes produced by the civet cat and the fermentation that happens inside is body brings more flavor and improves the quality of the coffee. So after they excretes it out, the farmers will then clean it, roast and grind it before brewing the coffee. Every time Paul and I travel, we love to inject a bit of history and cultural learning about the place that we're visiting. So, when I proposed the idea of visitin...
Read more