In a 21st century that appears to be dominated by China, one might wonder if Beijing is the new centre of the world. For the citizens of the world’s most populous nation, it is. People from all over come to see the sprawling and stone-cold Tiananmen Square, and of course the pudgy face of the country’s father. One columnist for intelligent life is beside himself in having to admit the worldly status of Beijing. It is ugly and unfriendly, he says. And he is right. But there isn’t a person in the world who dares not respect it.
A youthful Mao Zedong at National Museum of China
For tourists, Beijing is an unparalleled nightmare. The nightmare of transportation, the unfriendly and scrupulous populous, the blistering heat and of course, the pollution all create one of the worst cities to travel to in the world. First, consider transportation. Despite its claims to history (which goes back a few hundred years), the groundwork was laid in the modern era, when the People’s Republic was formed. The result is a sprawling metropolis built for cars and altogether unfriendly for pedestrians. To be clear, walking anywhere in the city is not a option. The best way to get around is by the subway. There are many lines but the stops are far too spread out, and lots of transfers to required. Furthermore, the central area of Tiananmen/Forbidden City/Beihai Park/Jingshan Park is not reachable by subway. Worst, taxis are a tremendous disaster. At times, they are impossible to hail, or get stuck in Beijing traffic, which moves like molasses at rush hour. Finally, drivers have an unbearable attitude and no knowledge of the city. They can be useful given some ability in Chinese and a 3G connection; otherwise don’t bother. Most cities can be accomplished in a few days. That is impossible in Beijing because of bad transportation.
Beihai Park
The Chinese citizenry has gone through the worst dictatorship in human history and both a world war and a civil war. Survival was not assured until the recent economic boom. The result is thick skin, self-centredness, and disregard for the opinion of others: all good characteristics to have in survival mode but potentially less desirable in normal society. There is little nobility in ex-Shanghai China. It is more about self-preservation.
798 art district
Choose what to do in Beijing wisely. One day should be spent in the centre: Tiananmen/Forbidden City/Beihai Park/Jingshan Park (g: all tags; Forbidden city entrance is in the south), in that order. Do not miss the National Museum, across from Tiananmen. There are two noteworthy exhibits. First is a selection of stately gifts from all over the world, including the presidents who initiated ping-pong diplomacy. There are quite a few Canadian ones too. Second is a recount of history from the perspective of the communist party. It begins with the imperialist struggle, moves to Sun Yat-sen’s overthrow of the last emperor, the divergence between the CCP and the KMT, the struggle against the Japanese, the Civil War, the Creation of the PRC, right to present day, where nine suited men sit on the Politburo. This propagandist's version is quite telling about the state of openness in China.
Chess match near Temple of Heaven
Another day should be dedicated to going to the Wall, but avoid the tourists by going to a lesser-known part of it. A final day can be spent between the summer palace in the northwest and the 798 art (g: 798 art) district in the north east. The flagship gallery is the Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art (g: Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art), where you’re welcome to paint on the central display. There are lines of small galleries and fake Totoro wallets being sold as well.
In the morning, consider going to Panjiayuan antiques market (g: Panjiayuan) to haggle for an English version of Mao’s red book. The quotations of the father of the Chinese nation are a good primary source to understand the modern Chinese nation. My favourite story, as told by Mao, is of a man who tried to move two mountains because they blocked his view. So he laboured on for years in attempt to move the mountain, little by little. To my surprise, God rewarded this brainless behaviour by moving the mountains for him. The analogy is that the two mountains are imperialism and feudalism and that they may seem insurmountable but they still need to be fought against.
Da Dong Roast Duck Restaurant
Beijing is the only place in memory where you should not eat like a local. Go to the tourist traps because the general restaurant is a trap and tourists demand better food and service than the populous. For peking duck, go to Da Dong Roast Duck Restaurant (g: Da Dong Roast Duck Restaurant; many locations), preferably the one on Jinbao road. It serves a mouth-watering duck that is less oily than its competitors (~150RMB, half). Also, get the sweet and satisfying eggplant tower (~50RMB). They also have a reasonable beer selection, including some German ones. For traditional Chinese food, go to Dali Courtyard (g: Dali Courtyard; ~150 RMB / person set). It is close to Nanluoguxiang (g: nanluoguxiang), a pedestrian street that has everything but most importantly a famous milk custard (g: 文宇奶酪店). The actual restaurant is a beautiful courtyard in one of the back alleys (a “hutong”) of Beijing. It is served in carte-blanche style. A procession of beautifully cooked food comes. It is, no doubt, the best mainland Chinese food on the trip. For example, a fresh frisée salad in a weighty and full-bodied Chinese vinaigrette. Southeast Asian influences come in often: the mint in the tofu skin and lemongrass in the flattened and crispy Tilapia, and crispy seaweed on some prawns. Some dishes are deeply rooted in Chinese cuisine – like the Kung Pao Chicken. Another excellent touch is the tasty homemade drinks – a lemonade and an iced tea – that are unfound in the rest of China. Everyone here is a foreigner here but that they know what is good.
Dali Courtyard
Communism, of course, is about sharing the products of the economy. By definition it stipulates equality across the masses. So shortages occur (taxis are hard to hail). But wealth creates new classes and the ultra-rich know how to distance themselves away from the proletariat: black cars for hire, for example. The most important adage to survive in Chinese culture is “know the rules until you know the rules”.
Accessibility: China uses Chinese and most people speak Mandarin. English is not reliably used, though it is prevalent in some parts of the city. Most Chinese signs are spelt out in Pingyin, the Romanization of Chinese. Google maps accept both English and Chinese words but some locations are only searchable by Chinese characters. See the google guides (“g:”) in the article. Furthermore, Google Maps may be blocked or might be slow in China. Hotspot Shield or another way to bypass the censor is essential. China Unicom and China Mobile offer sim cards but they are somewhat difficult to attain. Some phones only work with certain networks so research beforehand. Google translate is essential. Taxis are difficult to hail but generally unreliable. They are inexpensive. Public transportation is cheap and effective.