Before coming to Beijing, it has always been a painting with a distinctive style in my mind. The main colors of the painting are the vermilion of the palace walls and the dark green of the big trees. If the picture is in a park, the old people must be shaking cattail fans and chatting; if it is in an alley, cats will sleep on the eaves. If there is a sound in this painting, it must be the Beijing accent with the tongue rolled all the way to the back of the head, otherwise it will be the clear female voice of Peking Opera, or the gentle sound of bicycle bells.
This place in Beijing really gave me a lot of reverie. It can be as elegant as it is grand. I have been thinking about it for more than ten years. When I saw it for the first time this time, I found that it was exactly the same as I imagined. The first sentence I blurted out to my sister was that this scene is really "Beijing".
This is the second trip for me and my sister, and it has been seven months since I went to Thailand last time. I am a free bird who usually goes out to play, but this time I was locked up for more than half a year by my studies and internships. Naturally, I flew to Beijing since I booked the ticket, and I was researching travel strategies all the time. After the four-day trip, the daily itinerary was full, but I was really happy! At the end of the trip, I have completely fallen in love with this city, and I hope to draw the most romantic first encounter Beijing illustrated book with those good impressions that cannot be shaken off.
Old Beijing Food Recommendations
Siji Minfu
To taste the old Beijing delicacies, we chose the Dengshikou store on the way this time. Although it is not as popular as the Forbidden City and other branches, it still made us wait for nearly two hours. Fortunately, after eating it in my mouth, I felt that everything was worth it.
I ordered pea yellow, Kung Pao chicken, palace almond tofu, bean sprouts, fried noodles and half a roast duck (...) As two girls, we ordered too much, and we were almost crawling in the end Leaving Siji Minfu...But while touching my stomach and shouting for support, I feel that every dish can't be given up, my God! ! Everything here is so delicious! ! !
This is the first time I have eaten such a magical pastry like pea yellow. The taste of peas is very fragrant, sweet and not greasy after one bite. The whole cake is delicate and tender, and it melts in the mouth without chewing too much. It's a bit much for two people, but it will be just right for three people!
I really want to blow up this Kung Pao Chicken! ! I swear this is the best kung pao chicken I have ever eaten in my life! ! The sauce is well adjusted, sweet and sour and slightly spicy. The most amazing thing is that the seasoning is very rich, but it will not be greasy if you eat it directly, and you will immediately ascend to heaven after eating one taste. You can't help eating it all the time. The second, third and fourth mouthfuls. The elasticity and chewiness of the chicken under such a seasoning is amazing that it will not be ignored at all. I decided to call it the number one dish of Siji Minfu!
Palace almond tofu is also unexpectedly delicious! We were worried that ordering this dish would be a bit redundant, but after eating it, we felt that if we didn’t order it, we would definitely regret it!
Compared with other dishes, the Jajangmyeon is a bit standard, but it is also better than many of the Jajangmen we have eaten before. If you must eat a bowl of fried noodles when you come to Beijing, you can never go wrong with this bowl of Siji Minfu.
Xiyuanju Old Beijing Hot Pork (Qianmen)
In Beijing, when it comes to "boiled lamb", almost everyone knows it. This delicacy is very popular because it is easy to eat and delicious.
The origin of mutton mutton is complicated and confusing, and the statement that it originated in Kublai Khan's army is the most credible among them. "Old Capital's Hundred Words" says: "Mutton pot is the most common delicacy in the cold season, and it must be eaten with mutton restaurants. This kind of eating method is the study and evolution of the northern nomadic heritage, and it has become a special flavor." In Xiyuanju, Sijiu City, the old Beijing shabu-shabu restaurant is one of the few authentic old Beijing shabu-shabu restaurants in Beijing.
Xiyuanju is a well-known time-honored mutton restaurant in Beijing. It has a large copper pot and a charcoal fire. Dip it with the exclusive and secret traditional ingredients, and the big family a hundred years ago just ate it like this. There are especially many people coming in winter. Apart from most of the old Beijingers, there are also some tourists who can find it here.
Xiyuanju Old Beijing Instant Pot
It's not the right time to eat when I come here, but there are quite a lot of people
There are still many people waiting in line at the entrance of Xiyuanju Old Beijing Shabu Meat.
The raw material of the delicious mutton is black-headed sheep from Inner Mongolia. It only uses the meat of its "upper brain", "small Sancha" and "cucumber strips", removes the fascia and bone bottom, and slices it. After continuous improvement, the large iron pot was replaced with a refined charcoal-fired copper pot, served with sesame sauce, chive flowers, tofu in sauce, etc., so that the fresh and tender lamb slices are more delicious and less fishy.
Xiyuanju Old Beijing Instant Pot
Xiyuanju Old Beijing Instant Pot
Xiyuanju Old Beijing Hot Pork In addition, their dishes have ample portions and the prices are relatively reasonable, which is quite affordable in general. The boss is very enthusiastic, and the waiters are also considerate. Although the store is modest, the decoration is relatively simple. The boxes in the Compassion Palace and Jingyang Palace exude an old Beijing royal atmosphere.
The environment of Xiyuanju old Beijing hot-boiled meat: It shares the same gate with KFC, but KFC is downstairs, and Xiyuanju is on the second floor. Pushing open the chic wooden door, what you see is a screen with three big characters of "Xiyuanju". Various palace names to name. To the south are private rooms, which also have names of various colors. At the top is the kitchen, which is called "Imperial Dining Room". When I came, I was rushing to eat, but there were not many people, the room and table were empty, and only a few guests at the small table were chatting.
Taste: Speaking of the old Beijing hot pot, it is different from other hot pots. It needs a copper pot. The meat must be hand-cut, and then there are venetian dishes. The dishes are only cabbage vermicelli, served with sesame sauce. The basic needs of real Beijingers who don't like cumbersome winters. Hand-cut meat pays attention to the appearance, the color should be red and white, fat and thin, not all thin, only a little fat is delicious. The time to wash it in must be grasped, if it is short, it will not be cooked, and if it is long, it will be old. Just 10 seconds, stick the sesame sauce and put it in your mouth to bite. The hot and thick sheep is wrapped in sesame sauce. It can be described as a delicacy.
Xiyuanju Old Beijing Boiled Pork is really tender, with a crispy and soft taste. The mutton has no smell, but the mutton taste is also slightly weak. According to the store's suggestion, if you wash it for 12 seconds, it will be a little more tender like a girl's skin, and it will be more reassuring to eat it if it is cooked, and it will still be fresh and tender. [Homemade Fresh Lamb] The best night, the meat color is bright red, the entrance is crisp and tender, the mutton taste is very positive, I feel that it is not inferior to Nanmen. Friends who have never caught a cold for fresh-cut brains also ate a lot and spoke highly of it
Quanjude Beijing Roast Duck
Peking duck really lives up to its reputation, the skin is fragrant and crispy, and it feels super special when dipped in sugar! The meat can be directly dipped in the sauce, or it can be wrapped in duck skin with other ingredients to dip in the sauce. Each way of eating is very different, and each has its own deliciousness. But I suspect it's really because we were too full, and we were a little tired at the end of the meal. Instead, we felt obsessed with Kung Pao Chicken.
Doorframe Hutong Century Stewed Stew (Xinjiekou Branch)
When you come to Beijing, you must eat stewed rice! Among all the stewed dishes, Menjia Hutong is the most popular one. There are many tourists from other places, and there are also many locals who come to have dinner with their families. A bowl of stewed soup, a few skewers of mutton, and two bottles of Arctic Ocean (I fell in love with this cheap soda on this trip to Beijing), we also ordered a bowl of noodles with fried sauce, which was delicious but a bit redundant. The Guangzhou people who love lo-mei and large intestines said that they are really satisfied after eating! ! I'm not in a hurry next time, I really want to eat again!
Although there is a queue at the door, the queue is full of orders, and the movement speed is very fast. The serving speed is also very fast. The most troublesome thing is that there are not enough seats inside, and you need to wait slowly for the people in front to finish eating. It is recommended that two friends line up to place the order, and the other will catch the empty table inside, so as not to find a vacant seat when the dishes are all served.
DAY1
Summer Palace | Willow branches write a green poem
Compared with the Summer Palace, which is full of lotus in summer, it looks lively. In autumn, there are fewer lotus here, but it becomes softer because of willow branches.
At this time, the willow trees are dense but not heavy, and they look like light water sleeves under the blowing of the autumn wind. They are neither the tender green of willow branches in spring, nor the withered yellow of late autumn. The light green contrasts with the light blue sky and the slightly old vermilion eaves, like a faded old photo that has been favored by the years. In autumn, the clouds are light and the wind is light. At this time, it seems to be stagnant in this century-old royal garden, enjoying the rare tranquility.
Although we arrived at the Summer Palace relatively late, after entering the park after three o'clock, a large number of tourists had already left, and the sun had already set to the west, but the atmosphere in the garden began to become ambiguous due to the setting sun and the breeze. I think we like the Summer Palace so much this time, and it probably has something to do with this exact period of time. Going to the park in a refreshing and romantic environment, coupled with any unusual scenery, seems to be very easy to feel refreshed.
If we come in June and July, there may be more lotus in the lotus pond. Now the water is full of bustling lotus leaves, and a pink lotus becomes particularly eye-catching. But, if I were this lotus, I should be quite happy, because it seems to make me look more beautiful.
The girl in the red skirt on the other side of the lotus pond is sitting by the pool and playing with her camera-this picture is really beautiful to me on the other side. I pressed the shutter secretly, a little worried that she would suddenly look up and see me, but when I looked up, I found that the foreign friend next to me was secretly taking pictures with her waist bent like me. The girl in the red dress may never know how beautiful she was at that time, and she became a beautiful scenery in the eyes of so many people.
When we first walked into the Summer Palace and saw the lush pine trees on both sides of the road, my sister and I were delusional to meet wild little squirrels (we have never seen free squirrels on the roadside in Guangzhou!), but we didn’t expect to be able to walk. Then I met the little squirrel who jumped down from the tree and picked up pine cones on the grass! We were so surprised that we wanted to yell, but we were afraid that we would scare it away, so we suppressed our excitement and observed in secret.
When I went around and came to Kunming Lake, it was almost five o'clock, and the sun shrank a lot. From the remote and unpopular path through the door opening, we came to this most popular scenic spot, and we realized that we had finally broken into the mighty tour group. After all, when you come all the way to the Summer Palace, you must see the famous Seventeen-Arch Bridge.
An important reason for liking the Summer Palace is the people here. Perhaps it is because the air in the park is always relatively relaxed and lazy, and the hurried steps of tourists have become leisurely. The girls who brought their cameras and dressed up are also willing to sit quietly by the lake and enjoy the breeze. The old man practiced calligraphy on the road bricks with a big brush, and the tourists and children saw it and wanted to write the calligraphy they had learned so hard to show their grandpa, and asked him for advice seriously. The cutest thing is that the passers-by who are watching are equally serious.
As for the legendary Seventeen-Arch Bridge, its popularity was so high that we were discouraged, and we didn't dare to step on the bridge in the end.
Although it is one of the good attractions that must be visited, we feel that there is no need to be too nervous when visiting the Summer Palace, let alone go to the crowd to take pictures and check in. If possible, choose a sunny afternoon like us to go, first bypass the crowded hall, go to the trails with few people on both sides to take a walk, and then you will naturally stroll to the places you need to go. Only by creating your own little surprise in the magnificent royal garden can you fall in love with this old royal park from the bottom of your heart.
DAY2
Temple of Heaven | Pick up indigo in the mountains, rivers and oceans
The impression of the Temple of Heaven was only the round Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest in the photo, so I didn't expect much from it at first. But maybe because of the good weather and the good mood, the Temple of Heaven Park has almost become my favorite tourist attraction during the whole trip.
I don't know what kind of color matching genius the designer of the Temple of Heaven is. He was able to create such a noble but not high-profile indigo blue for the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. The perfect fusion of ancient sacrificial places and modern green parks makes the tree-lined road leading to the building complex seem like a time tunnel. In the shade, you can gradually shuttle to the ancient sacrificial scenes and enjoy the breathtaking ancient aesthetic feast. . I don't think I could have found a more stunning park.
In fact, before seeing the Temple of Heaven in person, I myself have seen too many photos of it. In the photo, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is dark blue, and the dark blue plaque with a copper-gold frame gives me the impression of solemnity and solemnity. But when the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests really appeared in front of my eyes, that amazing moment made me suddenly realize how thin the photo is, and it can only show one percent of its temperament. I guess the indigo color is not capable of being displayed on the LCD screen at all. It seems to be picked up from mountains, rivers and oceans, light but not floating, fairy but not empty. It stands there like heaven and earth. It is beautiful no matter how you photograph it, but it is impossible to photograph how beautiful it is.
Although the Temple of Heaven Park has far more buildings than the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, and the Echo Wall, Circular Mound and other scenic spots are also famous relics, it has to be said that the shock and amazement brought by the Hall of Prayer for Harvests is not easily comparable to other scenic spots. of. Moreover, due to the need for protection, the Whispering Wall can no longer whisper close to the wall. It may be difficult for many romantic and cautious scenes in the imagination to happen here again in the future. It is indeed a pity.
Temple of Heaven Park Temple of Heaven Park Bird's Nest Concert | Moonlight Drying Tears
In fact, to be honest, the reason why I decided to come to Beijing this time is mainly because of the purpose of seeing the five uncles.
For many five fans, the Beijing Bird's Nest seems to be a pilgrimage site that must be visited once in a lifetime. This time, Mayday’s inland tour will officially end in Beijing. I am paradoxically looking forward to this day. I can see them as soon as possible and dance all night, and I am afraid to welcome the end of the show before it starts. I hope It doesn't start so quickly.
So at the moment I saw the bird's nest, I suddenly felt nervous. The most beautiful big dream in life probably begins with this glance.
Needless to say, the process of the concert, I was still jumping and screaming excitedly in the first half, and started crying uncontrollably in the second half. Looking back, I haven't cried so badly in a long time.
DAY3
Mutianyu Great Wall | Emerald Great Wall among the clouds
The first time we came to Beijing, we did not go to Badaling, but came to Mutianyu, a paradise for foreigners with slides to play.
The first time I knew about the existence of Mutianyu was many years ago, when I happened to see a video on Weibo. In the video, a foreigner held a gopro and recorded the super cool process of descending from the slide on the top of the Great Wall. At that time, I screamed in my heart: There is such a cool Great Wall hidden in China! ! Foreigners are so good at playing! ! ! If I go to Beijing, I must also climb this Great Wall! Unexpectedly, five or six years later, we finally came to the capital, but we finally saw the super cool Mutianyu.
I don’t know why the Great Wall in my impression must be very sunny, with many people, and the road is very wide, so Mutianyu completely overturned my impression of the Great Wall. It was a cloudy day to climb the Great Wall, the Great Wall was surrounded by clouds and fog, and the temperature in the mountains was 26 degrees like that of an air-conditioned room. We traveled long distances for more than two hours, but the moment we got off the car and were surrounded by fresh air, we suddenly felt that it was worth traveling far to come here.
It was the first time we took this kind of suspended cableway up the mountain, and both of us were nervous and excited. But the staff of the ropeway are very cute, let us stand in front and wait for the chairs to fly along the conveyor belt.
If Badaling is a vigorous young man, Mutianyu is more like a mysterious and gentle woman. Against the background of the woods and mountain fog, you don't know where she will meander. The stone bricks of Badaling give people the impression of warm colors under the sunlight, but Mutianyu is covered with a layer of cool colors because of the feminine atmosphere. You will unconsciously think that it is blue-gray and soft. Not so distant or intimidating.
There are not many tourists on the Mutianyu Great Wall, Chinese and foreign tourists account for half and half, and even the number of certain insects on the Great Wall is about the same as the number of tourists. In some places, the stairs are very steep. When you stop to rest, you will find that tourists of all nationalities are holding their knees and panting with the same posture and the same expression. The expressions on their faces are both helpless and funny. The picture is really cute. . Some bold Instagram bloggers will climb high walls to take pictures. I imagined the effect of putting the photos on ig, and I think they will definitely get a lot of likes.
Finally, finally arrived at the exciting part of the slide! We lined up for a while, watching the tourists in front of us cheering and setting off one by one while waiting, and the expectations in our hearts gradually accumulated to the highest point. It's our turn! I jumped on my little skateboard, clumsy for three seconds stuck on the speed control lever, but I couldn't wait to go.
DAY4
The Forbidden City | Time Trapped Inside the Red Wall
The location of the courtyard homestay where we stayed for the third night was really great! After booking the afternoon session of the Forbidden City, we rode bicycles directly to the Forbidden City after having breakfast. There are not as many tourists as we imagined, and the tickets are booked several days in advance, and the speed of entering the venue by swiping the ID card is very fast.
Probably because of the repainting, the exterior wall of the Forbidden City looks very new, and it doesn't look special. So the real journey through the door starts from the moment when you see the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Forbidden City
Because the Forbidden City has a lot of tourists queuing up to rent the guide, we did not follow the way everyone suggested to visit the Forbidden City with the guide. Although I know a lot less historical allusions, it seems to be more like a tourist, but because I don’t need to deliberately understand the history of every building and every scene, the journey is much easier.
Forbidden City
The red walls of the Forbidden City are particularly quiet and beautiful. Their colors are not very uniform, especially mottled under the cover of tree shadows, but they appear more indifferent to the world. Visitors come and go, and time flies by, but it just stands there all the time, quietly watching the ups and downs of everyone's life, or the rise and fall of each dynasty. They have witnessed everything and known everything, but they can only deposit everything in the walls and years; they have listened to history, recorded history, and will eventually become history.
For me, a tenth-level fan of Huanzhugege, I am familiar with most of the palaces in the Forbidden City. The Compassion Ning Palace, Kun Ning Palace, Qianqing Palace and Jingyang Palace all have inexplicable intimacy for me.
Most of the clocks in the watch hall come from the United Kingdom, and some come from France, Switzerland and other Western countries. Beginning in the Qing Dynasty, a large number of such mechanical clocks began to flow into China. In addition to the ordinary timing function, these clocks also have exquisite craftsmanship, vivid dynamic design of hourly timekeeping, beautiful music and other ornamental functions, becoming precious furnishings and decorations in the palace. At that time, it was not only a timer with practical value, but also a pleasing entertainment tool, and it was also a handicraft with exquisite skills.
When passing by Qianqing Palace, there were still a little more people.
When we came to the Palace of Preserving Harmony, there were still a little more people.
Forbidden City (↓ Taihe Gate at 5 pm!!!)
We, who were already exhausted from walking, suddenly saw this refreshing new world through the doorway. In an instant, we were full of blood and screamed to take out our camera with 90% battery left. This was arguably the most enjoyable round of shooting all day, and ended up taking more photos than the whole afternoon combined.
If I have to endure the pain of crowding during the trip, it is the most uncomfortable thing for me. Sometimes it directly ruins the good mood of the whole day, so I really have to thank the last Jiling for turning back. It feels so cool to have the entire Forbidden City, which perfectly saved the depression of the day, and finally put a successful end to our trip to Beijing.
At 5:30, when the sun was setting and the sun was the most beautiful, the two sisters of the Wu family, who were in a good mood, finally left the Forbidden City happily and said goodbye to Beijing.
At last
This trip to Beijing made us all love it so much. Whether it is the always peaceful and peaceful alley, the lovely old people who like to strike up a conversation, or all the friendly people we meet here, I think it will definitely make us miss it for a long time. The short four days may not be enough to let us know how much she is, but with such a beautiful first encounter, it is enough for us to make up our minds to see its spring flowers, autumn leaves, and winter snow.
