Where old meets new.....

Beijing is one of my favourite Chinese cities and one the things I love about it compared to say somewhere like Shanghai is it is still very traditonal even know modern aspects has been arriving in China. It is great to get lost in some Hutongs, enjoy the hotpots and pose for photos in some of the popular tourist sites.

On this occasion I arrived in Beijing by train and then proceeded to the opposite side of the station exit to get the subway which was very easy and very cheap. Maybe 2rmb if I remember correctly. I arrived in Beijing as it started to snow which personally I think is the best time to see Beijing. TIP- take your passport with you everywhere as security is very heavy in Beijing and even passing a subway station close to the Forbidden city I was required to show my passport to pass. 

For the next few days my itinery was

DAY 1 - Forbidden City and Mao mausoleum

This is of corse one of the busiest sights in Beijing and you can only visit Mao at certain times on certain days however I would recommend it. You will not be able to take photos. That is impossible. There are rumours he will be transferred to his home village soon for burial so I would visit as soon as you can. Forbidden city costs about 100rmb and I would get a audio device as its hard to get around without it. They have in multiple languages. Get here early to beat the crowd.

DAY 2 - Great Wall Of China

This is probably on most peoples bucket list. It is actually located couple hours outside of Beijing and there are multiple parts of the wall. It is a hard climb and quite busy. I would not like to do it in summer. The cost of a taxi to the wall and back cost me about 900rmb. The taxi will wait for you. I would say you need 5 or 6 hours at the wall.

DAY 3 - 798 Arts District

This is probably 1 hour from the city centre but is now one of the most visited sights thanks to Instagram. This is comparable to Shoreditch in London or Brooklyn in New York with its coffee shops, craft beer, art galleries and strange but cool artworks. I really enjoyed this and will go back. Had some shops where you can buy some nice art and other items made by the artists. I got here by metro then taxi as the metro station is not close to walk it.