Hello Beijing - Wangfujing
I had the pleasure of visiting Mainland China recently and got my dose of culture and exploration.
In all honesty, I did not prepare for this trip as much as I would have liked to and found myself a little worried as I boarded my flight. I had heard many things about China from friends and colleagues but I figured, well… Let’s just go with the flow and embrace some of the unknown.
This is a summary of my experiences and my reflective thoughts. : )
Touchdown Beijing
After a lengthy flight, I was feeling a little fatigued. The final flight announcement concluded and the doors were finally open. I had finally arrived!
I took my first steps out onto Beijing soils (well, concrete)… Although I was expecting to notice some air pollution, it really didn’t take much time to adjust. Apparently around this time of year it’s normally fine but it can get quite heavy in other months.
It was a warm afternoon and the air was clear enough by my standards - No need for a face mask here.
The airport was seemingly empty at the time…Until I hit immigration. A queue stacked with lots of buzzing (or sleepy) travellers. Beijing International can be a little chaotic, lines were packed and those who were trying to get their connecting flights were in a panic. Staff eventually dispersed the foreigner queues into other lanes and things went smoothly.
A train ride is needed to move between different terminals (baggage collection etc.)
I was not sure of how China’s infrastructure would treat me. In truth, I actually like some aspects of their subway system over the London Underground. Your current stop and destination is highlighted, disposable tickets are NFC cards that are recycled. This is a good step over paper tickets.
Journey to the Hotel - Conquering Taxis
Finally getting out of the airport, I got to take in a little bit of what was around me.
I got a text from a friend saying to take a bus then a cab to the hotel, so I did. Finally on board this welcoming air conditioned bus, I asked how long it would take to reach where I was going…”One hour.” I was beginning to wonder if this was a mistake….lol.
But hey, this bus had WiFi so I zoned out.
Traffic in Beijing is absolute madness. I would have a hard time driving here, props to those who do!
The final stop arrived and I pulled my luggage off. Pretty much shattered at this point, I just wanted to grab a ride to my hotel ASAP. To my dismay, as I scanned the area…Not a taxi in sight. My phone battery was running low and I my limited Mandarin wasn’t getting me far. A dilemma indeed.
After a short walk around the main road I managed to hail a ride and get to my hotel. From this point I concluded that I would always take a taxi directly from (and probably to) the airport.
Catching a glimpse of brilliantly lit Tiananmen Square.
I was overcharged to get to my hotel but I didn’t mind at this point. The prices are very fair and I would always politely ask the driver to use the taxi meter. The taxi situation is the same here as most places I have visited, always be clear and walk away if anything seems off. There was even a time someone offered me a “taxi ride” in their normal vehicle. Safety first :) .
As a foreigner I sometimes found it hard to hail a cab but using apps like Didi (ride-sharing company backed Tencent / Alibaba) is a godsend. There were no English versions of this app when I visited but I am aware that a foreigner friendly version has returned in selected cities!
In and Out – Checking the Scene
I checked into my room and despite being exhausted - I decided to hit the streets.
Wangfujing is a major shopping district in Dongcheng and I really wanted to see what was nearby. It was around 9pm local time, I was not sure what to expect. I got onto the main road and walked to wards the shopping district. The streets were busy with people walking to and from the shopping district. To my delight, many shops were open and I even had time to visit the APM (shopping plaza) and had dinner at 外婆家 (Grandma’s). They told me they were closing soon but were able to serve everything we wanted in no time at all.
I took a stroll round the main street and ended up outside the night market.
I knew this was mostly a tourist market with expensive souvenirs, food and perhaps other ridiculous things. But it’s not something I dislike. To me, it’s another unique experience I get to have here. Interacting with the sellers (who can be a little aggressive at times) is fun and it was a place that I was curious to look around in.
Souvenir stalls and shops were packed to the brim.
I have been to many tourist markets and actually found bargaining in China a little more relaxing in comparison to other places. I had fun buying some trinkets and seeing the different things people had to offer.
Scorpion, Centipede, Starfish and more were on offer as delicacies.
I didn’t actually see this anywhere else in China during my trip so it was a unique sight to behold. The scorpions were still wriggling alive on the sticks. Perhaps people dislike this place and see it as a cliché but for me it was fun to spectate.
From steaming bubble tea to colourful desserts and… squid? Wangfujing had a lot of interesting stalls to show off.
Just the Beginning
All in all, I was pretty happy with my first few hours in Beijing and went back to my room buzzing with energy. I had a lot planned and knew it was going to be a good trip. Wangfujing to me was a very modern and tourist friendly areas. To some, this might not have been an ideal location but I found it worked for me. A place I could use as my base before going off to explore.
This was only my first few hours there so the pictures I have are a little mundane for now but I will be documenting the rest of travels in the coming days. This trip was pretty packed!
I’m sure I missed out on loads of other things that were probably right under my nose in this district so I’d like to hear about more things I could have tried out in Beijing in the comments :) .
That’s all for now.
88~