Beijing Zoo is horrible
I finally got around to visiting Beijing Zoo today. I’ve long read tales of how poorly kept the animals are, so wanted to go and see for myself.
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Bang Ye, or the Chinese Shirt Roll – China
Now that the hot and humid weather has arrived for the summer men all over China are cooling themselves down using the Chinese Shirt Roll, or Bang Ye.
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The Great Wall under water – Xifengkou, Hebei Province
Xifengkou is the only place where the Great Wall dips underwater and it’s been turned into a very pleasant nature park. The main attraction is the wall and the opportunity to scuba dive down and marvel at how well preserved it remains in the neutral lake.
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Culinary Heaven – SanYuanLi Market, Beijing
SanYuanLi market is the place to visit in Beijing if you need to buy any non-Chinese cooking ingredients.
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ZongZi and the Dragon Boat Festival in China
Next weekend is the Duanwu, or Dragon Boat festival, and a fine excuse to eat the glutinous balls of rice known as Zong Zi
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Carving the perfect Peking Duck – Beijing
One of the pleasures of visiting a high-end restaurant in Beijing is watching the skill of the chefs precisely carving the peking duck.
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Avoiding Chinese Toilet Trauma
Since the Olympics in 2008 Beijing’s toilets are rapidly being updated, but if you’re planning on seeing more of the country then it’s worth being prepared for a change in standards.
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JingShan Park – Beijing, China
Opposite the north gate to the Forbidden City lies Jingshan Park. The park was opened as an imperial garden in 1368, but when the moats and canals around the Forbidden City were excavated the soil was used to build an artificial hill with five peaks. This huge work of manual labour was carried out to improve the feng shui of…
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Watching traffic deaths at teatime – Beijing
The traffic volume in Beijing is appalling, and the quality of drivers even worse. A graphic new show called “Traffic Light” aims to educate road users that they’re not invincible.
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Cuandixia Village – Mentougou District, Beijing
Nestled deep in the Western Hills, about 90km outside Beijing is the tiny village of Cuandixia. Founded by the Han family during the 14th century Ming Dynasty, and with more courtyards than residents, little has changed in the last 600 years.
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