We visited a very rubber looking Mao at his mausoleum. Note - you can't take bags in with you so instead of checking them in we just took it in turns. It is disrespectful to say negative things about the great Mao so I shouldn't tell you that I had a little giggle as I was ushered past him. Another thing ticked off the list.
My Peking duck dreams have been answered - Yao Yao took us to the best duck place in town and kindly treated us to dinner with her boyfriend Mark. They say good things come to those who wait - we had to wait an hour and a half but it was worth it for the feast that we were to experience! We have always said that its a shame they only offer the duck breast for the pancakes and often wondered what they do with the rest of the bird - turns out you can ask them to chop it up and they will deep fry it. It them comes back to you slightly disguised so you aren't really sure what part of the bird you are eating but its tasty! The Forbidden City - what a maze! It is just as described, beautiful temple after palace after temple. Luckily no queues again despite the amazing weather. Its big. Its like the guidebook says it is - vast and full of temple after temple. Impressive and awe-inspiring considering the efforts that went into building it. Art 798 District Really wish we had of spent more than an afternoon here because not only is it the Beijing gallery district, it is also full of artist studios, cool cafes and design shops. The whole area is full of disused factories which obviously make great spaces for galleries and it was so refreshing to see them make the most of each and every unique space. Yao and Ella were amazing guides, some of the galleries are really tucked away so you need to know where you are going. Kiwon Park at Galleria Continua, was a highlight, the artist clad their huge space in cardboard. Li Singsong at Pace Gallery was also dreamy. Check them out! We also tried our luck and rang Ai Weiwei’s studio doorbell, to our surprise, an assistant came out and unsurprisingly told us to contact his PA to arrange a visit. Had we have been a little more organised, we probably could have arranged this, but its good to save some things for the next visit! For our final night we were treated to a traditional Beijing home style hotpot- exactly what we felt like and made extra special as the lamb was fresh from Inner Mongolia! Thank you dear Ella and Yao Yao! N.B. Beijing airport old terminal is an utter nightmare, allow at least 1 hour for each queue you find yourself in. Japan here we come! 🇯🇵 Comments are closed.
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AuthorsRob & Charlie's travelling adventures on their long journey back to London after living in Hong Kong. Four continents, twelve countries, lots of experiences. Archives
July 2017
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Robert Ware & Charlotte Nunn |