My First Glimpse of China – Beijing
There is a Chinese saying that goes “百闻不如一见”, which means seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times.
My first trip to China took me to it’s capital, Beijing.
Before this, I have never been to China before, so I can’t say that I’ve witnessed its transformation.
My first impressions of the city? It’s so green, it almost feels like I’m back home in Singapore’s concrete jungle.
I remember being filled with curiosity — of how big the city is, the endless tide of people moving through it, and how rich the history is, and how much it is still growing, as if I’d stepped into a living story still being written.
This first trip was in 2024, and little did I know it would spark a desire to return again, exploring more cities each time.
Here are some of the key spots I explored in Beijing:
Forbidden City 紫禁城 / 故宫
The Forbidden City is the world’s largest Imperial Palace, the size of 100 football fields, and it was home to emperors in the Qing and Ming Dynasty.
This place is massive and you definitely need a guide here, unless you are a Chinese history expert.
Walking through the Forbidden City while the guide explains its details feels like taking a step into how life was like in the past.
From the roofs made of gold to the rich symbolisms and intricate stone carvings, every corner has something fascinating to discover.
Tip: We travelled during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and I wouldn’t recommend it — the crowds were intense. Golden Week is another period to avoid, lesson learned.
Jing Shan Park 景山公园
After the Forbidden City, head to Jing Shan Park opposite to view the Forbidden City from above.
The park itself is quite big, but most people only go there to see the view of Forbidden city.
There is a small fee to enter the park.
Summer Palace 颐和园
Summer Palace is an imperial garden in the Qing dynasty.
This place is huge as well, it’s hard to cover every spot. I reckon it would take half a day to see everything.
We explored the Summer Palace for about 2-3 hours.
The Great Wall of China
A trip to Beijing wouldn’t have been complete without visiting the Great Wall.
Took a tour bus from Beijing city to Mutianyu (慕田峪) section. This section is further than Badaling, and apparently should be less crowded (or so we thought).
But what was supposed to be a 2 hour journey became close to 4 hours as it was near the Mid-Autumn Festival, where domestic travel was at it’s peak.
We had initially planned to take the chair lift up and the toboggan down, but due to time constraints, we decided to hike up and down one side instead.
There is another saying that goes “不到长城非好汉” which means “you’re not a true hero/man until you’ve climbed the Great Wall.”
Hiking to the top and surrounded by centuries of history, you can’t stop but be left in quiet awe at the scale and significance of the Great Wall of China.
Food
You can’t leave Beijing without trying its famous Peking duck (北京烤鸭).
Crispy skin, tender meat, and great service – this restaurant is a must try.
I have tried a couple of other Peking duck restaurants, but this one just hits the mark. The skin is crispy without being too oily, and the meat is tender.
If you can only order two main dishes – get the (1) Peking duck with wrap and (2) Dou Miao (vegetable). The honey glazed prawns was not bad, but the star of the show is the Peking duck.
Apparently Singaporean owned Jumbo Group partnered with this restaurant to bring its signature Peking duck to Singapore, opening an outlet at Resorts World Sentosa. But I would probably stick to eating this in Beijing for the authentic experience (and to maintain a healthy cholesterol level).
Tip: You can join the queue using WeChat / Dian Ping app — we didn’t know and ended up waiting two hours. Don’t make the same rookie mistake!
Save the name of the restaurant: 四季民福烤鸭店
Next stop…
There are 4 ancient capitals in China – Beijing, Nanjing, Luoyang, and Xi An.
So far, I’ve visited Beijing and Xi An, and each trip reveals a different side of China’s soul.
More to come in my next post — Xi An.
