Before I came to Beijing, it had always been a distinctive painting in my heart. The main color of the painting is the vermilion color of the palace walls and the dark green color of the big trees. If the picture is in a park, the old people must be chatting while waving their cattails; if it is in Hu Tongli, the cat will sleep on the eaves. If this painting can have sound, it must be a Beijing opera with the tongue rolling all the way to the back of the head, otherwise it will be a clear Peking Opera female voice or a leisurely bicycle bell.

Beijing has really given me a lot of imagination. Just how elegant it can be, how elegant it can be. I have been thinking about it for more than ten years. When I first saw it this time, I found that it was really exactly what I imagined. The first thing I blurted out to my sister was, this scene is really "Beijing".

This is my second trip with my sister. It has been seven months since our last trip to Thailand. I am a free bird who usually wants to go out and play at all times. This time, I have been locked up by studies and internships for more than half a year. Naturally, I want to fly to Beijing since I booked a ticket and study travel strategies all the time. After four days of travel, my daily schedule is full, but I am really happy! At the end of the journey, I have completely fallen in love with this city. I hope that I can draw the most romantic picture of my first encounter in Beijing with those beautiful impressions that I can't get rid of.

Recommended cuisine in old Beijing

Four Seasons Minfu

To taste old Beijing delicacies, we picked a Dengshikou restaurant along the way this time. Although it was not as popular as branches such as the Forbidden City, it still made us wait for nearly two hours. Fortunately, when I ate it in my mouth, I felt that everything was worth it.

We ordered yellow peas, Kung Pao chicken diced, court almond tofu, skillfully mixed bean sprouts, fried noodles and half a roast duck (...) As two girls, we ordered too much, and in the end we almost crawled away. We left the Four Seasons People's Blessing... But while touching our stomach and crying, we felt that we couldn't cut off every dish, my God!! Everything here is so delicious!!!

This is the first time I have eaten such a magical cake as pea yellow. The taste of peas is very fragrant. It is sweet and won't get tired in one bite. The whole cake is delicate and tender, and it melts in your mouth without chewing much. It's a bit too much for two people, but if three people eat it, it will definitely be just right!

I really want to blow this Kung Pao Chicken Diced!! I swear this is the best Kung Pao Chicken I have ever eaten in my life!! The sauce is super mixed, sour, sweet and slightly spicy. The most amazing thing is that it is clearly seasoned, but it will not get tired of eating it directly. Moreover, the taste buds will immediately rise to the sky with one bite. I can't help but keep eating it. Second, third and fourth bites. Under such seasoning, the elasticity and chewiness of the chicken are amazing that will not be ignored at all. I decided to call it the most beautiful dish for the people in all seasons!

Palace almond tofu is also surprisingly delicious! We were worried that ordering this dish would be a little superfluous, but after eating it, we felt that we would definitely regret it if we didn't order it!

Compared with other dishes, the Zhajiang noodles are a little more regular, but they are also more delicious than many of the Zhajiang noodles we have eaten before. If you must eat a bowl of Zhajiang noodles when you come to Beijing, you can't go wrong to eat this bowl of Four Seasons Minfu.

Xiyuanju Old Beijing Shabu (Qiandian)

In Beijing, almost everyone knows the mention of "hot-boiled mutton". Because this dish is easy to eat and delicious, it is very popular.

The origin of hot-boiled mutton is confusing, and the most credible statement that it originated in the army of Kublai Khan, the Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty. "Baihua of the Old Capital" says: "Mutton pot is the most common delicacy in the cold of the year and must be eaten in the mutton restaurant. These eating methods are the result of the research and evolution of the legacy of northern nomadic traditions and become a special flavor." In Xiyuanju, Sijiu City, Old Beijing Shabu is one of the few authentic old Beijing Shabu shops in Beijing

Xiyuanju is a well-known time-honored hot-boiled mutton brand in Beijing. It has a large copper pot and a strong charcoal fire. The mutton is of high quality. It is cooked immediately after being put into the pot. It is tender and tender in the mouth without any smell. Dip in exclusive and secret traditional ingredients, even big households a hundred years ago could only eat this way. There are especially many people coming here in winter. In addition to most old Beijingers, some tourists can also find it here.

Xiyuanju Old Beijing Hot Pot

I didn't eat well when I came here, but there were really many people

There are still many queuing people at the entrance of Xiyuanju Old Beijing Shabu.

The raw material of delicious hot-boiled mutton is black-headed sheep from Inner Mongolia. It is made by only using the meat from the "upper brain","small sancha","cucumber strips" and other parts, removing the fascia and bone base, and slicing it. After continuous improvement, the large iron pot was replaced with a refined charcoal-fired copper pot, which was served with sesame paste, leek flowers, soy tofu, etc., so that the tender and tender mutton slices were more delicious to remove the fishy smell and avoid the smell.

Xiyuanju Old Beijing Hot Pot

Xiyuanju Old Beijing Hot Pot

Xiyuanju Old Beijing Shabu In addition, their dishes are sufficient in size and the prices are relatively reasonable. Overall, they are quite affordable. The boss is particularly enthusiastic and the waiters are also quite considerate. Although the store is moderate, the decoration is relatively simple. The private rooms in Cining Palace and Jingyang Palace exude the atmosphere of old Beijing royalty.

Xiyuanju Old Beijing Shabu Environment: Sharing the same door as KFC, but KFC is downstairs, and Xiyuanju is on the second floor. Pushing open the unique wooden door, you will see a screen with the three characters "Xiyuanju" written on it. There are scattered tables in the hall. Each table can seat 4 people. In the north is a large table, which can seat 6 people. All of them are named after various palaces. To the south are private rooms with various color names. At the top is the kitchen, called the "Imperial Dining Room". When I came here, I was rushing to eat, but there were not many people. The room and table were empty, with only a few customers at the small table chatting.

Taste: Speaking of old Beijing hotpot, it is different from other hot pot's characteristics. It requires a copper pot. The meat must be hand-cut and then served with white leaves. The dishes only include cabbage and vermicelli, coupled with sesame sauce. This is the real need of real Beijingers who don't like the cumbersome winter. Hand-cut meat pays attention to the appearance. The appearance should be red and white, fat and thin. It should not be all thin. It must be a little fat to taste delicious. You must grasp the time you rinse it in. If it is short, it will not be ripe. If it grows, it will be old. Ten seconds is just right. Stick it with sesame sauce and put it into your mouth. The hot and thick sheep is wrapped in sesame sauce. The taste is so great. It can be said to be a delicacy.

Xiyuanju Old Beijing Shabu Pork is really tender and has a crisp and soft taste. The mutton has no mutton smell, but the mutton taste is also slightly light. According to the store's recommendation, if you rinse it for 12 seconds, it will be a little pink like a girl's skin. If you eat it more cooked, you will feel more assured. Besides, it will still be tender and tender. [My own fresh sheep on the brain] The best night is the night. The meat is bright red, the entrance is crispy and tender, and the mutton taste is very positive. I feel that I will not lose to the South Gate. My friends who have never been fond of freshly cut brains also ate a lot and spoke highly of them

Quanjude Beijing Roast Duck

Beijing Roast Duck indeed deserves its reputation. The skin is fragrant and crispy, and it feels super special when eaten dipped in white sugar! The meat can be dipped directly in the sauce, or it can be eaten with other ingredients in a duck bag and dipped in the sauce. Each method is very different and has its own delicious features. But I suspect it was really because we were too full and were a little tired of eating it at the end. Instead, we felt that we couldn't forget about Kung Pao Chicken.

Centenary Stewed Cooking in Menmu Hutong (Xinjiekou Store)

When you come to Beijing, you must eat stewed food! Among all the stewed stews, the one with the highest reputation, with many foreign tourists coming here and many locals coming for dinner with the family. A bowl of stewed rice, a few kebabs of mutton and two bottles of Arctic Ocean (we completely fell in love with this cheap soda on our trip to Beijing), and we also ordered a bowl of Zhajiang Noodles, which was delicious but a bit superfluous. Guangzhou people who love stewed meat and large intestine express that they are really satisfied after eating it!! Don't be in a hurry next time, I really want to eat again!

Although there is a queue at the door, the queue is all for placing orders and the moving speed is very fast. The serving speed is also very fast. The most troublesome thing is that there is not enough space inside, and you need to slowly wait for the person in front to finish eating. It is recommended that two friends form a queue to place orders, and the other one catch the empty table inside, so as to avoid holding the plate and unable to find an empty table after all the dishes are served.

DAY1

summer Palace| Willow branches write a green poem

Compared with the Summer Palace, which is lively in summer due to the ponds full of lotus flowers, there are fewer lotus flowers here in autumn, but they become softer because of the willow branches.

At this time, the willows were dense but not heavy, like light sleeves under the autumn wind. They are neither the tender green color when willow branches sprout in spring, nor the withered yellow color in late autumn. The light green and light blue sky, and the slightly old vermilion eaves set off each other, like a faded old photo favored by time. The clouds and wind in autumn are light, but at this time, they seem to be stagnant in this century-old royal garden, enjoying the rare tranquility.

Although we arrived at the Summer Palace relatively late, entered the park after three o'clock, a large number of tourists had already gone, and the sun had already set west, the atmosphere in the garden began to become ambiguous due to the setting sun and breeze. I think the reason why we like the Summer Palace so much this time is probably related to this coincidental period of time. Walking in the park in a refreshing and romantic environment, coupled with any unusual scenery, it seems that the feeling of refreshing and relaxed will come very easily.

If we came in June and July, there might be more lotus flowers in the lotus pond. Nowadays, the water is full of bustling lotus leaves, and a pink lotus flower becomes particularly eye-catching. However, if I were this lotus flower, I would be quite happy, because it seems to make me look more beautiful.

The girl in a red dress opposite the lotus pond was sitting by the pool playing with her camera-this picture looked really beautiful to me on the other side. I secretly pressed the shutter, worried that she would suddenly look up and see through me. When I looked up, I found that the foreign friend next to me was also secretly taking photos like me. The girl in the red dress may never know how beautiful she was at that time and became a beautiful scenery in the eyes of so many people.

When I first walked into the Summer Palace and saw the lush pine trees on both sides of the road, my sister and I were dreaming of meeting little wild squirrels (we really have never seen free squirrels on the roadside in Guangzhou!). Unexpectedly, as I walked, I would really meet a little squirrel jumping off the tree and picking up pine cones on the grass! We were so surprised that we wanted to shout, but were afraid that we would scare it away, so we kept suppressing our excitement and observed secretly.

When I came to Kunming Lake after a round trip, it was already nearly five o'clock, and the sunshine had receded a lot. Passing through the door opening from the remote and unpopular path to this most popular scenic spot, we realized that we had finally broken into the mighty group of tour groups. After all, everyone has come all the way to the Summer Palace to see the famous Seventeen-Arch Bridge.

An important reason why I like the Summer Palace is the people here. Perhaps it is because the air in the park is always relatively relaxed and lazy, and the hurried footsteps of tourists become leisurely. The girls who brought cameras and carefully dressed up were also willing to sit quietly by the lake to dry. The old man was practicing calligraphy on the road bricks with a large brush. When tourists and children saw it, they would also write the calligraphy they had learned hard to write to their grandfather and ask him for advice very seriously. The cutest thing is that the passers-by watching are equally serious.

As for the legendary Seventeen-Arch Bridge, its popularity was so high that we couldn't even dare to set foot on the bridge in the end.

Although it is one of the good must-see attractions, we don't feel too nervous about visiting the Summer Palace, let alone going into the crowd to take photos and check in. If you can, go there on a good afternoon like us, avoid the crowded hall first, and drill into the few crowded trails on both sides to relax. You will naturally slowly stroll around the place you should go. Only by creating your own little surprises in the magnificent royal garden can you love this old royal park from the bottom of your heart.

DAY2

Temple of Heaven| Picking up indigo in the mountains, rivers and oceans

The only impression of the Temple of Heaven was the round Hall of Prayer for Good Years in the photo, so I didn't expect too much from it at first. But perhaps because of the weather and the mood, Tiantan Park became almost my favorite tourist attraction throughout the trip.

I don't know what kind of color matching talent the designer of the Temple of Heaven is. Being able to create such a noble but not high-profile indigo color for the Hall of Prayer for Nien, even if it is matched with the royal gold color, it does not have a vulgar flavor, but it looks more elegant. The perfect integration of ancient sacrificial sites and modern green parks makes the tree-lined road leading to the building complex seem to be a time tunnel. In the shade, you can gradually shuttle to the ancient sacrificial scenes and experience the amazing ancient aesthetic feast. I don't think I could find a more charming park.

In fact, I had seen too many photos of the Temple of Heaven myself before meeting it. The Hall of Prayer for Good Years in the photo is heavy dark blue, and the ink-blue plaque with a copper-gold border has always given me a solemn impression. But when the Hall of Prayer for Good Years really appeared in front of me, that amazing moment made me suddenly realize how thin the photo was and only showed 1% of its temperament. I guess the LCD screen does not have the ability to present its indigo color at all. It seems to be picked up from mountains, rivers and oceans, light but not floating, fairy but not empty. Standing there, it is like a heaven and earth. It is beautiful no matter how beautiful it is, but it cannot be seen how beautiful it is.

Temple of Heaven Park Although the buildings in the Temple of Heaven Park are far more than the Hall of Prayer for Nien, and scenic spots such as the Echo Wall and the Circular Mound are also famous relics, I have to say that the shock and amazement brought by the Hall of Prayer for Nien is not easily comparable to other scenic spots. Moreover, due to the need to protect the Echo Wall, we can no longer whisper close to the wall. Many imaginary romantic and careful scenes will probably be difficult to happen here in the future. It is indeed a pity.

Temple of Heaven Park Temple of Heaven Park Bird's Nest Concert| Moonlight dries tears

In fact, to be honest, the main reason why I decided to come to Beijing this time was the purpose of visiting the five masters.

For many fans, the Beijing Bird's Nest seems to be a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage site. This May Day tour of the mainland is about to officially end in Beijing. I paradoxically look forward to this day coming soon, so that I can see them quickly and dance all night long. I was afraid to welcome the end of the show before it started, hoping that it wouldn't start so soon.

So the moment I saw the bird's nest, I suddenly felt nervous. The most beautiful big dream in life probably began at this glance.

Naturally, there is no need to say much about the process of the concert. In the first half of the concert, I was still jumping and screaming excitedly, and in the second half, I began to cry uncontrollably. Looking back on it, I haven't cried like this in a long time.

DAY3

Mutianyu Great Wall| The Emerald Great Wall between Clouds and Clouds

When we came to Beijing for the first time, we didn't go to Badaling, but came to Mutianyu, a paradise for foreigners with slides to play.

I first learned about the existence of Mutianyu many years ago. I accidentally saw a video while surfing Weibo. In the video, a foreigner held gopro and recorded the super cool process of skating down the mountain from the top of the Great Wall. At that time, I screamed in my heart: There is such a cool Great Wall hidden in China!! Foreigners are so good at playing!!! If I go to Beijing, I will definitely climb this Great Wall! Unexpectedly, five or six years passed before we finally arrived in the capital, but we finally saw the cool Mutianyu.

I don't know why the Great Wall in my impression must be very sunny, have many people, and have a wide road surface, so Mutianyu has completely subverted my impression of the Great Wall. Climbing the Great Wall was cloudy. The Great Wall was surrounded by clouds and mist. The physical temperature in the mountains was 26 degrees like that in an air-conditioned room. We traveled for more than two hours, but the moment we got off the bus and were surrounded by fresh air, we suddenly felt that it was worth it to travel further here.

The first time we took this suspended cableway up the mountain, we were both nervous and excited. But the cableway staff were very cute and asked us to stand in front and wait for the chairs to fly along the conveyor belt.

If Badaling is a vigorous young man, Mutianyu is more like a mysterious and gentle woman. Against the backdrop of the woods and mountain fog, you don't know where she will meander. The stone bricks in Badaling give people the impression of warm colors under the sun, but Mutianyu is covered with a layer of cold colors because of the feminine atmosphere. You will unconsciously think that it is bluish-gray, soft, not so distant or intimidating.

There are not many tourists on the Mutianyu Great Wall, with Chinese and foreign tourists accounting for half. Even the number of certain insects on the Great Wall is about the same as the number of tourists. The stairs in some places are particularly steep. When you stop to rest, you will find that tourists of any nationality are panting heavily with their knees in the same posture and expression. The expressions on their faces are helpless and funny. The picture is really cute. Some bold Instagram bloggers will climb high wall mountings to take photos. I imagined the effect of the photos on ig and thought they would definitely get a lot of likes.

Finally, we finally got to the exciting part of the slide! We lined up for a while, and while waiting, we watched the tourists in front of us set off one by one, and our expectations gradually accumulated to the highest point. It's our turn! I jumped on my little skateboard. The three seconds I was stuck with the speed lever made me look a little clumsy, but I couldn't wait to set off.

DAY4

Forbidden City| Time is trapped inside the red wall

The location of the Courtyard B & B I stayed in on the third night was really great! We booked an afternoon session at the Forbidden City, and after brunch, we rode our bicycles directly to the Forbidden City. There are not as many tourists as we thought. In addition, tickets are booked several days in advance, and the speed of admission by swiping their ID cards is fast.

Probably because it had been repainted, the exterior walls of the Forbidden City look very new and do not look special. Therefore, the real journey through the door must start from the moment you pass through the doorway and see the Taihe Hall.

Forbidden City

Because there were many tourists queuing up to rent explanation devices in the Forbidden City, we ultimately didn't follow the way everyone suggested and tour the Forbidden City with the explanation device. Although I learned less about historical allusions and seemed to be more like a tourist, it was also because I didn't have to deliberately understand the history of every building or every scene, which made the journey much easier.

Forbidden City

The red walls of the Forbidden City are particularly calm and beautiful existences. Their color is not too uniform, especially under the shadow of the trees, but they appear more aloof from the world. Tourists come and go, and time flies by, but it just stands there all the time, quietly watching the ups and downs of everyone's life, or the rise and fall of each dynasty. They have witnessed everything, known everything, but can only deposit everything in the walls and years; they have listened to history, recorded history, and will eventually become history.

For me, a top ten fan of Princess Huanzhu, I am very familiar with most of the palaces in the Forbidden City. Cining Palace, Kunning Palace, Qianqing Palace, and Jingyang Palace all have an inexplicable sense of intimacy to me.

Most of the clocks in the watch museum come from the United Kingdom, and some come from other Western countries such as France and Switzerland. Since the Qing Dynasty, a large number of such mechanical clocks began to flow into China. In addition to the ordinary timing functions, these clocks also have exquisite craftsmanship, vivid dynamic design of the hour telling, beautiful music and other viewing functions, making them precious furnishings and decorations in the palace. At that time, it was not only a practical timepiece, but also a pleasing entertainment tool, and a highly skilled handicraft.

When passing by the Qianqing Palace, there were still a little too many people.

When we arrived at the Baohe Hall, there were still a little too many people.

Forbidden City (↓ Taihe Gate at 5 pm!!!)

We were already exhausted from walking, but when we walked through the door, we suddenly saw this refreshing new world. We were instantly resurrected with blood and screamed and took out our camera with 90% of the power left. This could be said to be the most enjoyable round of shooting throughout the day, and in the end, more photos were taken than the entire afternoon combined.

If I have to endure the pain of being crowded while traveling, it is the most uncomfortable thing for me. Sometimes it can ruin my good mood for the whole day, so I really have to be lucky to have the last time to turn back. It felt so great to have the entire Forbidden City. It perfectly saved the depression after a day and finally brought our trip to Beijing to a successful conclusion.

The sun set in the west at 5:30, the most beautiful light, the Wu sisters, who had been in a good mood from heaven, finally left the Forbidden City happily and said goodbye to Beijing.

last

This trip to Beijing made us all love it so much. Whether it is the ever-peaceful and genial alley, the lovely old people who love to chat up, or all the friendly people we meet here, I think they will definitely keep us in mind for a long time. Four short days may not be enough for us to know how much she is, but with such a wonderful first encounter, it is enough for us to make up our minds to see its spring flowers, autumn leaves, and winter snow again.