What to do when traveling in Beijing? The Forbidden City and the Great Wall 798. It is estimated that many foreign friends have to go to famous scenic spots to get a card or something when they first come back to Beijing. Nowadays, more and more people travel freely. How can we play Beijing more deeply and truly? Today, I will let Super Bag Manager, a Beijing native who has traveled around the world for more than ten years, tell you about the best playing methods and check-in places of Beijing's ancient customs and national trends.

The story also starts from the Forbidden City...

The story also starts with the Forbidden City. This year... people all over the world have a very magical life, and Beijing has been hit by two waves of Y sentiment. The Forbidden City has also been closed or restricted, but this wave of current-restriction measures is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in the eyes of Beijingers!

You know, even if many Beijingers wanted to go to such a popular attraction like the Forbidden City, they would end up deterred because they were afraid of too many tourists."It's right at your doorstep." So it stayed there for many years, and it was always around. Looking back, the last time I went to the Forbidden City was about ten years ago, and I only took it because friends from other places came to Beijing to entertain guests as a landlord.

The sea of people is still unforgettable, and I am also afraid of the Forbidden City. However, this wave of current restriction has come, and many Beijing indigenous people who like ancient buildings and taking photos finally wait for the opportunity. Especially in May and June, not only is the number of people entering the city daily limited to a few thousand, but cross-provincial tourism is also closed. Tourists from other provinces cannot enter Beijing. It is a godsend opportunity!

I used to teach in my post how to shoot such an uninhabited movie in a crowded scenic spot, but now, all I do is a tripod! It's so cool!

Although many indoor venues are not open due to the epidemic, scenery and portrait photography are mainly based on exterior locations, and no one can enter the Treasure Museum or anything.

Look, where can such a clean composition be? The Forbidden City has an average of 50,000 to 60,000 visitors a day. There will always be a group of people at such a gate.

Traffic restrictions give everyone who comes in to take photos more room to play.

Narcissistic men like me are in the minority, and most of the people who come to take photos are young sisters.

With a clean background and a small environment, it is equivalent to finding a natural location for shooting.

Therefore, many young ladies who go together in pairs or hire a photographer are basically dressed up as a whole.

There are Cosplay maids and Cosplay Zhen Huan. Don't say, just by pretending from head to toe, it's like he jumped out of a TV series!

It's really difficult for you on such a hot day! Let the young ladies also feel how difficult it was for the ancients to experience summer.

Turn left at the North Gate Exit of the Forbidden City and you will find the Forbidden City Corner Coffee shop, which has just emerged in the past two years.

If the weather is fine, you can sit outside and drink a cup of "Royal" coffee. The taste is... probably putter than the most ordinary flavor of a buck you have ever tasted.

So, if you are a glutton or coffee lover, buy a latte with a la carte or a coffee cup with a "royal" print for a photo. What's really good about their family is the small desserts, the first of which is the Thousand Miles of Mountains and Rivers Roll.

As the name suggests, the two fillings contained in this roll are "Thousands of Miles" and "Jiangshan"... Ah, no, they are matcha and cream.

However, students who want to go in the near future must check online in advance whether it is open. It has not been open recently.

After coming out of the cafe, walk west along the Tongzi River for a few hundred meters, you will reach the real corner tower.

According to historical records, lotus roots were all planted in the water outside the corner tower. It is estimated that the palace also implemented a spirit of hard work and plain living, and vigorously advocated self-production and self-marketing.

It is estimated that during the Qianlong period, this water surface would be full of lotus flowers every midsummer. Moreover, this is a moat after all, which more or less serves as the last line of defense of the Forbidden City. The bottom of the lotus flowers is full of mud, which can slow down the enemy's ability to move. From the city wall, you can seize the opportunity to shoot arrows and counterattack. If it were to be replaced by other plants, this effect would not be possible. Imagine if potatoes were grown outside the Forbidden City... Unless the enemy attacking was a zombie, the potatoes could turn into bombs to block the attack.#_#But to be honest, in plants vs. zombies, wax gourd is better to use. Oh, no, it's too far.

Further east of the corner building, turn along May 4th Street and you will reach the famous Red Building of Peking University. Many people with lofty ideals left their footprints here at that time. Across the road from the Red Building of Peking University, there is Meiyuan Bookstore 1923 Cafe.

This house is said to be the location of the faculty and staff offices of Peking University's Red Building.

Now it has been transformed into a coffee bookstore. In the ancient charm and fragrance of books, you can have a unique feeling if you have a cup of authentic coffee (better than the one in the Forbidden City).

Longfu Building--the place where the national trend is in check in

Go east from Meiyuan and pass the art museum. On the north side of the road is the Longfu Temple area. This was one of the hottest established business districts in Beijing at that time. Now it is also keeping pace with the times: Longfu Building rises from the middle of the alley, and several vacant spaces around it have also become a cutting-edge position for fashion.

What I am coming to experience tonight is a market here,"Guochao Book Market".

It seems that the book market is quite popular. If you don't make an appointment in advance, you can basically change the movie and go shopping elsewhere.

Even if you have an appointment, you have to queue up to get your bracelet first, because during special periods, you will have to take your body temperature after receiving the bracelet before you are allowed to enter.

The book market is crowded with people and lively! There are really many people here to visit the book market. There are also a wide variety of books. What is more interesting is that many book stalls sell independent publications. With this alone, the book market is enough to stroll around for several hours, because every book in each book stall may be different, and it is very likely that it is unique or out of print.

A small square is packed with various creative stalls and an endless stream of trendy people tonight.

In short, come here to play in a Beijing dialect, which is "very stylish"!

I didn't turn around a few book stalls. When I turned forward, I found that all the stalls had become markets for creative small things. If I walked forward, I would find all kinds of food stalls!

The people here are denser, and it's almost like a turtle shell with a big schoolbag on my back. I can't squeeze in wherever I go. At this time, I looked down and looked at the bracelet just now, and I was surprised to see the words "Wood eats Tok"!

Although I don't know Wood and don't know what Toak is, just seeing the keyword in the middle gave me a huge impression of the entire book market!

Hmm... I like the atmosphere of this market very much!

Since it is called the National Trend Creative Market, the things sold in "Wood Eat Tok" naturally cannot be too stereotyped. For example, how many shops in Beijing still have private craft beer? I only heard it mentioned by a foreigner friend before, but I finally found a place today.

Next to this is the "Jing A" version of the craft wine bar. Next time you have the opportunity, you can come to this alley for a drink.

Take a look at these unique Hei Yi drinks...

There is also a cocoa monopoly that also has a physical store in Beijing's North Joy City. Look at the packaging of people, this is exquisite. I didn't know, but I thought it was Japanese chocolate.

The little sister saw that I had been taking pictures, and even took the initiative to take out a plate for me to taste. This atmosphere... I like it so much! The main reason why I eat it for free... This matcha flavor is really good! This is definitely a paradise for foodies... hell for weight-loss dogs!

Strolling forward again, this board of refrigerator stickers attracted my attention.

It's so fun to make it, and at first glance, it's made purely by hand, and each one looks different. For example, as an enthusiast of refrigerator pasting, there is no room for the double-open refrigerator doors at home. I definitely can't let go of such a personalized baby when I see it. I picked up two of them that I thought were the most interesting. When I checked out, I realized that this stall did not seem to be for cultural creation, but was filled with bottles, large and small.

I said, what do you do? Do you buy refrigerator stickers and deliver drinks? The little sister proudly said that our family makes small sesame oil, and the refrigerator stickers are only sold on behalf...

So at a sesame oil stall, I bought two handmade refrigerator stickers that were unlikely to collide with each other in my life. The most important thing is, after this market was closed, I don't think anyone can find these refrigerators anymore. Hahahaha... I like this market so much!

Good times are always very short. Just as I was chatting and drinking a special ice drink while enjoying myself, a gust of wind suddenly broke out. At first, I thought it was just to cool down, but I didn't expect that the second gust of strong wind would directly overturn one-third of the stalls in the market.

The music in the stereo was still shaking a lot, but the market was already in chaos. Because most people were in the same condition as me, walking well, when suddenly a few giant umbrellas flew over from an unknown direction and blocked the way...

Only then could I see the sky. It was already lightning and thunder. When I saw that the situation was bad, I quickly retreated to the Longfu Building next to me.

It is supposed to be only a few hundred meters away, but because of the clutter of umbrellas on site, the progress speed becomes very slow.

Seeing raindrops as big as beans falling, they finally rushed into the building before the heavy rain began to pour in. As soon as I entered the door, I heard it sound like turning on a faucet outside,"Wow ~~~"

She rushed in half a minute after me, and she was soaked! That was close.

It was raining heavily and I didn't bring an umbrella, so I had to stroll around the building first.

A biological art exhibition is being held on the first floor of the building, combining the original beauty of nature with artistic processing and modeling to sublimate a higher level of brilliance.

It can be seen that this artist named Christopher Marley has a lot of ideas. I also like the entire art exhibition...

Because it's free, huh.

There is also a book club next to it, which seems to be a combination of a bookstore and coffee, but the design is completely different. If Meiyuan Bookstore is retro, then this one is basically science fiction.

There are not only various decorations in different shapes and innocence.

There is also a recording studio for what kind of program.

In addition to books, retro old objects that have traveled through the ages can also be seen everywhere here.

Mixed with the fashionable and simple design style, the entire tone is full of science fiction.

Moreover, the people who visit here are mainly literary and artistic ladies, um...

In short, I like the atmosphere of this bookstore very much!

Cosplay Bao Qingtian, the super little bun talks with his ancestor Bao in the air

Peking Opera is not only the quintessence of China, but also one of Beijing's greatest characteristics. When many students go to Beijing to play, they want to learn about Peking Opera. But most people are not fans. It seems too grand to listen to a Beijing opera performance, not to mention that they may not understand it. At the east end of Xianyukou, there is a Peking Opera Experience Hall called Tianyuan, which can meet the needs of many people who want to understand Peking Opera.

From the outside, Tiantian Paradise seems not big, but it has heaven and earth inside and has a great origin. During the Qing Dynasty, it was one of the four famous theaters. In the following 200 years, Mei Lanfang, Cheng Yanqiu, Shang Xiaoyun and Xun Huisheng, the four famous opera singers, all performed here.

Today's Tianyuan can basically be said to be a one-stop Peking Opera experience. Here, you can put on a full set of costumes and take photos on the stage and various antique backgrounds. If you want to experience a more perfect appearance, you can also ask professional teachers to make up to ensure that you become the most amazing guy in the crowd.

In addition to your own experience, you can also enjoy Peking Opera performances in Tianyuan. However, unlike ordinary theaters, the performances here are mainly "action scenes". After all, the Beijing Opera arias are just a lively conversation for most people who don't understand it, but the actions are much more intuitive. Not only can you see the exquisite Peking Opera costumes, but you can also appreciate the various wonderful body movements of the actors.

As soon as I entered the door, I was attracted by the antique decoration style here.

In the center of the room is a small stage, with gorgeous helmets and phoenix crowns placed on both sides, and domineering mouth and exquisite facial masks hung on the wall.

On one side of the hall is the small Mei Lanfang Original Works Museum. The walls are filled with collections related to Mr. Mei Lanfang, including the huqin he used, photos from the performance at that time, posters, original music scores, etc., all old objects searched everywhere.

On the other side is the dressing table, where I can "dress up" if I want to experience it.

Since you want to dress up, you might as well choose a commemorative character-Lord Bao Qingtian Bao. I asked my mother, saying that we can be regarded as Bao Zheng's next grandson for dozens of generations. Really, with my skin color, I may have followed my third uncle...

I made a joke as soon as I put on a beard. Because I didn't put on any facial makeup, I left two large black mustache prints on my "pretty boy". It seems that all the guys here are worn by real opera singers on stage. The black paint painted on Bao Gong's face will inevitably get on his beard.

Putting on a python robe, tying it with a jade belt, hanging it with a black beard, and then putting on a gauze hat, I instantly felt like I had traveled through.

It's just this outfit that looks bright and dazzling, and it's really tiring to wear.

It feels like one piece of clothing alone weighs more than ten kilograms, let alone wearing a hat. It is said that some headdresses weigh dozens of kilograms. Thinking of this, I can't help but respect these old artists who are engaged in Peking Opera performances. Not to mention singing a big drama with all the needs and tails, when I dress up and take a few photos of 13, I feel like my whole person is about to steam inside.

The super little steamed bun almost turned into a super steamed bun. If I took pictures for a while longer, I would probably have to directly sublimate and go to see my Lord Bao Qingtian.

There is a Royal Inn next to Tianyuan Park, which is a very distinctive boutique hotel. From the rooftop on the top floor, you can directly see the front gate building in the distance.

Having a cup of summer special drink here, it will be cool and white, and it will feel different-mainly to watch the scenery.

Guests staying at the hotel can also enjoy the rooftop swimming pool next to it.

In the distance is the entire skyline of Beijing CBD. I don't know how many Beijingers like this place, but I'm sure foreigners will love this place very much, so there are basically foreign friends around the swimming pool.

After passing the front gate building, we continued north, followed Beiheyan Street for a few more intersections, and returned to the art museum.

The experience that was interrupted yesterday due to a heavy rain continues today.

The bustling market has been evacuated, leaving only a small and empty square. The reason why I came here today is because there is also a trendy play-in experience next to it.

On the top floor of Longfu Building next to it, there is an absolute Internet celebrity check-in spot with a small but popular appearance.

Come in from the north gate and take the elevator directly to the ninth floor. When you get out of the elevator, you will find yourself outside. Moreover, the red walls and green tiles on both sides have the illusion of passing through the Forbidden City!

Because the Cannes Image Exhibition is currently being held on the ninth floor, only tickets can be entered on the top floor.

This provides excellent conditions for checking in and taking photos. With fewer people and better scenery, where can we find them?

The sun is setting in the west, and the shadow is reflected on the red wall. The most important thing is that today is not the weekend, so there is almost no one when I come!

The top floor wall has a viewing pavilion on the east and west sides. To the west, you can even directly see the rolling mountains in the distance-the air is so clear today!

Originally, I wanted to come up and take some good photos when there were few people, but I didn't expect to meet Teacher Wang Gang and Chunni. It seems that the crew also shares the same idea as me: come when there are few people. Having just traveled from the Forbidden City, I felt an inexplicable sense of intimacy when I saw Lord He Shen. It seemed that he looked good.

In several buildings on the top floor, the Cannes Image Exhibition is being held. This is a comprehensive 4D image experience.

There are many short films in total that can take you to experience the world with different themes as if you were in a strange place!

Endless stories to tell, endless alleys to visit

It's definitely good to have an in-depth tour in Beijing and avoid visiting hutongs. From Gulou to Dongsi, many old Beijing hutongs are still preserved. Let's go and visit these hutongs together today!

If you really visit the hutongs where residents live, although you can experience the scenes of life, it is a bit down-to-earth. So I recommend starting from Fangjia Hutong near Beixinqiao. In addition to some specialty shops, No. 46 Fangjia Hutong has gradually become a trendy place for fun in recent years.

Although the alley entrance is extremely narrow, the farther you go, the more spacious it becomes. There is a large open space at No. 46 Fangjia Hutong, which completely subverts your impression of the houses in the alley. Because the place is large, there is more room for development. A small theater was built here many years ago, and some avant-garde dramas are often performed. Up to now, it has both coffee and Western food, and it has become a trendy gathering place.

In addition to Beijing's literary and artistic youth, foreigners also like to visit this kind of place. Among the craft beers we drank at the market the day before yesterday was their family's, another Beijing specialty craft beer that is as famous as "Jing A"-Beiping Machine.

Looking at their bilingual menu and various Western simple meals, it is not difficult to see who the main customer groups here are.

In fact, even many Beijingers don't know that Beijing still has their own Lager craft beer.

When I have time, I really should sit here and order a few cups of craft brews. I want to taste the difference between this "Imperial Capital Lager" and Yanjing Beer.

Come on, keep walking around the hutongs. If no one gave you guidance in advance, ordinary people would never notice this major feature of our Beijing hutongs.

These unassuming stone carvings are called "horse stones". As long as you observe carefully, you will find a pair at the entrance of many large houses. In the past, when there were no bicycles and cars in Beijing, people would ride horses and sedans when going out. If you look carefully, you will find that the sizes and carving techniques of these stones vary. Walking through an alley, you can roughly infer the financial resources and social status of each household from this small stone.

Exit the west exit of Fangjia Hutong and walk 100 meters north to the famous Guozijian Street.

The archway in the west is written with the three big gold characters "Chengxian Street", which shines brightly in the sun.

The Imperial College on this street was an institution of higher learning in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, equivalent to the concept of Peking University and Tsinghua University today.

However, with the development of the times, there are now several creative shops on Guozijian Street.

For example, this one is called "Haobai Store". When I saw what was sold in the store, I couldn't help but sigh secretly: "It's so white!"

After walking around the Imperial College, you will come out from the east entrance to the Yonghegong Temple, the largest Lama Temple in Beijing. When the sun is about to set, many people come out to sit on the street to cool off and relax.

Of course, sitting on the street is definitely not the style of Beijingers.

Either set up a chessboard to fight for a few games, or hold a tea jar and chat around the mountains. That's the right way.

There is a joke that in the eyes of Beijingers, everyone is a common citizen. This is actually true. Since ancient times, they have lived at the foot of the emperor. Beijingers are born with a domineering attitude that is neither humble nor arrogant in their bones. If you listen to Beijingers chatting about everything, you will be able to talk to you clearly from the astronomy field to the trivial matter. In the eyes of Beijingers, there is nothing that cannot be overcome, and there is nothing that cannot be overcome. A bowl of Zhajiang Noodles, three taels and two pots, and between pushing cups and changing cups, everything was in laughter and scolding.

When the first ray of the east sun shines on the golden glazed tiles of the Forbidden City, and flocks of white doves rustling across the sky of the courtyard houses between the drum towers, Beijing, a thousand-year-old capital, will usher in a brand new day.