Asia 2017 - Day 1: Arriving in Beijing, China
I arrived in China around 1 hour late but I didn't mind too much as it was a full free day to myself. Hopefully the guide wasn't waiting too long as I landed around 07:20am. I filled out my arrival card and made my way through immigration to collect my suitcase.
We made the transfer from the airport to my hotel in Beijing. It was located inside the first ring road which is very convenient for getting around. I only had to wait around 30-45 minutes in the lobby area before I was allowed to check-in early which was a bonus.
After dropping my suitcase off in the room and packing my backpack, I set off to explore a couple of sights that were not on the itinerary in the coming days.
A slow 30 minute walk later I found myself at Jingshan Park. This is located to the north of the Forbidden City near the exit, and provides a great view back down after a quick walk up the hill. The entry fee is just 2 Yuan(25pence) and is well worth a visit for such a great view on a clear day. I then left the park heading north east to the Lama Temple.
The proper name from the Lama Temple is Yonghe Temple and is a monastery for Tibetan Buddhists. It was constructed around 1694 and is accessible by subway on lines 2 and 5. As soon as you enter the temple there is a strong smell of incense burning which is done by worshippers bowing.
I left the temple and tried out the Beijing Subway for the first time. This is a great way to get around the city and is very cheap compared to other big cities around the world. The price is charged by distance with the short distances been only 3 Yuan(40pence). I took the subway to Tiananmen Square East on Line 1 to have a preview look for tomorrow. The security line for entry was very long so I didn't go any further, I just took a photo and admired the Forbidden City from afar. It had also just started to rain so I started to head back to the hotel and called it a day.
My video from this day can be found here:
Next day: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City & Summer Palace.
Jingshan Park
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| View of the Forbbiden City from Jingshan Park. |
A slow 30 minute walk later I found myself at Jingshan Park. This is located to the north of the Forbidden City near the exit, and provides a great view back down after a quick walk up the hill. The entry fee is just 2 Yuan(25pence) and is well worth a visit for such a great view on a clear day. I then left the park heading north east to the Lama Temple.
Lama Temple
The proper name from the Lama Temple is Yonghe Temple and is a monastery for Tibetan Buddhists. It was constructed around 1694 and is accessible by subway on lines 2 and 5. As soon as you enter the temple there is a strong smell of incense burning which is done by worshippers bowing.
I left the temple and tried out the Beijing Subway for the first time. This is a great way to get around the city and is very cheap compared to other big cities around the world. The price is charged by distance with the short distances been only 3 Yuan(40pence). I took the subway to Tiananmen Square East on Line 1 to have a preview look for tomorrow. The security line for entry was very long so I didn't go any further, I just took a photo and admired the Forbidden City from afar. It had also just started to rain so I started to head back to the hotel and called it a day.
My video from this day can be found here:
Next day: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City & Summer Palace.
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