Drug sniffing beagles


Street crossing


Yummy tofu street food


Pre-wrapped


Dumplings!


A man just nonchalantly cracking his whip outside a supermarket


Recycling


Riding the Beijing subway


Snacks for the Peking Opera


Curly straws!

December 26, 2014 - January 4, 2015

Beijing was the first city I had traveled to in China. I had been to Hong Kong before, but like most people will agree, that doesn’t count. Hong Kong doesn’t feel anything like China, and I don’t mean that in a good or bad way. It is a city that feels more like Europe than Asia.

I digress. Honestly, Beijing really shocked me at first with its abrasive residents, cold winter weather, and terrible pollution. The city is a bit rough around the edges. 

It may be a bit different since I look Asian, but people would often yell in my face. In Beijing, I never knew if people are telling me that I was doing something wrong or trying to sell me something. Either way, they roll their eyes and act super put out when I said I didn’t understand what they were saying.

Still, I had so much fun. Once I stopped repeating “it’s too cold” and “this is so different,” I began to really enjoy Beijing and all it had to offer. 

If you’re visiting Beijing, I suggest:

• Purchasing a SIM card
  
• Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City 
• Wangfujing 
• Yonghe Temple 
• eating a donkey burger 
• The Great Wall 
• Shopping 
• Wudaoying hutong 
• seeing a Peking opera 
• eating Peking duck 
• The Summer Palace 
• The 798 Art Zone 
• The Temple of Heaven