3 Non-Touristy Things to do in Beijing
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Every other summer, I'm in Beijing for a month or two to visit my grandparents and to explore the city. I love Beijing. However whenever I'm trying to find for more destinations I could go, the same old historical parks and touristy malls show up on Google and other search engines. I always have to dig deep to find what I really wanted to find, and even then, I don't find a lot of information. Therefore, whenever I'm back in town, I'd always depend on my native Beijing friends and find those locations myself. So here I have a few non-tourist locations for y'all who can't wait to discover Beijing! Whether this is your first trip there, or if you have relatives there, I have for you some nooks and cranies that the average joe won't know about. Come along for the ride!
1) Xidan shopping district
While everyone has heard of Silk Street mall or Wangfu Jing shopping district, this is another hugely popular one that Chinese youngsters love, and that fewer tourists know about. Plus, everything is noticeably less pricier than Wangfu's and Silk Street's! They have recently renovated the once large street with buildings connected to each other via bridges. This is absolutely my favorite place to shop; preview new fashion trends at Metersbonwe, get the perfect pair of tailored jeans at Uniqlo, sip on Jamba Juice-like drinks, and munch on heavenly pastries at 85 Degree Cafe Bakery.
2) KFC
Yeah, you heard me. Chinese version, Kentucky Fried Chicken locations. Find them. You won't believe me now, but what they offer is infinitely different from the not-so-great ones we have here in the States. I mean, the KFC here is decent, but there's a reason why the deliciousness in China KFCs have made this fast-food restaurant the most popular one in the country.
3) Qian Men Gate
Actually this place used to be a gateway - if you've seen those Qing dynasty movies or TV series they show on Chinese TV, you'll know what I'm talking about. Anyways, now it is a narrow street housing H&M, beauty supply stores, Uniqlo, Metersbonwe (a popular fashion retail store for young adults), and wonton soup houses. What I really love about this particular street is how the outside of each building is structured into 17th century Manchurian tea houses. What better way to learn about history with it fused with modern shopping?
For more entries like this, please check out my blog at Underrated Gems. Hope it brings happiness & some insight for you when you plan your next trip to Beijing!
