Beijing 2015: Day 4 (Temple of Heaven) + Dumplings + Qianmen; Day 5: Back Home

Hi everyone! Last post for the Beijing travelogue! If you missed out on any of my previous posts, feel free to click on the links below:

• Planning for the Beijing Trip + Travel Tips
• Day 1: Changi Airport - Beijing International Airport - Hotel Grand Mecure - Bian Yi Fang
• Day 2 Part 1:  Tiananmen Square - Forbidden City
• Day 2 Part 2: Olympic Park - Beijing Bird's Nest
• Day 3 Part 1: Old Summer Palace   
• Day 3 Part 2: Qianmen - Quan Ju De

Our last official day of exploring Beijing was relatively laidback. The final tourist attraction we were going to see was the Temple of Heaven and we went back to Qianmen in the evening. I barely took any pictures in Qianmen since we were busy shopping though 😆

The Temple of Heaven Park is located in the Dongcheng District, Beijing. It is the largest and most representative existing masterpiece among China's ancient sacrificial buildings. Originally, the Temple of Heaven was the place where emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911) held the Heaven Worship Ceremony. It was built in 1420, during the 18th year of the reign of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), the Temple of Heaven was enlarged and rebuilt during the reigns of the Ming emperor Jiajing and the Qing emperor Qianlong. In the year 1988, it was opened to the public as a park.  

Tickets into the Temple of Heaven

Look at how peaceful this park is.

This peaceful park is the first place you will come across when you enter the Temple of Heaven. There'll be families enjoying a leisurely walk and old folk playing chess.

About to enter the main area - can't wait to see the beautiful building.

Passing through the gates. Notice how the golden knobs are here too!

A crazily hot day! With an insane amount of tourists. However, this was much quieter
(I know! Can you believe it?) than the crowd at the Forbidden City.

Managed to block out as many visitors as I could with my head HAHAHAA XD

So surreal that I got to see it in real life.  A lot more crowded than I expected for sure.
But still a really happy kid!

My mum and I walked to the other side and witnessed a photoshoot taking place on the other side.
"Wow! We should just have taken a photo here!" we quipped.

Didn't take too long for the crowd behind to appear.
Also, how amazing is her dress? Freaking queen!

Went up the stairs on another side and realised where most of the people were. Hiding from the sun!

You get to peek through one open door. (Of course, there is a rope barrier
so you're not allowed in to preserve the place.)

Soon, it was time to grab some lunch. With nothing much left on our agenda, we decided to head to this famous dumpling restaurant near our hotel so that after our meal, we could return to the hotel for a nap (and a much-needed shower).

Looks like any typical Chinese restaurant with all that red and gold. Except that their dumplings are exceptional! Wonder if they're still open after all these years.

Dumpling making corner with all the professionals at work. You can watch them and their dexterous fingers at work through the glass (like at Din Tai Fung)!

Pork and Cabbage Dumplings, as well as Pork and Chive Dumplings - YUM
I'm a dumpling queen (also because I'm shaped like one) HAHA

Since my mum and I arrived just an hour before their afternoon break time, the restaurant wasn't too crowded. I would expect that they have a much bigger lunch time crowd to cater to the offices there.

VERDICT? Highly recommended if it is still open. Affordable and delicious dumplings. I don't think one can ask for more when in China! Their dumplings are just so satisfying.


If you're interested to check the place out, here's the address:

Tianjin Bai Jiao Yuan 天津百饺园
12A Xin Wenhua Street新文化街甲12号
Opening Hours: 10am – 2.30pm; 5.30-10pm




After retiring to our hotel for a rest and good afternoon nap and shower, we decided to head out for our final evening to... you guessed it, Qianmen! (Frankly, it is my favourite place in Beijing since it looks a little more unique. Frankly, items sold there were also cheaper than at other tourist spots and non-tourist spots.)

My mum and I wanted to check out the alleys which we missed out on exploring previously so once the sun had set, we set off for Qianmen via the subway.

A very friendly crepe seller who sold such amazing crepes =)

This section was a little less crowded.

The smaller plaque above reads, "The birthplace of Chinese movies"

An amazingly talented candy-shaper? I don't really know what he would be called in English but he shapes hot maltose candy with his hands and his customers' breath while entertaining kids.

Alleys getting more empty as the hours passed.

Lonely duck for the night.

It was a quiet end to our final night in Beijing but we were pretty happy with the trip. Didn't go to the Great Wall because I didn't want to spend hours on a bus ride and not being able to do much else for the day, but I hope there's a next time.

The next morning, after a quick breakfast nearby, it was time to pack our bags and bid this beautiful city goodbye.

Passing Tiananmen Square on our way to the airport. The queue to get in was still crazy.

At the airport. Goodbye, Beijing!

Till then,

(Don't fly for now - COVID-19 duh) and eat happy (at home) 🍴,
V

Beijing 2015: Day 3 Part 2 (Qianmen - Quan Ju De)

Hi everyone! Back to the Beijing travelogue! If you missed out on any of my previous posts, you can click on the links below:

• Planning for the Beijing Trip + Travel Tips
• Day 1: Changi Airport - Beijing International Airport - Hotel Grand Mecure - Bian Yi Fang
• Day 2 Part 1:  Tiananmen Square - Forbidden City
• Day 2 Part 2: Olympic Park - Beijing Bird's Nest
• Day 3 Part 1: Old Summer Palace   

After our very long trek through the massive Old Summer Palace in Beijing, my mother and I decided to stop for a quick lunch near our hotel (one of the malls around Xidan station) before retiring to our hotel for a quick afternoon bath and nap/rest before heading out in the evening.

This Taiwanese restaurant was one of the few shops that still had seats left
so we decided to try it out.

Big Intestine and Oyster Mee Sua - definitely not Ah Zhong Mee Sua but decent enough

Stopped by this beautiful bakery with a great interior design and some buns for tea

In the evening, we randomly decided to go over to Qianmen for Quan Ju De (Roast Duck) and it turned out to be the best decision ever. There were so many shops there that we loved as we wandered around. I also particularly love the mix of old and new in terms of the architecture there. 

The Zhengyang Gate 正阳门 with a museum inside upon exiting Qianmen Station.

This is the Zhengyang Artillery Tower 正阳门箭楼 which is across the road
(although you can't really go up close to look at it).

Me in front (or at the side?) of the artillery tower

 

Qianmen is bustling with travellers and locals. There are many stores selling souvenirs and traditional Chinese items at great prices. (Cheaper than those bordering the Forbidden City exit)

Cue awkward pose

Look how they have retained the old architecture of the building
(Starbucks store near the entrance of Qianmen).

Crazy crowd outside Quan Ju De for some roast duck. Quan Ju De is one of the most famous brands for Peking Duck.

Candied haws for sale

Me with the cute duck ambassador of Quan Ju De. Sighs looking at old photos
and miss being that size XD hahaha

Indoor waiting area in Quan Ju De's lobby with a TV screen to indicate your queue number. So if you're coming over, definitely come and get a queue number first before you go wander around Qianmen. During meal times/peak hours, it is very likely that you'll have to wait for a very long time anyway.

Being led in when it was our turn to be seated.
Went upstairs and the place is really massive and beautiful.

The professional at work

Really good Peking Duck. We ordered a whole duck, then took the rest back to the hotel to feast on it like cavemen HAHA

After dinner, it was time to wander around a little more to digest the delicious duck dinner we had. So we decided to do some cheongsam shopping! They were at a pretty reasonable price. Haggling seems to be pretty challenging in Beijing as they often have clearly stated prices and are pretty much reluctant to lower prices unless you really buy quite a few of the same product. 

Verdict? Qianmen is definitely a must-visit for any of you souvenir scooping folk out there because of how affordable it is. Quan Ju De is also a good stop (although there are other branches all over Beijing). However, you can come and soak in the atmosphere and try to imagine what it was like years ago. The traditional and well-preserved architecture will definitely help! >.<


Thank you and I hope you enjoyed reading this post. In the next entry, I'll cover Day 4 (last entry: short post) where my mum and I visited the Temple of Heaven (a must-visit in Beijing) ! Stay tuned!


Till then,

Fly safe ✈ and eat happy 🍴, 
V