On my recent visit to Beijing I got to revisit the Back Lakes of Beijing during much better weather than my former visit. It was freezing cold, but clear blue skies and this time around – the lakes were frozen,
Prince Kung Mansion : Beijing
To supplement all the big attractions in Beijing are a number of smaller historical attractions of the local Chinese royalty that presided in the area. Dating back to mid-18th century the Prince Kung Mansion is perhaps the best preserved palace
Beijing University Campus Walk
Mid winter I was invited to Beijing University to give an academic talk and took this opportunity to get to know this beatiful and historical campus. To those who don’t know, Beijing University is among the best – if not
Yuyuantan Park : Beijing
During my last visit to freezing Beijing in December, the city lakes all turned to ice, and with the rare clear blue skies the Beijing parks seemed especially nice. Yuyuantan Park is well known for its ‘cherry blossom’ with colorful
National Art Museum of China & National Museum of China : Beijing
Interested in arts and culture in Beijing? Quite a few things for you to see. My absolute favorite is the 798 area, but if you prefer the more organized museums and wondering around large structures with exhibition halls, then Beijing
Walking along the Back & Northern Lakes of Beijing
On my last trip to Beijing I was lucky to meet a good old friend from back in the happy uni days attending courses at the East Asian department. Unlike myself, she has immersed herself in the local culture and
Yong He Gong Lama Temple : Beijing
On one of my recent visits to Beijing I decided to stay at the Hutong area near Confucius Temple. It was a wonderful area, filled with local alley magic and temple shops, but it wasn’t all Confucian. In that area
Beijing Hutongs : Fangjia, Nanluoguxiang and Wudaoying
The Beijing Hutongs are alley-ways all across Beijing that represent a traditional disappearing way of life. During my first visit to Beijing I stayed in a five star hotel near Tiananmen square completely disconnected from local life, so for the
Tianning Temple Pagoda : Beijing
A couple of blocks south from the White Cloud Temple in Beijing is the Tainning Temple which is most famous for its huge 12th century pagoda, which at the time would have enabled visitors to see very far away into
White Cloud Temple : Beijing
Lots of religious worship sites around Beijing. I previously visited a Confucian temple and a large Buddhist temple next to it – Yonghegong. While Cloud Temple is a good example of a Daoist temple in Beijing. Dating back to the
