Beijing is a fascinating city with a deep and long history and many popular attractions. But people always end up doing the same 5 or 6 things when they go there. Here are offered some perhaps alternative suggestions in order to get a bit off of the beaten path, and maybe avoid those tourist crowds.
1) The Ming Tombs
The Ming dynasty is China’s most famous and long-lived dynasty, and the tombs are a tribute to them and their incredible legacy. It can be hard to find a translator close to the tombs but there are to help in that aspect. At the Ming Tombs you will find ancient and priceless artifacts and absolutely breathtaking architecture, as well as immaculate gardens and statuary everywhere. It should go without saying that this is the furthest thing from a party destination and respect and decorum should be key here if you visit this place, as it is very much respected by the locals, for obvious reasons.
2) The Beijing Folklore Museum
Here you will find all manner of art collected throughout the various periods of the city’s long history. You can ponder philosophy or read old stories and ponder them too! It’s a smaller museum but well worth the visit. This is an especially good destination if you have children because it’s set up for them to explore around and learn.
3) Parks (in general)
This is a great free option. If there’s one thing people in Beijing know how to do at a level way above that of western civilization, it’s how to build a park! Each park in Beijing has a central theme and they are all different from one another. You could spend weeks on end just on this one little point, so don’t overlook it. Ironically, maybe a lot of people overlook it simply because it’s free. Did I mention it’s free?
Just as a final note, getting around Beijing can be pure torture, especially at rush hour, although traffic can be bad in Beijing at any time. Since we are talking about thinking out of the box here, one thing that works very well is to use a limo service like Blacklane to get around. That way you avoid the crowds and delays of public transportation, and ride in style and comfort. And the driver does all the work for you, you just relax.
Do you have any other tips for overlooked destinations in Beijing, places that people should see more of and don’t? Please drop us a line in the comments section below!
