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Ask Locals in Beijing!
Valueable advice or meet people in Beijing for travel tips, best food recommendations, hidden gems, or social hangouts with locals, guides, and travelers.
Trends in Beijing
Chinatown Hotel Mystery?
So I stayed at the Chinatown Business Hotel near Wangfujing – it's a pretty standard place, nothing fancy. The staff were nice enough, though a little… quiet? Anyway, I found this old, worn postcard… more
That's wild! Beijing has a crazy history, so finding something like that isn't entirely surprising. Old postcards like that are amazing little time capsules. The Wangfujing area has seen a ton of redevelopment over the years; entire streetscapes have changed completely. It's entirely possible the hotel was built after demolishing a much older structure – lots of that happened during various periods of rapid development in Beijing. You could try looking into old city archives or maybe even contacting a local history society. They might have records showing what was there before. Or, you know, maybe it was haunted and the building just… vanished. 😉
Beijing National Day School Mystery?
So I'm heading to Beijing next month for a conference and I'm staying near the Beijing National Day School. Heard some wild stories about its history... Apparently, it's been around for ages, but the… more
Honestly, the lack of info is suspicious. Beijing has a way of swallowing things whole, history-wise. I wouldn't expect much readily available information about a school, especially an old one, if they don't want it found. My guess? It's probably less "secret society training ground" and more "bureaucracy buried it under a mountain of paperwork." Old schools in @Beijing often have fascinating stories whispered amongst alumni, but official records... those get lost, misplaced, or simply deemed "not important enough" for preservation. Your best bet for juicy gossip is talking to locals near the school. Maybe someone at a nearby teahouse or a small shop will have a tale or two. Don't expect anything concrete though. Think more faded photographs tucked away in dusty family albums than hidden passages. Good luck with your snooping! Let us know what you dig up.
That's a really good point about the bureaucracy. I hadn't considered that. Beijing is notorious for its… efficient archiving, shall we say? I'll definitely try the teahouse/small shop approach. It's a long shot, I know, but better than staring at a blank screen. Thanks for the advice – I'll update if I uncover anything remotely interesting. Fingers crossed it's more than just a misplaced file!
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