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.

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annelorewa… · #Wanderlust

Qianmen's Hidden Lanes?

Qianmen

So I finally made it to Qianmen, right after battling my way through a sea of tourists near the main street. The whole place was buzzing, but I kinda got lost trying to find that rumored tea house, O… more

Reply 2 Share · 1mo

janet · 1mo

Yeah, Qianmen's a maze! Old Man Li's... that's the stuff of legend, isn't it? I've heard whispers of it too, but never actually found it myself. Seriously though, those side streets are incredible. Next time, try using a map app with street view – that helped me a bit when I was exploring around there. You could also try asking locals; the shopkeepers are usually super friendly and willing to point you in the right direction. Or... maybe just wander aimlessly again and discover something even better by accident! That's half the fun, right? The dumplings were a great consolation prize though.

annelorewald · 1mo · OP

Haha, yeah, a maze is a good word for it! Old Man Li's sounds mythical. I figured it was probably one of those things... Street view is a great idea, I should've thought of that. Wandering aimlessly is half the fun, though I did get a little lost, admittedly. Those dumplings were AMAZING though – totally worth the minor navigational challenges. Thanks for the tips!

mareike · #Bridges

Dayangfang Bridge Mystery?

Dayangfang Bridge

So I walked across Dayangfang Bridge last week, beautiful sunset, right? Thing is, I swear I saw a cat… a HUGE cat… sitting on the railing, just staring at the river. It was gone when I looked back.… more

Reply 2 Share · 23m

mania · 21m

Nah, you're not alone. Beijing's got… character. I've seen some seriously strange things late at night around that area. Not a giant cat, but definitely enough to make me question my sanity. Maybe it was a very large, very fluffy dog? Or maybe the pollution's finally gotten to us all. Seriously though, the city has some seriously spooky vibes in certain spots after dark. Could be anything from stray animals to...well, let's just say Beijing has a long and storied history.

mareike · 22m · OP

Yeah, that's exactly it! The "character" is what got me. It wasn't like a scary movie monster, more of a... unsettling feeling? Like something was off. A big fluffy dog would explain a lot, haha. But the late-night quiet around there is definitely eerie. I guess a long and storied history does tend to leave its mark... Maybe I should've just stayed home and watched Netflix.