Some travel memories begin with famous landmarks.
The Great Wall.
The Forbidden City.
The ancient palaces.
The places that appear on almost every Beijing tour itinerary.
But sometimes, the strongest memories from a trip to Beijing China begin with something much smaller.
A simple souvenir.
A little object bought during a family holiday.
Something that quietly follows you through different chapters of life.
For Elaine and me, that memory keeper is a small panda plush toy bought from Beijing Zoo more than ten years ago.
(Photos above: Elaine in Beijing Capital international Airport and at Beijing Zoo when she was age 9)
Elaine first visited Beijing, the capital of China, when she was only a nine-year-old primary school student.
Like many families planning their first China vacation, we wanted to introduce her to the famous Beijing China tourist attractions — the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall of China from Beijing, and of course, the giant pandas at Beijing Zoo.
Before leaving the zoo, we bought Elaine a little panda as a souvenir.
At that time, it was just a cute reminder of her first holiday in China.
A small panda from Beijing.
A memory from her first experience discovering China.
We never imagined this little panda would become our travel companion for many years.
Time passed.
Elaine grew older.
The little panda stayed.
When Elaine and I returned to Beijing again in November 2023, we decided to bring him along.
We joked that after many years away, it was time for panda to go home.
Back to Beijing.
Back to where his journey started.
Then in September 2025, when we returned once again to Beijing, panda followed us for another adventure.
This time, he had a new travelling friend — Cheers, our little penguin and the mascot of ChinaTravelBug.
A panda from Beijing.
A penguin exploring China.
Two little companions joining our father-and-daughter journey.
Many travellers planning a China Beijing tour usually ask the same question:
“What are the best Beijing things to do?”
The answers are usually familiar.
Visit the Forbidden City.
Walk along the Great Wall.
Explore the Summer Palace.
Discover old hutongs.
And yes, walk along Wangfujing.
But after returning several times, Elaine and I realised something.
The first visit shows you the attractions.
The next visits show you the stories.
For many international visitors who travel to Beijing China for the first time, Wangfujing is usually introduced as Beijing’s most famous shopping street.
Large department stores.
International brands.
Restaurants.
Bright lights.
Thousands of visitors.
Some people compare it to Orchard Road in Singapore or Fifth Avenue in New York.
But Wangfujing is much more than a shopping area.
It represents the transformation of Beijing.
A city where history and modern life continue side by side.
Many first-time visitors planning a China vacation sometimes ask:
“Should I visit Beijing or Shanghai?”
Both cities show very different sides of China.
Shanghai shows China’s international commercial energy.
But Beijing shows China’s historical depth.
For travellers interested in Chinese culture, dynasties, architecture and stories, Beijing remains one of the most important China visit places.
And Wangfujing is where you can experience both old and new Beijing together.
During our September 2025 visit, one of my favorite photos was very simple.
Elaine walking upstairs.
No famous landmark.
No tourist attraction behind her.
Just a normal moment.
But perhaps that is why I love it.
Many years ago, I was leading Elaine around Beijing.
Today, she explores.
She observes.
She discovers.
Travel changes as children grow.
The destination may be the same.
But the journey becomes different.
Walking through Wangfujing, we stopped to photograph simple things many visitors may ignore.
Street signs. Small shops.Local brands…. interesting signs.
Over the years, Elaine and I learned that meaningful travel is not about rushing through a checklist.
It is about slowing down enough to notice details.
One of Elaine’s favorite stops is Wangfujing Bookstore.
Many tourists may not consider a bookstore an attraction.
But for us, bookstores are windows into a country.
Inside, we found books about Beijing history, traditional culture, architecture, and famous landmarks.
A good book can transform a building into a story.
A palace is no longer just a palace.
A street is no longer just a street.
This is why we always believe China itself can become an open classroom.
Walking further, we came across beautiful Chinese porcelain displays.
Many visitors see only beautiful decorations.
But porcelain tells a much bigger story.
For centuries, Chinese ceramics traveled around the world and became symbols of Chinese craftsmanship.
These small cultural discoveries are part of what makes traveling in China fascinating.
Beyond famous landmarks, there are countless small China wonders waiting to be noticed.
One colourful modern display caught our attention — a creative version of the traditional Chinese guardian lion.
For centuries, guardian lions represented protection and strength.
Today, young designers reinterpret traditional culture in new ways.
This is what makes modern China interesting.
Culture continues by changing.
After hours of walking, we finally found our resting place.
The Starbucks Reserve store just behind Wangfujing.
Some people may wonder why travellers visit Starbucks overseas.
But travel is not about rushing every moment.
Sometimes the quiet breaks become part of the memory.
A coffee.
A conversation.
Watching people.
Around Wangfujing, we also kept seeing another famous bear.
The white bear mascot of Arctic Ocean, Beijing’s iconic soft drink.
For many Beijing locals, Arctic Ocean represents childhood memories.
A taste of old Beijing.
I found the coincidence interesting.
Elaine’s panda carried her childhood memory of Beijing.
The Arctic Ocean white bear carried childhood memories for many Beijing residents.
Different bears.
Different stories.
Same city.
For travelers arriving through Beijing China airport and beginning their first Beijing China tour, Wangfujing is often one of the easiest places to experience the city.
Convenient.
Safe.
Connected.
Close to many major attractions.
With China expanding visa-free arrangements for many countries, checking the latest China travel visa requirements has become an important first step when planning your holiday in China.
People sometimes ask why we keep returning to Beijing.
After seeing the Great Wall, Forbidden City and famous landmarks, isn’t Beijing completed?
For us, no.
Because Beijing is not a checklist.
It is a city that changes with you.
The Beijing Elaine saw as a nine-year-old child was one chapter.
The Beijing we revisited in 2023 was another.
The Beijing we experienced in September 2025 became a new story.
For many visitors, Wangfujing is a shopping street.
For us, it became something more.
A place where a panda returned home.
A place where our blog mascot, Cheers joined our ChinaTravelBug journey.
A place where a father watched his daughter grow.
A place where Beijing showed us how a city can protect its memories while moving into the future.
Another future trip, our little panda, with mascot Cheers, will return again.
Back to Wangfujing.
Back to Beijing.
