Most travellers only see airports as places to pass through. We see them differently. When planning our 18-day China journey, we deliberately scheduled our final day so we could spend several hours exploring Beijing Daxing International Airport (北京大兴国际机场) before our midnight flight home. That might sound unusual at first. After all, why would anyone voluntarily spend extra time at an airport? The answer became obvious the moment we entered the departure hall. Rather than...
When planning a trip to Beijing, China, choosing an airport is usually one of the easiest decisions. Find the most convenient flight. Compare ticket prices. Book the airline. Land wherever the flight takes you. For Elaine and me, it was different. Long before our 18-day China trip began, I had already decided that I wanted our journey to start at Beijing Daxing International Airport (北京大兴国际机场) instead of the older Beijing Capital International Airport (北京首都国际机场). Not because it was...
When most people imagine Beijing, China, they think of the Forbidden City (故宫), Temple of Heaven (天坛), Tiananmen Square (天安门广场) or the Great Wall of China. Those are certainly must-see attractions during any Beijing trip. But after several visits to Beijing, Elaine and I discovered that some of our favourite travel memories happened away from the tourist crowds. This time, we stayed at Motel 168 (Beijing Lishuiqiao Metro Station), a budget hotel that turned out to be one of the best...
Like many first-time visitors to Beijing, I initially assumed we should stay somewhere close to the Forbidden City, Wangfujing or Qianmen. After all, that seemed to be where most tourists stayed. Then I started comparing hotel prices. The reality surprised me. Compared with many other Chinese cities such as Xi’an, hotel rooms in Beijing are noticeably more expensive, especially those inside or near the city centre. Budget hotels often came with compromises—small...
Finding a hotel in Beijing can be surprisingly intimidating for first-time visitors. Unlike many European cities where the historic centre is relatively compact, Beijing is enormous. It is one of the world’s largest capital cities, with an extensive Metro network, multiple high-speed railway stations, several ring roads, and attractions spread across different districts. Choosing the wrong hotel may not ruin your trip—but it could easily mean spending an extra one or two...
There were actually two seemingly impossible challenges. First, boarding a budget airline with only 7kg hand carry for an 18-day China trip. Second, doing exactly the same on the flight home after 18 days of souvenir hunting, book buying and local discoveries. How did we pull off both? Before our 18-day China trip, Dad gave Elaine a challenge. “Can we travel across China with only hand carry luggage?” Elaine looked at me....
Many first-time visitors planning a trip to Beijing, China usually start with the same famous attractions: The Forbidden City (故宫).The Great Wall of China (长城).The Temple of Heaven (天坛).The Summer Palace (颐和园). And yes — these are some of the most important places to visit in Beijing. But after several journeys back to China’s ancient capital, Dad and Elaine slowly discovered something: Beijing is not just a destination. Beijing is one of...
Planning your first trip to Beijing, China can feel exciting… and slightly scary. After all, Beijing is not just another city. It is China’s capital, a city with more than 20 million people, thousands of years of history, ancient imperial palaces, modern skyscrapers, huge roads and one of the busiest subway systems in the world. Many first-time visitors planning their Beijing itinerary probably have the same questions: “Is Beijing easy to travel...
From emergency instant noodles to supermarket discoveries — how we survived weeks travelling China without carrying a suitcase full of snacks. Before travelling around China with children, many parents probably have the same secret worry. Not the Great Wall. Not transportation. Not hotels. Something much simpler. “What will my child EAT?” 😂 I understand. When Elaine and I started our longer China journeys, I had the same “Dad question”. China is huge....
Discovering China one bowl of noodles, one basket of baozi, and one unexpected street snack at a time. Chinese food. Two simple words. But after travelling across China many times with my daughter Elaine — from Beijing 北京, Xi’an 西安, Baoji 宝鸡, Qufu 曲阜, Zibo 淄博 and many smaller cities — we discovered something interesting: There is actually no such thing as just “Chinese food”. China is too big. Too old. Too...
.. with my special need and self-learning (homeschooling) daughter, Elaine. We are China-focused travelers and have visited more than 20 interesting historical places/cities in China. And we enjoy bringing you useful & practical travel stories to help you enhance your experience traveling in China.. do follow us for more interesting travel stories..
