How Beijing Became My Second Home

When I first arrived in Beijing, like most tourists, I focused my attention on the famous landmarks as tourist destinations.

In my free time, I continued to explore this ancient city—commuting, shopping, and wandering through old neighborhoods. Gradually, Beijing ceased to be merely a place where I worked to make a living and became a home where I truly lived.

I remember one time when I took a shortcut to a small temple and accidentally turned into a hutong that didn’t appear in any travel guide. There were no popular photo spots, no endless streams of tourists—just a weathered gatehouse, elderly residents sitting on their doorsteps chatting in the sun, and small street-side shops selling everyday food for the neighborhood.

Seeing this scene, I suddenly realized: grand landmarks are only one facet of Beijing; the life hidden in the nooks and crannies of its streets and alleys is the key to truly understanding this city.

So, I stopped limiting myself to visiting popular tourist attractions. I began exploring hutongs, old neighborhoods, little-known ancient temples, and the surrounding villages, towns, and countryside. My perspective on this city has gradually changed as well.

Years have passed, and exploring Beijing has long since ceased to be merely a leisurely pastime; it has become a way for me to understand this second home.

My Impressions After Living in Beijing for Over a Decade

The Forbidden City, the Great Wall, and Tiananmen Square are all well worth visiting. But if you limit yourself to these sites, you’ll only see a fraction of what Beijing has to offer. The hutongs, old neighborhoods, temples, and the hustle and bustle of everyday life all come together to form the city’s complete picture.

Much of the scenery lies beyond the walls of tourist attractions. Often, when walking through the streets and alleys, you can see the urban fabric surrounding the attractions and get a sense of the city’s true character.

The hutongs, old streets, and ancient temples I’ve explored have made me increasingly realize that Beijing’s history isn’t confined to museums and famous landmarks; many ordinary streets and courtyards—the very ground beneath your feet—carry a rich and profound past.

Beijing’s appearance changes dramatically with the seasons. Spring blossoms, summer trees, autumn foliage, and winter snow—visiting the same place at different times of the year offers completely different experiences. When planning a trip, you should take the season into account.

For foreign tourists visiting Beijing for the first time, beyond information about attractions, practical travel challenges can significantly impact the overall travel experience: how to book tickets for attractions, ride the subway, pay for taxis, ask for directions, and use navigation—these practical issues are just as important.

This is why the website publishes articles about attractions as well as practical travel guides.

Why I Founded Go Beijing Travel

I’ve increasingly realized that while a lot of travel information does a great job of telling visitors “where to go,” it doesn’t necessarily answer another question: why a place is worth visiting, and how to truly understand it once you’re there.

What I want to do is different.

I hope to tell travelers what this place truly is, why it’s worth visiting, how to experience it once you’re there, and how it connects to Beijing as a whole. I want to help visitors truly understand the city before them, rather than just providing them with a checklist of places to visit.

What You Will Find on This Site

Popular attractions like the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, the Great Wall, and more. The focus of these articles isn’t on listing the highlights, but on teaching you how to understand these historic sites, plan your visits efficiently, and make the most of your travel time.

Beyond the famous landmarks, I explore hutongs, old streets, and residential neighborhoods to reveal another side of Beijing.

Think of Beijing’s famous attractions as the city’s prominent gateways, while the hutongs are its capillaries.

Rather than simply listing the city’s top-rated restaurants, I’ll tell you what to eat when you’re near a particular tourist area, tailoring recommendations to your actual itinerary.

Written specifically for foreign visitors coming to Beijing for the first time, this guide addresses real-world travel challenges.

The content covers practical topics such as getting around the city, making payments in China, using mobile payments, hailing taxis, booking attractions, communication, and navigation.

My Writing Principles | How I Write About Beijing

I base my writing as much as possible on my own firsthand experiences, and I verify and update information that is prone to change—such as admission fees, opening hours, and transportation details.

When writing, I constantly ask myself: If this were my first time in Beijing, where would I run into obstacles, and what questions would I have?

I don’t just provide a list of destinations; I also explain the historical and cultural context behind them to help you understand what you’re seeing.

After reading my articles, you’ll be able to plan and complete your own itinerary directly, rather than just gathering a bunch of fragmented information.

Beijing is constantly changing, and policies at tourist attractions and the city’s landscape are always evolving. I’ll continue to visit these places and update the website’s content to keep pace with the city’s transformations.

What Go Beijing Travel Is, and What It Is Not

✅ This is a platform where I share my authentic insights about Beijing, drawn from over a decade of living here.

❌ It’s not just for finding Instagram-worthy photo spots: we don’t prioritize locations based on how well they look in social media posts.

❌ The content isn’t limited to popular, well-known attractions: Beijing has so much more to offer than just its famous landmarks.

Ready to explore Beijing?

• Start with Beijing’s famous landmarks → Attractions Guide

• Stroll through Beijing’s hutongs → Hutongs & City Walks

• Planning your first trip to Beijing? → Travel Survival Guide

• What to eat in Beijing → Food Guide