Free Day in Beijing: Temples, Markets, & Serenity

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It was our first full free day in Beijing, so my roommate and I decided to explore via subway. After a full breakfast at the Swissotel, we hopped on the subway to The Temple of Heaven. This beautiful park hosts one of the oldest wooden temples in the area. The rounded construction of the temple was a site to see. The park surrounding the temple was filled with all sorts of locals. They were singing, dancing, playing Chinese checkers, cards, painting, tai chi, or just enjoying the gorgeous day in the park. The roses, trees, and greenery made the park a place of serene beauty. There was even a photo shoot of traditional Chinese wedding dresses, and we saw at least 15 different models around the park in stunning dresses. It was a busy day, but a great one for people-watching!

Once we had our fill of the Temple grounds, we headed across the street to the Pearl Market for some bargain shopping. I swear, the women that work in the market selling handbags, jewelry and wallets should move to the US and do some Sales jobs because they sure can suck you into a "deal". My friend got a "Michael Kors" wallet for about $10, and I got a silk robe for about $20. It's a pretty fun experience to bargain with the sellers as they will definitely meet your price once you start walking away.

We hopped back on the subway and headed to the opposite corner of the city to visit The Summer Palace. This place is STUNNING! The pictures hardly do it justice. We only had a few hours here, but you could easily spend the entire day in the park. The park is filled to the brim with green trees and flowers, and of course a gorgeous palace on the side of the hill. The best place to view the palace is from the water, so we hopped on an open-air boat for $2. The gigantic palace stems up the entire side of the hill and creates an immaculate picture. I could only imagine how beautiful this place is during all times of the year. As the boat ride concluded, we only had about an hour left until closing so we strolled through the surrounding gardens and trails. We even got stopped by a woman for a picture (since apparently 2 blond women are exotic creatures here!). The Summer Palace may have been the highlight of the trip for me so far. If I ever come back to Beijing, I'd love to come back to this spot.

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Photos

Suzhou Street
Summer Palace

Floating Heart Plant Bridge
Summer Palace

Comments

[Janet]

Free day
Grandma was reading this and said it sounded like a travelogue. She said love you take care and don't eat any grasshoppers!