SKJULTE SKATTER I BEIJING

Skoledirektøren på skolen til EF i Beijing har delt noen tips til alle dere reiseglade som ønsker å oppleve mer enn bare ‘turistfellene’ når du besøker et nytt land. Enten om du studerer med EF i Beijing eller er på ferie i storbyen- få med deg disse tipsene fra en lokalkjent!

Vi presenterer: ‘5 skjulte skatter i Beijing du ikke finner når du søker på google’

1. Sirena Cats Café

Located along the trendy Wudaoying Hutong, this Mediterranean-styled bar-café is well-known for supplying the local area with wandering moggies since 2011. Though Sirena stays open until 2am for cocktail drinking, we usually drop by at a more reasonable hour, just to watch the impish white kitten playing with everyone’s bag straps under the table.

2. Live temple music

Wedged between the shadow of the bustling city center, Zhihua Temple has been quietly going along with its business for over 500 years and well known as a center for traditional court music since its inception. A permanent exhibition, with excellent English translations and photographs, gives a detailed history of the temple. Ancient Chinese music is actually totally off-the-hook.

3. Flea market in Huawei Nanlu

Roll up your sleeves and get ready for some hard bargaining. Vendors are selling everything from housewares and decorations to clothing and shoes. It might not look like the Ming Dynasty but it’ll certainly have Communist kitsch flair, a guarantee of authenticity and agreeable prices at under 50RMB for most items.

4. Ice skating in the imperial garden

For centuries Beijingers have flocked to Qianhai when the ice gets thick enough to skate – usually any time from the end of December to early January. Entry to the rink is a steal at 15RMB on weekdays (20RMB weekends) and you can glide around any which way you want with skates, ice bicycles, karts and bumper cars all available for hire at reasonable prices.

5. Bottoms up in the hidden house

This speakeasy-style watering hole opened in 2014 and quickly gained popularity. The entrance on Xindong Lu leads into a small, dead-end foyer. Press the ‘light switch’ next to a bookshelf and suddenly it slides to the side, revealing a cozy interior with booth seating and 1920s decorative finishes. Try a Grape Gimlet or Silver Gin Fizz.