A Few Burds in Beijing

This week my parents flew into China to visit my humble Beijing abode. Although they were staying in the heart of Sanlitun they were not jaded by the luxury labels and shops, as their very first night was spent dining in the depths of a Hutong. Here we enjoyed a ten course Chinese feast of imperialist, traditional and Sechuan specialties cooked in front of us by a short, stout and smiling Chinese non-English speaking chef. From here, I schlepped the family across Beijing to my favourite sites - old Hutongs, Nanluogu Xiang, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, Commune by the Great Wall, Panjiayuan Glasses Market, the 798 Arts District (see next blog), Nali Patio, 3.3 mall, Houhai and eateries- Temple, Made in China, Capital M, the 12 seater $5 a bowl Noodle Bar, Sureno and Maison Boulud.

Our hotel, The Opposite House, Sanlitun

Sanlitun

Nanluogo Xiang

"You are illegally parked"

Capone's Chinese twin

Tonight's 10 course degustation menu, Hutong style

Tiananmen Square

Illegally photographed by yours truly....apparently a new portrait is hung every year.-wonder if there is an entire gallery filled with just Mao?

Palace 'Museum'

I want one of these in front of my house

Move!!!

Back streets of the Forbidden City

Summer Palace

Look closely at the number of people. What you get when you choose to visit a tourist site during the Dragon Boat Festival, a public holiday.

Dinner @ Made in China

Commune by the Great Wall

Given everything else in this country is fake....

  

Chinese rickshaw with M&D

The Hidden City 1949

Dinner @ Temple

Hutongs

  

Houhai

@ David Cafe

Doors...

Does everything have to have something cute on it?!

Another wedding!

Just a little photo shopped 

Maison Boulud

Picture Frame, a little prettier than the "Big Underpants" (CCTV building)

nothing new here....

PwC