China: Temple of Confucius

Confucius Statue

Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it. – Confucius

Monday, 29 May 2017

Dragon Boat Festival. Day 2. I was super lazy today. This was my time of the month and I had cramps. I really didn’t want to go anywhere but I had several unchecked list in my itinerary notes. So, I decided to drag my feet downtown to one of most famous hutongs (narrow lane or alleyway in a traditional residential area of Beijing), Guozijian Street. There are two large temples in the area: Yonghe Lamasery and Temple of Confucius. I didn’t have the chance to visit Yonghe Lamasery. Maybe next time.

Had a miracle happened? The oldman and his wheelchair. Hahahaa..

Ticket price to visit was only 30 yuan. The site opened from 08.30 AM to 6 PM. Getting out of the nearest subway (Yonghegong Station, Exit G) was like getting out of a time machine. Hahaha.. the way this oldie area preserved was remarkable. No wonder Beijing hutongs attract huge number of tourists.

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China: Beijing Olympic Park

National Stadium

Have I mentioned that China knows how to build eye-catching venues and buildings?

Sunday, 28 May 2017

Dragon Boat Festival. Traditional event which occurs on the 5th day of the 5th month of Chinese calendar. It was 3-days holiday in all over China. I was told that it’s not wise to visit touristy spots; plus it’s 37 degC outside. Thus, K, Z and I had lunch in nearby mall, China Resources Dreamport. I was excited to try Beijing sushi in Shotamuni Restaurant. Can’t believe I ate sushi in China. Ahahahaa.. The sushi rolls were delicious.

In the afternoon, K and Z looked for new apartment around the area. I had a plan to visit the famous Bird’s Nest Stadium. So, we took a cab, heading downtown.

China: Tsinghua University

Old Building of the School of Life Sciences

Saturday, 27 May 2017

Setelah malamnya totally wasted by continuous walking and a little bit of wine, aku kebangun jam 11. Z sama K yang udah berangkat kerja left me a note to come to Z’s campus, Tsinghua University. Yes!

Tsinghua University is a top academic institutions in Asia. Refer to 2017 Times Higher Education, it receives 35th place of World University Ranking. President of the People’s Republic of China and Chinese Community Party Paramount Leader, Xi Jinping, is an alumni with a degree in Chemical Engineering.

Z works as a researcher in its science department. There’s no way I missed the opportunity to visit this remarkable university.

China: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Jingshan Park and Wangfujing Street

Beijing totally revolves around this place: Forbidden City. Located exactly in the center of downtown. This place can not be missed.

Friday, 26 May 2017

Pagi ini bangun jam setengah 8, lumayan pagi karena semangat mau jalan-jalan di hari pertama. Nengok keluar kamar ternyata udah sepi, aku pikir Z sama K udah berangkat ke kantor, ternyata mereka masih tidur. Jam setengah 9 baru berangkat ke kantor, naik sepeda, boncengan. Suaminya yang dibonceng. Hihihi.. super sweet.

Hari pertama jalan-jalan di Beijing langsung aku rencanain buat visit the most famous palace in the country, Forbidden City atau sekarang disebut Palace Museum. Bahasa Cina-nya: Gugong. All my gears udah masuk ke tas rucksack item andalan:

The North Capital: Beijing, China

Happy Sunday!

Just a month after solo backpacking flashpacking to Singapore, I packed my bag and my yellow minion Lojel luggage heading to Beijing. Why so impulsive? It’s not. I had missed my best friends who currently reside there. And I thought, early summer was the best time to go. So, I checked my travel app and booked return tickets from China Southern Airlines. For I stayed in my friends’ apartment, I did not prepare to book any hotels.

Itinerary

The one I did not think through was that in between my 10 days visit, there were 3 days celebration of Dragon Boat Festival. It was long holiday in China, not a smart move to visit several popular sites. And so, in those 3 days, I practically went nowhere, except nearby mall and park. Ahahahaa…