Beijing Old Town

Our last day in Beijing started off with a visit to a University type of place that practices in traditional Chinese medicine. As a class we sat and listen to the teacher who explained to us how it all works. After that an army of doctors came in to assess each of us and diagnose our issues. We were then given a script to fill downstairs Which most of us did not do because it was hundreds of dollars worth of medicines that last for one month. Some people however did buy the medicine. One couple spent more on medicine than they did on the entire trip. Crazy.

Afterwards we had a magical time exploring Beijing’s Old Town which is made up of 700 year old laneways (Hutongs). This is such a beautiful place. We were the epitome of “tourists” as we made our way around on the back of a rickshaw. It was actually so much fun. We laughed a LOT as we dodged people, bikes and other rickshaws 🛺.
The area is just gorgeous, surrounding 3 lakes each of which are lined with gorgeous willow trees.
Most of the shops were food of all types as well as souvenirs. I’m pretty proud to say I didn’t buy anything apart from an ice cream!
Afterwards we had an absolutely delicious lunch in the home of a local family. Their lounge room was temporarily converted into a dining room and we couldn’t fault their hospitality. Liam and a couple of others especially enjoyed the local beer and traditional Mongolian liquor 😂
We are now sitting on a bullet train headed to Xi’an. It will take just over 5 hours and reach speeds of 300+ km/h 😮
I have loved Beijing and would love to come back and explore some more.Read more