Today’s interviewees:

　
"Beijing’s Famous Places Recommended by HighChem Employees
Straight to the point, what are the recommended tourist attractions in Beijing?

Li  If you visit Beijing, I would definitely recommend the ‘Great Wall of China’. The characteristic of the city of Beijing is that it is very wide and large. It takes 3 to 4 hours to travel by car from the southern end to the northern end of Beijing city. There are many huge tourist spots, and one of the symbols is the ‘Great Wall of China’. I would like you to feel its size.

Zhang  I recommend ‘Houhai’!  It is a lake north of the Forbidden City, where you can enjoy boating in the summer and skating in the winter when the lake surface freezes. You can also enjoy walking and jogging. In fact, it is a precious place where I have memories of dating when I was a student. Near the lake, there is a historic town with stylish cafes, and at night, bars are bustling until late. It is also attractive to show different expressions during the day and night.

Ji  It has to be the  ‘Forbidden City’. It is the Forbidden City where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties lived, but now it is a museum. There are many palaces lined up, and it takes a whole day to see them thoroughly. You will be impressed when you see the thick pillars used in the magnificent wooden architecture. You can learn about the transition of Beijing to a modern city, so I think it will make your walk in Beijing even more enjoyable afterwards.

Zhang  The ‘Forbidden City’ is also recommended as a photo spot. On a clear day, the red walls of the buildings shine against the blue sky. Snowy days are also a chance. The contrast between the white of the snow and the red of the wall is wonderful."

"Beijing: Where Cutting-Edge Culture and ‘Nostalgia’ Coexist

Li  One of the lesser-visited attractions by foreigners is the The Beijing Olympic stadium, which many may recall by its nickname, the ‘Bird’s Nest’. It’s a structure created by the globally renowned Swiss architectural unit, Herzog & de Meuron. Beijing is not only home to historical buildings but also a treasure trove of modern architecture where famous architects from around the world compete. It has become a popular tourist spot domestically, showcasing the new charm of Beijing. The area is also equipped with stylish shops, hotels, and parks, making it enjoyable for strolling.

Zhang  The place I want to visit in Beijing right now is the‘798 Art District’. In my opinion, it’s the most Instagrammable city in Beijing. To be honest, I haven’t been there yet and have always admired it. It’s a city where many budding artists live and where studios and galleries gather. There are also many stylish cafes, and like SoHo in New York in the past, young artists are creating new art, providing a stimulus not found in other cities.

Ji  I love the old streets of Beijing, so I can’t miss ‘Nanluoguxiang’’. It’s an old residential area, or ‘hutong’, near ‘Houhai’, which Zhang introduced earlier. Cafes, bars, and miscellaneous goods stores that retain the image of old houses are opening one after another, making it a fun city to stroll around. It’s also interesting to go into the narrow alleys. You can see the lives of the locals, with grandpas and grandmas putting chairs in front of their houses and drinking tea. The cityscape of Beijing has changed significantly compared to when I was a child. I used to love the old, relaxed city, but in the hutongs, you can still catch a glimpse of the nostalgic Beijing."

Enjoying Your Stay in Beijing: Power Spots and Jogging Courses

Li  One of the places I often go to in Beijing is the ‘Yonghe Temple’. It is the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple in Beijing, originally the residence of the Yongzheng Emperor when he was a prince during the Qing Dynasty. It is known as a blessed land where dragons dwell because the Qianlong Emperor was born here. At the ‘Yonghe Temple’, I pray for healthy days.

Ji  As a kind of power spot, there is also the ‘Baiyun Guan’. This is a Taoist temple, but it seems that many people go there to pray for their children’s exam success. Not only before the exam, but also after passing, they go there to give thanks.

Zhang   I think there are also people who want to enjoy jogging during their stay in Beijing. The course in the Olympic Park is famous. In addition, many people jog in ‘Chaoyang Park’. You can run while enjoying the lake view in the large park.  

Ji  I recommend jogging in the morning. In the park, you can meet various grandpas and grandmas. There are also people doing Tai Chi. I think it’s interesting to see the daily life of Beijing citizens. Seeing the way people live is one of the charms of visiting a foreign country. Even on bad weather days when you can’t jog, Beijing is full of indoor facilities to enjoy, such as museums and art galleries. It is truly a city of history and culture. I hope many people enjoy their stay in Beijing!"

Beijing Gourmet Food Recommended by HighChem Employees
Exquisite gourmet food includes lamb shabu-shabu and Peking duck.
And the youthful sweet and sour dessert.

Li  For Beijing’s gourmet food, it has to be ‘Lamb Shabu-shabu’! You quickly dip fresh lamb meat into boiling water only three times. Although it’s not raw, it’s only slightly heated, so you can enjoy the taste of the lamb itself. Fresh lamb meat raised in Inner Mongolia is used, and like Japanese Wagyu, the taste varies depending on the part. Good restaurants always serve meat without any gamey smell, so it’s recommended even for those who don’t like the smell of lamb. The famous one is a restaurant called ‘Dong Lai Shun’, which has branches all over Beijing. Another popular restaurant is ‘Hong Yuan South Gate Shabu Meat’. It’s a dish where you can fully enjoy the umami and soft texture of lamb.

Ji  Of course, the original‘Peking Duck’ is also recommended. When I return to Beijing, I search for highly rated restaurants on the internet and go around eating with my wife. Even the same Peking duck has a unique taste depending on the restaurant, and some places use fruit trees like peach to roast the duck. The unique aroma permeates the meat and it’s delicious. The ‘Peking Duck’ eaten in our home country has a crispy skin and the meat is tender and exquisite. I know various restaurants in Beijing, so I would like to secretly introduce delicious restaurants to our customers.

Zhang  For dessert, I recommend ‘Tanghulu’ . It’s a candy made by coating small red fruits of the rose family, hawthorn, with sugar and skewering them on a bamboo stick. I love the exquisite balance of the sourness of the hawthorn fruit and the sweetness outside. As I walk around the city, it’s sold at various shops and stalls, so I enjoy eating it while walking.

Ji  It’s always sold at festivals. It’s similar to candied apples in Japan.

Zhang  When I was a student, I used to go back to the classroom to study even after dinner. When I finished studying around 9 or 10 o’clock and returned to the dormitory, I always walked while eating, which is a nostalgic memory.

Beijing Insights You Should Know
People in Beijing are ‘Youliyoumian’. They also love to chat.

Li  People in Beijing are often described as ‘Youliyoumian’. This means that while they value their own face (reputation), they also show respect to others and uphold their reputation. China is a highly competitive society, but I believe that people in Beijing still value ‘Youliyoumian’.

Ji  Beijing has been the capital of dynasties and nations for a long time, and perhaps it is because of that pride that they value politeness. Of course, being a big city, there are all kinds of people, but I think many people are conscious of ‘Youliyoumian’. Beijing has assimilated with northern nomadic tribes and incorporated various things to become what it is today. Such history may be behind their emphasis on manners and etiquette. Speaking of manners, Beijing has its own unique ones. For example, at banquets, when you are poured tea or alcohol, it is polite to tap the table with your fist. It means ‘thank you’. However, if you tap it hard, you will be scolded. Recently, it is considered more elegant to tap quietly with two fingers.
　
Zhang  Although I was not born in Beijing, from an outsider’s perspective, I have the impression that many locals in Beijing love to talk. Especially when you take a taxi in Beijing, you can feel the difference from other cities. Many taxi drivers in Beijing keep talking all the time while you are riding, and just by listening, you can get a lot of information.

Ji  Taxi drivers in Beijing keep talking even if you ride for about an hour (laughs). When you walk in the hutongs, unfamiliar local grandpas and grandmas casually start talking to you. Indeed, there are many talkative people in Beijing.

Points to Note Unique to Beijing
The severity of banquets, new threats on the road, and serious traffic jams

Li  Even in such a friendly Beijing, there are things to be careful about. It’s the banquet on a business trip. In Beijing, there are top-class bureaucrats and executives of major state-owned companies. The number of these people is tens of times that of other cities. Therefore, there are opportunities to entertain people of status who do not come to the dining table in other cities. At that time, what is particularly important is the choice of words. Chinese also has polite language like Japanese, so it is important to choose words while respecting the other person. If you are rude, the negotiation may break down. Of course, the ability to use polite Chinese is important. In that respect, you can rest assured with our company, which has a wealth of experience.

Zhang  Something to be careful about in Beijing, it doesn’t come to mind immediately, but in China, there are very few places where you can use cash or credit cards. An app for making payments with QR codes is essential. You can’t even buy hawthorn candy at a stall with cash.
→For more details, please refer to the second edition of the Chinese Business Manners Course, Smartphone App Edition.

Ji  You also need to be careful about accidents caused by rapidly spreading electric bicycles. In Beijing, bicycle lanes are well maintained, but there are also electric bicycles that run at an incredible speed on the sidewalk. It’s scary because they whiz past you. It’s dangerous because it’s electric and doesn’t make a big noise. Even when using the sidewalk, you always need to be aware of your surroundings, and it’s dangerous to walk while looking at your smartphone like people do in Japan.

Another thing to be careful about in Beijing is traffic congestion. The roads in Beijing become slow-moving from around 3:30 in the afternoon. It becomes a full-scale traffic jam from around 5 o’clock, and it continues until around 7:30 to 8 o’clock. Be careful if you are using a taxi. The only way to avoid serious traffic jams is to use the subway. However, even compared to Tokyo, it is difficult to change trains on the Beijing subway. An app that allows you to check the required time to your destination for each mode of transportation seems to be useful.
→For more details, please refer to the second edition of the Chinese Business Manners Course, Smartphone App Edition.

Summary of Beijing’s Recommended Tourist Attractions by HighChem Employees

The Great Wall of China
Houhai
The Forbidden City
Beijing Olympic Stadium
798 Art District
Nanluoguxiang

<Power Spots>
Yonghe Temple
Baiyun Guan

<Jogging Spots>
Chaoyang Park

Summary of Beijing’s Recommended Restaurants by HighChem Employees

<Lamb Shabu-shabu>
Dong Lai Shun Restaurant
Hong Yuan South Gate Shabu Meat