I spent just shy of forty-eight hours in Beijing earlier this week, my first trip abroad in the 2020s! It was for work, of course, but owing to an incredibly lucky coincidence, it just happened to snow during my brief interlude in the Chinese capital. Not a few scattered flakes, mind you, but honest to goodness snow!
This, in and of itself, is apparently pretty exceptional... Accordingly to nearly everybody I asked, while it often flurries in the colder months, Beijing rarely gets more than a dusting. For some strange reason, however, I had really expected it to snow. I just had a feeling as I made the preparations for this little jaunt.
"You are very lucky to be here during this special time," I was told on multiple occasions. And I knew that was an accurate statement. Once I realized my good fortune, I just knew I had to make the most of it.
Yes, to have a significant dumping of gorgeous white powder—covering the iconic imperial structures of the ancient city—during this split-second sneeze of a visit was a very lucky quirk of good timing. I may never have the chance to see it like this again. And I made sure I took full advantage.
There were moments when it felt as though I was looking upon the city for the very first time, although—this being my fourth trip—I can now lay claim to knowing the place fairly well. The snow added a newness to everything, and an impossible quality of purity, at least for the short string of hours before metropolis took its customary toll on cleanliness.
"You are very lucky to be here during this special time," I was told on multiple occasions. And I knew that was an accurate statement. Once I realized my good fortune, I just knew I had to make the most of it.
Yes, to have a significant dumping of gorgeous white powder—covering the iconic imperial structures of the ancient city—during this split-second sneeze of a visit was a very lucky quirk of good timing. I may never have the chance to see it like this again. And I made sure I took full advantage.
There were moments when it felt as though I was looking upon the city for the very first time, although—this being my fourth trip—I can now lay claim to knowing the place fairly well. The snow added a newness to everything, and an impossible quality of purity, at least for the short string of hours before metropolis took its customary toll on cleanliness.
I also experimented by taking the zippy train that links Hong Kong to the mainland, instead of flying. Open for over a year now, the high speed line is a pretty impressive feat of engineering. I mean, think about it: Hong Kong and Beijing are separated by 1,516 miles—about half the distance between the East and West Coasts of the continental United States—yet, in a mere nine hour train ride, barrelling northwards at an astounding average speed of nearly 170 miles per hour, I reached my destination, with only six interim stops: Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Changsha, Wuhan, Zhengzhou and Shijiazhuang. You've heard about the slow boat to China... Well, here's the fast train!
What's more, I finally stayed in a hutong hotel I've been eyeing since my first trip to Beijing back in 2017. Because I normally have lots of meetings squeezed within a short span, it has always made sense to stay somewhere a little more connected to the main downtown areas where my clients' offices are located. But this time, with only one meeting in a relatively remote location anyway, I at last got the opportunity to experience The Orchid.
Let me tell you a little bit more about it, because it really was what they call a charmer. You'll find it tucked up a few small alleys off one of the main streets of Beijing's Gulou neighborhood, near the imposing Drum and Bell Towers, not far from the enchanting Back Lakes that make up the Houhai district.
The main building is set around a traditional central courtyard, but the Orchid has also acquired several non-connected units—one of which I happened to be assigned—in the neighboring alleys, all only a quick stroll from the nucleus. So while you can still easily mosey up to the lobby or front desk, or take your breakfast in the charming restaurant, you really get the feeling that you're living among the quarter's residents, as opposed to lodging in a hotel.
Simply put, I had an incredible stay. I just loved being in the middle of the vast warren of hutongs, those photogenic narrow lanes that have come to define Beijing for so many foreign visitors, myself included. And I'm sure future trips to the city will see me calling on the friendly staff at The Orchid again, as I don't intend for this first visit to be my last.
Simply put, I had an incredible stay. I just loved being in the middle of the vast warren of hutongs, those photogenic narrow lanes that have come to define Beijing for so many foreign visitors, myself included. And I'm sure future trips to the city will see me calling on the friendly staff at The Orchid again, as I don't intend for this first visit to be my last.
Speaking of the Drum and Bell Towers, I also finally made it inside those two iconic structures, which I’ve left curiosity unexplored during my previous visits to Beijing. It’s a little weird, I guess, but because I know I’ll be returning with dependable frequency to the city, I actually like knowing there still remain multiple attractions I’ve yet to check off my to do list.
Of course, I also veritably feasted on amazing food, always one of the defining features of a trip into our vast neighbor to the north. Calorie-counting is certainly not among my 2020 New Year's resolutions.
From delectable Yunnan fare at the set-menu-only Dali Courtyard, to delicious mutton roujiamo that I chanced to find when I arrived an hour early for that meeting, to some of the best dumplings I've yet sampled at a place called Mrs. Shi's, to one final spicy Sichuan lunch with my buddy Clément before heading back to Hong Kong on Tuesday afternoon, it was a gluttonous stretch indeed!
But my most enduring recollection will be of the snow! And how fortunate I was to have seen it. Had my timing been off, even by a day, I would have missed the whole thing. And who knows when it will happen again next?
From the atmospheric lanes surrounding The Orchid to stunning Jingshan Park, where I headed to survey the legendary Forbidden City from on high, to the charming Back Lakes, the whole town seemed to come alive under a blanket of white.
And I got the impression the entire population ventured outside to enjoy the occasion: teens making snowmen, toddlers throwing snow balls, couples wandering along hand in hand, shutterbugs snapping endless photographs... with everybody flashing massive smiles at me every time our eyes met.
Beijing is a colorful city during any visit, but somehow, the juxtaposition of pure white against such vivid shades seemed to accentuate the visual sense of splendor. The reds were redder, the blues bluer. It was almost overwhelming in its magnificence.
Yes, even though it had mostly melted by the time my meeting ended around 3:30 on Monday afternoon—reduced to darkening, sooty piles on the side of the road because the temperature had risen to 39°—I'll keep the memories of how the city looked that morning for a lifetime. In fact, there was something about how brief it all felt that augmented the magic.
I've been lucky to see many beautiful things in this beautiful world. I hope to see many more. But Beijing on Monday was simply one of the loveliest sights I've ever laid my eyes on.
Of course, I also veritably feasted on amazing food, always one of the defining features of a trip into our vast neighbor to the north. Calorie-counting is certainly not among my 2020 New Year's resolutions.
From delectable Yunnan fare at the set-menu-only Dali Courtyard, to delicious mutton roujiamo that I chanced to find when I arrived an hour early for that meeting, to some of the best dumplings I've yet sampled at a place called Mrs. Shi's, to one final spicy Sichuan lunch with my buddy Clément before heading back to Hong Kong on Tuesday afternoon, it was a gluttonous stretch indeed!
But my most enduring recollection will be of the snow! And how fortunate I was to have seen it. Had my timing been off, even by a day, I would have missed the whole thing. And who knows when it will happen again next?
From the atmospheric lanes surrounding The Orchid to stunning Jingshan Park, where I headed to survey the legendary Forbidden City from on high, to the charming Back Lakes, the whole town seemed to come alive under a blanket of white.
And I got the impression the entire population ventured outside to enjoy the occasion: teens making snowmen, toddlers throwing snow balls, couples wandering along hand in hand, shutterbugs snapping endless photographs... with everybody flashing massive smiles at me every time our eyes met.
Beijing is a colorful city during any visit, but somehow, the juxtaposition of pure white against such vivid shades seemed to accentuate the visual sense of splendor. The reds were redder, the blues bluer. It was almost overwhelming in its magnificence.
Yes, even though it had mostly melted by the time my meeting ended around 3:30 on Monday afternoon—reduced to darkening, sooty piles on the side of the road because the temperature had risen to 39°—I'll keep the memories of how the city looked that morning for a lifetime. In fact, there was something about how brief it all felt that augmented the magic.
I've been lucky to see many beautiful things in this beautiful world. I hope to see many more. But Beijing on Monday was simply one of the loveliest sights I've ever laid my eyes on.
