Today’s photo essay features a few things I learned in Beijing over the last two weeks. It was both fantastic and disorienting to live for a while in a city of 22 million people, the vast majority of whom do not speak English and whose cultural background includes emperors and concubines and Mao, Buddha and Confucius and the Tao. President Xi Jinping has just secured power indefinitely.
They are nothing like us – and also just like us. I’m still thinking about the ways both of these things can be true.
In the meanwhile, here are a few observations about life and travel in Beijing. Book recommendations will follow in a few days!
Ten Things to Bring to Beijing
The first thing you must bring to Beijing is your umbrella because
If it is raining you will need your umbrella
If it is sunny you will need your umbrella
And if it is cloudy you will need your umbrella
No black, please.
Every color of the rainbow is good.
The second thing you must bring to Beijing is your fan because
Your beautiful girlfriend might need a refreshing breeze
Or – if you are a grandmother – the sweaty toddler in the stroller needs your cooling love.
The third thing you must bring to Beijing is your shirt with English words on it
If you are a tiny girl, you might wear a white shirt declaring
“I heart Mather” (sp)
If you are a little boy, you might wear a red shirt saying
Tribute to friendship
Tribute to love
If you are a teenage boy, you’ll sport Blood and Thunder or Space Advance or Urban Decay
Teenage Girls say Try Mindfulness You Look Great or Go College or Geometry.
You might also consider incorporating the pink panther or Peppa pig into your look.
If you are a man in Beijing you may wear a “Beijing bikini,” rolling up your t-shirt to stay cool. I didn’t get any pictures of that because I didn’t want trouble.

From The Beijinger https://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2017/06/16/beijing-bikini-successfully-satirizes-chinese-custom-exposing-beer-bellies
I was looking at people in Beijing –
And also they were looking at me. Often we got pictures with each other.
The fourth thing you must bring to Beijing: your eyes wide open. You don’t want to miss
the Forbidden City where emperors lived –
the Lama Temple, rich with incense, prayers and Buddha –
the magical animals –
the lotus flowers, pure of heart with humble roots in the mud –
or the elegant dance of organized chaos that is traffic in Beijing. All manner of cars, small motorized vehicles, and bicycles share the streets, loosely interpreting rules of the road.
The fifth thing you must bring to Beijing: your ears wide open. You must listen to the names you hear…
At the Summer Palace, you might begin at the Hall of Good Sight
And end in the Garden of Harmonious Interests
crossing over the Bridge of Knowing the Fish.
Along the way you may spend time at the Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha, the Revolving Archives, the Hall of Dispelling Clouds, and the Pavilion Heralding Spring, among other enchanting sites.
The sixth thing you must bring to Beijing is your mouth shut because – you know – Tiananmen Square. And state-controlled media.
Things seven, eight and nine? A willingness to bargain at traditional markets. An enthusiasm for beer, spirits, and tea. Your own toilet tissue.
The most important thing you must bring to Beijing is a map and the ability to read it because no one – mostly no one – speaks English in Beijing.
If you are alone and your map is an artistic rendering you might get lost. Who am I kidding, the map is not to blame. But if you stand long enough with your map in hand and feel like you might cry, Beijing will help you find your way home.
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Just a few other photos…
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Sincerest thanks to our wonderful guide for 4 days, Connie, a spirited little girl (maybe even “naughty”!) who grew up into a smart, beautiful, adventurous, intellectually curious woman
My thanks to Tony, as well, who spent half a day with me at the Summer Palace and regaled me with tales of the Empress Dowager Cixi among other important personages.
To the staff at the Aman Summer Palace: thank you for taking care of me for a week after my husband left. Thank you for your warm hospitality and care.
Also, I loved your darling hotel xiao mao.
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All photographs copyright Jennifer Puryear
What an adventure and your photographs are beautiful. Love your sense of humor and your observation that “They are nothing like us – and also just like us….”
Thank you, Katie!! xoxo
Absolutely fabulous! Thanks for sharing.
I thought of you in Beijing, Vanessa – you were so enthusiastic and kind about me going!! xoxo
This is wonderful! I love the names you shared, liked the Garden of Harmonious Interests and the Bridge of Knowing the Fish. They reminded me a bit of how Anne of Green Gables gave everything a poetic name because she found beauty everywhere – and so, it seems, did you! Welcome back, and I can’t wait to hear all about it!
Dear Mary – the names were unbelievably gorgeous and evocative – can I bring this into my “real life”? Can’t wait to catch up – xoxo
Love these photos and your poetic travelogue! What a splendid adventure!
Thank you, Sara!! xoxo
Wonderfully evocative photographs, Jennifer.
Beautiful, fascinating, and revealing. Great photo essay.
I didn’t see many birds in Beijing, Jack. I think it’s the pollution. It’s the strangest thing to spend days on end in a large former imperial garden, now city park – and see hardly any birds apart from sparrows. If you’d been along, I know you would have found them and spotted them!! xoxo
What a fantastic trip!! You’ve made me add this to my bucket list! Thanks for sharing:-)
I think you’d find it fascinating as well, Liza! I can see you in the Pearl market (which sells a lot more than pearls), negotiating for some glorious things… xoxo
Fabulous photos & piece, Jennifer. I’ve never traveled anywhere near Beijing & it really put me right there with you.
I’m so glad, Mary Beth! That is such a compliment!! xoxo
Just loved this gift in my inbox this morning. Thank you for sharing your pictures , your words and your incredible sense of place with us.
Thank you, Lucy!! xoxo
Thank you, Jennifer, for my morning mini vacation!
xoxo
Thank you so much, dear friends, for your kind comments! I’m so happy to hear from you! xoxo
Wow such beautiful photos and wonderful travelogue. Who needs Fodors? You could be Beijing’s unofficial ambassador. Congrats on a grand adventure. Also, Mao is a great name for a cat…
I’m always so happy to hear from you, Don! And thank you!! xoxo
My “ Jennifer”(sister) just shared this with me. Going to China in October with friends on a tour! Yes I agree with the advice to bring toilet paper! We did that for Hong Kong in 2016
Very excited to go!
Hi Jill! I traveled to China with a group a couple of years ago – https://www.bacononthebookshelf.com/2016/09/29/adventures-in-china/. I hope you will have a marvelous time!! Thank you for being in touch!! xoxo
welcome home! and thank you for making us feel we were there. please post more!
It’s good to be home, neighbor! Hope to see you very soon! xoxo
What an adventure! Exotic, magical and shared with warm humor. Thank you for this delightful treat to savor in mid-July in Middle Tennessee!!
Jennifer, how fun! And your blend of Mark Twain-like/Mary Oliver-ish observations is a gift. OK, Beijing goes on the travel list.
Anne, you put me in good company. 🙂 Thank you, dear friend! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post!! xoxo
Sounds like a fabulous trip! I can’t wait to hear more when next we meet.
It was fabulous and also strange – and I look forward to seeing you! Hope you’ve enjoyed time on the Mountain this summer!! xoxo
Spectacular sharing of a wonderful journey. Thank you for including so much humanity in your story. It is posts like this that continue to connect us all.
Your comment is such an encouragement. Thank you, Beth – xoxo
Catching up on reading – you made China come alive with this presentation. So glad Ruth had this experience.
Thank you, dearest Patricia!! Xoxo
I love this post and am sorry that it took me so long to finally get to it. What a treat to see it through your eyes. Thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you, Lawrence! It’s always so terrific to hear from you at Bacon! And I’m so excited for your next guest post. xoxo