Fun facts I enjoyed learning about were the various tools used by street salesmen to make a distinct

Posted: May 11th, 2012 | Author: LumDimSum | Filed under: Hot Tips , Travel alaskan small ship cruises | Tags: Bespoke Beijing , Black Sesame Kitchen , C-Dice , Candice Lee , Cricket Fighter Liu , Drum Tower , Hutong Tour , LumDimFam | Comments Off
My family has been to Beijing multiple times so the usual must-see alaskan small ship cruises locations ( Tiananmen Forbidden City, Great Wall, Summer Palace, yada yada) have already been checked off.  After traveling in Southern China for a week ( Shanghai, Suzhou, Wuxi, Nanjing Huangshan, Hangzhou ) we only had 3 days left to spend together in Beijing.
As you might suspect, I made them binge on a ridiculous amount of food at every given opportunity, alaskan small ship cruises but I also wanted to introduce alaskan small ship cruises them to  Bespoke Beijing s recommended experiences and experts so they could see just how capable and uniquely awesome Bespoke s services are.
One of my all-time favorite tours is Bespoke s Expert Hutong Tour .  Before I get into details, I should say off the bat that this is no ordinary Hutong tour. I am positive every travel company alaskan small ship cruises that exists in Beijing will offer some sort of Hutong Tour with a ride on a rickshaw through Beijing s famous alaskan small ship cruises hutongs around the Gulou and Houhai area, but Bespoke s Hutong tour is so much more.
No other city in the entire alaskan small ship cruises world has hutongs. What does that tell you? That you should go see them of course! These ancient, labyrinthine alleyways are where 'real' Beijing life happens, so to help you navigate some of the most interesting bits, we'll fix you up with Frank, an old Beijinger who's lived in the hutongs his entire life.   - Bespoke Beijing
Having lived in the hutongs his entire life,  Frank is the most perfect possible guide  to show you through the hutongs and give you a deeper understanding of this fascinating side of Chinese history, culture and show you first hand an authentic picture of traditional hutong life as it once was . And what s especially impressive and almost incomprehensible is how clear and articulate Frank speaks English.  Very, very unexpected for someone who s never left his hutong home in Beijing.
Our first stop in our Bespoke Hutong Tour was a visit to a private Hutong museum jam-packed with artifacts from old Hutong life.  As soon as modern alaskan small ship cruises China started tearing down old hutongs to build up more skyscrapers, these genius collectors quickly got their act together and started gathering up antique furniture and useful household tools to proudly keep on display for curious visitors to check out.
Fun facts I enjoyed learning about were the various tools used by street salesmen to make a distinct alaskan small ship cruises sound to notify hutong communities alaskan small ship cruises of their services. For example, it was originally believed to be bad luck to say  cut your hair  in Chinese as hair sounds like the word for growth and development so who wants to cut short their personal growth and development? So instead of having a barber walk around shouting for everyone to  cut their growth , he instead walked around alaskan small ship cruises with a specific device that makes a distinctive noise that everyone in the community recognizes as the sound that belongs to the neighborhood barber.
After visiting the hutong museum, we made our way to the Drum Tower to ascend alaskan small ship cruises its very steep staircase that leads directly into the main upper level where they regularly do a 5-minute drum performance with four drummers. This takes place every day right on the dot every 30 minutes. We arrived at the Drum Tower with only a minute to spare before the performance kicked off so timing was perfect (thanks alaskan small ship cruises again to Frank). Afterwards, Frank explained the traditional methods of keeping track of time to ensure that the drums are consistently reliable and pointed out the direct line outside alaskan small ship cruises that leads straight into Jingshan Park and the center alaskan small ship cruises of the Forbidden alaskan small ship cruises City, the heart of Beijing .
After these two spots, Frank walked us through a local wet market pointing out China s quirky vegetables, popular spices and herbs, and local specialties like China s renowned 1,000 year old eggs (that are not really 1,000 years old).
Meeting alaskan small ship cruises the cricket master alaskan small ship cruises was something my dad and brother were most looking forward to seeing alaskan small ship cruises in Beijing since my dad actually grew up in southern China playing with crickets as a child. Not only is this an unforgettable experience,  Master alaskan small ship cruises Liu aka Cricket Liu  is a hoot!
On the quirky scale, this one's a ten. In China, this is a serious sport and has been for centuries. This is your opportunity to meet Beijing's most famous cricket trainer alaskan small ship cruises (yes, you heard right) and find out all about this ancient practice. You'll get to meet the clients (read: insects) he's currently working with, and hear all about the instruments and methods he uses to get them fighting fit. This colourful local character actually trains crickets and grasshoppers to fight in local competitions. A fascinating insight into a bizarre Chinese sport you won't forget in a hurry!   - Bespoke Beijing
How far in advance should I book?   At least 4 days Getting there The cost does not include transportation to and from the meeting point. You can get here by taxi, or hire a standard car for 460RMB. Start Point Square behind the Drum Tower End Point Square behind the Drum Tower Children Half price for kids under 6. Babes in arms go free.
What to bring:    A healthy heart (you'll need to climb some steep steps to the top of the Drum Tower) – and a willingness to be in close proximity to insects! Our favourite bit When Cricket Trainer Mr. Liu explains, in all seriousness, that the little metal case he is holding is actually the crickets' 'marriage bed'.