by Maya Rysin
After an exciting first full day in Beijing and our first night of real sleep, everyone woke up ready for a fun day. Breakfast in the hotel was a variety of tasty items. I tried a new pastry, a peanut dish, and congee for the first time.
At 9 o’clock, we headed out for our first activity: visiting the Summer Palace (颐和园). There, we enjoyed the historical beauty of the gardens and their architecture as we walked alongside the Kunming Lake (昆明湖).
Our lunch stop was a restaurant called 大碗居. We stuffed ourselves full of chicken, noodles, beef, tofu, and vegetable dishes, all of which were delicious.
After a very filling meal, we headed to a park for martial arts lessons from an amazing teacher. He started out by teaching us the basic steps of Tai Chi, which we later put together into one final sequence.
The Temple of Heaven (天坛) was our second scenic destination for the day. We learned about the temple’s imperial significance and meaning behind its round structure.
Around 4pm, we entered a local mall where we practiced our bargaining skills with the merchants.
After buying a couple souvenirs, we went to watch an acrobatic show. The performance included a wide display of impressive skills, including tightrope walking, one-handed handstands, partner stunts, and caged motorcycles.
For dinner, we had a dumpling banquet at another restaurant. There were chicken, shrimp, and tomato and egg dumplings, as well as some other dishes. As expected, the dumplings were extremely tasty and a great way to end the long but fulfilling day.
Wow, what a full day of awesome activities and food! Can’t wait to hear about who haggled the best deal at the mall 😁.