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Pati and Johnny's first 48 hours in Beijing include a visit to the uniquely shaped Daxing airport, fast subway rides, Wanfujing Street, grocery shopping, and the Forbidden City. They sample tomato and scrambled egg noodle soup, try fruit and snacks, see the Imperial Garden and a flag-raising ceremony, and explore Nanlou Guxiang for potato skewers and peach milk tea. A Michelin-starred ice cream parlor serves fermented bean juice ice cream, which they do not enjoy, before they try almond scones at a Chinese pastry shop and finish with Taiwanese dishes including pineapple shrimp and three-cup chicken. The couple also make time for a Taiwanese dinner and a lakeside walk before their first two days in the city end.
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Arrival, transit, and Beijing street life
Pati and Johnny begin their first 48 hours in Beijing at the uniquely shaped Beijing Daxing International Airport, which they compare with airports in Europe. They use the Beijing subway to travel around the city and find it clean, spacious, and efficient, with speeds reaching 157 kilometers per hour. At Wanfujing Street, they see shops, food stalls, and a strong police presence, which they compare with Shanghai, Chongqing, and Chengdu. They also watch foreigners learning Jianzi, a traditional game, and stop for tomato and scrambled egg noodle soup at a local eatery.
A grocery store visit introduces them to fruits and snacks they have not seen before. They find rose grapes and mini pineapples, plus a range of tofu products and Oreo cookies. They stock up on snacks and remark on how affordable the selection is. Their time at Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City is a major part of the visit. They explore the large complex, look at the architecture and history, and see a flag-raising ceremony. The Imperial Garden offers a quieter setting amid the scale of the historical site.
Nanlou Guxiang and food discoveries
The couple continue to Nanlou Guxiang, where they try a potato skewer and peach milk tea. They also visit a Michelin-starred ice cream parlor and sample fermented bean juice ice cream. The flavor is not a favorite, and the tasting becomes one of the trip's more unusual food experiences. They balance it with a stop at a popular Chinese pastry shop for almond scones.
In the evening, they walk by a lake where a large dragon light display is set up. Pati also shops at a cosmetics store before they sit down for a Taiwanese dinner. The dishes include pineapple shrimp and three-cup chicken, which they enjoy. Their first 48 hours bring together the city's public transport, markets, historic sites, shopping, and food.
The video follows Pati and Johnny as they move from an airport and subway system to historical landmarks and neighborhood food stops. They share their reactions to the Forbidden City's scale, the variety at a grocery store, and the unusual ice cream flavor. Their route ends with a meal and reflections on a busy first two days in Beijing, where ancient history and modern city life appear alongside one another.
FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)
- Q: What was the Beijing subway like?
- A: Pati and Johnny find it clean and spacious, and note that trains can reach 157 kilometers per hour.
- Q: What was the most memorable food experience?
- A: The pineapple shrimp at the Taiwanese restaurant stood out to them, especially the sauce.
- Q: What was the strangest thing they ate?
- A: They try fermented bean juice ice cream at a Michelin-starred parlor and find it the least enjoyable flavor of the trip.
