Beijing Street Food and Hutongs Tour: First Impressions andP

I’ve just arrived in Beijing, China, and today I’m spending my first full day exploring the city to see what it’s really like.

The day begins with one of Beijing’s most famous street breakfasts, jianbing, a crispy savoury crepe that locals eat every morning. After that, I rent one of the cheap shared bikes you see all over the city and cycle through the busy streets in search of something unusual… a donkey meat sandwich, which I’m trying for the very first time.

From there I walk towards the area around Tiananmen Square before jumping on the Beijing metro to explore the city’s historic hutongs, the narrow back alleys that show a completely different side of Beijing away from the modern skyscrapers.

As the sun begins to set, I head to a local park where I rent a pedalo boat and take in the atmosphere as the city lights start to appear. To end the day, I try the most famous dish in the capital, Peking duck, to see if it really lives up to the hype.

This is my first impression of Beijing, one of the world’s most fascinating cities.