This May, high school students and parents prayed to Confucius for good scores on the gaokao (China’s college entrance exam), many of them at Beijing’s Temple of Confucius. For any students with upcoming tests, make sure to rub the dragon Ao’s head for good luck!

The Temple of Confucius in Beijing, along with the neighboring Guozijian (Imperial Academy) is a scenic and educational site. Initially built during the Yuan Dynasty in the 14th century, the temple and Guozijian serve as a glimpse into Confucian thinking and the imperial examination process.

This attraction includes both indoor and outdoor features. In the main courtyard, there is a statue of Confucius. There’s also a hall of large stone monuments inscribed with important Confucian teachings. In ancient times, people would gather in the temple to read his philosophical teachings on ethics, education, art, and more.

The Guozijian is the last of its kind in China, having been the national university during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The entrance to the Guozijian is a beautiful, traditional Chinese archway. In this area, there is an exhibition dedicated to China’s imperial examination, which selected citizens for the state bureaucracy. Here, you can view the “eight-part essays” (ba gu wen) as well as recreations of the testing cubicles. 

Located down a hutong (traditional Chinese alleyway), there is a variety of small shops and restaurants nearby to visit before or after you see the temple and Guozijian. To escape from the intense summer heat, ice cream and cold drinks are available, but beware of the long lines!

Tickets are RMB 30 for adults and free for middle and primary school students as well as young children (under 1.2 m). This summer, the temple and the Guozijian are open from 8:30 am to 6 pm. If you visit, make sure to bring your I.D., as this will be checked before you enter.

Image credit: Capri W.

When you live in Beijing, busy with the daily grind of work and school, it’s easy to forget that this is a historic city, with attractions which draw people from all across the world. It’s important to take time to sample what the city has to offer. The advantage of living here though is that you can move past the obvious tourist traps, like the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, and discover some of the less well known, but fascinating and less crowded, sights of Beijing.

To help us discover some of these hidden gems we talked to April Peng, Primary Chinese Coordinator at Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS Beijing). Peng leads the China Studies program at the school, and brings local expertise to the subject.

“I am a native of Beijing,” she told us. “I was born in Dongcheng District, which is the authentic ‘imperial roots’ area. Beijing is the place where I grew up, I studied here, worked here, got married here, had a child here. I’ve gone through changes, but I’ve also witnessed the rapid changes taking place in Beijing every day. Over the years, Beijing people have become more and more welcoming to guests from all over the world. Beijing has modernized, with more skyscrapers, improvements in science and technology, and transportation is becoming more and more efficient.”

April Peng loves to share Chinese culture with her students

Peng’s pride in her hometown underpins her enthusiasm for the subject she teaches.

“China’s 5,000 years of history, art, technology, culture, architecture, literature, and cuisine are all worthwhile topics for students to savor and enjoy. Furthermore, not only do teachers help students understand Ancient China, they also provide students with opportunities to learn about Modern China. Through understanding the changes that Chinese culture has experienced, students also are able to understand the deeply-rooted strands of heritage and culture that still exist in the minds of Chinese people and how they are embodied in the changes happening in China today.

“In the YCIS Beijing China Studies Programme, teachers use a wide variety of methods, including videos, music, dancing, performance, and other activities to enrich students’ understanding of Chinese culture. Teachers also take students to visit historical sites in person, allowing students to gain a deeper understanding of culture through these experiences. Chinese teachers themselves are also highly effective ambassadors of Chinese culture!”

Peng picked out three hidden gems for us: a historic seat of learning, an ancient temple, and a traditional street full of old-fashioned shops.

The Beijing Confucius Temple and the Imperial College are located on Guozijian street in Dongcheng district – Guozijian actually means “imperial college”.

Guozijian Gate

“It was built under the Yuan Dynasty, in the 14^th century,” Peng said, “and has a long history of over 700 years. The two groups of buildings constitute a pair, with ‘the Confucian Temple on the left and the Imperial College on the right’ according to tradition.

“The massive archway at Guozijian is the only such archway constructed solely in honor of learning. The archway contains 13 eaves atop the structure, four pillars, and three entryways. Each section of the archway is meticulously crafted. The white marble banner at the center of the archway on either side contains calligraphy handwritten by Emperor Qianlong. On either side of the top of the archway is a finely carved engraving of two dragons playing with a pearl; viewing it from the ground, the coiled golden dragons appear to be bursting forward. The entrances to the archway also feature white marble carvings around them. Encircled by beautiful flowers and plants, it’s a very worthwhile place to visit.”

Tanzhe Temple is some distance from the center of Beijing, but makes for an enjoyable day out, as Peng told us.

Tanzhe Temple is surrounded by forests and mountains

“Tanzhe Temple is located in Beijing’s Mentougou district in the Tanzhe foothills,” Peng told us. “With a 1700 year history, it is Beijing’s oldest ancient monastery. It’s said that ‘First there was Tanzhe Temple, then there was Beijing.’ The monastery grounds are filled with the smell of burning incense, towering old trees, numerous pagodas, and magnificently well-proportioned architecture, with beautiful stands of green bamboo and flowers scattered across the area. It makes for incredibly beautiful scenery. Besides the ’10 Scenic Locations’ within the temple grounds, I’d like to strongly recommend Tanzhe Temple’s famous ‘Stone Fish.’”

“To the west of Guanyin’s Hall is the Stone Fish’s Hall. Under the eaves on the left side of this hall hangs a five-foot long black and green stone fish. Tapping on different parts of the fish will emit different sounds, just as if you were playing an instrument. According to legend, the stone fish possessed mystical power; for instance, if one of the ancient provinces was experiencing a drought, one only needed to knock on the corresponding section of the fish to bring rain to that province. If a person was sick or injured, they could rub the part of the fish corresponding to the affected body part and they would be cured. If you visit Tanzhe Temple, definitely take the opportunity to visit this fish and learn more about the legend!”

Liulichang is easier to get to, lying just south of Hepingmen station on subway line 2.

“This is the oldest street in Beijing,” Peng said. “It is filled with quaint shops selling art and calligraphy related products, antiques, curios and old books. There are also tea shops selling tea and teapots, and galleries selling paintings and scrolls.”

Liulichang, Beijing’s oldest street

But there are many other other fabulous places to visit in the city, according to Peng.

“Beijing is a city that will not let you down,” she said. “The history and culture here are most attractive. Visit the hutongs, to experience the architecture of old Beijing. Look at the monuments to explore the civilization. Visit old and famous shops (the ‘Lao Zi Hao’), the Temple Fairs, the antique markets… Beijing opera, tea houses, they’re all great choices for families.”

This post is sponsored by YCIS Beijing

Photos courtesy of YCIS Beijing, Paul Munhoven via Wikimedia Commons, Ivan Walsh, Gill Penney, & Antoine Lacroix (Flickr) 

Beijing Cai may not considered the most refined of Chinese cuisines, but it does have its highlights of down-home goodness. Essentially an amalgam of many regional styles (especially Shandong), the capital’s cuisine ranges from fabulously luxuriant imperial dishes made from exotic ingredients (bear paw, anyone?) to wheat-based staples (noodles, pancakes, steamed buns and the like) as well as Hui-style (China’s ethnic Muslim minority) street foods, sweets and snacks.

In this series, we present the first part of a list of some of the capital’s better known dishes along with places to try them out. If you have any additional suggestions for places to try these dishes, or other Beijing eats, please feel free to leave them in the comments below:

Ai Wo Wo (艾窝窝): This Hui-style sweet snack dates back to the Ming Dynasty and was a favorite of the Empress Cixi. It’s made of a sugar-filled ball of glutinous rice" and somewhat resembles Japanese and Taiwanese-style moichi (or moji). Sold in street stalls around town, it’s also available at lao Beijing eateries like Jiumen Xiaochi. 

Bao Du (爆肚): Tripe isn’t for everyone – it’s a take-it-or-leave-it kind of dish. But if you’re an adventurous eater, you’ll find it to be exquisite when properly prepared. The best tripe dish I’ve ever had was a Roman specialty called "Trippa alla Romana" – served in a delectable tomato and parmeggiano sauce and cooked so tender it tastes like chewy pasta – but bao du, when it’s boiled to perfection and served with fresh cilantro and sesame sauce, is right up there. Most lao Beijing restaurants serve this quintessential dish, but the best Bao Du I’ve had was at Bao Du Feng (爆肚冯, inside Jiumen Xiaochi, 1 Xiaoyou Hutong) on Deshengmen Nei Dajie near Gulou.

Beijing Duck (北京烤鸭 ): Of course no list of Beijing specialties would be complete without the capital’s most famous dish and there certainly is no shortage of places that do divine duck. There are many, many places I would recommend (not least of which is the perennially popular Da Dong), but my personal favorite is Bian Yi Fang, another well-known laozihao (time-honored brand) that dates back to the Ming Dynasty and purportedly still slow-roasts their ducks in the traditional way. I can’t vouch for the veracity of this marketing claim, but their duck is undeniably delicious (albeit getting pricier and served in somewhat more pretentious settings, no doubt to keep up with Da Dong).

Chun Bing (春饼): Essentially a Chinese-style burrito, chun bing are as healthy as they are delicious. The bing (resembling thin, chewy crepes) can be made from millet, mung bean, corn, spinach and even carrot with even more varieties for the fillings, which typically consist of a combination of stir-fried vegetables, fried eggs and assorted meats. My favorite chun bing joint (aptly named Chun Bing Jing Wei Cai) is just south of Fangjia Hutong on Yonghegong Dajie near the Lama Temple – order the "Jing Dian Chun Bing" ("Classic" Chun Bing, pictured above), which comes with a steaming basket of assorted bing made from different ingredients and your choice of fillings (we love the egg and shrimp). This restaurant also does a damn fine bowl of za jiang mian (see below).

Da Lu Mian (打卤面): Beijing cuisine has noodles galore and this dish, which literally means "noodles with gravy," is probably its most "down-home" variety. It may not always look advertising (said gravy often resembles hot and sour soup at best, or gooey brown mush at worst), but it’s usually stick-to-your-ribs tasty and perfectly filling on a blustery day. Noodle joints across the city, including Jing Wei Mian Da Wang by Qianhai, serve this homestyle favorite.

Stay tuned for part two of this series coming soon.

We’ve made it an annual New Year’s tradition to wander the grounds of Yonghegong and burn incense at the altars of the many Buddhas therein. Neither my wife (who is technically a Hui Muslim) nor I (of the “wait-and-see” camp) can claim to be Buddhists, but we very much consider visiting temples “a Chinese Thing” and go all out burning incense, buying amulets, bowing reverently – the whole nine yards.

Local tradition dictates that one should go and bai fo (艾佛) – make offerings to Buddha – during Spring Festival, but we’ve found out the hard way that visiting Yonghegong over Chun Jie is like shopping at Carrefour on Sundays – as Tony Soprano would say, fuggedaboutit.

So rather than mosh our way through Temple Fair Hell, we’ve been going on our annual Lama Temple visits in early January for the last couple of years, which has been made all the more meaningful because of our daughter’s birthday on the 12th.

Last weekend we stopped by Yonghegong armed with the customary packs of incense (RMB 10-30, depending on size) that we purchased at one of the many shops across the street from the main entrance. Most of the Buddhas here are standard-issue in temples across China, but the highlights, which include three exquisitely carved bronze Buddhas in the Hall of Harmony and Peace and the always impressive 26-meter tall white sandalwood statue of the Maitreya Buddha, are worth the RMB 25 admission (it’s free for kids under 5).

As with years past, I followed my wife’s lead and did the full circuit of the temple grounds, fastidiously bowing and offering incense in front of almost every Buddha in the place.

Much to the amusement of onlookers, our 3-year-old was also in on the bai fo action, bowing with unlit incense sticks clasped between her tiny hands at every altar in sight – a trick she learned during a trip to Shanxi in 2009.

It took us nearly an hour to get through the temple, with stops for a bathroom break and a look at the in-house Buddha sculpture exhibit along the way, and by noon we were starving. After exiting through the temple back onto Yonghegong Jie, we made a beeline for the first noodle joint (of which there are many along Yonghegong and Andingmennei Dajie) in sight.

Located about four doors down from Yonghegong’s main parking lot, The Terra Cotta Warriors Noodle Restaurant (Tai Yong Qi Shan Mian, 泰佣岐山面) is the kind of dingy dive you normally wouldn’t give a second glance, much less consider going inside to eat. We very nearly passed it up as well, but hunger and our achingly cold limbs compelled us to go inside.

Our gamble paid off. The yangrou pao mo (bits of lamb and bread served in a savory broth, 杨若泡沫) and rou jia mo (肉夹馍, essentially chopped meat and spices served in a round, flat bread) were completely satisfying, but the real star was the youpo chemian (油泼扯面), a “belt-like flat noodle popular throughout China’s northwest” – savory, thick and satisfyingly chewy, they came coated in just the right amount of oil, veg and meat and were the best I’ve had in Beijing.

We walked off lunch by strolling down Guozijian, stopping along the way in a couple of traditional toy shops where rabbits are definitely in season and Tu Ye (“Grandpa Rabbit” – 兔爷 – a mythical symbol of healing and protection for Beijing) figurines line the shelves. 

Ranging in size, color and shape, these clay figurines are usually associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival but have taken on a special significance for the upcoming Year of the Rabbit. We picked out a small, palm-sized statue for RMB 20 and tucked him in Marianne’s pint-sized backpack, hoping that some more auspicious fortune would rub off on her for the coming year.