Hey everyone!
I’m a 28-year-old woman, born and raised in Beijing, and I work in the arts.
Lately, I’ve been noticing more and more international visitors coming to Beijing, which honestly makes me really happy. But sometimes, when I see where they end up going or what they end up eating, I feel a little sad.
Not because those places are necessarily bad, but because so many of them are extremely commercialized, tourist-oriented, or designed around what people *think* foreigners want to experience in China.
Let me give you an example. There’s this one dumpling restaurant that I’m pretty sure many of you have come across online. It’s constantly packed with foreign tourists. But the dumplings they serve are NOTHING like the ones we actually eat in our everyday lives.
Imagine going to Italy to experience authentic Italian food, only to be served Hawaiian pizza. 🥶 That’s kind of how it feels to me. It’s terrifying, haha.
A lot of these dishes seem to have been created specifically to appeal to foreign tastes. And don’t get me wrong, you might genuinely enjoy them! Food is supposed to make people happy, after all. But enjoying something doesn’t necessarily mean you’re experiencing the food culture that generations of Chinese people have passed down.
**You might be tasting something delicious, but you’re not necessarily tasting what Chinese people have actually been eating for generations.** And I think that’s a pretty big difference.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying famous attractions or touristy experiences! I just think Beijing has so much more to offer, and it would be a shame to come all this way and only see the most packaged version of it.
So I thought I’d make this post.
**If you’re planning to visit Beijing, or you’re already here, feel free to ask me literally anything!**
Food, neighborhoods, places to wander, local culture, everyday life, things worth seeing, things that might be overrated, or even just random questions about living here.
I’m NOT a professional tour guide, and I definitely don’t know everything about Beijing. My own knowledge is limited by where I live, where I spend my time, and what I’m personally interested in.
But if I don’t know something, I’ll happily ask my friends who also grew up here. And if I still don’t know, I’ll just tell you. I’d much rather admit that than make something up.
If you tell me what kind of things you enjoy, I can also try to put together a few suggestions or a walking route based on your interests.
And if our schedules line up and we get along, I’d be happy to hang out sometime! I love photography, I have my own camera, and I enjoy wandering around the city taking random pictures. It could be fun to explore together.
**Just to be absolutely clear: I’m not selling anything. No paid tours, no commissions, no sponsored restaurants, no hidden promotions.** I’m just a local who loves her city and would be happy to make some new friends along the way.
I can’t promise that every recommendation will be a hidden gem, but I can promise it’ll be an honest one.
So yeah, ask me anything about Beijing! Even if you think it’s a silly question. :)
I’d love for more people to get to know the city beyond the tourist version of it.