On the first day in Beijing with my parents, we went to Jingshan Park and the Drum Tower.

Beijing is a dream destination for every Chinese person. I have known since I was a child that Beijing is the capital of China. Later, I learned that it was the capital of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and that it is home to many historical relics and places of interest. When the 2008 Olympic Games opened, I once again saw the beauty and glory of Beijing. Many years have passed, and I finally have the opportunity to visit this sacred city. This time, I traveled with my parents. For convenience, I booked a tour online, 5 days and 4 nights, with only 3 days of itinerary. The first and last days were free time for gathering and leaving. Day 1: December 24, 2024 We arrived at Beijing West Railway Station at 1 pm. After leaving the station, the sun was shining and there was a cold wind, but it was not too bad. We waited for the driver to pick us up and then went directly to the hotel (Jingtai Xizhao). To save some money, we booked a triple room and stayed here for a few days in Beijing. It was quite nice. After putting down our things, we took a taxi to Jingshan Park. We made a reservation in advance and queued up to enter the park. We went to the left and climbed the mountain. Most of the people we saw were tourists in ancient costumes (mostly dressed as empresses and princesses). We saw the same thing in the following days. The mountain is not high, and we reached the top soon. There are several pavilions along the way for sightseeing or taking photos. The top of the mountain is a good place to see the whole of Beijing. You can overlook the Forbidden City, which is beautiful in the afterglow of the sun. There are more people taking photos on the central axis. You need to squeeze and wait to take a few photos, and then let others take photos. In addition, you can see the White Pagoda and the ancient buildings around. We went around the mountain and the Shouhuang Hall. It was already 4:30 pm, and the sun had set. It was getting cold. After leaving, we walked to the Drum Tower. There were many people along the way. Some were painting, some were performing, some were laughing, and some were playing. When we arrived at Shichahai, Yandai Xiejie, it was like the ancient alley pedestrian street in every city, full of people. We walked along the street to the Drum Tower. It was already dark. There were many people taking photos on both sides of the street, holding sugar-coated haws. I was no exception and bought a string.