My feet were still exhausted from the hike on the Great Wall. But I have only one and a half day in Beijing left so I had to grasp onto time. I didn’t plan everything from the start; I added on more things to do based on time. The main things to do today: Tiananmen Square and Forbidden Palace.

First stop: Tiananmen Square

20160517 104818 orig — The opposite side - starting to look a bit foggy

I left my hotel around 9:30 am and walked to Tiananmen Square since it was only a 15-minute walk away. It was quite hot that day.

I noticed people lining up for a ticket to the Tiananmen Square Tower so I also lined up to purchase a ticket. It was nice to see Tiananmen Square from afar but I don’t think it was worth all the hassle. First, it was hot so it was unpleasant to wait on line for a ticket. Second, we had to check our bags, so more waiting on line.

Next stop: Forbidden Palace

20160517 113254 orig — Outside the palace

20160517 114415 orig — Don't know what this is but I'm guessing it's very valuable

After I left the tower, I continued on to the Forbidden Palace. I bought a ticket and made my way into the site. I was amazed to be able to see this historic structure with my own eyes but the scattered tour groups half ruined my experience. Anyways, I didn’t stay long.

20160517 113747 orig — A better photo without the crowds

Next stop: North Korean restaurant Pyongyang Guan

20160517 140111 orig — Inside the restaurant

My friend Ashley told me about North Korean restaurants in Beijing so I was curious to visit one. I chose to get lunch at Pyongyang Guan since it was inexpensive to eat there. Once I walked in, there were only two other tables of customers. There was a performance stage in the back but nothing happened until the evenings. The stage was just like the stage I’ve seen in the movie The Interview with Seth Rogan and James Franco.

20160517 141029 orig — Grilled pork belly

20160517 141035 orig — Came with soup & rice :P

Next stop: 798 Art District

The tour guide recommended that I visit the 798 Art District; he told me it has the vibes of New York. It was very interesting --- I would never expect to find something like this in Beijing.

20160517 161603 1 orig — Interesting placement with the art piece and vintage items

20160517 162426 1 orig — Love how the color pops

Last stop: Wangfujing Street

20160517 204126 orig — Old Beijing Style Street

I decided to visit a night street for food especially to see the exotic food: scorpions and crickets. It took me a while before finding the actual street. A friend recommended me to buy sweets from this well-known shop and I walked past at least three on Wangfujing Street.

20160517 204801 orig — Just took a photo cause I'm a wimp and couldn't get myself to eat it

20160517 211635 orig — Dao Xiang Cun (Daoxiang Village)

As I walked back to the hotel, I held on to the numerous skewers of snacks that I bought at the night street.

Trip to Beijing: Day 4

Tiananmen Square, Forbidden Palace, North Korean dining, 798 Art District, Wangfujing Street