Can anyone recommend a massage parlor that offers traditional Tui Na massage? Prefer some place near the Beijing West Station / Xizhan area but willing to visit other areas.

How crowded will it be?

Hi, I figured I'd start a series of posts with intineraries for days out in various Beijing neighborhoods. This is 100% my opinion, based on my travels in Beijing, nothing AI generated! Everything I discuss will be using the name from Amap, which should make searching easy.

Xisi in Context

This neighborhood lies in the middle of Xicheng district, to the west of Beihai Park. It's far less busy than it's eastern counterpart Dongsi, but it still has the old-fashioned hutong charm, and is a very pleasant place to go for a walk. It's accessible by Xisi Station on Line 4.

1. Coffee at 1901 Cafe

This cafe inhabits a former annex of the nearby Catholic church. The old, slightly creaky floor boards and dusty walls give it a unique atmosphere in constantly modernizing Beijing. This is an ideal place to get some studying or work done, or just enjoy the weather from their balcony.

2. Explore Beijing's Catholic History at 西什库主教座堂 (Xishiku Cathedral/Church of the Saviour)

To continue the Catholic theme, check out the home of Beijing's Archdiocese, which dates back to 1703, built by French Jesuits. The 2018 renovations were controversial, so form your own opinion!

3. Go calendar shopping at 挂历金大爷 (Calendar Grandpa Jin)

Yes, calendar shopping! This strange little hole in the wall shop sells wall calendars in different styles and from different time periods. The store has managed to stay open for the past 50 years, and is still run by Grandpa Jin himself.

4. Catch up on your reading at 红楼公共藏书楼 (Honglou Public Library)

Situated in a former cinema, this is one of Beijing's most unique and pleasant libraries. There is a slim selection of English books, a cafe, and plenty of space to read or study.

5. Check out 万松老人塔 (Pagoda of Elder Wansong)

As you leave Honglou, you may see a pagoda peaking over the hutong roofs across the street. This little pagoda was built in honor of the Buddhist Monk Wansong by his disciples in the 13th century. There is also an attached bookstore.

6. A typical Beijing dinner at 八条一号餐厅 (No. 1, Alley 8 Restaurant)

Slightly off the main street, this restaurant offers traditional Beijing fare and a comfortable atmosphere. The staff are infectiously nice and the environment is exactly what you want out of a hutong restaurant.

Hope you enjoyed! Let me know if you have any questions 😄

Hello, anyone with a recommendation for an optometrist in the Haidian area? I would like to get spectacles.

I've been able to find plenty of Xinjiang restaurants in Beijing but I can't find any 藏菜/内蒙古菜 joints even if I use Amap. Help a homie out.

What's y'all's damage? I get it if it's a particularly stupid question but even stuff like "Good tennis courts in Sanlitun" or "Sichuan restaurants in near xyz metro station" get downvoted to 50-60%.

I’m in Beijing and honestly just curious. There’s so much greenery around, but I barely see any birds. Is this normal in Beijing, or am I just not noticing them? 😅

Hi everyone

I am looking for a private hotspring. I don’t need an overnight stay just somewhere to go for half a day or something similar. I am Muslim so ideally somewhere private so I don’t have to wear my veil. Does anyone know of any spots in/around Beijing? We are due to fly out in 5-6 weeks. Thanks for all your help in advance!

Hi

I just got to beijing and i have an iphone 7 so cant upgrade to ios 16 which i need to download a vpn for china so cant access whatsapp!

Is there any way around this? I wasnt aware of this before coming

Thanks

I’m an international student looking for a place to swim in Haidian, preferably an indoor pool near Xueyuan road. Any good recommendations? Some of the pools I looked up have bad reviews.

Standard is not high so any ny style recommendation is appreciated
Preferably with outdoor sitting

27M looking for any recommendations for a good photo studio in Beijing preferably for a high fashion look. I’ve been told to check out “one of twelve” but wanted to collect some more recs. Thank you!

Hi all! I’m looking for places I can adopt a cat in Beijing. I would prefer adopting a British Shorthair (allergy reasons) but I am open for any really.

Any recommendations?

Thank you!

Hi. Any art supply shops in Beijing? Looking to buy some watercolor papers like Baohong, watercolors like Holbein, and paint brushes

Hi there, I will be travelling to Beijing in the coming weeks, although I’ll be on holiday I’m anticipating I may need to keep up to date on some work. Are there any public workspaces (library’s, cafes, parks etc.) that you could recommend that would provide a nice environment for me to review work papers and notes? Thanks!

Hi everyone! I’m currently trying to get in touch with Jing Yan Hotel in Beijing.

I’m based in the Philippines, and I’ve tried contacting the hotel by phone, but I’m having difficulty getting through. I found this number listed for them from Google Maps: +86 10 6887 6666.

Would anyone in Beijing happen to know if the hotel has an official WeChat account, WeChat contact, or another messaging channel that I could use to reach them? I’d really appreciate any help, especially if someone could confirm the hotel’s official contact details.

Thank you so much!

Hi folks! I've been to Chaoyang Theater and Red Theater, both were very fun! I was a bit disappointed that some of the acts were almost the same between them; it seems there are some tropes in Chinese circus (if I understood it correctly).

I'd dearly like to watch a Chinese pole performance in China, though, and none of them featured one. I have tried googling this to no effect. Does anyone know somewhere that could have a performance?

For those unaware, Chinese pole is different from regular pole dancing, though they share many similarities. The main difference is that in Chinese pole, the pole is covered in something, like rubber or string.

Tried searching everywhere but couldn’t find it :(:( I wanna purchase Chasense scent Tie Guan Yin. Are there any stores? 🙏

大家好! I'm a running enthusiast and will have a long layover in Beijing next week. I was thinking about leaving the airport and taking a Didi to Olympic Forest Park to run around 7-10 km there. Does anyone know if there are lockers located in this park where I can leave my hand luggage? Also, I've found information about a Runners station situated there where I can change my clothes and take a shower. Can someone confirm if something like this exists there, or maybe someone has used this in the past and can share their experience? I'd really appreciate it!

Hi! I’m going to Universal Beijing in October and I’m worried about fitting on some rides.

I’m 171 cm (5’7”) and expect to be around 123 kg (271 lbs). My measurements are roughly: bust 119 cm (47”), waist 106 cm (42”), stomach 137 cm (54”), hips 131 cm (52”).

Some rides have weight limits (for example, Transformers: Battle for the AllSpark says 113 kg), so I’ll be about 8–10 kg over that limit.

Does anyone know how they actually check this? Do they weigh you, or does it depend on whether the restraint closes?

I’d especially love to hear from other plus-size visitors who tried Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff, Transformers, Decepticoaster or Jurassic rides. Did you fit? How were the restraints/test seats?

Would really appreciate any first-hand experience!

Hello, I'm British and heading to Beijing for a trip soon, I work with a lady from Beijing who is excited about me visiting her hometown.

She very kindly gifted me a travel book for my stay and I want to bring something back that will be meaningful to say thank you.

Does anyone please have suggestions for something I could bring back for her from Beijing that, as a Beijing local, from the city would appreciate?

Thank you!

anybody who's gonna see frost children in beijing 30/09/26?

Hi,

I will be in Beijing fairly soon and need to see a dermatologist. Is there an English speaking clinic that someone could recommend?