Can't miss sights

2 days in Beijing seem awfully tight. TBH, the Forbidden City and the great wall are OK and all, but for me I would spend more time in the Hutongs before they all disappear. Many of them are already gone including the Hutong I stayed in for 20 years. One year I came back only to find they had Disneylanded it. They "fixed it up" into a Hollywood movie version of a Hutong. I've never been back. It's surprising where you will find one. On Wangfujing walking street where all the expensive shops are, there's this little tiny gap in the wall. Walk in there and it opens up into a old school Hutong experience. While the alley is new, what's happening is not. Including chickens being slaughtered and butchered. A real Hutong will give you a glimpse into Beijing life not too long ago. They've pretty much done the same to the walls by Beijing, especially Badaling and the Forbidden City. Going to Badaling is like going to the mall now. Including rides for the kids and the mandatory KFC. It's still a sight to behold but I remember when it was kind of a trek to get out there and back. Here's my tip about the Forbidden City. Don't walk straight down the middle. If you do you'll be stuck in a sea of tour groups. Walk down on either side. In many parts, you'll be alone. Look through the cracks of the doors blocking off access to the closed portions of the city. That's the way it looked when I first went there. It's a travesty what they are doing to the ground. They are ripping up centuries old stone blocks and replacing them with new smooth ones solely because it's easier for tourists to walk on. Why not just stick a glass or wood boardwalk over it?

Have you considered buying a guide book?

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