Inside the Courtyard

Day 4 of Beijing was a nice contrast to our previously busy days. We were invited to have lunch with some family friends who own a typical Beijing courtyard house.

From the street, the house is completely hidden save for a large, brightly painted door that opens into a passageway and into the courtyard.

The setup of courtyard houses are interesting, with several detached rooms (a kitchen room, dining room, lounge room, etc.) each separate and bordering the courtyard. It was really interesting to see, so different from many of the types of buildings and houses I'm used to.

Front door (from the inside, not street side) of the courtyard house

Inside the courtyard

We were spoilt with generosity and hospitality and enjoyed a delicious lunch before spending the afternoon drinking tea (an art form in and of itself, that we learnt all about) and learning about the traditional Chinese instrument, the Guqin.

It was a truly leisurely afternoon and a very restful way to wile away the hours before heading back to Shanghai.

Before heading to the airport, we headed to the X region of Beijing; a series of alleyways lined with all sorts of shops filled with foods, clothing, jewellery, and just about anything you could ever need or dream of. I ate my first ever churro (in Beijing.). We got swallowed up by the crowd, taking it all in and exchanging hellos with a fellow Canadian traveller, before heading to a less developed part of town to grab a bite at a little restaurant, that specializes in western Chinese cuisine, tucked away in a darkened alleyway.

We ate our fill, found a subway, and headed for the airport to catch our night flight back to Shanghai. Beijing was a whirlwind adventure to be sure! What a great way to get a small taste of the city and all it has to offer.