Weekend Walk: Parks, Old Streets, Houhai
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Weekend Walk is your guide to getting away in the city using nothing but your own two feet.
Outside the city center – and by city center I mean the areas closer to Tian’anmen, but not too close to Tian’anmen – walking in Beijing can be a bit tedious, with sidewalks blocked by share bikes, people threatening to run you down in cars or e-bikes, and plenty of other obstacles, some of which shan't be mentioned here.
That being said, I’m still a big fan of walking through this gigantic city. No matter what the season, there’s always something new that catches my eye. But, if you ask me, I do have some favorite neighborhoods I stroll through regularly, and this is one of them.
I dub this the Unconventional Park-Old Road-Houhai walk, as this little jaunt covers just these areas. It goes something like this:
Start Here: Intersection of Chang’an Jie and Zhengyang Jie
You’ll find this intersection close to the southeast corner of the Forbidden City, easily reached by walking east from Tian’anmen East subway station. Due to its proximity to the capital’s main tourist attractions, you’ll find Zhengyang Street to be relatively crowded, but don’t let that dissuade you.
Walk north along the street until you reach a park cutting the street in two: the Imperial Wall Park, from whence this walk gets the first part of its name.The park's entrance can be glimpsed in the background
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The Middle: Monument to the May 4th Movement
The trees along the path eventually subside, giving way to flowerbeds and other flora, before it's split by another intersection, this one featuring a curious monument.The monument in question
Resembling the open pages of a newspaper or book, the bronze monolith commemorates the May 4th Movement, a protest movement that, beginning on May 4, 1919, was a catalyst in the country’s push towards modernity.
From here, keep walking until you reach the park’s end, which features a reconstructed section of the Imperial Wall itself.What's left of the imperial city wall
One thing’s for sure: Houhai hasn’t changed a bit since I first dropped by in 2012. Even one of my favorite Thai restaurants – a place that I can only find when I’m not looking for it – still calls the area home.
Still one of the best places to find yourself at dusk in Beijing
READ: Urban Hiking: Get To Know Beijing With These Historical Walks
Images: Vincent R. Vinci, easychinatours.com
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