復活節去北京幾天，請2日放5天。即使北京是中國的首都，但從來沒想過會到訪，因為在我眼中都是中國，都是養著那班人，那班令香港起了變化的內地人。但之前買歐洲機票送了單程北京票，不去好像很浪費，又遇著假期…...好吧！即管買張回程便出發啦！
We spent the Easter in Beijing because it is a good deal to take 2 days off with 5 days holiday. Even Beijing is the capital of China, I never thought of visiting. To me , BJ is just another city in China with same kind of Chinese who messed around in Hong Kong. I do not have a good impression. As we received a complimentary single ticket from the last Europe trip. It would be such a waste to not making another trip. Plus it was holiday... so why not just get another single return ticket to make it happen.
北京機場-感覺是…...我有離開香港嗎？為什麼這麼像香港機場？但周邊的殘體字告訴我，我真的身在北京。也許北京機場參照香港機場翻新，或這是亞爺主意要統一全國機場風格，我不知道，媽！我好亂呀！
The BJ Airport makes me feel I was still in Hong Kong because both airports are looking similar. However, the simplify chinese characters around me told me I was out of Hong Kong already. Perhaps the BJ Airport is renovated based on the structure of Hong Kong's or it is the decision of the China Government to standardized the Airports?
由機場出發，先坐機場快綫到2號綫的東直門站。2號綫是一條無限loop的循環綫，我們在車站研究了一會，試圖分清楚方向才上車，滿有信心擠進車箱，地鐵開動後廣播下一站，居然是相反方向？！那一刻我真不能相信我會犯這低級錯誤，又再擠出車箱走過對面月台，口裡不停說氣話！
Leaving the airport using the Airport Express, then we headed to DongZhiMen station on Line 2. Line 2 is a circular route and we had spent a few minutes to understand the direction and the route map before getting into the train. However, once we stepped in and heard the announcement saying the next station is actually the opposite direction. I cannot believe myself making this stupid mistake even I tried hard to avoid. I kept saying something not nice while I squeezed out of the train and waiting at the other side.
阜成門是北京其中一個仍然保存胡同及四合院的區域，以前整個北京都是胡同及四合院，但政府重新規劃及大量新北京人湧入，令傳統的四合院數目大幅下降，現有的改建成一院十多戶的劏房，沒有了傳統特式。
FuChengMen is one of the area in BJ which still preserve the old HuTongs (narrow alleys) and the traditional Chinese courtyard houses. In the old time, these are very commonly seen on Beijing. However, because of the Government reclamation plan and the load of new Beijinger immigration, the number of the traditional houses decreased dramatically. The existing houses are redeveloped as a 10-unit house to serve the rapid increase of immigrants.
我們特地預訂了一間四合院hostel, 雖然價錢比較高，但環境真的很傳統，完全保留了四合院的特式，絕對少有。
The hostel we booked is actually previously the traditional house. Although it is relatively expensive, the environment is for sure traditional and maintaining the ancient ambiance. Most importantly, it retained the features of the traditional house which is rare nowadays.
時間尚早，衝衝放下行李便立刻展開行程。我們住的地方，小街上有一家小型燒餅店-徐家燒，三種不同口味，原味﹑糖火燒和鹽燒, 每個¥2-3,總是很多人排隊買燒餅，意味著味道一定不錯！
It was still early after we settled in the hostel, so we started immediately exploring the area. There is a small scale homemade chinese pastry pocket (Shaobing) shop called XuJiaShao which bake their pastry in a clay oven. There are three flavours - original, brown sugar and salted which costs ¥2-3. Always, i mean ALWAYS got a line for it. In other words, this shop is a good one and, indeed, tasty.
燒餅拿上手還是暖的，選了糖火燒，一層一層餅皮搓成，質感偏乾，口感鬆化，雖然叫糖火燒，但不會太甜，只吃一個真的不滿足！
The pastry pocket was still warm and we chose the brown sugar one. The pastry was in layered, one after one. It is quite dry but very crunchy. Although it is baked with sugar, it would not be too sweet and you are not satisfy with only one.
到達首個目的地-什剎海的時候，遇著夕陽西下﹑萬理無雲﹑湖水蕩漾﹑樹影倒照﹑良晨美景，盡在盡在眼前！周邊有許多餐廳，每一家都在舖前掛著霓虹燈招牌，吃的都是當地家常菜式，如爆肚﹑火鍋﹑羊肉燒烤和餃子。
When we arrived at our first destination - ShiChaHai (a lake area), we saw a wonderful sunset in a fascinating cloudless sky with the background of the big lake, reflection of the trees. The lake was surrounded by the restaurants on two sides. All the restaurants hung out their own light box with their signature dishes written on it. All the dishes are the local and authentic dishes reflecting Beijing like fried pork & beef belly, hotpot, grill lamb and dumpling.
再繼續走，有小橋連接兩岸，兩邊變成有駐場歌手表演的酒廊，英文情歌﹑普通話失戀歌﹑流行K歌都有，競爭對手實在太多，很多店員都在街上拉客，希望多點生意;有其他店舖見狀，便以｢絕不拉客｣作招徠，希望變成萬綠叢中一點紅，可惜這裡是中國，中國有名於抄襲，所以｢絕不拉客｣的店又豈止一間，我們一路走都經過三四間，突然變得毫無風格。
There are short bridges connected the two sides. While we kept walking, the street is filled with bars with live performance. The Chinese performers are really good at the English love songs, Mandarin sad songs and also pop songs. There are keen competitions of the business which forced the staff to come to the street to promote the bar to the passing by. Some of the bars used another strategy which is no hard sell, hoping this is a good one to make customers feel they are the most outstanding. It may be special in other country but not in China. Why? What is famous in China? Plagiarism. So it will not be the only one "no hard sell" bar. We have seen a couple of them later on which is no longer unique.
這裡還有幾條特式內街，其中有名的就是煙袋斜街，稱之為煙袋，因為清朝時期，這裡開了許多賣煙袋的店舖，現在仍然存在，同時亦有賣冰糖葫蘆、北京酸奶﹑老北京吹糖人﹑手工扇﹑茶具及手工藝的店舖。
A few inner lanes are also full of BJ characteristic, like YanDaiXie Street. YanDai means the tobacco tools. It is named as that because a lot of shops sells the tobacco tools in Qing Dynasty and it is the same nowadays. At the same time, we found other shops selling iced little pear candy with stick, BJ yogurt, blowing candies figure, handmade fan, tea sets and handcrafted shops.
煙袋斜街另一景點是有一間「大清郵政信櫃」，這裡售賣各種印上北京景點的圖畫﹑相片或舊貌的名信片，另外還有多款特式印章免費使用，蓋上名信片上顯得獨一無二。門外還有小朋友銅像及仿古郵箱，又是自拍熱點。
In this street, another must see is the Museum of the Qing Post office. They sells postcards with nice view of BJ and the old BJ. They provided the special stamps to use for free which made the postcard unique. At the shop front, a little child bronze statue and the remake ancient post box were the photo-taking spot.
離開什剎海煙袋斜街，我們去了2008年北京奥運會場地，水立方和鳥巢。
Leaving ShiChaHai and YanDaiXie Street, we headed to the Olympic Game 2008 venue - water cube and bird's nest.
由地鐵站出來進入園區需要接受安檢，但所謂安檢都是門面程序，公安一臉輕鬆，從容不迫，每日幾千位遊客到訪，令他們習以為常，變得鬆懈。
Security check is required to get into the park. However, it sounds very safe but indeed the police seemed not taking this task serious and they looked sluggish. There are a few thousands visitors coming, this security check became their routine task and they were so relaxed.
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