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A Day In Beijing with Chen

Chen

This is more than a travel guide to China. We are real people who live here, your eyes on the ground, and we want you to see it from the inside. A Day In Beijing is a weekly podcast about the history, culture, and people in China.

China has opened its doors with visa-free travel. But most "China experts" have never lived here or don't speak Chinese. This podcast is none of those things. We're here to break the cultural stereotypes of China.

It's 2026, if you want to hear real voices from China, you can now.

Instagram: @a_day_in_beijing
Email: urchineseconnection@gmail.com

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  • 20 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 25 min
  • English

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  • S1 · E18
    Wednesday · 20 min

    Hutongs | Beijing's DNA | Season 1 Finale

    Eighteen episodes in, and there's only one way to end this season, with the lanes where Beijing actually lives. Hutongs have been the DNA of this city for over 800 years. Not museums. Not tourist stops. But homes. In this episode: where the word comes from, what hutongs are, what they're connecting in between, and how Beijing went from 6,000 hutongs to a few hundred. This is also where I say thank you before I start my trip down south. To rest before the second season, but also to seek more inspiration. The last episode of Season 1.Season 2 is coming. A Day In Beijing is an English-language Beijing podcast inspired by the history, innovations, and people of Beijing, created and hosted by a born-and-raised Beijinger. We exist not only as your virtual travel guide, your dictionary to China, but also to challenge and break the colonial narratives that have been shaping Beijing and China. What this episode covers:🔹 The word 胡同 (hútòng). It's not originally Chinese. The most widely accepted theory traces it to Middle Mongolian, a word meaning "water source." 1271.🔹 The grid. Kublai Khan's architects built a strict road hierarchy. Main streets ran 25 to 36 metres wide. Side streets 18 metres. Hutongs, 6 to 7 metres. Just enough for two carts to pass.🔹 Siheyuan (四合院). Four buildings around an open courtyard. The main building at the north end, facing south, most sunlight, most important. That's where the head of the family lives. Every room tells you who lives there and where they rank.🔹 The width of the lane told you your rank. Wider hutong, higher status. The narrowest hutong in Beijing, 钱市胡同 (Qiánshì Hútòng), is near Qianmen, south of Tiananmen Square. Forty centimetres wide at its narrowest.🔹 What happened to the hutongs? By the 1980s and 90s, many hutong courtyards were overcrowded, one courtyard that once held one family now had three, four, five families squeezed in. When modernisation came, the government moved families into apartment blocks. For many, it was an improvement, running water, private bathrooms, heating. But the scale went further than repair.🔹 Preservation. There are protected zones now, around the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, Shichahai.🙏 I'm no historian I research every episode the best I can. If anything sounds off, let me know. I'm always learning and this podcast gets better with your help.🌏 Planning a trip to Beijing? I run small, responsible cultural experiences that support independent businesses and local communities. DM me.🎧 Search "A Day In Beijing", it's also available on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / YouTube Music / Goodpods / 小宇宙 / Substack🌐 adayinbeijing.carrd.co📸 Instagram: @a_day_in_beijing / @chen_backinbeijing✉️ urchineseconnection@gmail.com

  • S1 · E17
    October 14 · 23 min

    Beijing Decoded | Why Beijing Is Divided Into 16 Districts and What Each One Means

    Tell a Beijinger which district you live in and they already think they know everything about you. A Day In Beijing is an English-language Beijing podcast inspired by the history, innovations, and people of Beijing; created and hosted by a born-and-raised Beijinger. It exists not only as your virtual travel guide, your dictionary to China, but also to challenge and break the colonial narratives that have been shaping Beijing and China. This is Part 3, aka the finale, of the Beijing City Planning series. Part 1 covered Beijing’s name and the 2,000-year-old blueprint. Part 2 walked through the nine inner city gates and the logistics system that kept a million people fed. This episode maps the 16 districts that make up modern Beijing; from the power centre of 西城 to the “sleep city” suburbs of 通州; and the social ladder that connects them. 🙏 I’m no historian I research every episode the best I can. If anything sounds off, let me know. I’m always learning and this podcast gets better with your help. 🌏 Planning a trip to Beijing? I run small, responsible cultural experiences that support independent businesses and local communities. DM me. 🎧 Search “A Day In Beijing”, it’s also available on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / YouTube Music / Goodpods / 小宇宙 / Substack 🌐 adayinbeijing.carrd.co 📸 Instagram: @a_day_in_beijing / @chen_backinbeijing ✉️ urchineseconnection@gmail.com

  • S1 · E16
    October 7 · 20 min

    9 Imperial Gates, 9 Different Jobs | Beijing's City Tales II

    This is part 2 of our mini-series on Imperial Beijing City Planning. Beijing's inner city had nine gates, and not one of them was just a door. One was for grain. One was for executions. One was for the emperor's personal drinking water. And one was for manure. This episode breaks down the system that made old Beijing run, gate by gate. A Day In Beijing is an English-language Beijing podcast inspired by the history, innovations, and people of Beijing; created and hosted by a born-and-raised Beijinger. It exists not only as your virtual travel guide, your dictionary to China, but also to challenge and break the colonial narratives that have been shaping Beijing and China. Part 1 covered where Beijing's name came from and the 2,000-year-old planning rulebook that told people exactly how to build a Chinese capital. What this episode covers: 🔹 四九城 — Sì Jiǔ Chéng. "Four-Nine City." Four walls, nine gates. The word old Beijingers use for the real, proper, inside-the-walls Beijing. Not a neighbourhood — a declaration. 🔹 The system. A walled city of roughly one million people during the Qing dynasty. Food, water, coal, building materials — everything had to come through somewhere. Waste and the dead had to go out. Each gate was assigned a function. Formally. 🔹 正阳门 (Zhèngyáng Mén) — the emperor's gate. Dead centre of the south wall, on the central axis. The emperor passed through twice a year — for the winter solstice ceremony and the spring ploughing ritual. That's it. Two days a year. Everyone else used a different door. Both the gate tower and arrow tower still stand — the only gate where that's true. 🔹 崇文门 (Chóngwén Mén) — the tax gate. All alcohol entering the city came through here. Highest tariffs of any gate. The 哈德门 cigarette brand took its name from an older version of this gate's name — the gate is gone, but it's on a packet of cigarettes. 🔹 宣武门 (Xuānwǔ Mén) — the death gate. Every morning, prisoners condemned to execution were marched out through this gate at dawn. They walked south to 菜市口 — a vegetable market that doubled as Beijing's primary execution ground for centuries. Where the gate stood, there's now one of the oldest Catholic churches in Beijing. 🔹 朝阳门 (Cháoyáng Mén) — the grain gate. All grain entered through here. Nine imperial granaries sat behind it. The gate was marked with a wheat ear pattern so there was no confusion about what this door was for. 🔹 东直门 (Dōngzhí Mén) — the building materials gate. Timber, bricks, tiles. Called the poorest gate — no officials, no merchants, just labourers hauling wood on their backs. 🔹 西直门 (Xīzhí Mén) — the water gate. The emperor's drinking water came from Jade Spring Mountain, carried through this gate every day. An entire city gate whose daily function was delivering one person's drinking water. 🔹 阜成门 (Fùchéng Mén) — the coal gate. Coal from the Mentougou mines entered here. This is how Beijing heated itself — coal through 阜成门 into kitchens and 炕 (kàng), the heated brick beds that kept families warm through winter. 🔹 德胜门 (Déshèng Mén) — the Victory Gate. When the army marched to war, they left through here. The arrow tower still stands — nearly 600 years old. 🔹 安定门 (Āndìng Mén) — the Peace Gate. When the army came home, they returned through here. It also handled the city's waste and manure. Triumph and rubbish through the same door. 🙏 I'm no historian; I research every episode the best I can. If anything sounds off, let me know. I'm always learning and this podcast gets better with your help. 🌏 Planning a trip to Beijing? I run small, responsible cultural experiences that support independent businesses and local communities. DM me. 🎧 Search "A Day In Beijing", it's also available on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / YouTube Music / Goodpods / 小宇宙 / Substack 🌐 adayinbeijing.carrd.co 📸 Instagram: @a_day_in_beijing / @chen_backinbeijing ✉️ urchineseconnection@gmail.com

  • S1 · E15
    September 30 · 20 min

    Why Peking? | Beijing City Planning Part 1: The Blueprint

    "Peking" isn't a Western mispronunciation. It's actually closer to how people used to say 北京 four hundred years ago. The sound changed. The spelling didn't. The New York Times didn't switch to "Beijing" until 1986. And Peking duck, Peking University, Pekingese; the old name is still everywhere. This episode starts with a name, goes back 3,000 years, and ends with the 2,000-year-old rulebook that told every Chinese dynasty exactly how to build a capital city. A Day In Beijing is an English-language Beijing podcast inspired by the history, innovations, and people of Beijing, created and hosted by a born-and-raised Beijinger. We exist not only as your virtual travel guide, your dictionary to China, but also to challenge and break the colonial narratives that have been shaping Beijing and China. 🌏 Planning a trip to Beijing? I run small, responsible cultural experiences that support independent businesses and local communities. DM me on Instagram.📪 Next Wednesday — Part 2: the gates. Beijing had more then 10 of them. Each one had a different job. Hit Follow so you don't miss it.🎧 Search "A Day In Beijing", it's also available on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / YouTube Music / Goodpods / 小宇宙 / Substack🌐 adayinbeijing.carrd.co📸 Instagram: @a_day_in_beijing / @chen_backinbeijing✉️ ⁠urchineseconnection@gmail.com⁠ What this episode covers:🔹 Why "Peking"? 京 used to be pronounced closer to /kiŋ/ — a sound that shifted over centuries to the modern /tɕiŋ/. The spelling stuck in European maps and postal systems.🔹 Seven names, seven lives. 燕 Yān (~7th century BC) — a border state on the military frontier. The beer brand 燕京啤酒 still carries this name. 🔹 南京 Nánjīng (938 AD, Liao Dynasty) — "Southern Capital," one of five Liao capitals, with the supreme capital 上京 in Inner Mongolia. 🔹 中都 Zhōngdū (1153, Jin Dynasty) — "Central Capital." 1215: Genghis Khan burned it to the ground. 大都 Dàdū / Khanbaliq (1267, Yuan) — Kublai Khan's new capital. 🔹 北平 Běipíng (1368, Ming) — "Northern Peace," deliberately demoted when the capital moved to Nanjing. 🔹 北京 Běijīng (1403) — renamed by the Yongle Emperor, the usurper who seized the throne from his own nephew. 🔹 北京 Běijīng (1949) — restored by a vote. Every name was political. 🔹 Beijing as military frontier. For most of Chinese history, this wasn't a capital. It was a border town; a strategic point between the central plains and the northern steppe. The names tell the story: each one reflects who controlled it, what they wanted it to be, and how much power they had. The shift from frontier garrison to imperial capital is the story of China itself. 🔹 The blueprint — 考工记, Kǎogōng Jì. The Book of Diverse Crafts. Over 2,000 years old. One of the oldest urban planning manuals in human history. It prescribed exactly how a capital must be built: 9 li on each side (~4.5 km). Palace at the centre, facing south. 🔹 Ancestral temple on the left — 左祖. Altar of earth and grain on the right — 右社. Court in front — 前朝. Market behind — 后市. Central axis running north to south. 🙏 I'm no historian — I research every episode the best I can. If anything sounds off, let me know. I'm always learning and this podcast gets better with your help.

  • S1 · E14
    September 23 · 22 min

    Religion and Ethnicity in Beijing | A Mosque and a Temple, Neighbours for 1,000 Years

    A 1,000-year-old mosque that looks like a Chinese temple but faces Mecca. A 1,400-year-old Buddhist temple built as a war memorial for soldiers killed in the battles. Two blocks apart in the same Beijing neighbourhood. Both survived the Second World War and the Cultural Revolution. This is the story of religion and ethnicity in Beijing, told through two buildings that have been neighbours for over a millennium. A Day In Beijing is an English-language Beijing podcast inspired by the history, innovations, and people of Beijing; created and hosted by a born-and-raised Beijinger. It exists not only as your virtual travel guide, your dictionary to China, but also to challenge and break the colonial narratives that have been shaping Beijing and China. This is Part 2 of the Niujie series. Last episode covered who the Hui Muslims are, what China's 56 ethnic groups mean, and why I'm telling this story. Who is this podcast for?🌍 Anyone curious about religion in China, religious diversity in Beijing, or ethnic minorities in China.🇨🇳 Anyone who is planning a trip to Beijing📚 History lovers — the Silk Road, the Cultural Revolution, Islam in China and Buddhism.🎙️ Anyone who wants to hear about China from someone who actually lives there.What this episode covers:🔹 Religion in Beijing — what it actually looks like on the ground. Not a policy debate. Two buildings, two blocks apart, both still functioning. A mosque and a Buddhist temple, neighbours for over 1,000 years.🔹 The Niujie Mosque — 牛街礼拜寺. Beijing's oldest and largest mosque. Built 996 AD by an Arab scholar who travelled the Silk Road to China. Curved Chinese rooflines, red doors, courtyard layout — but green glazed tiles (the colour of Islam) and the whole building faces west, toward Mecca. Chinese architecture on the outside, Islamic function on the inside.🔹 The Moon-Watching Tower — 望月楼. Every Ramadan, the imam climbs this hexagonal pavilion to spot the new crescent moon. It looks like a Chinese pagoda. It works like an Islamic observatory.🔹 The Cultural Revolution and religion in China. 220 mosques were destroyed across the country during the Cultural Revolution (文化大革命). The Niujie Mosque survived because Zhou Enlai personally intervened to protect it.🔹 Fayuan Temple — 法源寺. Beijing's oldest Buddhist temple, founded 645 AD by Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. Empress Wu Zetian named it. Emperor Qianlong wrote the plaque. Today it houses the China Buddhist Academy — a four-year degree programme where Buddhist monks are ordained.🔹 The lilacs of Fayuan Temple. Famous in spring — the poet Xu Zhimo brought Rabindranath Tagore to see them. But this building was also a war memorial, a prison for captured Song Dynasty emperors, and the setting for Li Ao's Nobel-nominated novel. The flowers are the least interesting thing about it.🔹 Ethnicity and religion in China — why they're separate. The Hui are an ethnic group, not a religious group. Islam is a religion practised across multiple Chinese ethnic groups. This distinction shapes everything about how China classifies, governs, and understands its minority communities.🔹 What religious coexistence looks like in Beijing. Not a political argument. Not a government talking point. Two buildings. Two faiths. 1,000+ years. Two blocks. Still open. Visit and see for yourself.🙏 I'm no historian — I research every episode the best I can. If anything sounds off, let me know. I'm always learning and this podcast gets better with your help.🌏 Planning a trip to Beijing? I run small, responsible cultural experiences — including a Muslim Street Food Walking Tour through this exact neighbourhood. DM me on Instagram.🎧 Search "A Day In Beijing", it's also available on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / YouTube Music / Goodpods / 小宇宙 / Substack 🌐 adayinbeijing.carrd.co📸 Instagram: @a_day_in_beijing / @chen_backinbeijing✉️ urchineseconnection@gmail.com

  • S1 · E13
    September 15 · 22 min

    Niujie | Beijing's 1,000-Year-Old Muslim Quarter

    A Day In Beijing is an English-language Beijing podcast inspired by the history, innovations, and people of Beijing, created and hosted by a born-and-raised Beijinger. It exists not only as your virtual travel guide, your dictionary to China, but also to challenge and break the colonial narratives that have been shaping Beijing and China. Twelve episodes of imperial Beijing. And now let's pivot. This one's personal. China has 56 officially recognised ethnic groups. Ten of them are Muslim. And I'm one of them, I'm half Hui — the second-largest Muslim group in China, about 11 million people. This episode is about Niujie, Beijing's oldest Muslim neighbourhood. Who is this podcast for?🌍 Anyone curious about China beyond the headlines: ethnic diversity, religious identity, communities that guidebooks rarely mention🇨🇳 Planning a trip to Beijing: Niujie is one of the most rewarding and hidden neighbourhoods in the city, and international tourists struggle to discover it📚 History lovers: the Silk Road, Tang, Yuan, Ming, Qing Dynasty, and how Islam arrived in China🕌 Anyone who assumed China was ethnically and religiously homogeneous: this episode will change that🎙️ Anyone who wants to hear about China from someone who actually lives there, and in this case, is part of the storyWhat this episode covers:🔹 China's 56 ethnic groups. Every Chinese citizen has their ethnicity printed on their national ID card; this episode explains the system, where it came from, and why it matters.🔹 Who are the Hui? About 11 million people. Descended from Central Asian and Persian Muslim traders who came via the Silk Road during the Tang Dynasty🔹 How Islam reached China through trade. Arab and Persian merchants were active in Chinese ports centuries before the Mongol invasion. 🔹 Niujie — 牛街, Ox Street. Beijing's oldest Muslim neighbourhood. 54% Hui residents in the core area. 🔹 The 220 mosques were destroyed across China during the Japanese occupation and how the Cultural Revolution shut the Niujie mosque down, when Zhou Enlai personally intervened to save it.New here?Listen to the trailer (3 minutes) and the pilot episode (15 minutes) for the full story of who I am, why I'm doing this, and what this podcast is about.EP1-3: The Forbidden CityEP4-5: The Great Wall of ChinaEP6-7: The Summer PalaceEP8-9: The Temple of HeavenEP10: Can't Get Forbidden City Tickets? Go Here InsteadEP11: Jingshan ParkEP12: Beihai Park🙏 I'm no historian I research every episode the best I can. If anything sounds off, let me know. I'm always learning, and this podcast gets better with your help.🌏 Planning a trip to Beijing? I run small, responsible cultural experiences — including a Muslim Street Food Walking Tour through Niujie. DM me on Instagram.🎧 Search "A Day In Beijing", it's also available on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / YouTube Music / Goodpods / 小宇宙 / Substack🌐 adayinbeijing.carrd.co📸 Instagram: @a_day_in_beijing / @chen_backinbeijing✉️ urchineseconnection@gmail.com

  • S1 · E12
    September 9 · 21 min

    Beihai Park | Older Than The Forbidden City

    Ask a Beijinger what comes after the Forbidden City; most of us will probably say Beihai. This park is over 1,000 years old; five dynasties built it, one on top of the other. Kublai Khan lived here. Marco Polo wrote about it. And today, it's where grandmas go to dance at 7 AM. This week, let's take a wander around Beihai Park, a place where you breathe, decompress and travel back in time. A Day In Beijing is an English-language Beijing podcast inspired by the history, innovations, and people of Beijing — created and hosted by a born-and-raised Beijinger. We exist not only as your virtual travel guide, your dictionary to China, but also to challenge and break the colonial narratives that have been shaping Beijing and China. 🌍 World travellers who want more than a guidebook: cultural travel, responsible tourism, local perspectives📚 History lovers: five Chinese dynasties in one park, from the Liao Dynasty (938 AD) to the Qing🎙️ Anyone who wants to hear about China from someone who actually lives there What this episode covers:🔹 Why Beihai Park is older than the Forbidden City. The Liao Dynasty established it in 938 AD. Five dynasties — Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming, Qing — each built on top of the last. The park you walk through today is a thousand years of accumulated ambition.🔹 Kublai Khan lived here. Before the Forbidden City existed, this was the centre of imperial power. Marco Polo wrote about it. The Yuan Dynasty capital was built around this lake.🔹 静心斋, Jìngxīn Zhāi — the Studio of Quiet Heart. A Jiangnan-style garden hidden inside a northern imperial park. Suzhou transplanted to Beijing. Most visitors never find it.🔹 西天梵境, Xītiān Fànjìng — a Buddhist temple with a nanmu wood hall, one of the best-preserved wooden temple halls in Beijing.🔹 九龙壁, Jiǔlóng Bì — the Nine Dragon Wall. Everyone knows the one in the Forbidden City. This one is older, larger, and you can actually get close to it.🔹 快雪堂, Kuàixuě Táng — named after Wang Xizhi's calligraphy. Later became Liang Qichao's library. Where the five elements meet stone inscriptions.🔹 白塔 — the White Pagoda and the Temple of Eternal Peace. Built for the Fifth Dalai Lama's visit to Beijing. The pagoda is the silhouette you recognise from every photo of Beihai.🔹 What locals actually do. Paddle boats in summer. Ice skating in winter. Tai chi at dawn. Dancing by the lake at 7 AM. This isn't a museum — it's where Beijingers actually spend their weekends.📍 Quick reference:Tickets: 10 RMB (park) / 20 RMB combo with attractions Location: northwest of the Forbidden CityMetro: Beihai North Station, Line 6New here?Listen to the trailer (3 minutes) and the pilot episode (15 minutes) for the full story of who I am, why I'm doing this, and what this podcast is about.EP1-3: The Forbidden CityEP4-5: The Great Wall of ChinaEP6-7: The Summer PalaceEP8-9: The Temple of HeavenEP10: Can't Get Forbidden City Tickets? Go Here InsteadEP11: Jingshan Park | The Unsung Hill Behind the Forbidden CityEP12: Beihai Park | Older Than the Forbidden City (you are here)🙏 I'm no historian I research every episode the best I can. If anything sounds off, let me know. I'm always learning and this podcast gets better with your help.🌏 Planning a trip to Beijing? I run small, responsible cultural experiences that support independent businesses and local communities. DM me!👉 Know someone planning a trip to Beijing? The Forbidden City gets all the attention — send them this episode and change their itinerary.🎧 Search "A Day In Beijing", it's also available on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / YouTube Music / Goodpods / 小宇宙 / Substack🌐 adayinbeijing.carrd.co📸 Instagram: @a_day_in_beijing / @chen_backinbeijing✉️ urchineseconnection@gmail.com

  • S1 · E11
    September 1 · 15 min

    Jingshan Park | The Unsung Hill Behind the Forbidden City

    A Day In Beijing is an English-language Beijing podcast inspired by the history, innovations, and people and everything beyond Beijing. It's created and hosted by a born-and-raised Beijinger. We exist not only as your virtual travel guide, your dictionary to China, but also to challenge and break the colonial narratives that have been shaping Beijing and China. There's a hill directly behind the Forbidden City. Man-made, built from the earth they dug out of the palace moat 600 years ago. Most people climb it for the famous view. This episode is about everything else — the feng shui reason this hill exists and the imperial hall on the north side that only opened to the public a few years ago. 📪 Next Wednesday — 北海公园, Běihǎi Gōngyuán. Over 1,000 years old. Older than the Forbidden City by centuries. That white pagoda on the island — you've seen it in photos, but you don't know the story. Hit Follow so you don't miss it. Who is this podcast for?🌍 World travellers who want more than a guidebook — cultural travel, responsible tourism, real local perspectives🇨🇳 Planning a trip to China or Beijing — the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, and the places guidebooks miss🥾 Anyone planning to visit Jingshan Park — this episode tells you what every other guide leaves out📚 History lovers — feng shui, the fall of the Ming Dynasty, the Chongzhen Emperor, Beijing's Central Axis🎙️ Anyone who wants to hear about China from someone who actually lives there What this episode covers:🔹 Why the hill is man-made. The Yongle Emperor built it in the early 1400s from earth dug out of the Forbidden City moat. Carried up by hand, layer by layer. In feng shui, a palace needs a mountain to its north — a guardian behind it, facing south. This is that mountain.🔹 The view from 万春亭, Wànchūn Tíng — the Pavilion of Everlasting Spring. Every golden rooftop. The Central Axis — Beijing's invisible north-south line — stretching from Tiananmen Gate to the horizon in both directions. No photo does it justice.🔹 The last Ming emperor. In 1644, a rebel army entered Beijing. The Chongzhen Emperor, 崇祯, was 33 years old. He climbed this hill and hanged himself from a tree. The tree is still marked. 罪槐, Zuì Huái — the guilty locust tree.🔹 寿皇殿, Shòuhuáng Diàn — the Hall of Imperial Longevity. On the north side of the hill. Only opened to the public in the last few years. Over 21,000 square metres. Where the portraits of every emperor were kept — and where French troops took jade seals in 1900.🔹 What locals actually do. This is a park, not a museum. 二胡 players on the path. Tai chi at dawn. The café on the back hill. Peonies in spring — 500 varieties. Ginkgo trees turning gold in autumn. This is where Beijingers go on a weekday afternoon to breathe. New here?Listen to the trailer (3 minutes) and the pilot episode (15 minutes) for the full story of who I am, why I'm doing this, and what this podcast is about.EP1-3: The Forbidden CityEP4-5: The Great Wall of ChinaEP6-7: The Summer PalaceEP8-9: The Temple of HeavenEP10: Can't Get Forbidden City Tickets? Go Here InsteadEP11: Jingshan Park (you are here)EP12: Beihai Park (coming next Wednesday 🙏 I'm no historian — I research every episode the best I can. If anything sounds off, let me know. I'm always learning and this podcast gets better with your help. 🌏 Planning a trip to Beijing? We run small, responsible cultural experiences that support independent businesses and local communities. DM me! 🎧 Search "A Day In Beijing", it's also available on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / YouTube Music / Goodpods / 小宇宙 / Substack📸 Instagram: @a_day_in_beijing / @chen_backinbeijing✉️ urchineseconnection@gmail.com 🌐 adayinbeijing.carrd.co

  • S1 · E10
    August 26 · 27 min

    Can't Get Forbidden City Tickets? Go Here Instead.

    A Day In Beijing is an English podcast inspired by the history, innovations, and people of Beijing; created and hosted by a born-and-raised Beijinger. We exist not only as your virtual travel guide, your dictionary to China, but also to challenge and break the colonial narratives that have been shaping Beijing and China. The Forbidden City caps tickets at 40,000 per day. No same-day sales. Booking opens at 8 PM, seven days in advance. On weekends and holidays, they sell out in under five minutes. This episode tells you exactly how the system works, what tricks actually help, and what to do when it doesn't work out. Starting with the 600-year-old the Imperial Ancestral Temple. right next door, Tao Miao.Who is this podcast for?🇨🇳 Planning a trip to China or Beijing — the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, and the places guidebooks miss🌍 World travellers who want more than a guidebook — cultural travel, responsible tourism, real local perspectives📚 History lovers — Chinese imperial rituals, ancestral worship, how architecture encodes political hierarchy🎫 Anyone struggling with Forbidden City tickets who needs a real plan — not a consolation prize, but the other half of the story🎙️ Anyone who wants to hear about China from someone who actually lives there📍 Forbidden City booking reference:- Website: bookingticket.dpm.org.cn (English version available)Tickets release 8 PM Beijing time, 7 days ahead — passport number required- Walk-up window: East Gate (Donghuamen), foreign passport holders, arrive by 7:30 AM- Closed on Mondays.- Don't forget: Tiananmen Square crossing requires a separate free reservation, 1 day in advance via WeChatWhat this episode covers:🔹 The Forbidden City ticket system. 40,000 daily cap, 7-day advance booking, 8 PM release, and the cancellation window between 8:30–9 PM where returned tickets quietly reappear.🔹 Walk-up tickets. The East Gate (东华门) window for foreign passport holders — no guarantee, but doable if you arrive early.🔹 The Tiananmen Square reservation. The booking everyone forgets — you need a separate free reservation to cross the square and reach the Forbidden City's south gate. Skip it entirely by entering via the East Gate.🔹 Five alternatives to the Forbidden City. Taimiao, Jingshan Park, Beihai Park, the Capital Museum, and the Guanfu Museum — each getting their own episode soon.🔹 Taimiao (太庙) — the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Built the same year as the Forbidden City by the same emperor. The ancient rule 左祖右社 (ancestral temple on the left, altar on the right, palace in the middle) — the Forbidden City was never meant to stand alone.🔹 Why the emperor went to Taimiao. Before war, after victory, before every ceremony — speaking to his dead predecessors wasn't ceremony, it was governance.🔹 The main hall (享殿). 29 metres tall — 2 metres taller than the Hall of Supreme Harmony. But the platform was deliberately lowered so it wouldn't overshadow the living emperor's hall. Both truths exist at once.🔹 68 golden phoebe wood (楠木) columns. Nearly 500 years old. Over 13 metres tall. You can't wrap your arms around them.🙏 I'm no historian in any way! I research every episode the best I can. If anything sounds off, let me know. I'm always learning, and this podcast gets better with your help.🌏 Planning a trip to Beijing? I curate small, responsible cultural experiences that support independent businesses and local communities. 📪 Next Wednesday — 景山公园, Jǐngshān Gōngyuán. The hill directly behind the Forbidden City. The best aerial view of the entire complex . 🎧 Search "A Day In Beijing", it's also available on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / YouTube Music / Goodpods / 小宇宙 / Substack 🌐 adayinbeijing.carrd.co📸 Instagram: @a_day_in_beijing / @chen_backinbeijing✉️ urchineseconnection@gmail.com

  • S1 · E9
    August 19 · 24 min

    The Temple of Heaven | A Virtual Guide of Chinese Cosmology in the Architecture

    A Day In Beijing is an English podcast inspired by the history of Beijing, the innovations from Beijing, and the people from Beijing — created and hosted by a born-and-raised Beijinger. A Day In Beijing exists not only as your virtual travel guide, your dictionary to China, but also to challenge and break the colonial narratives that have been shaping Beijing and China. The Forbidden City was power. The Great Wall was defence. The Summer Palace was an escape. Last episode, the Temple of Heaven was faith — the Mandate of Heaven, the ceremony, and why this 600-year-old altar still matters. This episode, I will walk you through it. South gate to the Hall of Prayer, stop by stop — the cosmic code built into every stone, pillar, and path along the way. 🕐 Timestamps:01:00 — The route and why we enter from the south03:00 — The cypress forest and what Beijingers do here before tourists arrive05:00 — The Circular Mound Altar: the Heart of Heaven Stone08:00 — The bridge where the emperor walks second11:00 — The Echo Wall: whisper and be heard 65 metres away14:00 — The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests: the ceiling17:00 — The Seven Star Stones: why there are 8, not 7 📍 Practical tips at the end of the episode: tickets, hours, the Friday night lighting, and a local tip about Longtan Park next door. 📪 Next Wednesday What do you do when you can't get into the Forbidden City? Hit follow so you don't miss it! Who is this podcast for?🇨🇳 Planning a trip to China or Beijing — the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, and the places guidebooks miss🌍 World travellers who want more than a guidebook — cultural travel, responsible tourism, real local perspectives📚 History lovers — Chinese cosmology, how architecture encodes an entire belief system, why numbers matter in Chinese design🙏 Anyone visiting the Temple of Heaven who wants to understand what they're walking through — not just the buildings, but what they mean🎙️ Anyone who wants to hear about China from someone who actually lives there What this episode covers:🔹 The walking route. South gate to north gate — the same direction the emperor walked, and why it matters that you start from the south.🔹 The Heart of Heaven Stone (天心石). Stand in the centre of the Circular Mound Altar, speak, and hear your own voice amplified back. 500-year-old acoustic engineering that sounds like heaven is answering.🔹 The Danbi Bridge — and why the emperor doesn't walk in the middle. The centre path belongs to heaven. Even the Son of Heaven steps aside.🔹 The Echo Wall. Whisper against the curved wall and someone 65 metres away hears you clearly. The geometry of the Imperial Vault of Heaven makes it work.🔹 The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (祈年殿). The ceiling. 4 pillars for the seasons. 12 for the months. 12 for the hours. 28 for the constellations. 108 total. The entire Chinese cosmos encoded in a wooden structure built without a single nail.🔹 The Seven Star Stones — except there are 8. Why the extra stone is there, and what it has to do with the Manchu dynasty. 💬 Drop a comment; tell me what else you'd like to listen to.🌏 Planning a trip to Beijing? I run small, responsible cultural experiences that support independent businesses and local communities. DM me on Instagram!🎧 Search "A Day In Beijing", it's also available on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / YouTube Music / Goodpods / 小宇宙 / Substack🌐 adayinbeijing.carrd.co📸 Instagram: @a_day_in_beijing / @chen_backinbeijing

  • S1 · E8
    August 12 · 31 min

    Temple of Heaven Part 1 | What You Need to Know Before You Visit

    A Day In Beijing is an English-language Beijing podcast, created and hosted by a born-and-raised Beijinger. Beijing history, Chinese culture, and travel, explained by someone who actually lives here. The Forbidden City was power. The Great Wall was defence. The Summer Palace was an escape. The Temple of Heaven is something different — the most powerful person on earth, fasting for three days, kneeling alone at 4 AM, praying for a good year. This episode covers why, what it means, and why this 600-year-old altar still matters today. 📪 Next Wednesday I walk the same route the emperor walked — south gate to the Hall of Prayer, stop by stop. Hit follow so you don't miss it!Who is this podcast for?🇨🇳 Planning a trip to China or Beijing — the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, and the places guidebooks miss🌍 World travellers who want more than a guidebook — cultural travel, responsible tourism, real local perspectives📚 History lovers — Chinese political philosophy, the Mandate of Heaven, imperial rituals, how architecture encodes an entire cosmology🙏 Anyone visiting the Temple of Heaven who wants to understand what they're looking at — not just the buildings, but what they meant🎙️ Anyone who wants to hear about China from someone who actually lives thereWhat this episode covers:🔹 The Mandate of Heaven (天命). The single most important political idea in Chinese history. Heaven gives power. Heaven takes it away.🔹 What religion is this? It's not Buddhism. It's not Confucianism. It's older than both. A spiritual practice dating back to 1600 BC that connected the emperor directly to heaven through seasonal ceremony.🔹 Why is the Temple of Heaven round when the Forbidden City is square? Circle equals heaven, square equals earth. The entire layout is a diagram of the Chinese cosmos.🔹 The numbers in the architecture. 12 months, 28 constellations, 12 zodiac animals, 72 micro-seasons. Every tile, every column, every step encodes the universe.🔹 The winter solstice ceremony. 33 cattle, 33 sheep, 34 pigs. The emperor in embroidered robes. Cavalry, musicians, officials.🔹 Why the Temple of Heaven is still China's most important diplomatic stage — from the Opium Wars to state visits today.New here?Listen to the trailer (3 minutes) and the pilot episode (15 minutes) for the full story of who I am, why I'm doing this, and what this podcast is about.EP1-3: The Forbidden CityEP4-5: The Great Wall of ChinaEP6-7: The Summer PalaceThis ep is a complete guide to the Temple of Heaven -- history, architecture, ceremony, and what it all means:What is the Temple of Heaven in Beijing?What is the Mandate of Heaven in Chinese history?Why was the Temple of Heaven built?Who built the Temple of Heaven?What religion is the Temple of Heaven?What is the difference between the Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City?Is the Temple of Heaven in the Forbidden City?Why is the Temple of Heaven round?What happened at the Temple of Heaven?What is the winter solstice ceremony at the Temple of Heaven?Is the Temple of Heaven worth visiting?What should I know before visiting the Temple of Heaven in Beijing?Why is the Temple of Heaven important in Chinese culture?What is the significance of the Temple of Heaven today? And next Wed. we will talk about:How long does it take to visit the Temple of Heaven?What are the top things to see at the Temple of Heaven?What is the best route to walk through the Temple of Heaven?When is the best time to visit the Temple of Heaven in Beijing?💬 Drop a comment; tell me what else you'd like to listen to.🌏 Planning a trip to Beijing? I run small, responsible cultural experiences that support independent businesses and local communities. DM me on Instagram!🎧 Search "A Day In Beijing", it's also available on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / YouTube Music / Goodpods / 小宇宙 / Substack🌐 adayinbeijing.carrd.co📸 Instagram: @a_day_in_beijing / @chen_backinbeijing

  • S1 · E7
    August 5 · 27 min

    The Summer Palace Part 2 | Your Walking Companion Through Beijing's Imperial Garden

    A Day In Beijing is an English podcast, created and hosted by a born-and-raised Beijinger, living in Beijing. Exploring Chinese history, culture, traditions, creativity, innovations, and beyond. This is the episode to listen to while you're actually at the Summer Palace — or the next best thing if you're on your sofa! From East Gate to Seventeen-Arch Bridge, building by building, I walk you through the whole garden. —— Who is this podcast for? 🌍 World travellers who want more than a guidebook — cultural travel, responsible tourism, real local perspectives 🇨🇳 Planning a trip to China or Beijing — the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, and the places guidebooks miss 📚 History lovers — Chinese history, the Qing Dynasty, Empress Cixi, imperial gardens, how architecture tells a political story 🗺️ Anyone visiting the Summer Palace who wants a walking companion that actually explains what you're looking at 🎙️ Anyone who wants to hear about China from someone who actually lives there —— What this episode covers: EP6 gave you the history. This one walks you through the garden. 🔹 Hall of Benevolence and Longevity (仁寿殿) — the nine-dragon mirror, the bronze deer and cranes, and what every animal symbolises 🔹 Garden of Harmonious Interest (谐趣园) — the quiet corner most tour groups skip, lotus ponds, pavilions, and why Cixi came here to think 🔹 Longevity Hill (万寿山) — the Buddhist temple at the top, the bronze pavilion that cost 78 万两 of silver, and the view that makes the climb worth it 🔹 Marble Boat (石舫) — Cixi built a boat in stone with the navy's budget. It can never sail and it can never sink. Metaphor or monument? You decide. 🔹 Seventeen-Arch Bridge (十七孔桥) — 150 metres, 544 stone lions each with a different expression. 🔹 What locals actually do — tai chi at dawn, slow walks, ice skating on the frozen lake in winter. This is a park, not a museum. 🔹 Practical tips — tickets, timing, which entrance, combo tickets, best season to visit —— New here? Listen to the trailer (3 minutes) and the pilot episode (15 minutes) for the full story of who I am, why I'm doing this, and what this podcast is about. EP1-3: The Forbidden City EP4-5: The Great Wall of China EP6: The Summer Palace — The History (listen before this one for the full story) —— Questions this episode answers: What is the best walking route through the Summer Palace What are the main buildings and sites inside the Summer Palace? What is the Long Corridor at the Summer Palace? ' What is the Marble Boat at the Summer Palace and why was it built? What is the Seventeen-Arch Bridge? What do locals do at the Summer Palace? How long do you need to visit the Summer Palace? Which entrance should I use at the Summer Palace? What is the best time to visit the Summer Palace in Beijing? What are the best things to see at the Summer Palace? —— 🙏 I appreciate the fact that I'm no historian. I research every episode the best I can! Reading, digging, and calling friends and family who are experts on certain topics to fact-check. If anything sounds off, let me know in the comments. I'm always learning, and this podcast gets better with your help! —— 💬 Drop a comment: have you been to the Summer Palace? What surprised you most? If you haven't — what's the one building you'd want to see first? I LOVE hearing from you all! 📩 Got a question about visiting Beijing? Use the Q&A feature or find me on socials. 🌏 Planning a trip to Beijing? I curate conscious, ethical cultural experiences that support independent businesses and local communities. 📪 DM me on Instagram. Haven't followed yet? Hit Follow + 🔔 so you don't miss EP8 next Wednesday! 🎧 Search "A Day In Beijing", it's also available on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / YouTube Music / 小宇宙 / Substack 🌐 adayinbeijing.carrd.co 📸 Instagram: @a_day_in_beijing / @chen_backinbeijing 📧 Email: urchineseconnection@gmail.com

  • S1 · E6
    July 29 · 26 min

    The Summer Palace Part 1 | Where the Chinese Royal Court Summered

    A Day In Beijing is an English podcast, created and hosted by a born-and-raised Beijinger, living in Beijing. Exploring Chinese history, culture, traditions, creativity, innovations, and beyond. If you're planning a trip to Beijing, this episode gives you the full story before you visit. If you're not planning a trip, the story of Cixi and the Opium Wars is worth hearing from anywhere. —— Who is this podcast for? 🌍 World travellers who want more than a guidebook — cultural travel, responsible tourism, real local perspectives 🇨🇳 Planning a trip to China or Beijing — the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, and the places guidebooks miss 📚 History lovers — Chinese history, the Qing Dynasty, Empress Cixi, the Opium Wars, how empires rise and fall 🌐 Geopolitics and world affairs — understanding China through its history, why it matters today, and the decisions that shaped the modern world 🎙️ Anyone who wants to hear about China from someone who actually lives there —— What this episode covers: Where did Beijing's imperial court go when the Forbidden City got too hot? The Summer Palace — Beijing's original summer retreat. 🔹 Where we are in Chinese history — the Qing Dynasty at its peak, then the collapse: industrialisation, opium, and the wars that changed everything 🔹 Three names, three chapters — how the Summer Palace evolved from Emperor Qianlong's birthday present for his mother to Empress Dowager Cixi's personal government headquarters 🔹 Empress Dowager Cixi — who she was, how she rose from teenage concubine to controlling three emperors for nearly fifty years, and the decision that cost China its navy 🔹 Burned twice, rebuilt twice — 三建两毁 — and why Cixi rebuilt it a second time while the country was paying war indemnities to eight foreign powers 🔹 Cixi's daily life — 128 cooks for one person, a three-storey opera theatre, eunuchs attaching fish to her hook, a fake shopping street staffed by eunuchs 🔹 Connection to the Forbidden City series — same dynasty, same woman, different stage. If the Forbidden City was duty, this was desire —— New here? Listen to the trailer (3 minutes) and the pilot episode (15 minutes) for the full story of who I am, why I'm doing this, and what this podcast is about. EP1-3: The Forbidden Palace Ep4-5: The Great Wall of China —— Questions this episode answers: — What is the history of the Summer Palace in Beijing? — Who built the Summer Palace and why? — Who was Empress Dowager Cixi? — What happened during the Opium Wars? — What is the marble boat at the Summer Palace? — What is the difference between the Summer Palace and the Old Summer Palace? — Is the Summer Palace worth visiting? — How does the Summer Palace connect to the Forbidden City? — What is the best podcast about Chinese history? — What is the best Beijing travel podcast? — What is a good podcast to understand China? — What are the best UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Beijing? —— 🙏 I appreciate the fact that I'm no historian. I research every episode the best I can! Reading, digging, and calling friends and family who are experts on certain topics to fact-check. If anything sounds off, let me know in the comments. I'm always learning, and this podcast gets better with your help! —— 💬 Drop a comment: was Cixi a visionary or a villain? Or both? I LOVE hearing from you all! 📩 Got a question about visiting Beijing? Use the Q&A feature or find me on socials. 🌏 Planning a trip to Beijing? I curate conscious, ethical cultural experiences that support independent businesses and local communities. DM me on Instagram. Haven't followed yet? Hit Follow + 🔔 so you don't miss EP7 next Wednesday! 🎧 Search "A Day In Beijing" — also available on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / YouTube Music / 小宇宙 / Substack 🌐 adayinbeijing.carrd.co 📸 Instagram: @a_day_in_beijing / @chen_backinbeijing 📧 Email: urchineseconnection@gmail.com

  • S1 · E5
    July 22 · 25 min

    The Great Wall Part 2 ｜ Which Section To Visit and What the Wall Means Today

    A Day In Beijing is an English-language Beijing history, Chinese culture and travel podcast, hosted by a Beijinger. Like what you hear? Hit Follow and tap the bell 🔔 so you never miss an episode. New episodes every Wednesday. —— Who is this podcast for? 🌍 Travellers planning a trip to Beijing or China 📚 Anyone curious about Chinese history and culture 🎙️ People who want to hear about China from someone who actually lives there New here? Listen to the trailer (3 minutes) and the pilot episode (15 minutes) for the full story of who I am, why I'm doing this, and what this podcast is about. —— What this episode covers: What does the Great Wall mean to China today? And which section is right for you? This episode answers both! 🔹 Why Han Chinese civilisation is fundamentally defence-led — a 5,000-year mentality, and the Great Wall as its biggest physical expression 🔹 Why the Qing Dynasty stopped building — four languages, one empire, the conquerors and the conquered became one family 🔹 Sticky rice mortar stronger than modern cement, bricks with workers' names carved in 600 years ago, and a spare brick that saved a craftsman's life 🔹 靠长城吃长城 — how young Beijingers are giving the wall a second life with boutique hotels and design cafés 🔹 The sections locals actually recommend — not Badaling, not Mutianyu 🔹 A piece of the Ming wall in central Beijing that most tourists walk right past —— A note on perspective: I'm half Hui and half Manchu. The Manchu are the people the wall was built to keep out. But I was born and raised in Beijing. This episode tells the story from both sides. —— More episodes: EP4: The Great Wall Part 1 | The History and The People — the full 2,000-year story All three episodes of the Forbidden City series are available. Start from EP1: EP1: Who Built It and How Did Beijing Become The Capital EP2: Power, Class & Gender Roles Behind the Red Gates EP3: 600 Years in 60 Minutes Coming next: The Summer Palace — Beijing's original summer retreat. A garden built for an empress, burned by the British, rebuilt with navy money. Coming next Wednesday. —— Questions this episode answers: Which Great Wall section should I visit near Beijing? What is the difference between Badaling, Mutianyu, and Juyongguan? Where do Chinese locals go on the Great Wall? Why is the Great Wall a symbol of Chinese defence mentality? Can you see the Great Wall without leaving Beijing? What does the Great Wall mean to China today? Why did the Qing Dynasty stop building the Great Wall? What is the best Great Wall section for photography? Is the Great Wall visible from space? —— 🙏 I appreciate the fact that I'm no historian. I research every episode the best I can! Reading, digging, and calling friends and family who are experts on certain topics to fact-check. If anything sounds off, let me know in the comments. I'm always learning, and this podcast gets better with your help! —— 💬 Drop a comment: which section are you going to? Or which one changed your mind? I read every single one, and I'll be sharing my favourites in a future episode. 📩 Got a question about visiting Beijing? Use the Q&A feature or find me on socials. 🌏 Planning a trip to Beijing? I curate conscious, ethical cultural experiences that support independent businesses and local communities. DM me on Instagram. 🎧 Search "A Day In Beijing" — also available on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / YouTube Music / 小宇宙 🌐 adayinbeijing.carrd.co📸 Instagram: @a_day_in_beijing / @chen_backinbeijing📧 Email: urchineseconnection@gmail.com Haven't followed yet? Hit Follow + 🔔 so you don't miss the Summer Palace series next Wednesday!

  • S1 · E4
    July 15 · 32 min

    The Great Wall Part 1 | The History and The People Behind 2000 Years

    A Day In Beijing is an English-language Beijing history, Chinese culture and travel podcast, hosted by a Beijinger. Like what you hear? Hit Follow and tap the bell 🔔 so you never miss an episode. New episodes every Wednesday, Beijing time zone. —— Who is this podcast for? 🌍 Travellers planning a trip to Beijing or China 📚 Anyone curious about Chinese history and culture 🎙️ People who want to hear about China from someone who actually lives there New here? Listen to the trailer (3 minutes) and the pilot episode (15 minutes) for the full story of who I am, why I'm doing this, and what this podcast is about. —— What this episode covers: Who built the Great Wall of China, and why? This episode answers that through the people, not a timeline. 🔹 The first emperor who connected scattered border fences into one 5,000-kilometre line, and the woman whose tears brought it down — or so the legend goes 🔹 The Han Dynasty extended it west to protect the Silk Road, all the way to the Jade Gate, where a poet wrote, "the spring breeze does not cross". 🔹 The Sui emperor who sent a million workers and lost half of them, and the Tang Dynasty that looked at the wreckage and said, "We don't need a wall." 🔹 The Ming, which spent 276 years rebuilding, because the Mongolian threat never stopped 🔹 And the things most people get wrong: you can't see it from space (a Chinese astronaut confirmed it), it was never one continuous structure, and there are no bodies buried inside it If you're planning a trip to Beijing, this gives you the full history before you visit. If you're not, it's worth hearing from anywhere. —— A note on perspective: I'm half Hui and half Manchu. The Manchus are the people the wall was built to keep out. But I was born and raised in Beijing, and this episode tells the story from the Central Plains side. The next one brings in the other perspective. —— More episodes: All three episodes of the Forbidden City series are available. Start from EP1: EP1: How It All Began EP2: Power, Class & Gender Roles Behind the Red Gates EP3: 600 Years in 30 Minutes EP5: What Survived and Where to Find It. Which section should you visit? Coming next Wednesday. —— Questions this episode answers: - Why was the Great Wall of China built? - How long is the Great Wall? - Who built the Great Wall and which dynasty? - Did the Great Wall actually work? - Why did the Qing Dynasty stop building? - Can you see the Great Wall from space? - What is the story of Meng Jiangnü? —— 💬 Drop a comment: what else do you want to listen to? What do you find the most interesting in this episode? 📩 Got a question about visiting Beijing? Use the Q&A feature or find me on socials. 🌏 Planning a trip to Beijing? I curate conscious, ethical cultural experiences that support independent businesses and local communities. DM me on Instagram. 🎧 Search "A Day In Beijing", available on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / YouTube Music / 小宇宙 🌐 adayinbeijing.carrd.co 📸 Instagram: @a_day_in_beijing / @chen_backinbeijing 📧 Email: urchineseconnection@gmail.com Haven't followed yet? Hit Follow + 🔔 so you don't miss EP5 next Wednesday!

  • S1 · E3
    July 8 · 53 min

    The Forbidden City Part 3 | Your Walking Companion Through 600 Years

    What was daily life actually like inside the Forbidden City? This episode answers that — through four lives you won't forget. EP3 is the final part of our Forbidden City series, and it's the one where we go inside. Your walking companion from the south entrance to the north exit — or a virtual tour if you're nowhere near Beijing. We walk through the architecture. We follow the routes. But to bring this palace to life, we follow a day in four lives: 🔹 The Emperor — woke at 4 AM, ate alone, and had his stool examined by physicians 🔹 The Empress — managed thousands of staff but could barely leave the palace 🔹 A Concubine — spent every morning getting ready for a call that might never come 🔹 A Eunuch — gave up his body for a chance at power, or spent his life lighting fires under water vats Same palace. Four completely different worlds. 📍 Practical section at the end: how long you need, the Treasure Gallery (珍宝馆), the Clock Exhibition Hall (钟表馆), where to eat nearby, and honest advice on tour groups. New to the series? Start from the beginning: EP1: How It All Began — who built the Forbidden City, when and why EP2: Power, Class & Gender Roles Behind the Red Gates Coming next: The Great Wall — 2,000 Years and Still Standing. Why was it built? Who built it? And which section is the best for YOU to visit? 🎫 Book Forbidden City tickets: https://bookingticket.dpm.org.cn/ WeChat 小程序: 故宫博物院 💬 What surprised you most about life inside the Forbidden City? Drop a comment — I read every single one, and I'll be sharing my favourites in a future episode. 📊 Poll: If you lived in the Forbidden City, which life do you think you'd survive the longest? Vote below! 📩 If you're enjoying A Day In Beijing — hit Follow and tap the bell so you never miss an episode. We release new episodes every Wednesday. ✈️ Planning a trip to Beijing? I curate conscious and ethical cultural experiences, exclusively supporting independent businesses and local communities. Instagram: @a_day_in_beijing Instagram: @chen_backinbeijing Email: urchineseconnection@gmail.com

  • S1 · E2
    July 1 · 38 min

    The Forbidden City Part 2 | Power, Class & Gender Roles Behind the Red Gates

    Part 2 of the Forbidden City series — a deep dive into Beijing's history, Chinese culture, and the stories behind the architecture. Every colour, number, and rooftop creature in the Forbidden City was a deliberate choice. This episode decodes the architecture and how the building communicates power, class, and gender roles — for example, the concubine system. And one woman, Cixi, who entered the palace at sixteen and ended up controlling three successive emperors for nearly fifty years. And what happened to the Forbidden City? The fires, the invasions, the looting — and where in the world you can still see pieces of the Forbidden City if you don't have any immediate travel plans to Beijing. Yet! Missed Part 1? Start there — it covers who built the Forbidden City and why. EP1: How It All Began — live now EP3: 600 Years in 30 Minutes — coming next week 👋 Connect with me on Instagram @chen_backinbeijing 📒 An ethical playbook for Beijing on Instagram @a_day_in_beijing One more thing, I want to hear from you! If you have a story to tell about Beijing, about China, join me on this podcast. You could be a café owner. A calligrapher. An underground rave DJ. A teacher. A civil servant. A street vendor who's been cooking the same dish for forty years. You don't need equipment. You don't need to speak perfect English. I'll handle the recording, the editing, the posting, everything. All you need to do is tell your story. This isn't a business. This is a cause. I just want the world beyond the VPN to see a glimpse of the real us. I believe in it, and I hope you do too.

  • S1 · E1
    June 26 · 29 min

    The Forbidden City Part 1 | Who Built It and How Did Beijing Become The Capital

    A man stole the throne from his own nephew. And to prove he deserved it, he built the largest palace in human history. One million workers. Fourteen years. And a canal that carried an empire's resources halfway across China to one construction site. But to understand why, you need a bit of context first — and I promise I'll make it painless. So I start with the basics: what a dynasty actually is, what Confucianism means, how Beijing became the capital, and the man whose insecurity gave us the Forbidden City. This is Part 1 of 3. Part 2 decodes what the architecture is actually saying. Part 3 walks you through the palace, south to north. Planning a visit? Book tickets in advance, they sell out fast! Official site: https://bookingticket.dpm.org.cn/WeChat 小程序: 故宫博物院 Find A Day In Beijing Cultural Experiences here: https://adayinbeijing.carrd.co/Connect with me on Instagram @chen_backinbeijingAn ethical playbook to Beijing on Instagram @a_day_in_beijing One more thing, I want to hear from you!If you have a story to tell about Beijing, about China, join me on this podcast. You could be a café owner. A calligrapher. An underground rave DJ. A teacher. A civil servant. A street vendor who's been cooking the same dish for forty years. Because right now, beyond the VPN, the world is hearing about us from people who aren't us. And I think we can do something about that, one voice at a time. You don't need experience. You don't need equipment. You don't need to speak perfect English. I'll handle the recording, the editing, the posting, everything. All you need is to tell your story. This isn't a business. This is a cause. I just want the world beyond the VPN to see a glimpse of the real us. I believe in it and I hope you do too.

  • S1 · E2
    June 25 · 15 min

    Pilot Episode | Why I Started a Beijing-inspired Podcast

    I spent 10 years in London doing brand strategy. Won awards, led massive teams, made business director before 30 — but mostly was selling things I didn't believe in. Hit my mid-30s, came back to my beloved hometown with my husband. Beijing's independent businesses are disappearing. 3 million restaurants, cafés and bars closed across China last year. And the tourists who do come? They're stuck in a loop — Forbidden City, Great Wall, done. Meanwhile, the places where actual Beijingers spend their time are invisible to the outside world. I thought, I've got the marketing skills. I've got the cultural context. I've lived on both sides. What if I just build a megaphone for our indie businesses and local communities? This episode is the full story. Who I am, why A Day In Beijing exists, and what you can expect from this podcast. First series: the Forbidden City. Three episodes. EP1: How It All Began — live now EP2: The Story Behind the Red Gates — coming soon EP3: 600 Years in 30 Minutes — coming soon Find A Day In Beijing Cultural Experiences here: https://adayinbeijing.carrd.co/ Connect with me on Instagram @chen_backinbeijingAn ethical playbook to Beijing on Instagram @a_day_in_beijing

  • S1 · E1
    June 24 · 3 min

    Trailer | Ethical Travel to Beijing & Chinese Culture and History

    A Day In Beijing is an English podcast about Beijing, about China. Our history. Our culture. Our stories. Told in English — but told by us. I got tired of watching our 5,000 years of civilisation get reduced to 30-second TikToks by people who visited once. Got tired of AI-generated travel guides speaking for us. Got tired of the same lazy stereotypes being recycled as "China content." So I thought — if we don't tell our own stories, who will? Each episode digs into Beijing's history, traditions, and artistry. Some walk you through landmarks like the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. Others go deeper into the Beijing that most visitors never see. A Day In Beijing also curates conscious travel experiences, we exclusively support independent local businesses and put money back into the community. If you're curious how our city sounds when it's finally explained properly in English, come and listen or message me to join the podcast! If you have international friends or family coming to Beijing, share this podcast with them! Find A Day In Beijing Cultural Experiences here: https://adayinbeijing.carrd.co/ Connect with me on Instagram @chen_backinbeijing An ethical playbook to Beijing on Instagram @a_day_in_beijing

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