Vacation Home Rentals

posted by Vacation Home Rentals on Aug 11

Planning to have some fun near your hotel in Beijing? Getting ready to wind down after a tiring day? Looking for one of a kind party experience to jazz up your stay in Beijing?

Then visit Sanlitun Street-the best place to pull in Beijing-with top bars, cafes, nightclubs and restaurants the city can possibly offer.

During the Beijing Olympics, swimming star Michael Phelps, soccer star Renaldhino, and movie star Vince Vaughn were among the many celebrities to make appearance at the bars here.

Known as ‘Sanlitun Bar Street’ among locals, this hot nightlife venue lies in the famous embassy area not far from Beijing’s east 3rd Ring Road. Every day from afternoon till late night, this bar street is overflowing with foreign tourists, expats, and locals who have excess energy to burn.

The street comprises two parts: Sanlitun North and Sanlitun South. Sanlitun North is where most bars are located, where you could rock until early morning. It’s not far fromthe 4 star Beijing Taiyue Suites Hotel.

This north part of the street is home to several dozen bars, most of have tables outside where customers can have a drink while enjoy the fresh air. The treat can be agreeable even in Beijing’s hot summer, because the dense trees keep you out of the sun and offer you only cool shade.

Most of the bars on the street offer liquor and beer from around the world to cater to an increasing number of international customers. Some even offer drinks from your hometown!

Despite this, many visitors to China fall in love with local draft beers such as Yangjing and Tsingtao, which are palatable and refreshing by anyone’s taste. Prices for these two beers go around 25 RMB (a little over $3 US), expensive by Beijing standards, but still cheaper than back home.

Another good spot to visit for drinks at low pricesis the bar at the Beijing Avic hotel.

At night, many bars stage live band performances, which soon bring the party to its climax. Party goers groove to beats from DJs or covers and originals by local bands, bartenders work magic as they pour your drink, and waitresses weave their way through tables to deliver your order. You might find the spirit slightly different from that back home, but with the good looking crowd and sexy ambience, who cares!

Of course, if you need quiet surroundings to have an intimate conversation with your loved one, you could find bars hidden in the alleyways offering just that. Lovely surroundings create cozy and romantic ambience.

Most of the bars offer salad, hamburgers, spaghetti, and soup, so you can have a quick dinner here. Otherwise, just go to Sanlitun South for a formal meal.

Sanlitun South gathers some of Beijing’s best restaurants for south Asian cuisines. A considerable number of ambassadors and diplomats are among the regular customers.

Ok, you know the street, now it’s time for you to set out to experience all the fun at firsthandJust don’t have so much drink that you can’t return to your Beijing hotel or miss your Great Wall tour the next morning!

posted by Vacation Home Rentals on Aug 3

Beijing’s Confucius Temple, built for the great Chinese educator and philosopher, lies on the north side of the city, just a few minutes away from the 4 star Beijing Ningxia Hotel.

Each day there are people paying homage to the man who had altered the course of Chinese culture and history. And you won’t find yourself a better place to get to know China.

As soon as you step in this ancient sanctuary, you are sure to be astonished by the lushness of its trees. Many of them have been there since the time the temple was built, testifying to the reverence the Chinese hold to Confucius.

There 198 large stone tablets lie in rows on each side of the path that leads you to the main courtyard. The tablets bear the names of all 51,624 Jingshi scholars who passed the imperial exams throughout Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.

Having passed the world’s oldest civil service system, these scholars joined ancient China’s social elite. To became a Jingshi scholar and hold a government post, first one would have to pass various Confucian exams held in his home provinces. If they can succeed in these exams, they will enter the final and most important one – the exam to which to topic will be assigned by the emperor himself.

The chance of fail was high: Only one thousandth could pass the imperial exam, and the previous exams that brought one scholar to this point had already took him ten years. Still, more were coming to try their luck, for success in the imperial exam could mean wealth and honor of their family.

Just past the tablets, a huge gate stands at the entrance to the main courtyard. Under the gate are a Chinese drum and a bell. Throughout his life, Confucius had been a great advocate of harmony among people. But was the best tool to accomplish that? He suggested music, which allows one to achieve mental peace and makes him a true lover of harmony.

Once in the main courtyard, you will be immediately attracted by a large, old well. This isn’t any well; it got its name Yanshui from a Qing dynasty emperor. Legend has it that anyone who drinks water from this well will become quick-witted and pass their exams. Come here and you seem to be able to picture the crowd of hundreds of Jingshi-scholar wannabes who came for the special water, hoping it could help in passing the imperial exam.

The dominant building in the courtyard is Da Cheng Dian – Hall of Ultimate Accomplishment. This is the hall where people offer their reverence to Confucius. Various emperors had personally written tablets to Confucius to be hanged here. One written by Emperor Kangxi says: The Eternal Mentor.

Following a thousand-year-old imperial tradition, Emperor Kangxi offer sacrifices to Confucius every year. The emperor would chair a series of imperial rites with the height being a grand dance performed by 64 dancers. The dance was only performed to pay tribute to the most important imperial ancestors. Throughout Chinese history, few figures who were not royals enjoyed such an honor as Confucius did.

Also under the roof are shrines of accomplished Confucius disciples who had helped to bring Confucius doctrine to people in all around the country.

There are many prime hotels in Beijing nearthe Confucian temple, some only a few minutes away by walk. See some of the best hotels in Beijing here.