By Qiong Wang
The winter of Beijing’s old town is magnetic, both day and night, especially during the lunar new year season. Walking in the hutongs (narrow alleys), every brick and stone has an engaging story to tell. The depth and richness of its culture and history is more than I could ever comprehend even as a native. During my short stay in Beijing this winter, I didn’t have to plan anything. I would set out for a culture treasure hunt every day to any random spot on the map, and found myself in serendipity and vast pride of my own culture. Looking at the festivus lunar new year temple fair vs the solemn Tiananmen square, the old style tea-house vs the modern dome-shaped national opera theater and that back-to-childhood lake-skating, I realized that Beijing is Beijing, like no other.
