Lanzhou to Beijing 10 October 2025
Giving Up on the Long Train Idea
So initially, we planned to ride the long train from Turpan to Beijing — trying the full train route across China. But the earlier train ride convinced us that we were probably not cut out for such a long journey.
So we opted for a flight again, transferring at Lanzhou instead.
Sometimes the romantic idea of slow travel sounds better than the physical reality.
One Last Bowl of Lanzhou Lamian
Since we had some time at the airport, we took the last chance to eat Lanzhou lamian.
Lanzhou, capital of Gansu province, sits along the Yellow River and historically functioned as an important corridor on the ancient Silk Road. Traders, soldiers and migrants passed through this region for centuries, and its food reflects that layered history. Lanzhou niurou lamian comes from the Hui Muslim community and follows a traditional standard: clear beef broth, hand-pulled noodles, chilli oil, white radish slices, coriander and tender beef.
It is simple, but precise.
After days travelling through Xinjiang, eating lamian in Lanzhou airport felt like closing the Northwest chapter properly.
And it was really delicious.
Arrival in Beijing — Rain After the Dry Weeks
The flight to Beijing was short. We landed at Beijing Capital International Airport (北京首都国际机场).
It was raining slightly.
After a few long dry weeks in Xinjiang, the wet weather felt quite jarring. The air was heavier, the sky grey, the mood different.
We walked quite a long way inside the airport to find the e-hailing pickup spot. The ride to Chaoyang District (朝阳区) took almost 45 minutes, and altogether the transfer was more than an hour.
It wasn’t that expensive going into the city — although interestingly, when we later returned to the airport, the fare was almost double.
Anyway, by that point, we were pretty tired, so we chose the path of least resistance.
Staying in Chaoyang — Not Quite Central
We didn’t stay in central Beijing or the more touristy area. Instead, we stayed in Chaoyang because it was cheaper and looked good.
To be honest, I didn’t really understand the geography of Beijing.
Chaoyang is actually Beijing’s diplomatic and commercial district — embassies, business towers, international offices and shopping complexes. It represents modern Beijing rather than the old imperial capital around Dongcheng and the Forbidden City.
In good traffic, it’s about 20 minutes to the city centre.
The problem is that it’s not always good traffic. Traffic can go quite bad at certain times, especially when it’s raining.
In retrospect, maybe staying closer could have saved us transport time. But the stay itself was nice and comfortable, which mattered after long travel days.
The National Museum & Tiananmen Confusion
After settling down, we took a cab to National Museum of China (中国国家博物馆).
It sits beside Tiananmen Square (天安门广场) — the symbolic political centre of modern China.
Entry to the museum is free, but reservation is required.
It was lucky that I managed to secure a reservation earlier through Ctrip. I couldn’t book through the official WeChat account, and when I checked later, reservations were no longer available. I don’t know why — but it was lucky I booked when I did.
When we arrived, it was slightly drizzling and quite confusing.
Firstly, there are different entrances for Tiananmen Square and for the National Museum.
You really don’t want to join the wrong queue, because the queue was very long.
Cars also cannot enter directly, so the driver let us down at the outer streets, and we walked quite a long way to find the entrance to the National Museum.
Luckily, the National Museum queue has a priority line which lets elderly visitors get in earlier, so I went in with my travel companion, who has senior status, and avoided the queue.
It wouldn’t be that lucky during the queue to Tiananmen Square, since there was no priority line for elderly visitors.
A National Story in a Political Space
The museum was big — really big.
It was very comprehensive in introducing Chinese civilisation, from ancient artefacts and dynasties to more modern historical developments. Maybe what was slightly lacking was regional depth, such as provincial dialect cultures and local histories, but seeing the location, I understand the need for a national narrative.
Tiananmen Square has witnessed imperial ceremonies, political movements and the founding ceremony of the People’s Republic in 1949. The museum standing beside it frames history within that national context.
I had visited the British Museum before, and suddenly there were more things to compare.
But then I remembered that part of the reason the British Museum has such a rich collection is because many items were taken during colonial expansion, and today other regions are demanding their cultural heritage back.
Here, the focus was entirely on Chinese civilisation. And even within that scope, the variety of exhibitions was impressive.
Perspective changes when context changes.
The Magnet Temptation
People were crazy about buying the limited edition magnets — especially the Empress Crown design inspired by imperial court regalia.
I have to admit, the magnets were very elaborate.
I was really tempted to buy one for myself.
But the price was not cheap, and it’s still just a souvenir.
So I didn’t buy it.
Roast Duck Panic at Sijiminfu(四季民福)
After that, we went to Sijiminfu Roast Duck (四季民福) to eat Beijing roast duck.
Beijing roast duck dates back to the Ming dynasty imperial kitchens. The technique — air-pumping to separate the skin from the fat, glazing the duck and roasting it in fruitwood ovens — is precise and ritualised. It has long been associated with the capital and imperial dining culture.
Well, I made a mistake here.
I booked a number online.
As we were walking there, I got panicked that we wouldn’t reach on time, so I cancelled it and tried to rebook.
They only allow you to book once through the app.
So I called the restaurant to make a booking instead.
When we got there and took our number, it turned out we still needed to wait for an hour.
If I had kept the original number, perhaps the timing would have been just right.
Serves me right for panicking too easily.
Online reviews say this brand is famous online, but locals might think it’s touristy.
Our verdict?
Perhaps it is famous online for a reason.
We tried a different roast duck restaurant every day we were in Beijing, and by our count, it had the best roast duck.
So yes, I would certainly recommend people to try Sijiminfu.
Rain, Rush Hour & Reality
After that, it was around 6pm.
It was raining heavily and also peak hour.
It took us almost 20 minutes to get a cab, a long time to wait for the car to arrive, and even longer to get back.
When we went to the city earlier, it was 20 minutes.
To go back, it took us more than an hour.
And of course, the fare was higher. But with the rain and the jam, it was what it was.
I did think of using public transport — Beijing’s metro system is extensive and efficient — but the rain was unbelievably heavy. We couldn’t even properly walk outside.
Anyway, we reached our hotel safely, where I happily did laundry and had a good rest for tomorrow.
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