Tag: Beijing

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Events and Offers in May from Beijing’s Best Culture Companies!

See that date? It’s May 1st! Even if you’ve been self-isolating for the past 90 days in a cave, you still know that with the start of May, summer (un)officially begins! But with Beijing (as with the rest of China) slowly waking from its pandemic-induced slumber, it can be a bit difficult to know what is on offer to you to learn, explore, taste and engage with in terms of culture.

To address that, Cultural Keys has asked some of the city’s best activity providers what they have in store for everyone. Read on to find out the best ways to culturally immerse yourself this month!

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Current Entry Restrictions for Scenic Spots in and Around Beijing

As we may have mentioned once or twice over the past few weeks, now is the best time of year to see Beijing at its most beautiful!  Having said that, it would be irresponsible of us to suggest people get out and about right now, both because we’re in the middle of the Labour Day holiday and because of the current coronavirus situation.

While China and especially Beijing have managed to control the situation very well, it is only through continued vigilance and caution that we can avoid a second wave and keep ourselves and our loved ones safe and sound.

Of course, once the holidays end (officially May 6th) and the crowds thin, it would be a great time to get out and start taking in the sights and sounds again! And if that’s something you plan on doing, this list of entry requirements for Beijing’s top scenic spots, compiled by the experts at Amber Travel in conjunction with Cultural Keys, will be invaluable!

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Best of Beijing: The best Beijinghua words and phrases!

It’s often said that spring is the best time to visit Beijing and see everything the city has to offer. While getting out and about and experiencing everything isn’t exactly possible at the moment, that doesn’t mean you can’t start to make plans!

To that end, for the past few weeks Cultural Keys has brought to you our Best of Beijing series. Each week, we introduce you to the best that the Chinese capital has to offer, from food to flowers, from classical architecture to useful words and phrases especially for Beijing! 

Now in week 3, we are pleased to introduce you to some of the most Beijing-centric words and phrases this side of the Forbidden City. Enjoy! 

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Custom handmade calligraphy available again at Cultural Keys!

Few examples of traditional Chinese art are as beautiful and intrinsically characteristic of Chinese culture as handwritten calligraphy. It’s with that cultural significance in mind that Cultural Keys and the CK Culture Boutique  are proud to announce that starting this week (April 26th) we are again able to offer custom handmade calligraphy for the first time since January!

Read on to see how you can order a unique and beautiful piece of art and bring Chinese culture into your own home or office!

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All the Tea in China: An Interview with Tea Expert Johnny New

Few aspects of Chinese culture are as easily identifiable or universally appreciated and enjoyed as tea. But with a history spanning more thousands of years, and so many types, it can be a little intimidating to know where to start learning more about it.

As with most things of course, the best place to start is usually talking to an expert. Cultural Keys took time to drop by Gengxiang Tea, a well-known tea shop in Beijing’s Chaoyang District to say hi to owner Johnny ‘New’ Niu and get his insight on many aspects of all the tea in China.

Read on to see what Johnny had to share with us, plus see how you can save money the next time you visit Gengxiang Tea! 

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