The Urban Edit
With the news of Shanghai’s beloved Dongtai market closing, Bespoke took what might just be a final stroll down Dontgtai Road, the ramshackle street market overflowing with everything from spooky vintage dolls to terrifying looking kung fu weapons and brass horn gramophones. Even for those with no interest in shopping, the area is great fun to explore, as if the contents of an Old Shanghai lane house had been tipped out and left there for the likes of us to rifle through.
Bespoke Beijing has teamed up with the Opposite House hotel to offer its guests an exclusive on our new bike tour. Along with a room at the ‘House, hotel guests will be treated to ‘Life on Two Wheels’, a cycling tour like no other. Led by our expert (an Australian-born, Beijing bicycle culture historian, urban researcher and cycling fanatic), it won’t just take you on a journey around the city, but put the importance of the Beijing bicycle in context.
Fact: the Forbidden City is awesome. (Note: this is not one of our five fascinating Forbidden City facts). But seriously, when you start to dig a little deeper into the history of China’s most important Imperial institution, it really starts to astonish. We asked out team of expert guides and local personalities to share their favourite fascinating tidbits.
In the dark days before deodorant, in order to ensure that the emperor’s concubines met their master in tiptop condition, it was one hapless eunuch’s job to check the hygiene of his consorts beforehand. It’s a dirty job, but…
From Dynasty to Republic is our third Limited Edition Public Walking Tour created by the history experts at Beijing Postcards. (Click for more info on The Nightwatch or Sai Jinhua and the Brothels of Dashilan). Taking place within the Forbidden City, the tour is a whirlwind journey through the final years of Imperial China leading up to the momentous day, exactly 90 years ago this November 5th, that the “boy emperor” Puyi was forcibly evicted from the palace.
A very good question (and we bet the answer will surprise you). First things first, it’s not really called the Forbidden City, at least not these days. If you want to get there in a Beijing taxi, you’ll tell the driver “gugong”, which means, roughly, “former palace”.
After months of construction, the new Drum & Bell Tower Square has suddenly and unexpectedly been unveiled a week ahead of schedule…and it’s better than we thought!
