Chinesebox in Beijing

I was told by Jeanie that she saw Chinese Box Hostel (Beijing)  appeared on Lonelyplanet.com. What a good news!
Ali is a very nice girl who can play cooooooooooool Guitar, dislike taking shoes even if it was a bit cold in Beijing.  We drunk together, made dumpling together, so funny days!!!

Ali was taking picture…

I am publishing this article so that more travelers know Chinese Box Hostel more.

I just thought I should tell everyone about this awesome hostel I found in Beijing, Just booked it on a wim thru Hostelworld.com as it was one of the cheapest, and totally landed on my feet!
Considering they’ve only been open 3 months they’ve got some of the best ratings on Hostelworld I have seen. And rightly so. The staff absolutely make this place. Leoson, Dadong, Shinzan and everyone else that works there are awesome. I miss them all terribly! They are all travellers themselves, so that know what makes a good hostel.
Chinese Box is located on one of the Hutongs, so its in a nice quiet location and yet right next to bus stops and metro stations, and not far to walk to things like Tiananmen Sq and Forbidden City.
They serve food, rent bicycles, can help you organise trips and train tickets. They will teach you how to make Jiaozi or take you for a walk or cycle ride around town. The hostel is clean with excellent facilities, including use of a hair dryer and ironing board!
I never stayed in such a nice place in any country in the world. I absolutely loved it. These guys deserve to do well, so please go and stay there and tell them that Ali from England says Hi!
Chinese Box
Xi Si Bei 2 Tiao (just off Xi Si Bei Dajie)
Xicheng District

Courtyard garden in Chinese Box Hostel (Beijing)

Thanks for every one who has paid attention to this article. Thanks for Ali from London. we love you!

FROM THE BEIJING CAPITAL AIRPORT:

(By Airport Bus)

• –Take bus line 2(16 RMB) to last stop at Xi Dan Aviation Building
• –Take metro bus No. 22 (1 RMB) in front of the Aviation Building and get off at the 4th stop (Xi Si Bei stop)
• –Cross the street and turn north to the Xi Si Bei 2 Tiao Hutong
• –Turn left and walk west on Xi Si Bei 2 Tiao, our hostel is located on the left hand side.

(By Subway)

• –Take the airport subway to the last station at Dong Zhi Men.
• –Transfer to the subway line 2 to Fu Cheng Men station.
• –Leave the subway at B exit.
• –Walk east along the Fu Cheng Men Nei Da Jie and turning left to Zhao Deng Yu Road at the traffic light.
• –Walk north to Xi Si Bei 2 tiao about 3 minutes.
• –Turn right and walk east about 2 minutes.
• –Our hostel is located at the right hand side..

(By Taxi)

• You can also take a taxi from Beijing Airport (around 100RMB). Just tell the driver that the destination is Zhao Deng Yu Road (close to Xi Si Bei 2 Tiao). It will take about 1 hour.

FROM THE BEIJING CENTRAL RAILWAY STATION:

• (trains arriving from Shanghai, Mongolia, Russia etc…)

(By subway)

• –Take subway route 2 to FuChengMen station (2 RMB)
• –Leave the subway from B exit.
• –Walk east along the Fu Cheng Men Nei Da Jie and turning left to Zhao Deng Yu Road at the traffic light.
• –Walk north to Xi Si Bei 2 tiao about 3 minutes.
• –Turn right and walk east about 2 minutes.
• –Our hostel is located at the right hand side.

(By bus)

• –Take bus 103 route to Baitashi station (1 RMB)
• –Walk west along the Fu Cheng Men Nei Da Jie and turning right to Zhao Deng Yu Road at the traffic light.
• –Walk north to Xi Si Bei 2 tiao about 3 minutes.
• –Turn right and walk east about 2 minutes.
• –Our hostel is located at the right hand side.

(By Taxi)

• –It costs about 20RMB from the Central Station to our hostel. Just tell the driver the destination is Zhao Deng Yu Road (close to Xi Si Bei 2 Tiao). It is pretty fast and easy.

FROM THE BEIJING WEST RAILWAY STATION:

(trains arriving from Xi’An, Chengdu, Pingyao, Datong, Hong Kong etc…)

(By Bus)

• –Take bus No 823 and get off at Bai Ta Si stop
• –Walk west to the traffic light and turn right to the Zhao Deng Yu Road
• –Walk north to the Xi Si Bei 2 Tiao Hutong and turn right
• –Our hostel is located at the right hand side.

(By Taxi)

• –It costs about 20RMB from the West Railway Station to our hostel. Just tell the driver the destination is Zhao Deng Yu Road (close to Xi Si Bei 2 Tiao). It is pretty fast and easy.

FROM THE BEIJING SOUTH RAILWAY STATION:

• (trains arriving from Tianjing,TsingTao etc…)

(By Bus)

• –Take bus No 102 and get off at Bai Ta Si stop
• –Walk west to the traffic light and turn right to the Zhao Deng Yu Road
• –Walk north to the Xi Si Bei 2 Tiao Hutong and turn right
• –Our hostel is located at the right hand side.

(By Taxi)

–It costs about 25RMB from the South Railway Station to our hostel. Just tell the driver the destination is Zhao Deng Yu Road (close to Xi Si Bei 2 Tiao). It is pretty fast and easy.

Chinesebox, Beijing’s latest accommodation with a difference where you can experience Chinese traditional culture and Hutong. in order to offer our guests not just budget accommodation but also a unique experience during their stay in Beijing.

Tne courtyard is situated in the area of ordinary people, close to Beihai park and Shichahai Lake, and the white pagoda temple is within a visible distance. with its ancient decoration and an exhibition of traditional works, this hostel has the culture of old Beijing as its label.
You can enjoy free Internet and WiFi access in Chinesebox. Our large and beautiful lounge is a great place to meet new friends - or have a drink and a snack- lounge are equipped with Chinese traditional furniture.
This beautiful building gives our guests the chance not just to see Beijing’s history but also to sleep in it! The restoration has added all modern facilities without spoiling the building’s character and guests can be assured by our conscientious staff, security card system and commitment to the highest standards. Our mission is to provide comfortable, secure, clean and spacious accommodation to the budget traveler. Don’t just see Beijing’s history;
Whatever your mood, Ｃhinesebox can match it .maybe a traditional Chinese noon tea or light snack in the back of countryard, time will escape from you mouth.
Whether for its thirst quenching tropical drinks, their mouth watering dining pleasures or the tropical atmosphere, Chinesebox is an experience like no other.

I and my friend draw a map of our hostel with photoshop and google map. It looks so lovly, we do it ourself.ce
Would you find out us easily only depending on the map we draw? If you succeed, I am sure, we would to be very very happy! IT IS A NICE MAP!

Map of our Hostel in English:

Map of our Hostel in Chinese:

Chinese Box hostel is a traditional courtyard located at the ancient hutong (alley) in the heart of Beijing.
It is close to all major sites of Beijing, including Tian’anmen square, the Forbidden City and Xi Dan shopping centers. 15 minutes to the subway on foot and 5 minutes away from over 20 different Metro buses.

Of course, Chinesebox hostel has carefully preserved the originally traditional Si-He style courtyard house with 2 gardens inside, and nestled in the designated historic landmark Hu-Tong neighborhood preserved and protected by the Beijing government.

Our interior is carefully designed according to the traditional style of the building along with all modern amenities such as luxury room, twin bed, queen bed, dormitory, air-conditioning, round-the-clock hot water, free wireless internet access, Chinese and western breakfast, bar, reading corner, locker, IP phone, fax, laundry facility, luggage storage, and travel information.
Alley and Si-He style courtyard compose a traditional and perfect city — Beijing, both the shape and the spirit.
Si-He style courtyard is like a box. Also, stay inside Chinesebox hostel, you will open a good start to explore this ancient and mysterious city, and find more about Chinese.

Welcome to our BOX, and pick up one sepical Chinesebox belong to you.

Beijing cuisine(chinese:京菜or北京菜;pingyin:jīngcài)is a cooking style in Beijing, China. It is also formally known as Mandarin cuisine.

wellknown Beijing food:

Meat:

• pecking duck (北京烤鸭)
• Peking Barbecue (烤肉/北京烤肉)
• Mutton Hot pot (涮羊肉)
• Sweetened Vinegar Spareribs (糖醋排骨)
• Stir Fried Tomatoes with Scrambled Eggs (西红柿炒鸡蛋 xīhóngshì chǎo jīdàn)
• Sweet Stir Fried Mutton/Lamb (它似蜜) (Ta Si Mi)
• Fried Small Meatballs (炸丸子) (Zha Xiao Wan Zi)
• Cold Pig ears in Sauce (拌双脆) (Ban Shuang Cui)
• Sauced Meat (酱肉) (Jiang Rou)
• Upper Parts of the Pork Hand/Leg (水晶肘子) (Shui Jing Zhou Zi)
• Three Non-Stickiness (三不粘 ; San Bu Nian)
• Wood shavings meat 木须肉 (Mu Xu Rou)
• Quick-Fried Tripe (mainly intestines) (爆肚) (Bao Du)
• Peking Dumpling (饺子/北京饺子) (Jiaozi/Beijing Jiaozi)
• Peking wonton(馄饨/北京馄饨) (Hun Tun/Beijing Huntun)
• Braised fish (酥鱼) (Su Yu)
• Meat wrapped in thin mung bean flour pancake (煎饼馃子) (Jian Bing Guo Zi)
• Egg and shrimp wrapped in corn flour pancake (糊饼) (Hu Bing)
• Fried tofu with egg wrapping (锅塌豆腐) (Guo Ta Do Fu)
• Wheaten cake boiled in meat broth (卤煮火烧) (Lu Zhu Huo Shao)
• Fried wheaten pancake with meat and sea cucumber fillings (褡裢火烧) (Da Lian Huo Shao)
• Fried butter cake (奶油炸糕) (Nai You Zha Gao)
• Fried cake with fillings (烫面炸糕) (Tang Mian Zha Gao)
• Fried dry soybean cream with diced meat filling (炸响铃) (Zha Xiang Ling)
• Dried Soy Milk Cream in Tight Roll with Beef Fillings (炸卷果) (Zhua Juan Guo)
• Beef wrapped in pancake (门钉肉饼) (Men Ding Rou Bing)
• Meatballs soup (清汤丸子) (Qing Tang Wan Zi)

Noodles (Can be either vegetarian or served with meat)

• Noodles with Thick Gravy (打卤面) (Da Lu Mian)
• Zhajiang Mian(炸酱面)

Vegetarian

• Mustardy Chinese cabbage (芥末墩) (Jie Mo Dun)
• Beijing preserved fruit (果脯) (Guo Pu)
• Beijing candied fruit (蜜饯) (Mi Jian)
• Hawthorn cake (京糕) (Jin Gao)
• Stir fried hawthorn (炒红果) (Chao Hong Guo)
• Almond drink (杏仁茶) (Xin Ren Cha)
• Beijng cheese (奶酪) (Nai LAO)
• Thin Millet Flour Pancake (煎饼) (Jian Bing)
• Thin pancake (薄饼) (Bao Bing)
• Pancake (烙饼) Lao Bing
• Deep Fried Dough Cake (油饼) (You Bing)
• Baked Sesame Seed Cake (烧饼) (Shao Bing)
• Shortening cake (牛舌饼) (Niu She Bing)
• Glutinous rice cake (切糕) (Qie Gao)
• Thousand-layer cake (千层糕) (Qian Ceng Gao)
• Lamma cake (喇嘛糕) (La Ma Gao)
• Proso millet cake (黄糕) (Huang Gao)
• Glutinous rice cake roll (卷糕) (Juan Gao)
• Glazed steamed glutinous rice cake (水晶糕) (Shui Jing Gao)
• Rice and white kidney bean cake with jujube (盆糕) (Pen Gao)
• Honeycomb cake (蜂糕) (Feng Gao)
• Buckwheat cake (扒糕) (Ba Gao)
• Rice and jujube cake (甑糕) (Zeng Gao)
• Mung bean cake (绿豆糕) (Lu Dou Gao)
• Soybean flour cake (豆面糕) (Dou Mian Gao)
• Bean paste cake (凉糕) (Liang Gao)
• Fried Cake (炸糕) (Zha Gao)
• Rice cake with bean paste (花糕) (Hua Gao)
• Chestnut cake with bean paste (栗子糕) (Li Zi Gao)
• Chestnut broth (栗子羹) (Li Zi Geng)
• Glazed/Candied Chinese Yam (拔丝山药) (Ba Si Shan Yao)
• Glazed thin pancake with Chinese yam and jujube stuffing (糖卷果) (Tang Juan Guo)
• Thin pancake of pork fat (油皮) (You Pi)
• Sweet hard flour cake (硬面饽饽) (Yi Mian Bo Bo)
• Sweet flour cake (墩饽饽) (Dun Bo Bo)
• Fried sugar cake (糖耳朵) (Tang Er Duo)
• Fried cake glazed in malt sugar (蜜三刀) (Mi San Dao))
• Chinese “fajitas” (春饼卷菜 — not to be confused with spring rolls [春卷])
• Chatang/ Miancha / Youcha (茶汤/面茶/油茶)
• Fermented Mung Bean Juice (豆汁) (Dou Zhi)
• Baked Wheaten Cake (火烧) (Huo Shao)
• Sweetened baked wheaten cake (糖火烧) (Tang Huo Shao)
• Bean Jelly (凉粉) (Liang Fen)
• Sweet Potato Starch Jelly (粉皮) (Fen Pi)
• Crisp Fritter (麻页) (Ma Ye)
• Crisp Fritter with Sesame (薄脆) (Bao Cui)
• Crisp Thin Fritter Twist (排叉) (Pai Cha)
• Crisp Noodle (馓子) (San Zi)
• Stir Fried Starch Knots (炒疙瘩) (Chao Ge Da)
• Fried Ring (焦圈) (Jiao Quan)
• Fried Dough Twist (麻花) (Ma Hua)
• Pea Flour Cake (豌豆黄) (Wan Dou Huang)
• Fermented Mung Bean Juice Dried (麻豆腐) (Ma Dou Fu)
• Jellied Bean Curd (豆腐脑) (Dou Fu Nao)
• Almond Tofu(杏仁豆腐)
• Glutinous rice ball (艾窝窝) (Ai Wo Wo)
• Kidney bean roll (芸豆卷) (Yun Dou Juan)
• Dried Soy Milk Cream in Tight Rolls (腐竹) (Fu Zhu)
• Sugarcoated haws on a stick (糖葫芦) (Tang Hu Lu)
• Millet Zongzi(粽子) (Zongzi)
• Tangyuan(元宵) (Yuan Xiao)

All the while, I devoted my attention to name a Chinese name matching “Box hostel”, it should be pertinent, warm and easy to remeber.

So many days passed by, and I thought out many many names for boxhoste. but no one matched untill “团园” appeared one day.

Such a good idear !

In Chinese, “团” means orbicular and group meeting together, indicates lucky, happeness and reunion , “园” means garden and a nice place to rest and live freely and happily, you can find out fun, goodness and friendship. Also, the name “团园” shows “Box Hostel” a tradional place, full of happiness and luck.

Cheers for our boxhostel “团园”. Cheers for our travelling life.

Peking Opera is the Chinese essence, it opens a path for foreigns to konw about Chinese tradional culture. As a tourist overseas visiting Beijing of China, Peking Opera is indespensible. It`s my pleasure to show you some famous showplace enjoying Peking Opera: 1. Chinese National Mei Lanfang Peking Opera Theatre Address: Southeast of Guangyuan bridge, Xicheng district, beijing Tel: 58331288 58331388 Tickets: from 80RMB to 1280RMB Website: www.cnpoc.cn 2. Huguang Huiguan Address: 3 Hufang Rd. Xuanwu district, beijing Tel: 010-63518284,63510019,010-63518284 Tickets:180,280,380 RMB Website: www.beijinghuguang.com 3. Chang`an Grand Theatre Address: No 7 , Jianguomennei Dajian, Chaoyang district, Beijing Tel: 010-65101307/09/10 Tickets:50,80,180,380,800 RMB Website: www.changantheater.com 4. Laoshe Teahouse Address: Qianmen west street, Xuanwu district, Beijing Tel: 010-63036830/63021717 Tickets: 40-130 RMB Website: www.laosheteahouse.com

Happy New Year to all my friends, family and readers!

2008, It is a great year for box hostel, it would be born as a baby, grow up strenghtly little by little, many many things would happen and changed.

2008，Olympic Games will open in beijing。

2008, hope box would bring you and me more and more happiness and luckness.

Sure it is a good time we spend together…

 The Forbidden City (Imperial Palace) in the heart of Beijing is the largest and most complete imperial palace and ancient building complex in China, and the world at large. Its construction began in 1406 and was completed 14 years later, having a history so far of some 580 years. Twenty-four emperors from the Ming and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties lived and ruled China from there. Most of the buildings in the Forbidden City were rebuilt many times, although they maintained the original architectural style.