The weather was uninvitingly cold and foggy (smoggy) as we set out on foot in the direction of Tiananmen Square. As we reached the square, I noticed a Railway Museum across the road, and we decided to investigate.  The museum was founded in 2008 in an old Railway Station building. The ground floor tells the history of the origins of Chinese railways in the Qing dynasty (19^th century), and the subsequent difficult period from 1911-1949 after the fall of the Qing, and the significant progress after the revolution in 1949.

Upstairs we found exhibits on more recent developments, such as the Tibet high altitude railway, and the growth of the network which had previously been concentrated in the north and east of the country. The top floor dealt with the future, including a simulation of the cab of a HeXie bullet train (sadly out of order).

In the basement were sand table layouts of parts of the network and models of new stations that were being built.  All very exciting for the girl who never received a Hornby train set for Christmas.

We then moved on to the National Museum of China, located on the east side of Tiananmen Square. It was a bit difficult to find the ticket office at first, but once we had finally located it, we were given tickets at no charge. It is a massive building. Once through the security check at the entrance, the first thing we saw was a bronze statue of General De Gaulle, a commemoration of the 500^th anniversary of Sino-French diplomatic relations. There was also a pleasant Western-style café in the entrance foyer, where I had a coffee and my husband indulged in a hot chocolate and ‘pudding tart’, which turned out to be a custard tart. As well as De Gaulle, there were a number of bronze sculptures by Dali.  Not what I was expecting at all.

After our elevenses, we made our way to the basement, where the Chinese history exhibits were located.  This really was ‘deceptively spacious’ as an estate agent might say. Just when I thought I must have seen everything, I would round another corner and find a whole new section of exhibits. I was fascinated by the Phoenix coronet of the Empress Xiaoduan (c.1573-1620) and a jade shroud from the Western Han dynasty. (202 BC – 8 AD).

After lunch in the foyer café (ham or tuna sandwiches on white bread, served bafflingly slightly warm) we ventured upstairs to see the exhibition of diplomatic gifts to the Chinese government. On the whole, the European gifts were underwhelming (the UK’s were terrible), and those from India were the best, though the life-size ceramic swans from Richard Nixon were quite impressive. 

We walked back to our hotel via Wangfujing Street, which was decorated with a large Christmas tree and a Cinderella coach.

We had dinner in the hotel’s Tang Palace restaurant. This one was seemingly not intended for western guests, unlike Utopia, Galleria and Citrus. The staff looked a bit concerned and asked if we spoke Chinese. However, they found a copy of the menu with photos and English translations. Despite it not being a western restaurant, the staff were wearing Santa outfits or reindeer antlers, and there was a soundtrack of Christmas songs: Jingle Bells, Frosty the Snowman, Adeste Fideles and, bizarrely, All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth. Video screens were showing film of hedgehogs riding on a toy train set whilst wearing Santa hats.  I have no idea what it was all about, but it was good festive fun.

We visited Beijing in December 2015