This time I came to Beijing to accompany my family to Peking Union Medical College Hospital for a follow-up examination. I deliberately avoided the noisy chain hotels on Wangfujing Street and chose the Qiuguo Hutong Courtyard Hotel, Beijing hidden deep in the alley. Dragging my suitcase through two gray brick alleyways, I pushed open the vermilion wooden door and stepped into the courtyard. The lush vines and greenery of the courtyard caught my eye, and I truly felt the quiet smoke and fire unique to the core area of old Beijing.
It only takes 8 minutes to walk from the hotel to the Dongdan Campus of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and 10 minutes to reach Wangfujing Pedestrian Street. You don't have to squeeze around in the crowd, just walk slowly along the bluestone road of the alley. Along the way, you can meet an old Beijing man carrying a birdcage for a stroll, even slowing down the anxiety of rushing. When checking in, the girl at the front desk heard that we were coming to accompany our family for recheck. She specially arranged a quiet small hospital room that was not near the main road of the alley. She also took the initiative to give me a handwritten list of convenient people around, which marked the 24-hour drugstore nearby, a light Congee shop suitable for patients, and even the tips for registering at the wrong peak of the Xiehe Hospital. Pushing open the wooden door of the guest room, the light wood colored furniture was paired with warm yellow lights. Two cups of warm chrysanthemum tea were pre arranged on the small coffee table by the window, instantly relieving the exhaustion of the journey.
What reassured me most was the atmosphere in the yard. There was no noisy downtown. There were several old rattan chairs under the vine shelf. In the afternoon, I accompanied my family back from the inspection, sat in the yard and had a rest in the wind. The old Beijing aunt who lived next door also offered half a bag of Roasted chestnuts in sugar-coated heated sand. The details of the room are all thoughtful and considerate for the guests. The mattress is just right in softness and hardness, and the family cannot get used to hard beds after surgery. The customized soft mattress was delivered to the front desk within ten minutes, and the sound insulation exceeded expectations. When the door is closed, only the faint sound of leaves swaying in the yard can be heard, and there will be no scattered footsteps in the alley to disturb them. The 24-hour front desk is always manned. One day at 2 o'clock in the morning, a family member had a low fever and called. The on duty staff immediately brought the thermometer and warm water to the door, even reducing the unnecessary knocking sound.
The convenience of the location saves a lot of worry. It only takes 5 minutes to walk to Dongdan subway station. Whether you are going to Tiananmen Square to watch the flag raising ceremony or to buy things from nearby old brands, you don't have to take a taxi to rush. There is an old Beijing bean curd jelly served with sauce store that has been open for decades at the entrance of the alley. You don't have to rush to eat cold bread in the morning. You can drink hot salty bean curd jelly served with sauce by walking two steps. You can find a suitable restaurant by walking a few steps around, even if you need light liquid food after surgery. On days when you don't want to run far away, sit in the teahouse in the yard for an afternoon, order a Pea puree cake made by the hotel, and watch the shadow of the vine frame slowly move, even the heart that hung before slowly fell to the ground.
After staying for a few days, there were no flashy internet celebrity gimmicks, only a sense of security hidden in the alley. Traveling to and from Beijing always feels like a rush, but this time staying at Qiuguo Hutong Courtyard Hotel, Beijing, I stole the gentlest slow time in old Beijing by the noisy Wangfujing. When we left the hotel, the front desk handed us a small bag of pear soup dumplings to moisten our throat, saying that we would rest well after returning home. Next time I come to Beijing again, I will definitely choose this place as soon as possible. It's not a hotel, it's clearly a temporary home hidden in a hutong.Show more