I'm writing this to inspire those who are looking to experience not only the regular tourist activities in Beijing but also the more cultural aspect of the city. I was on a homestay program for about a week over Christmas and it was definitely a very memorable trip. I was very fortunate to be introduced to this lovely family by a friend who signs up for homestay programs frequently when he travels.
I was met at the airport by 3 of the family members with all smiles. I was then driven to their apartment just outside the fifth ring road. Traffic was awesome outside this part of the city. I was chauffered around in the family's private car all through my stay. It was a smooth ride
My accommodation and meals were all taken care of even when we went out to nice restaurants. I had so much Chinese food. All kinds like Beijing, Si Chuan, Shanxi, Guangdong, you name it! My homestay program also covers cooking class. I learned making jiao zi. (I was hopeless but I think the last few jiao zi nearly met the Chinese standard). The grandmother taught me how to make Kong Pao Chicken which is my all time favorite back in the US. So now I don't order Chinese take out anymore. I learned Mandarin while I was there for about an hour each evening and I practiced what I learned when the family took me to the store around corner. The father taught me some Chinese calligraphy and I've been practicing writing my given Chinese name since I got home. I also learned how to drink tea the Chinese way. It seems there was a process to follow so that you bring out the aroma of the tea. I need to get a tea set right away. In the mornings, I exercised with the ladies in the neighborhood. They were doing fan dance with music in the background. I also tried Tai Chi. And on one of the mornings, the family took me to a local park (I think it was called tuanjie lake) and two boys showed me some Wu Shu moves. So there you go. I did some Wu Shu in Beijjing.
Besides all these cultural activities, I was also taken to trips mostly outside the city (exactly what I wanted). We were pickniking in huairou and we had baked fish. The next day were off to miyun reservoir. I guess the best part was the family knew when the peak and nonpeak tourist hours are so they avoided crowds as much as possible. I saw tian an men square at night and it was beautiful.
It was very hard to leave on my 8th day but I promised to stay in touch thru emails. For anyone who's interested in such a program, I'd high recommend this family.