Hi everyone, welcome to my China Diaries — this vlog is my first time in Beijing, and honestly, first impressions were really good. I walk you through my 3–4 days in the city, starting with Wangfujing Street where I noticed how clean everything is and how tight security is (lots of cameras, security checkpoints in the subway, and a big police presence). I’ll be real: it made me feel very safe, and I even said they should have checkpoints like that in New York City. Food-wise, I kept it simple and delicious — I had a beef noodle soup that was literally 10/10 and only $3, and I learned quickly that pointing at pictures works when there’s a language barrier. I also take you along for major Beijing moments: Tiananmen Square + the Forbidden City (I highly recommend doing a tour because it’s a lot of history and you’ll actually understand what you’re looking at), and then the Great Wall of China, which was such a “wow, I can’t believe I did it” experience. I’ll also share the more uncomfortable side of traveling as someone who looks like me — getting stared at and even recorded — and how I started saying “nihao” and waving to make it feel less awkward. And then we end on a fun note: dancing with a group in the mall (basically Zumba), which completely changed my mood, plus my repeat obsession with the More Yogurt mango smoothie before we hop on an overnight train to the next city.