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c h i k k a
d i s p a t c h
TEXT
CHARMAINE BAYLON
PHOTOS
GERALDINE CUASON
YOUR GUIDE:
Geraldine Cuason
LIVES IN:
Beijing
WORKS AS:
A photographer
at an international
school, and a photography
teacher (geraldinecuason.com)
HER NEIGHBORHOOD:
Dongzhimen
The Bund
I came to Beijing to study Mandarin, found a job and
stayed. That was four years ago.
What I like about the city is that it’s quite safe,
clean, and nice when it’s a sunny, blue-sky day.
But coming from the tropics where it’s warm all
year round, I’m really not a fan of winter — so the
weather takes a bit of getting used to.
Then again, Beijing is also relaxed and laid back;
and since I look Chinese it’s easy for me to blend
in with the crowd when I shoot on the streets.
The people here are friendly, and shooting street
portraits is a favorite activity. It’s one of the reasons I
got into photography.
My advice for enjoying Beijing? Explore the city
at your own pace, by yourself. Rent a bike. Try
anything and everything. It also helps that you learn
a little bit of the language to communicate with the
locals. And definitely try the street food and lamb
barbecue
(
chuan’r).
Settled in
Pinay photographer Geraldine Cuason
found her calling in Beijing; stick
around and you might, too
GOOD EATS
Trainspotting
(46
Fangjia Hutong,
Dongcheng District; tel: +86 (10) 6406
0658)
is a favorite — the restaurant serves
contemporary Chinese dishes like the
must-try slow-cooked ribs. There’s a good
Xinjiang restaurant, Happy Xinjiang, along
Gulou Dongdajie
(
Drum and Bell East St)
;
and along that road too is a nice Yunnan
restaurant, Haney
(107
Baochao Hutong,
Dongcheng District; tel: +86 (10) 6401
3318),
which cooks the tastiest meals. For
authentic Beijing food, check out the fancy
Duck de Chine
(1949
Hidden City 2, 98
Jinbao St, Dongcheng District; tel: +86 (10)
6521 2221)
for the best Peking duck.
SCENIC SPOTS
Definitely go to the Great Wall. There’s also
a county called Miyun near the Great Wall
where you can climb, hike or even fish. You
can camp out for the night afterwards. It’s
a great way to get out of the city and be in
touch with nature.
BEIJING IN ONE
SHOT
Call it a cliché, but my favorite image
of Beijing is the Bird’s Nest or Beijing
National Stadium
(1
National Stadium
South Rd, Chaoyang District; tel: +86
(10) 8437 3011,
–
it’s
impressive. The structure reminds me
that life and fate are intertwined.
Slow-cooked ribs
from Trainspotting
Bird’s Nest Stadium
The Great Wall
