I visited my friend at the Emperor Hotel a few blocks from Tiananmen the other day, at it was an amazing place.

The room was very spacious and clean, even the hallway leading to the room smelled good!

Their breakfast buffet was absolutely delicious with many Western choices, and I loved the omelet station!

Also, the staff is English-speaking and very courteous and quick with service.

Probably the only drawback is that the Emperor is a little pricey, but you definitely get what you pay for!

 
Beijing Lacquer Thread Sculpture is an ancient art. In ancient times, the lacquer threads created patterns on deity figures.

Today, it is more popular for decorating bowls, vases, and various table settings.

The FuSan Lacquer Thread Sculpture shop, located right near the Redwall and Fuhao, offers a large selection of products from the best place for Lacquer Thread Sculptures, city of Xiamen.

The dominant theme here is the imperial dragon, though you will also find other designs like flowers and birds.

I saw a red porcelain vase decorated with two gold-plated dragons. The vase featured a silhouette of a plump lady, and the dragons were made with lacquer threads.

In ancient times, vases like this one would only be seen in the palace in old days. But today, you can get it for RMB 3000.

There’s also a celadon jar modeled finely decorated with a dragon and a phoenix, symbols of the emperor and the empress. A slight crack by the handle gives the jar an antique feel. The jar cost RMB 4500.

I also found other interesting wares. There’s a celadon dish decorated with Peking opera masks, white porcelain jar with auspicious animal sculptures, and a replica of the famous Nine-Dragon Wall in the Forbidden City.
You can watch videos of this shop here!

The Beijing International Hotel is a very comfortable home base, and it has nice rooms to come back and relax in after a long day of dealing with the hustle and bustle of downtown Beijing.

The beds are soft, the bathtubs are marble, and the hotel is decorated throughout with cypress trees, fish ponds, and beautiful fountains.

Not only this, but usually a good Western-style breakfast is very difficult to find in China, and most visitors find themselves eating congee and buns day after day.  But the Beijing International Hotel has a delicious breakfast buffet, and the rotating restaurant on the roof offers great views of the city.

Staying there is pretty easy on the wallet too. Rates start around $120 US per night, which is much cheaper than comparable hotels would be back home.

The 5-star hotel prides itself on spotless rooms and great service, and although some of the amenities are a bit dated (like the ancient TVs), I think most travelers looking for a high-quality hotel will not be disappointed.