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The Flying The Nest family fits several Beijing landmarks into a 48-hour visit. At Mutianyu, they take a cable car, see the wall's barriers and celebrate Jess's birthday with cake and a song before Hunter rides the toboggan down. The next day they queue at Tiananmen Square and visit the crowded Forbidden City, then find shops in the gray houses and eat DIY Beijing noodles with sesame sauce and vegetables. Their meal includes pickled green garlic, and the family describes the palace's scale and the contrast between its history and the lively trip with their children.
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More about the current video:(Published on 2025-08-10)
The trip
The Flying The Nest family – Stephen, Jess, and their kids – tackled Beijing with just 48 hours on the clock. Their adventure began at the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China, where they were genuinely surprised by the cable car ride up. The wall was busy but family-friendly, with barriers making it safe for toddler Koa. A highlight came when their guide, hearing it was Jess's birthday, produced a cake right on the wall – complete with candles and a local beer. After soaking in the history (21,000 km of wall, 2,000 years of construction), they descended via a toboggan slide, which Hunter drove himself. The drive back to central Beijing revealed a stunning hotel rooftop with a direct view of the Forbidden City. Next morning, they braved long lines at Tiananmen Square, the world's largest square (1 million people capacity), then entered the Forbidden City.
Places and details
The crowds were overwhelming – reminiscent of Vatican City – but the sheer scale of the palace complex, built by a million workers in 14 years, was impressive. The family grabbed themed ice creams (mango, panda, and Forbidden Palace dragon shapes) and then wandered into local streets lined with gray houses now turned into shops. They found a Michelin-starred noodle restaurant where they waited 15 minutes for a table. The meal was a DIY Beijing noodle dish with sesame sauce, fresh veggies, and a side of pickled green garlic – a pungent surprise. The entire bowl cost only $5.50 Australian, a steal compared to prices back home. Throughout the trip, Stephen and Jess marveled at how accessible China's history is today, reflecting on the fact that for centuries only emperors could enter the Forbidden City. The vlog balanced epic sights with intimate family moments, from birthday songs on the wall to Hunter's hand-counting lesson (Chinese numbers on one hand).
FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)
- Q: What were the Beijing noodles like?
- A: The Beijing noodles had a thick, creamy texture with a sesame base, and Stephen and Jess added fresh vegetables to the bowl themselves.
- Q: What was the most surprising thing on the Great Wall?
- A: The toboggan ride down surprised the family. Hunter drove himself, and the family had not expected there would be a toboggan slide at the Great Wall.
- Q: How did you celebrate your birthday on the Great Wall?
- A: Their guide brought Jess a cake when he heard it was her birthday, and the family sang happy birthday together on the Great Wall.
- Q: What was the garlic like?
- A: The pickled green garlic served with the noodles had a strong, pungent flavor, which the family described as tasty.
