With just a week left in my China International Press Communication Centre (CIPCC) Programme in Beijing, I spent my days buying souvenirs to bring home, creating memories to cherish, experiencing the city as fully as I could, and celebrating the friendships I had formed since my arrival in August.

Silk Street – one of Beijing’s most popular places for gifts – gradually became more than a shopping destination. Several of the shops I frequented turned into spaces of warm connection, and over time, I grew close to a number of the Chinese business owners there.

At Lucy Scarf, a silk-scarf shop, I received a silk scarf as a farewell memento, while a calligrapher in another shop served me tea after learning that I would soon be leaving Beijing.

Their warmth and kindness touched my heart, and I promised to recommend their shops to anyone I know who visits Beijing in the future.

I also visited Jingshan Park, north of the Forbidden City, to enjoy the panoramic view of the 600-year-old palace rooftops from the hilltop.

After leaving the park, I decided to walk home – a journey of more than five kilometres – instead of taking the subway. I wanted to experience Beijing’s alleys and nightlife one last time.

Passing through Wangfujing Street, one of the busiest shopping districts in downtown Beijing, I found the atmosphere as lively as ever. The famous Wangfujing Snack Street was nearby and, feeling hungry, I bought a halal meat pie and ate it by the roadside before continuing my walk.

The view of Forbidden City from Jinghshan Park.

When I stopped for a drink, I tried Beijing’s traditional douzhi – which I initially mistook for soya bean milk. I later learned that it was actually fermented green (mung) bean juice, a local beverage with a long history dating back to China’s dynastic era.

Douzhi is made using the by-products of green bean vermicelli production. The beans are soaked for about 12 hours, ground, filtered, left to settle, and fermented. The liquid can be consumed boiled or unboiled. Its distinctive colour and sharp aroma come from organic acids, sulphur compounds, and furans. The taste was unlike anything I had experienced before, and the drink is said to be rich in protein, vitamin C and crude fibre.

As I continued walking, I came across tanghulu – a traditional Chinese skewered fruits dipped in hardened sugar syrup. I had been seeing these colourful treats since August but had never tried them. Before leaving Beijing, I felt it was finally time to taste them, hoping the memories I made here would remain as sweet as the tanghulu.

Tanghulu from Wangfujing Street.

Despite temperatures sometimes dipping below zero degrees Celsius in my final weeks, I made time whenever possible for night walks at Ritan Park, not far from my diplomatic residence.

Walking in winter clothes under the moonlight – braving the cold night air and passing rows of bare trees – is an experience I know I will never have back home.

Ritan Park during the author’s night walk.

These quiet walks became my way of coping with stress whenever I felt low or overwhelmed during my months in Beijing.

As the CIPCC programme drew to a close, I joined several participants from different countries to prepare two songs for the closing ceremony. We practised singing the Chinese songs together, accompanied by the guitar and ukulele played by participants from Indonesia and Timor-Leste, who had bought their instruments in China.

With the closing ceremony just around the corner, I hope my final days in China will be filled with beautiful moments, and that the experiences and friendships forged here will continue to inspire my future work in journalism.

-- BERNAMA

Rohani Mohd Ibrahim, a journalist with BERNAMA, is currently in Beijing to attend the China International Press Communication Centre (CIPCC) Programme from Aug 18 to Dec 15, 2025.

The initiative, organised by the China Public Diplomacy Association (CPDA), serves as a platform for practical cooperation between Chinese media organisations and those from emerging markets and developing economies.

The programme also provides foreign journalists with the opportunity to gain a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of China’s society, development and international engagement.

This marks BERNAMA’s eighth participation in the CIPCC since 2018.