Estin International Apartment

Getting around was easy from here, right by Yongningmen subway station and close to the city wall, Bell and Drum Towers, Muslim Quarter, Dapiyuan, Sajinqiao, and lots of places to shop and explore. I even got my family to cycle 13.74 km around the wall with me. Great fun. One practical snag is that the entrance is hard to spot, so ask a local. The hotel, 1140704, has buildings A, B, and C. I stayed in 【Yiduo Hotel】 in building A. It's a converted one-room apartment, so the slightly worn condition makes sense for the rent. The room had a washing machine, lots of clothes racks, a small fridge, two double beds, and a fairly roomy hallway. There's a smoky smell, so mention it ahead of time if that bothers you. The receptionist was friendly, even though I didn't have much interaction with them. This isn't a conventional hotel setup. People rent rooms in the hallway to run businesses, and there's no lobby. Across the street there's a hair transplant clinic, maybe it's a sign from heaven? ^_^ Our guide said Fang Xuanling once lived nearby. His wife came from a prominent Shandong family and was known for being fierce and jealous. The famous story about “being jealous” comes from her. Their son married Princess Gaoyang, who was also afraid of her husband. When she secretly met the monk Bianji, she even made him stand guard outside the door. Was it really that tragic? Bianji was Xuanzang's eldest disciple. I knew both stories already, but hadn't connected them until now.