Beijing native Xiaokun Song has always been fascinated with the cultural exchange between China and the West. In her twenties, after completing a degree in German Language and Literature, Xiaokun spent a decade studying in Germany. When she returned to China, it was with a PhD in Art History and a desire to share her country’s vast heritage with travelers.

Xiaokun is the founder Sourcians, a company dedicated to helping visitors explore her country from the inside out. With Atlas Obscura, Xiaokun also leads China: The Great Cuisines of the Middle Kingdom, where her passion and expertise for Chinese art, cuisine, and history are on full display. (Her knowledge also covers Chinese talk shows and popular rap.) As Beijing begins to slowly open back up, Xiaokun shares what she loves most about China’s cultural capital.

What is the first thing you’ll eat when restaurants open back up?

Chongqing style hotpot. It’s very spicy with lots of red chili oil. There are many great restaurants of this kind, but I would go to one called Chen Yanhong Old Hotpot 陈艳红市井老火锅, in the neighborhood of Guijie 簋街.

What three things make for a perfect Beijing Sunday?

First, a good breakfast. A traditional Chinese style one could be fried bread stick 油条, tea-flavored boiled egg 茶蛋, soybean milk 豆浆, jellied beancurd 豆腐脑 or wonton 馄饨. After, I would take a walk through a local food market. In almost any neighborhood in China there is a market where you can find almost any fresh ingredient. (For Western cuisine, Sanyuanli Food Market 三源里菜市场 is a must!) Then in the evening I would visit a theater. There are lots of theater houses in Beijing, but the best among them is the Beijing People’s Art Theatre 北京人民艺术剧院, the artists there represent the highest level of acting in China.

What do you love most about your neighborhood?

I live in the neighborhood of Hepingli 和平里, in the north of Beijing between the 2nd and 3rd ring roads. The subway is a 5 minute walk away and there are lots of buses, so I can go to many places spontaneously. You can’t take this for granted in a big city like Beijing! I also love that I can walk to many historical sites—the Temple of Earth 地坛, Lama Temple 雍和宫, and Imperial Academy 国子监 can all be reached within 30 minutes on foot.

What Beijing tourist site do you still love?

When I walk downtown, I love to see the Drum Tower, Beihai Park, and Hutong. I also like the Beijing Ancient Observatory, Ming Dynasty Tomb, and Beijing Capital Museum

Where do you go for your favorite view of Beijing?

During the day, I go to the top of Jingshan Park. At night, I like Atmosphere Bar on the 80th floor of the China World Summit Wing.

Where do you go for a moment of peace?

Fayuan Temple.

Experience Beijing From Home

What books feels like stepping inside your city?

Lao She’s novels, and Osvald Sirén’s The Walls and Gates of Beijing.

What songs remind you of Beijing?

There are many! I chose some songs that express the feelings of people living in the city. Many people left their hometowns to make a better life in Beijing. These songs talk about life in the outskirts, and make jokes about Beijing traffic jams. Any Chinese person born in the 1970s and 1980s will know the song “Beijing Girl.” This was the title song of a movie about a brave and smart girl from Beijing and shows a typical feeling of songs from that time.