Home Sweet Hutong

Settling into her new life in Beijing, Mithila Phadke is constantly surprised by the hidden secrets of its lesser-known winding alleys and the many stories they hold. She writes about how a geographical shift led her to fuel her creative juices

- Mithila Phadke

I wasn’t supposed to return to Beijing.

The day I landed at China’s Ningbo Lishe International Airport in Ningbo, the southern city where my father had been living as an expat for over a decade now, my itinerary had been pretty set. I’d stay with dad for a few days; then set off on a solo backpacking trip across the country — Beijing for a week, followed by Chengdu, Guilin, and then some days of trekking at Mount Huangshan (Yellow Mountain). After three weeks, I’d be on my way back to Ningbo, and from there take my flight back home to Mumbai.

Except, that I went right back to Beijing for my last week in China, flying all the way to the other side of the country. I changed my travel plans and paid way too much for an extremely unnecessary detour but there I was, back in the capital, because it had captivated me and I could not, would not, head home without getting to know Beijing better, just a little bit more, even if it was for just a few more days.