Beijing is a must, virtually unavoidable, visit for anyone going to China. The Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Temple of the Sun, and the Great Wall are stops that every visitor makes at least once. And if you can find the time, get away from these more well-known tourist destinations to the Beijing Capital Museum, the Yonghe Temple (or Lama Temple), or the gardens of Beijing University (locally known as Beida) campus. My purpose is to share observations and reflections on several issues when there was more than met the eye for the visiting scholar to China. Everyone will run into challenges, so knowing how to “flow like water” provides a metaphor we can all use. Knowing how to get things done, how to deal with the ongoing nuisance of air pollution, exploring food as culture, and dealing with the unexpected, such as a visit from Chinese National Security officers. I hope that sharing my observations and reflections will provide a humorous and informative read regarding the outstanding advice we received at orientation about flowing like water.