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History
Beijing literally means Northern Capital, a role it has played many times in China's long history. Beijing's history dates back several thousand years but it first became notable in Chinese history after it was made the capital of the State of Yan under the name Yanjing. Yan was one of the major kingdoms of the Warring States Period, some 2,000 years ago. After the fall of Yan, during the later Han and Tang dynasties, the Beijing-area was a major prefecture of northern China.
In 938, Beijing[url=http://www.map-china.com/beijing-local.shtml.htm]]was conquered by the Khitans and declared the capital of the Liao Dynasty. The Mongols seized the city in 1215. From 1264 Beijing served as the capital of a united China under Kublai Khan. His victorious Mongol forces renamed the city, Great Capital (大都). From there, Kublai and his descendants ruled their empire from a northern location closer to the Mongol homelands. During this period, the walled city was enlarged and many palaces and temples were built.
After the fall of the Mongol-founded Yuan dynasty in 1368, the capital was initially moved to [[Nanjing[/url]]. However, in 1403 the 3rd Ming emperor, Zhu Di, also known as Emperor Yongle, moved it back to Beijing and gave the city its present name. The Ming period was Beijing's golden era. The Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and many other Beijing landmarks were built in this period. The capital developed into a huge city becoming the religious and cultural center of Asia.
In 1644, the Manchus overthrew the declining Ming dynasty and established China's last imperial line - the Qing. Despite the changing political climate, Beijing remained the capital. The Manchu imperial family moved into the Forbidden City and remained there until 1911. The Qing built both the Summer Palace and Old Summer Palace. These served as summer retreats for the emperors and their entourages. During the 19th century, Western countries established foreign legations in the Qianmen area south of the Forbidden City. These came under siege during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900.
The Qing dynasty fell in 1911. In the chaotic first years of Republican China, Beijing was beset by fighting warlords. Following the Northern Expedition, the Kuomintang moved the capital to Nanjing in 1928, and renamed Beijing as Beiping ("Northern Peace") to emphasize that it was no longer a capital. Beijing remained a center for education and culture throughout the Republican Era. When the Kuomintang was defeated by the Communists in 1949, the new government proclaimed a People's Republic with its capital at Beijing.
Recommended reading includes Peking - A Historical and Intimate Description of Its Chief Places of Interest, by Juliet Bredon (written in the 1930's (ISBN 0968045987) and Twilight in the Forbidden City, by Reginald Fleming Johnston (ISBN 0968045952)).
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Orientation
Beijing is characterised by its vastness and large distances between locations. Until recently, the city was almost entirely made up of hutongs with narrow lanes and single story buildings. Now, many of the hutongs have given way to broad boulevards and modern buildings, contributing to an airy, sprawling feel, in sharp contrast to cities like [wiki=8b476ff778119b8d49588f3daadf69a1]Hong Kong[/wiki] and [wiki=5466ee572bcbc75830d044e66ab429bc]Shanghai[/wiki].
Beijing is the political centre of the country with official buildings and embassy areas dominating the city. Beijing is also the historical and cultural centre of China with many historical buildings and sites - especially within Ring Road Two. The city has undergone rapid modernisation in recent years, with improvements of institutions, business environment and work conditions.
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People
Given their city's historical, cultural and political heft, Beijingers are justifiably proud to be citizens of the capital. An attitude known as 大北京主义 or "Great Beijing-ism" is often used to describe their attitude toward people from other regions of China. They are often much more interested in politics and willing to talk about current events than people elsewhere in China. Beijingers also seem to focus on not losing face and often use humor in order to do so. However, many Chinese from other provinces find Beijingers very friendly and straightforward compared with people from Shanghai especially.
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[wiki=e20d37a5d7fcc4c35be6fc18a8e71bfa]Paris[/wiki]
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Climate
Beijing has a monsoon-influenced continental climate with hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters. The best time to visit is in September and October, during the "Golden Autumn" (金秋). Spring is the season for dust storms and is otherwise warm and dry. Summer can be oppressively hot and the tourist crowds tend to be the largest as well; prevailing winds from the south trap pollutants (mountains lie to the north and west), making summer a poor season for air quality. Smog is at its worst, however, in winter, which is cold and dry with infrequent, but beautiful, snow. Temperatures can easily fall below −10 °C (14°F) in winter, and just as readily rise above 35 °C (95°F) in summer.
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Demographics and geography
Beijing has a population of greater than 20 million people (as of 2012), with a substantial percentage being migrants, living on 16,800 km² distributed in 18 districts. The city borders Hebei Province (where much of the pollution which plagues Beijing originates from) to the north, west and south, and Tianjin to the east.
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The city includes the densely populated metropolitan area of Beijing and even greater area of suburban, semi-rural and mountainous terrain. We have articles on each of the five city districts of Beijing (see the first map) plus some articles on important areas of these districts. The eleven outer districts are grouped into five regional articles (see the second map). The [wiki=1c0cb1ce695cd95612af2fd730a0426d]Great Wall[/wiki] of China passes through the rugged north of Beijing Municipality.
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City districts
The two districts are located within or around the Second Ring Road and make-up the old walled city of yesteryear. [wiki=9e3293453371e84d62a1af45a7d9b418]Xicheng[/wiki] means West City and [wiki=9b7e3908c33e1bb27f1bf0035140975c]Dongcheng[/wiki] means East City. Surrounding these districts are [wiki=efdf00ed18d1597d90345f7516e82e34]Chaoyang[/wiki], [wiki=baec048e2e2e0032e130632ff89e6bc6]Fengtai[/wiki] and [wiki=1f96da5a77b2c8ed0bb651fdb42d8381]Hadian[/wiki]. These three districts hold impressive new urban and commercial development, have a population of many millions, and generate the economic prosperity of the city:
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Outer suburbs and rural Beijing
The remaining eleven districts and counties are quite far from the centre. The main reason to go out is to visit the [wiki=1c0cb1ce695cd95612af2fd730a0426d]Great Wall[/wiki] of China, passing through [wiki=2e9537b9249f397dab2a0f70bbc5817c]Northern Rural Beijing[/wiki]. Each of the other districts has a number of less well-known attractions, such as the Ming Tombs, well worth exploring if time permits.
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By plane
Beijing is generally served by [wiki=ed30cac461223ce59cc9245136ad673f]Beijing Capital International Airport[/wiki], for both domestic and foreign trips. Beijing Nanyuan Airport serves one domestic airline. Travelers should also consider Tianjin Binhai International Airport, which is in the first-tier city of [wiki=fe3697ee52d5d2841541ce5808afea1c]Tianjin[/wiki] and just 35-minutes away by express train.
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By train
Beijing has many railway stations. Most trains arrive at the central, West, South or North stations.
* Beijing Railway Station 北京站 Běijīng Zhàn - in the heart of the city, served by subway Line 2. Destinations include: [wiki=a2c411fe0ae4a4aea3b4f704c6770517]Changchun[/wiki], [wiki=c668b3b0f3a14dcbe65f725a593bed3f]Chengde[/wiki], [wiki=8fdb920993402e1ede3c311e256f2bfd]Dalian[/wiki], [wiki=40f0d82c0913fda323add181a5ee6e11]Fuzhou[/wiki], [wiki=50a13d0dbb195487a4b6c602ea0fe532]Guangzhou[/wiki], [wiki=95e9c48630a252346b29cd52b365d3e2]Hangzhou[/wiki], [wiki=73fd77c513b4a6aa081850cd86a7d0c4]Harbin[/wiki], [wiki=303e4ca8c8e052424f95a7e4493314fb]Hefei[/wiki], [wiki=83a22867215e861f8b565d77a2fb3e28]Jilin[/wiki], [wiki=080fa4ae8318b4cc0be7f76fefe4838e]Nanjing[/wiki], [wiki=15d7616682eed01d9a348d5d45153b73]Qiqihar[/wiki], [wiki=5466ee572bcbc75830d044e66ab429bc]Shanghai[/wiki], [wiki=d3ecdb1d90623e05b65cd07fbea6bb7d]Shenyang[/wiki], [wiki=5dd1ec8da74254b165d8fa6ca8515e87]Suzhou[/wiki], [wiki=fe3697ee52d5d2841541ce5808afea1c]Tianjin[/wiki], and [wiki=7ce8fdf512da2b4d465e7420f3b8b205]Yangzhou[/wiki]. Trains for [wiki=bb6a72b6a93150d4181e50496fc15f5a]Mongolia[/wiki] ([wiki=ff4fc27f95d28622b1c18802fa908131]Ulaanbaatar[/wiki]), [wiki=5feb168ca8fb495dcc89b1208cdeb919]Russia[/wiki], and [wiki=855b3780658ec33023cefc8b4e397a1d]North Korea[/wiki] also leave from here. The station contains a handful of restaurants and cafes, all of them more than suitable in a pinch. The station is surrounded by shopping and restaurant options so if one has time to spare. This is Beijing's oldest train station.
* Beijing West Railway Station 北京西站 Běijīng Xīzhàn - is the terminus for high-speed trains to [wiki=ea488c8b5f471896cafce6d18a0dbe2a]Shijiazhuang[/wiki], [wiki=a15559bd6483430dfc3df77fc0018a38]Taiyuan[/wiki], [wiki=18a1e3bd53adbd350f07144815c564f5]Zhengzhou[/wiki], [wiki=5da8b6870844479e692c0d9f102d6750]Xi'an[/wiki], [wiki=4b546d2192bf23da23ea0042cc622bfa]Wuhan[/wiki], [wiki=4781886690b72bcfaadebed7f965a609]Changsha[/wiki], [wiki=50a13d0dbb195487a4b6c602ea0fe532]Guangzhou[/wiki] and [wiki=8f3199f4c051d7e2597afb0b55b23dee]Shenzhen[/wiki]. Other train destinations from Beijing West include [wiki=4781886690b72bcfaadebed7f965a609]Changsha[/wiki], [wiki=f4aa575f70b3f78887deb96ce611b187]Chengdu[/wiki], [wiki=55b210da416ad9696c6dd74e4b836b7e]Chongqing[/wiki], [wiki=ce25f63b3082e19fc00b8e22f24fb987]Datong[/wiki], [wiki=40f0d82c0913fda323add181a5ee6e11]Fuzhou[/wiki], [wiki=cc94b6a207d65b12ae5067f7a630688f]Guilin[/wiki], [wiki=b51a587f0ffd2bb3ec09302c474181d8]Guiyang[/wiki], [wiki=303e4ca8c8e052424f95a7e4493314fb]Hefei[/wiki], [wiki=f6dbb43ecdf6186e9d33c7bef2ee271f]Hohhot[/wiki], [wiki=8b476ff778119b8d49588f3daadf69a1]Hong Kong[/wiki], [wiki=08b9a179ae67e6d81b865889bc2e9417]Kunming[/wiki], [wiki=53e9fb001ca574c9c4df7c452448334b]Lanzhou[/wiki], [wiki=19a7ad579baa4d6a47af75e82ecedd81]Lhasa[/wiki], [wiki=67c476ae81813a2118ae88e25538f7e7]Ningbo[/wiki], [wiki=ba302e73c151f9610ca627bf1c843615]Qinhuangdao[/wiki], [wiki=6cf0067ed64b9d3e4e66ed516e5d7448]Sanya[/wiki], [wiki=c46e51c263ff26fbce724bc34c4c0cdd]Urumqi[/wiki], and [wiki=9d6d0f6936e1fb402d564d9e35fad9d4]Xiamen[/wiki]. Follow the signs for taxis, the bus station or lines 7 and 9 on the subway.
* Beijing South Railway Station 北京南站 Běijīng Nánzhàn - presently offers high-speed services every day to [wiki=fe3697ee52d5d2841541ce5808afea1c]Tianjin[/wiki], [wiki=3c2697d586c7591cc37520fbce3776fd]Tanggu[/wiki] (near Xingang sea port), [wiki=59d610d74de7caf80ad8e1c79a01bd79]Jinan[/wiki], [wiki=e20b15811b6adf2888116bdb387780d9]Qingdao[/wiki], [wiki=080fa4ae8318b4cc0be7f76fefe4838e]Nanjing[/wiki], [wiki=5466ee572bcbc75830d044e66ab429bc]Shanghai[/wiki], [wiki=95e9c48630a252346b29cd52b365d3e2]Hangzhou[/wiki], [wiki=40f0d82c0913fda323add181a5ee6e11]Fuzhou[/wiki] and other destinations. The station is Beijing's largest and has plenty of restaurants, cafes, and a bit of shopping to help pass the time. Follow the signs for taxis, buses or continue by train on Beijing Subway Line 4.
* Beijing North Railway Station 北京北站 Běijīng Běizhàn - is small compared to the previous three, but you might end up here if you are coming in from Inner Mongolia. Destinations include [wiki=01488003377526cf361dd53279f0dd39]Chifeng[/wiki], [wiki=b7e4b75f6dc411e4e2ab47c203dab7a1]Fuxin[/wiki], [wiki=36f3702c80094e12b0b3a79f97f37f45]Hailar[/wiki], [wiki=fe90372e0c617f9de23fc3530214bbf9]Manzhouli[/wiki], [wiki=f6dbb43ecdf6186e9d33c7bef2ee271f]Hohhot[/wiki], [wiki=bbc3e49d29c6bcb99b95ac3c43482d2f]Longhua[/wiki], [wiki=20f702de4e8cf7cc961e7877bd8dc6ab]Luanping[/wiki], [wiki=61242964fe56d2fbddc887b967bfd40b]Nankou[/wiki], [wiki=7ec16fe98bb073e52703a09a9767bfea]Shacheng, Huailai[/wiki] (via Badaling), [wiki=b814be44a83fdc304e4d7d2a3a072948]Tongliao[/wiki], and [wiki=87c37c8f02b8a06ad67375b4384fde38]Zhangjiakou[/wiki]. It also offers tour train services to Yanqing and the Badaling Great Wall. Served by Lines 2, 4 and 13 via the adjacent Xizhimen Station.
* Beijing East Railway Station 北京东站 Běijīng Dōngzhàn - offers one daily service to [wiki=c668b3b0f3a14dcbe65f725a593bed3f]Chengde[/wiki] only.
* Huangcun Railway Station - is in southern Beijing on subway Line 4. If having trouble getting tickets to one of the major Beijing stations, try getting a ticket to Huangcun instead. If taking a night train, you're a bit far, but the subway opens at 05:30.
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By car
Beijing is the hub of several expressways heading in all directions. The following is a list of the expressways and their destinations:
* Jichang (Airport) Expressway (Beijing (Sanyuanqiao - Siyuan - Beigao - Xiaotianzu - Beijing Capital International Airport)).
* Jingcheng (Beijing (Taiyanggong - Wanghe Bridge - Gaoliying - Huairou - Miyun - Gubeikou) - [wiki=20f702de4e8cf7cc961e7877bd8dc6ab]Luanping[/wiki] (滦平 Luánpíng, in [wiki=4c35413d568bd81b62cfdb11f52d78ef]Hebei[/wiki]) - [wiki=c668b3b0f3a14dcbe65f725a593bed3f]Chengde[/wiki]).
* Jingtong/Jingha (Beijing (Dawang Bridge - Sihui - Gaobeidian - Shuangqiao - Huicun - Tongzhou District)).
* Jingshen (Beijing (Sifang Bridge - Shiyuan Bridge - Huoxian County, Tongzhou - Xiji) - Xianghe ([wiki=4c35413d568bd81b62cfdb11f52d78ef]Hebei[/wiki]) - Jixian County ([wiki=fe3697ee52d5d2841541ce5808afea1c]Tianjin[/wiki]) - Jinwei - Tangshan (Hebei) - Beidaihe - [wiki=ba302e73c151f9610ca627bf1c843615]Qinhuangdao[/wiki] - [wiki=0530f9ff419966b92c2df4d14076fb35]Shanhaiguan[/wiki] - [wiki=214f2c7e7e8bd474adee7e35e23139e0]Jinzhou[/wiki] ([wiki=d0a394207f476a0733efa8db1818fd21]Liaoning[/wiki]) - [wiki=d3ecdb1d90623e05b65cd07fbea6bb7d]Shenyang[/wiki]).
* Jingjintang (Beijing (Fenzhongsi - Shibalidian - Dayangfang - Majuqiao - Caiyu) - Langfang ([wiki=4c35413d568bd81b62cfdb11f52d78ef]Hebei[/wiki]) - [wiki=fe3697ee52d5d2841541ce5808afea1c]Tianjin[/wiki] (Yangcun - Central Tianjin - Tianjin Airport - Tanggu District/TEDA)).
* Jingkai (Beijing (Yuquanying - Daxing - Huangcun - Panggezhuang - Yufa) - China National Highway 106)).
* Jingshi (Beijing (Liuliqiao - Wanping - Liulihe) - [wiki=ea488c8b5f471896cafce6d18a0dbe2a]Shijiazhuang[/wiki] ([wiki=4c35413d568bd81b62cfdb11f52d78ef]Hebei[/wiki])) {Also known as the 'Jingzhu Expressway' (Beijing - [wiki=0922165082029cfdc08abb2fecca043d]Zhuhai[/wiki])}.
* Badaling (Jingzhang) Expressway (Beijing - Badaling Expressway - Donghuayuan - Huailai - Xiahuayuan - Zhangjiakou).
11 China National Highways (国道 Guódào) also link into Beijing:
*G101 - Jingshen Road (Beijing - [wiki=d3ecdb1d90623e05b65cd07fbea6bb7d]Shenyang[/wiki], [wiki=d0a394207f476a0733efa8db1818fd21]Liaoning[/wiki]).
*G102 - Jingha Road (Beiling - [wiki=73fd77c513b4a6aa081850cd86a7d0c4]Harbin[/wiki], [wiki=c221ef92b6e9cd477820f933c8a69d4c]Heilongjiang[/wiki]).
*G103 - JingJinTang (Beijing - Tanggu, [wiki=fe3697ee52d5d2841541ce5808afea1c]Tianjin[/wiki]).
*G104 - Nanyuan Road (Beijing - [wiki=40f0d82c0913fda323add181a5ee6e11]Fuzhou[/wiki], [wiki=7a6ab2d9f288d1ea7c1042bed34a94c7]Fujian[/wiki]).
*G105 - (Beijing - [wiki=0922165082029cfdc08abb2fecca043d]Zhuhai[/wiki], [wiki=08f461425ee5a5fb3197df665459ef97]Guangdong[/wiki]).
*G106 - (Beijing - [wiki=50a13d0dbb195487a4b6c602ea0fe532]Guangzhou[/wiki], [wiki=08f461425ee5a5fb3197df665459ef97]Guangdong[/wiki]).
*G107 - (Beijing - [wiki=8f3199f4c051d7e2597afb0b55b23dee]Shenzhen[/wiki], [wiki=08f461425ee5a5fb3197df665459ef97]Guangdong[/wiki]).
*G108 - Jingyuan Road (Beijing - [wiki=f4aa575f70b3f78887deb96ce611b187]Chengdu[/wiki] - [wiki=08b9a179ae67e6d81b865889bc2e9417]Kunming[/wiki], [wiki=8469a2a692154dfca07dc40ce316837c]Yunnan[/wiki]).
*G109 - Fushi Road (Beijing - [wiki=ce25f63b3082e19fc00b8e22f24fb987]Datong[/wiki] - [wiki=93b3bad5f466af8bfe16da88ca6b48b4]Yinchuan[/wiki] - [wiki=1de7b02941d7f3e59479fd39139696fc]Xining[/wiki] - [wiki=a2e3524ce7f075a4f846bdb31f0e7dab]Golmud[/wiki] - [wiki=19a7ad579baa4d6a47af75e82ecedd81]Lhasa[/wiki], [wiki=bbae7b9f40c7d8010129a45b4be89807]Tibet[/wiki]).
*G110 - (Beijing - Zhangjiakou - [wiki=f6dbb43ecdf6186e9d33c7bef2ee271f]Hohhot[/wiki] - [wiki=c0b37e83c9ea254ff7f503b5f598061a]Baotou[/wiki] - [wiki=93b3bad5f466af8bfe16da88ca6b48b4]Yinchuan[/wiki], [wiki=1f1af64a25133e22856df76500d149ca]Ningxia[/wiki]).
*G111 - (Beijing - Jiagedaqi, [wiki=132cd5e26b692b2756de89e0a3752155]Inner Mongolia[/wiki]).
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By bus
Long-distance buses from areas as far as Shanghai and the Mongolia border connect to Beijing. You can reach areas as far as [wiki=73fd77c513b4a6aa081850cd86a7d0c4]Harbin[/wiki] or [wiki=5da8b6870844479e692c0d9f102d6750]Xi'an[/wiki] on a single bus ride. Beijing has over 20 long distance bus stations, but what you need to do is go to the bus station located on the edge of the city in the direction you want to travel.
* Handles buses heading north and west. Destinations include [wiki=b1d40935bc22479fa3edecd8d7887fc4]Anshan[/wiki], [wiki=940dde2a3cf6e7fa11162997bc82f90c]Baochang[/wiki] (宝昌 Bǎochāng), [wiki=c0b37e83c9ea254ff7f503b5f598061a]Baotou[/wiki], [wiki=b540158af6efcbd87e7494fcbbcd5bb6]Binzhou[/wiki] (滨州 Bīnzhōu), [wiki=a73d1d3328c5189cd77fa90b2b170be1]Boshan[/wiki] (博山 Bóshān), [wiki=a2c411fe0ae4a4aea3b4f704c6770517]Changchun[/wiki], [wiki=c668b3b0f3a14dcbe65f725a593bed3f]Chengde[/wiki] (4.5 hr), [wiki=01488003377526cf361dd53279f0dd39]Chifeng[/wiki] (赤峰 Chìfēng, 12 hr), [wiki=c14f5be060c47d11433b7ee9542004c9]Daban[/wiki] (大阪 Dàbǎn), [wiki=b94aa7bd41df4ce2131aeda95f20d73a]Dazhangzi[/wiki] (大仗子 Dàzhàngzǐ), [wiki=fef16292616a64f4d7280483ebecbd8b]Fengshan[/wiki] (凤山 Fèngshān), [wiki=73fd77c513b4a6aa081850cd86a7d0c4]Harbin[/wiki], [wiki=f6dbb43ecdf6186e9d33c7bef2ee271f]Hohhot[/wiki], [wiki=741bf63e830eb69f66997f9cc18a48e3]Huimin[/wiki] (惠民 Huìmín), [wiki=59d610d74de7caf80ad8e1c79a01bd79]Jinan[/wiki], [wiki=205d87a4bc9eac3974af4b4f67165be8]Jining (Shandong)[/wiki] (集宁 Jíníng, Shandong Province, 7 hr), [wiki=214f2c7e7e8bd474adee7e35e23139e0]Jinzhou[/wiki], [wiki=098bee87943af292f663587798c4309f]Kuancheng[/wiki] (宽城 Kuānchéng), [wiki=755e2aa2dadd4514fb8a647429b4198e]Lindong[/wiki] (林东 Líndōng), [wiki=139a6b3dde7ee388b803850fdbbd9c69]Linhe[/wiki] (临河 Línhé), [wiki=20f702de4e8cf7cc961e7877bd8dc6ab]Luanping[/wiki] (滦平 Luánpíng), [wiki=8dee75ee77fa4ed4fa018d8283ec57b6]Ningcheng[/wiki] (宁城 Níngchéng), [wiki=f8aae2f26e6eeaa5e3866ffc14271aa3]Pingzhuang[/wiki] (平庄 Píngzhuāng), [wiki=ba302e73c151f9610ca627bf1c843615]Qinhuangdao[/wiki] (7.5 hr), [wiki=d969c4b446fc6655ce458226eb84656f]Tieling[/wiki] (铁岭 Tiělǐng), [wiki=ecf163e4333f482b4bd5531121f4d949]Leling[/wiki] (乐陵 Lèlíng), [wiki=af9f96790d29a9518f1a7e4e0cbf292d]Pingquan[/wiki] (平泉 Píngquán), [wiki=c12e6baa48d6a9e23de6c71fad989f15]Xilin[/wiki] (锡林 Xīlín), [wiki=d3ecdb1d90623e05b65cd07fbea6bb7d]Shenyang[/wiki], [wiki=58b7b5991132531a023d88228ce4fc4f]Shacheng[/wiki] (沙城 Shāchéng, 5 hr), [wiki=0530f9ff419966b92c2df4d14076fb35]Shanhaiguan[/wiki], [wiki=8f4ce169717fbb60737573071496ba17]Shenmu[/wiki], [wiki=38c1942945813a23328fb9db6b6c8c04]Shizuishan[/wiki], [wiki=58c66417b0cd079601da3884db444cba]Tangshan[/wiki] (唐山 Tángshān, 5 hr), [wiki=2de2d9e61eee70ebac300af7511dc4fe]Weixian[/wiki] (蔚县 Wèixiàn, 8 hr), [wiki=9934bc63b30f58aaf2de073b997b9a01]Wudan[/wiki] (乌丹 Wūdān), [wiki=a204191599ce70d57214ff6bb3a39b29]Xuanying[/wiki] 选营 (Xuǎnyíng, 7 hr), [wiki=4d29522b08cb87971790f55baeb7b317]Xinglong[/wiki] (兴垄 Xīnglǒng), [wiki=93b3bad5f466af8bfe16da88ca6b48b4]Yinchuan[/wiki], [wiki=0ba2770a652b538db68683c9adcae5a9]Yingxian[/wiki] (应县 Yīngxiàn), [wiki=014380f217e124ad3213bcbf3cb794f4]Yulin[/wiki], and [wiki=87c37c8f02b8a06ad67375b4384fde38]Zhangjiakou[/wiki] (张家口 Zhāngjiākǒu).
* Also handles buses for the north and northwest. Destinations include: [wiki=940dde2a3cf6e7fa11162997bc82f90c]Baochang[/wiki] (宝昌 Bǎochāng), [wiki=4dbe7e874e0e48fd58cf708a16d3b21a]Chicheng[/wiki] (赤城 Chìchéng), [wiki=ae29ddcb8b8a003ebc1dfc9a3f1e5226]Dongmao[/wiki] (东卯 Dōngmǎo), [wiki=f0f53f15f5e9659ca6c959ccdcf82d59]Guyuan[/wiki], [wiki=00ba0fe5717f17034f92872a3646910a]Sandaochuan[/wiki] (三道川 Sāndàochuān), [wiki=613f5ccba9a3ba21a23c05efad5de93f]Yuxian[/wiki] (芋县 Yùxiàn), and [wiki=87c37c8f02b8a06ad67375b4384fde38]Zhangjiakou[/wiki] (张家口 Zhāngjiākǒu).
* Handles buses heading northeast. Destinations include [wiki=20881ab14303c6a448d8695c4fe44f3b]Changyuan[/wiki] (长垣 Chángyuán), [wiki=c668b3b0f3a14dcbe65f725a593bed3f]Chengde[/wiki] (4.5 hr), [wiki=01488003377526cf361dd53279f0dd39]Chifeng[/wiki] (赤峰 Chìfēng, 12 hr), [wiki=fb0c27f87c7460d4ce76e31219330375]Fengning[/wiki] (丰宁 Fēngníng, 5 hr), [wiki=fef16292616a64f4d7280483ebecbd8b]Fengshan[/wiki] (凤山 Fèngshān), [wiki=dc7db8f4c178eedd316a9467491b5703]Guanshang[/wiki] (关上 Guānshàng), Huairou district, [wiki=479d03ba9e797188beac01bee1ceb3c1]Jiaozhuanghu[/wiki] (焦庄户 Jiāozhuānghù), [wiki=72e2b226006cb8ede5593a850e166e62]Mafang[/wiki] (马坊 Mǎfāng), Miyun County, [wiki=8109c194ebee34dea3c2bf30e326f29e]Nanzhuangtou[/wiki] (南庄头 Nánzhuāngtóu), Pinggu district (2.5 hr), [wiki=4b5aff2de9ccf7c6648d5c2180b5df90]Sishang[/wiki] (寺上 Sìshàng), Shunyi district, [wiki=e65054ad724a88f1489a82967fe0c226]Wuxiongsi[/wiki] (吴雄寺 Wúxióngsì), and [wiki=4d29522b08cb87971790f55baeb7b317]Xinglong[/wiki] (兴隆 Xīnglōng).
* Handles buses mainly heading east. Destinations include: [wiki=a2c411fe0ae4a4aea3b4f704c6770517]Changchun[/wiki], [wiki=c668b3b0f3a14dcbe65f725a593bed3f]Chengde[/wiki], [wiki=8fdb920993402e1ede3c311e256f2bfd]Dalian[/wiki], [wiki=54891fd1b055de2cd55286fa8a55e3c2]Dandong[/wiki], [wiki=27fe41195d935cc10c16eef4683be0c9]Liaoyang[/wiki] (辽阳 Liáoyáng), [wiki=58c66417b0cd079601da3884db444cba]Tangshan[/wiki] (唐山 Tángshān), and [wiki=fe3697ee52d5d2841541ce5808afea1c]Tianjin[/wiki].
* Handles buses heading south and southeast. Destinations include [wiki=19358494884f4978f2b3f4164ab459a6]Cangzhou[/wiki] (沧州 Cāngzhōu, 3.5 hrs, ¥70), [wiki=59d610d74de7caf80ad8e1c79a01bd79]Jinan[/wiki] (5.5 hr, ¥114), [wiki=3c2697d586c7591cc37520fbce3776fd]Tanggu[/wiki] (塘沽 Tánggū, 2.5 hr, ¥45), [wiki=fe3697ee52d5d2841541ce5808afea1c]Tianjin[/wiki] (1.5 hr, ¥35).
* Handles buses heading south. Destinations include: [wiki=937928bbe37777d12763b7e98a549c86]Kaifeng[/wiki], [wiki=46fc137b2422567c5f4ca7b77f93d6bb]Luoyang[/wiki], [wiki=ea488c8b5f471896cafce6d18a0dbe2a]Shijiazhuang[/wiki], [wiki=a15559bd6483430dfc3df77fc0018a38]Taiyuan[/wiki], [wiki=4b546d2192bf23da23ea0042cc622bfa]Wuhan[/wiki], and [wiki=18a1e3bd53adbd350f07144815c564f5]Zhengzhou[/wiki].
Most of the buses from the Long Distance Bus Stations will be regular or express buses, which take the expressways; cost from ¥200-600 per trip, have comfy seats, and most rides do not take more than 6-12 hours, but sleeper buses are also available.
Sleeper buses, with bunk beds in rows, average about ¥100 per trip, but many go really slowly up hills, avoid expressways, stop at every city or town, provide "meals" which you have to pay extra for, take the potholed National roads to save money, and a bus ride can take up to 24 hours. The average speed is only 40 km/hr on the moderately fast sleeper buses, and the range could be from 25 to 60 km/hr. It may be a good authentic taste of how less wealthy Chinese people travel.
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Before embarking on a trip around the city, have the names of places you want to visit written in Chinese characters. The staff at your hotel should help you and take their card to help you get back. Obtain as much detail as possible and take an up-to-date Sinomap guide with you.
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By walk
When crossing the road in China, assume that none of the road users will give way to you, even if a policeman is present. Use zebra crossings but most drivers won't stop. Always look around as a car or bike may be right behind you or heading straight for you. Should you find several cars and bicycles veering towards you from different directions, do not try to run to safety; instead, stand still. There is strength in numbers, so when a mass of people crosses together cars are more likely to stop or slow down.
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By subway
More details: [wiki=7146701ea9a0ff2227397d6417ca63e3#By_Subway]Public Transport by Subway[/wiki]
Beijing Subway [url=http://bjsubway.com/]]is a great way to quickly get around the city and is clearly marked in English for travelers. For budget-conscious travelers or those wanting to stretch their legs, it may serve as a better mode of transport than taxis. At ¥3-9 per trip based on distance, it is perhaps the nicest and cheapest subway system in the world. The network has expanded at a furious pace in recent years, with 17 lines currently operating and current lines expanding and new lines under construction or planned. Be warned that during rush hour trains can be extremely crowded and many popular stations have outdoor queues during rush hour(s) so plan accordingly (especially if weather is not agreeable). The last train departs between 22:15 and 23:15 depending on the station. The subway opens again around 05:00.
Transfers between lines are permitted with the exception of the Airport Express, for which a separate ticket is required.
Subway station entrances are identified by a large blue stylized letter G wrapped around a smaller letter B. Single tickets are purchased at vending machines (with English instructions) which accept ¥1 coins or ¥5 or ¥10 bills and require you to know the station you will be exiting at in order to calculate the correct fare. Subway trips are limited to 4 hours. You must pass your ticket through the turnstiles upon entering and exiting the station, so make sure you don't lose it. Do not buy multiple tickets thinking it will be a pack of general multiple-use tickets as a ticket is only valid from the station you bought it, on the day you bought it.
To avoid the inconvenience of single-ticket purchases, pick up anYīkātōng (一卡通 ) pre-paid card, which has a ¥20 refundable deposit and no expiry. Swipe the card at the entrance turnstile and again upon exiting. The use of the pre-paid card does not reduce the subway fare although it does dramatically reduce bus fares, by 50%. The card's deposit can only be returned at a few stations, so passing it on to a friend may be easier than getting your deposit back. Stations that offer a refund clearly state "Yikatong refund" in the ticket booth; examples include Xizhimen and Haidianhuangzhuang.
If you are carrying luggage, purses or camera bags you must pass through the X-ray checks at the stations. During morning and evening rush hours the stations and trains become very crowded. If you find yourself in a crowded interchange station tunnel, keep calm and go with the flow, however slow it may feel.
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By bus
More details: [wiki=7146701ea9a0ff2227397d6417ca63e3#By_Bus]Public Transport by Bus[/wiki]
Beijing's bus system is cheap, convenient and covers the entire city-perfect for locals but, alas, difficult to use if you do not understand Chinese or Mandarin. The bus staffs speak little English, and only a few bus lines in the city center broadcast stop names in English. Bus stop signs are also entirely in Chinese. But should you speak Mandarin, have a healthy sense of adventure, and a fair bit of patience, a bus can get you almost anywhere, and often somewhere that you never intended to go. It is a great way to see parts of the city that tourists normally do not visit.
Be aware of a [wiki=93b76a9b40b1df35751e19a8e01d2be2]#Stay_safe|scam[/wiki] offering bus rides to the Great Wall masquerading as the real bus service. Instead of directly driving to the Great Wall, you will instead be led to a series of tours to dilapidated theme parks, shops, museums, and other tourist traps before finally reaching the Great Wall near the end of the day.
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By taxi
More details: [wiki=7146701ea9a0ff2227397d6417ca63e3#By_Taxi]Public Transport by Taxi[/wiki]
Taxis are a convenient choice when traveling as a family or with luggage. Fares are very reasonable. Downsides can be attempting to hail one during rush hours (when some drivers simply don't operate due to a hit on their profits) or suffering through traffic jams. Nearly all drivers do not speak English or recognize place names written in English, so it pays to have the Chinese characters for the location ready in advance. Some drivers may be reluctant to pick up foreigners, with some having bad experiences. If a taxi driver does pick you up, as one should wherever visiting, treat the driver with courtesy and you will likely not have any problems. Once the flag falls, that means the driver is legally obligated to take you to your destination.
In the more remote places of Beijing, you might not be able to find any official taxis. However, in these places there will most likely be plenty of unofficial taxis. Take them when there is no other option, and if so, negotiate the price, although it is likely you'll pay more than a standard fare.
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By bicycle
Once known as a nation of bicycles, China today has an ever growing number of private car owners. It is estimated 1,200 more cars hit the streets in Beijing every day. As a result, nowadays you are guaranteed to see more bikes in the Netherlands than in Beijing. However, the infrastructure from its days as capital of the "Bicycle Kingdom" means exploring Beijing on a bike is excellent. The city is flat as a pancake and all major streets have bike lanes. Bicycling can be faster than traveling by private or public transport because of the traffic congestion in the motorized traffic lanes.
Four-wheeled motorized traffic in Beijing usually observes traffic signals with the exception of making turns at red lights which is often done without slowing or deferring to pedestrians or bicyclists. Pedestrians, bicycles and all other vehicles (for example, motorized bicycles, mopeds and tricycles) generally do not observe traffic signals. Also, cars, trucks and buses do not defer to cyclists on the road so it is common for a vehicle to make a right turn from an inside lane across a bike lane with no concern for cyclists traveling in the bike lane. Sometimes a right-turning vehicle crossing a bike lane will sound its horn as a warning, but not always. Cyclists also need to be on the lookout for wrong-way traffic in the bike lanes, usually bicycles and tricycles but sometimes motor vehicles, too. Wrong-way traffic usually stays close to the curb so you move to the left to get by them, but not always. Bicycling Beijingers tend not to wear helmets, nor do they use lights at night. Few bikes even have rear reflectors. The moderate pace and sheer numbers of bicyclists in Beijing appears to make bike travel safer than it would be otherwise.
While you will see cyclists use many creative paths across wide, busy intersections in Beijing, the safest way for cyclists is to observe the traffic signals (there are often special signals for cyclists) and to make left turns in two steps as a pedestrian would. But if you spend any significant amount of time cycling in Beijing, you will probably start adopting more creative approaches. These can be learned by finding a local cyclist going your way and following him or her across the intersection.
Several professional bike rental companies, as well as major hotels and some hostels, rent bikes on an hourly basis. For those who need the security of a guide, a bike touring company like Bicycle Kingdom Rentals & Tours [url=http://bicyclekingdom.com/]]or Chihaner Adventures [url=http://www.chihaner.com/bencandy.php?fid=75&aid=702[/url]]or Beijing Bicycle Tour [http://www.bespoketravelcompany.com/urbanedit/bespoke-opposite-house-beijing-bicycle-tour/[/url] would be a great way to go.
If you are staying more than a few days a reasonable bike can be bought for ¥200. Ensure that you have a good lock included in the price. The cheapest bikes are not worth the additional savings as you will get what you pay for. The cheapest bikes will start to deteriorate as soon as you begin to ride, so spend a little more and get a bike in the ¥300-400 range. Bike rentals may have good bikes, but you pay a high price and run the risk of the bike being stolen.
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By minibus
Minibuses are very common in the countryside outside the urban areas. Privately operated, most trips cost less than ¥10 per short journey and only a little more for longer journeys.
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By car
Driving in Beijing can be quite complicated, language difficulties included, coupled with seemingly perpetual traffic jams. Many hotels, however, rent cars that come with drivers up to ¥1,000 per day. Nevertheless, public transport will get you to most of the main tourist sites, and you should use them as your primary mode of transport.
You are not permitted to drive a car using the driver license issued by countries other than China. Even Hong Kong and Macau licenses are considered to be foreign and are not accepted. But for short visa holders (< 3 months), it is possible to get a provisional driver's license at the [wiki=d03d640cce22bc05a28a4b355348190e]PEK airport[/wiki] or the transportation police stations in the city in minutes. You need to provide your passport as well as your foreign driver's license, and do a small examination(just to confirm you don't have physical or visual disability that effect the driving security), then you can get the provisional driver's license in minutes. With this license, you can legally drive cars in China. Ask any information desk at the airport for the direction of applying such a provisional driver's license.
At the arrival hall(maybe domestic only) of T2, PEK airport, you can find the counters of many car rental companies, but their English is usually not good. You had better contact them in advance by phone.
Here is an incomplete list of car rental companies serving at the [wiki=d03d640cce22bc05a28a4b355348190e]PEK airport[/wiki]:
*China Auto Rental [url=http://rentauto.net/cms5root/pages/en/index.jsp],]Tel: +86 400 616 6666
*Top One CN [url=http://toponecn.cn/[/url],]Tel:+86 400 678 8588
*Avis also operates a car-rental service in Beijing.
The daily rate of smaller economic cars is about ¥200-300. You need to deposit around ¥3,000 (possible by using CUP/VISA/MasterCard credit card).
See also [[Driving in China[/url]].
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See the [wiki=78fb473f134eed43c959f9ebdeeb4050#Districts]Districts[/wiki] articles for individual listings.
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Landmarks
The centre of the city and most important landmark is Tiananmen Square in [wiki=9b7e3908c33e1bb27f1bf0035140975c]Dongcheng District[/wiki]. This is the world's largest public square and a must see for all visitors from abroad and from elsewhere in China. The square is surrounded by grand buildings including the Great Hall of the People, the Museum of Chinese History, the Museum of the Chinese Revolution, the Qianmen Gate and the Forbidden City. It is also home to the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall and the Monument to the People's Martyrs and was also the site of the infamous massacre of student activists by the Peoples Liberation Army in 1989.
The National Stadium or affectionately "Bird's Nest", in [wiki=efdf00ed18d1597d90345f7516e82e34]Chaoyang District[/wiki] is a major landmark and a lasting symbol of the 2008 [wiki=77e97d09586fc0e63c5f16284210cd8b]Olympic Games[/wiki]. Two contemporary buildings in [wiki=efdf00ed18d1597d90345f7516e82e34]Chaoyang District[/wiki] are remarkable landmarks: the CCTV Building (sometimes called "The Underpants" or "Bird Legs" by locals) and the World Trade Center Tower III. Both are outstanding examples of contemporary architecture.
There are also a number of remarkable remains from the medieval city including the Ming Dynasty City Wall Site Park (the only remains of the city wall) in [wiki=ea5a91beee383638c256c339c9a0d246]Chongwen District[/wiki], the [wiki=6956d45fce861ff0ff04dd5d9f285149]Drum and Bell Towers[/wiki] in [wiki=9b7e3908c33e1bb27f1bf0035140975c]Dongcheng District[/wiki], and Qianmen in [wiki=ea5a91beee383638c256c339c9a0d246]Chongwen District[/wiki].
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Palaces, temples and parks
The city's many green oases are a wonderful break from walking along the never ending boulevards and narrow hutongs. Locals similarly flock to Beijing's palaces, temples and parks whenever they have time. The green areas are not only used for relaxing but also for sports, dancing, singing and general recreation.
The most important palace, bar none, is the Forbidden City (故宫博物院) in [wiki=9b7e3908c33e1bb27f1bf0035140975c]Dongcheng District[/wiki]. The Forbidden City was home to the Imperial Court during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Unlike many other historical sights, the Forbidden City was relatively untouched during the cultural revolution due to the timely intervention of premier Zhou Enlai, who sent a battalion of his troops to guard the palace from the over-zealous Red Guards.
The Temple of Heaven (天坛) in [wiki=ea5a91beee383638c256c339c9a0d246]Chongwen District[/wiki] is the symbol of Beijing and is surrounded by a lively park typically packed with hordes of local people drinking tea, practicing calligraphy or tai-chi or just watching the world go by. The [wiki=4397a37e0b77af38a0f4d5042475e3f4]Yonghegong[/wiki] (Lama Temple) (雍和宫) in [wiki=9b7e3908c33e1bb27f1bf0035140975c]Dongcheng District[/wiki] is one of the most important and beautiful temples in the country.
Other parks are scattered around Beijing. Some of the best are Zhongshan Park (中山公园) in [wiki=9e3293453371e84d62a1af45a7d9b418]Xicheng District[/wiki], Beihai Park (北海公园) in [wiki=9e3293453371e84d62a1af45a7d9b418]Xicheng District[/wiki], Chaoyang Park (朝阳公园) in [wiki=efdf00ed18d1597d90345f7516e82e34]Chaoyang District[/wiki] and Ritan Park (日坛公园) in [wiki=efdf00ed18d1597d90345f7516e82e34]Chaoyang District[/wiki]. The Beijing Zoo (北京动物园) [url=http://www.beijingzoo.com/]]in [[Beijing/Xicheng|Xicheng District[/url]] is famous for its traditional landscaping and giant pandas, however like many zoos, the conditions for the animals have been questioned. The Beijing Aquarium is on the same grounds.
[wiki=1f96da5a77b2c8ed0bb651fdb42d8381]Haidian District[/wiki] is home to the Summer palace (颐和园), the ruins of the Old Summer Palace (圆明园), Fragrant Hills (香山), and the Beijing Botanical Garden (北京植物园). All are quite close together and worth a visit.
*Nanluoguxiang(南锣鼓巷) Nanluoguxiang a total length of 786 meters and 8 meters wide. The Lane is a north-south channel during Yuan Dynasty, as the Beijing Hutong protected areas. That "the capital city of Square Lane alley set of five," said Luo Guo Lane.
*JuYong Guan Juyongguan Pass[http://www.greatwall-china.com/ju-yong-guan/], also known as Juyongguan in Chinese, is located 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Changping County, about 60 kilometers (37 mi) from Beijing. It is a renowned pass of the Great Wall of China. Enlisted in the World Heritage Directory in 1987, it is a national cultural protection unit.
*Covering a planned area of 162.59 hectare and a floor area of 32,000 square meters, Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park is designated as the venue for rowing, canoeing and marathon swimming competitions of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, and also rowing events during the Beijing Paralympics.
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Museums and galleries
Beijing has more than 100 museums but most are not visited by foreign tourists. The city contains one of the largest and most well known museums the world, the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, a [wiki=817706ead215d6fd10b3ee1c78aad058#China]UNESCO World Heritage Site[/wiki]. Several museums may have free admission throughout the year or on certain holidays. Additionally, entry tickets must be reserved three days in advance.
One of the most well-known museums in Beijing is the National Museum (国家博物馆) in [wiki=9b7e3908c33e1bb27f1bf0035140975c]Dongcheng District[/wiki]. The Military Museum (军事博物馆) in [wiki=1f96da5a77b2c8ed0bb651fdb42d8381]Haidian District[/wiki] has long been a favorite with domestic and foreign tourists. The Capital Museum (首都博物馆) in [wiki=9e3293453371e84d62a1af45a7d9b418]Xicheng District[/wiki] is a high profile museum with historical and art exhibitions. The China Aviation Museum (中国民航博物馆) located in the [wiki=a711ed5c6611e982ff051074536f60f9]Beijing/Northern Suburbs[/wiki] hosts 200+ rare and unique Chinese (mostly Soviet-era) aircraft. Finally, a number of restored former residences of famous Beijingers, especially in [wiki=9e3293453371e84d62a1af45a7d9b418]Xicheng District[/wiki], give a good insight into daily life in former times.
The contemporary art scene in Beijing is booming and a large number of artists exhibit and sell their art in galleries around the city. The galleries are concentrated in a number of art districts, including the oldest and easiest accessible, but also increasingly commercial and mainstream. The most well known is [wiki=223ef796548c264f74f7e749254dca18]Dashanzi Art District[/wiki] in [wiki=efdf00ed18d1597d90345f7516e82e34]Chaoyang District[/wiki]. Other newer and perhaps more cutting edge art districts include Caochangdi in [wiki=efdf00ed18d1597d90345f7516e82e34]Chaoyang District[/wiki], Dashilar near Qianmen, and Songzhuan Artist's Village in Tongzhou District.
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While more or less everything can be obtained or arranged on the spot, you should nevertheless prepare a little.
* Consider reading up on all the sights you plan to see first to get a greater understanding of the cultural significance of the sites. Translations into English may be of low quality or non-existent. If anything, a visit to one of the below sites is more likely to pique ones interest and therefore there is always plenty of time to learn more after visiting.
* Bring a web-enabled smartphone or consider purchasing a map for those sites within city limits. Note Google Maps and Mainland China have a storied history and at times location services may be off by a few or several hundred metres. English-language maps can be purchased from various bookstores, travel agencies, or street vendors all around Beijing (don't simply pay the asking price, try to haggle!) but similar to guidebooks, may be a bit outdated. Hotels may also prove a good option to purchase a map. Even maps in Chinese-only can still be more helpful than nothing.
* If you have an IPhone, you can use offline google map by downloading the Satellite map and caching ( remember traffic and public transit overlays are 200-300 meters off from actual). Make sure you cache enough map information before reaching mainland, as google apps will not be able to access internet. Once you have both satellite and public transit overlays , you can switch between them and navigate easily and it works well enough with in Beijing city limits.
* If you are planning to use taxis, make sure you have your destinations written down or printed in Chinese. Hotels provide business cards that are helpful when you are trying to get back.
* Especially on trips to the Great Wall, make sure you have some supplies with you, such as ample water, some snacks, sunscreen etc. While those things are also available there, they will be much more expensive and choice is limited. If you come across a Dia market in the city, stock up there: they are well-stocked and arguably the cheapest. Also those who speak the least English.
* In general, but especially for shopping, try to always have ample change and small bills. Merchants may be reluctant or unable to give change. Which, however, may be useful in steering the price or getting stuff for free.
* If you don't need to, consider not carrying a purse or bag, as it will speed up your passing of the ubiquitous X-ray checks.
* Make sure you are familiar with common tourists scams and how to avoid them.
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The language of Beijing is Mandarin Chinese. Standard Mandarin itself was the administrative language of the Ming and Qing dynasties and was based mainly on the Beijing dialect. For language students this makes studying in Beijing an excellent chance to learn the language in a relatively pure form. That being said, Beijing dialect contains nasal "er" sounds at the end of many words. Hence the ubiquitous mutton kebabs (羊肉串 yáng ròu chuàn) become "yáng ròu chuànr". In addition, the Beijing dialect consists of many local slangs which have not been incorporated into standard Mandarin. Beijing taxi drivers are famously chatty and will gladly engage students of the language offering excellent chances to practice the language and get a feel for the changes in the city and country from an "Old Beijinger" -- although he or she may lay no claim to Beijing but instead spent most of his or her life in neighboring suburbs or surrounding provinces and thus like many of the people you will see on the street, not be considered a Beijinger.
English is spoken by staff at the main tourist attractions, as well as at major hotels. Otherwise, English speakers are not common, so always get your hotel's business card to show the taxi driver in case you get lost. Likewise, have staff at your hotel write down the names of any tourist attraction you plan to visit in Chinese, so locals can point you out in the right direction.
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See the [wiki=78fb473f134eed43c959f9ebdeeb4050#Districts]Districts[/wiki] articles for individual listings.
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Festivals
Temple Fair Temple fair is a good choice to enjoy Spring Festival of Beijing. Every Spring Festival, there are dozens of temple fairs in Beijing, such as in Temple of Heaven, Ditan, Beihai, Changdian, Longtan Lake, Lotus Pool Park, etc. If you travel to Beijing during the Spring Festival, Temple Fair is a must-see.
Time: Spring Festival (late-Jan to early-Feb depending on Chinese Lunar Calendar)
*The Grand View Garden Fair The Grand View Garden Fair is held every year during the Spring Festival. There are performances and quizzes at the theme of “A Dream of Red Mansions”, one of China’s Four Great Classical Novels. What’s more, costumes of ancient are available for people to take pictures.
Time: Spring Festival
Location: outside the Chang'anmen(厂安门)
*Music Festival Annual May Day, National Day, there’s a variety of music festivals held in Haidian Park, Chaoyang Park, Tongzhou Canal Park or large parks in the suburban, such as the well known school-sponsored Midi-Music Festival, the Strawberry Music Festival under the label of Modern Sky, as well as the Beijing Pop Festival held in Chaoyang Park.
Time: Labour Day (1 May), National Day (1 Oct)
*Beijing Chrysanthemum Exhibition Held every year in major parks of Beijing. The Beihai Park Chrysanthemum Exhibition is the most famous, which has been held for more than twenty sessions, showing varieties of beautiful chrysanthemums.
Time: every November
*Fragrant Hills Red Leaves Festival There is Cotinuscoggygria and maples in the west part of Fragrant Hills Park, as well as the hillside around the park, whenever before and after the frost, the leaves of these trees turn read, and the mountains and plains of red leaves are as bright as fire, very spectacular.
Time: annually each mid-Oct to mid-Nov
Location: Fragrant Hills Park
*Yanqing Ice and Snow Tourism Festival Important winter tourism festival in North China, and it is always famous for its rich and wonderful landscape of snow and ice, snow activities, and unique style of folk landscape. The main activities are Longqing Gorge Ice, alpine skiing, snowmobiling, hot springs resort, snow Temple fair and so on.
Time: annually 10 Dec to the end of Feb
Location: Shijinglong Ski Resort, Badaling Ski Resort, Longqing Gorge
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Walks and rides
The Great Wall of China (长城 Chángchéng) is about a 1-hour train trip, 1.5 hour bus ride, or 45-60 -minute car ride from the city (be aware of [wiki=8cc7fb901f534ad0e05a8d5bab0e2d85]#Stay_safe|bus scams[/wiki]). See [wiki=a40279d995f7d7db8a10e40e7e83f6c9]Great Wall[/wiki] for general information on the Great Wall. The Badaling section is the most famous, but also over-restored and crowded. Jinshanling, Huanghuacheng and Simatai are more distant but offer a better view of the wall away from the crowds. Mutianyu has been restored, but is far less crowded than Badaling. When going to Badaling go to the North Railway station and buy a train ticket (¥6)to Badaling. The journey takes 1.5 hours. Be quick to get a sit on the train but no one will be against you sitting on the floor. Crowds are a definite issue with the Great Wall: at popular sections at popular times, it becomes not the Great Wall of China, but rather the Great Wall of Tourists. It is possible to rent a taxi for ¥400-800 for the round trip including waiting time. You may want to bring a jacket against the wind or cold in the chillier season - in the summer you will need lots of water, and it will be cheaper if you bring your own.
*Beijing's ancient alleyways, where you can find traditional Beijing architecture. They date back to when Beijing was the capital of the Yuan Dynasty (1266-1368). Most buildings in hutongs are made in the traditional courtyard (四合院 sìhéyuàn) style. Many of these courtyard homes were originally occupied by aristocrats, though after the Communist takeover in 1949 the aristocrats were pushed out and replaced with poor families. Hutongs can still be found throughout the area within the 2nd Ring Road, though many are being demolished to make way for new buildings and wider roads. Most popular among tourists are the hutongs near Qianmen, Houhai, and [wiki=4397a37e0b77af38a0f4d5042475e3f4]Yonghegong[/wiki] Lama Temple. The hutongs may at first feel intimidating to travellers used to the new wide streets of Beijing, but the locals are very friendly and will often try to help you if you look lost.
* Traverse some of the remaining hutongs. There is no better way to see Beijing firsthand than on a bicycle but just be very aware of cars and Chinese driving customs and rules for right-of-way. See above for bike rental information.
* Explore Beijing's hutongs in a monthly competition on weekend afternoons. It's the fun way to discover Beijing's history. Restaurants sponsor prizes. Look up expat magazines online for events starting in March. The second event for 2015 will start at the Dadu Museum of Art, 28 Guozijian Street, Dongcheng District (near Yonghegong Lama Temple and Confucius Temple) on 9th May 1pm - 5:30pm.
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Theaters and concert halls
National Centre for the Performing Arts in [wiki=9e3293453371e84d62a1af45a7d9b418#Do]Xicheng District[/wiki] is the capital's modern theater complex covering opera, music and theater. The building itself is worth laying eyes on, even if you do not go to a performance.
The Peking Opera is considered the most famous of all the traditional opera performed around China. This kind of opera is nothing like western opera with costumes, singing style, music and spectator reactions being distinctly Chinese. The plot is usually quite simple, so you might be able to understand some of what happens even if you do not understand the language. Some of the best places to watch Beijing Opera are found in [wiki=5f86d04b5fbb046fff2081c4ed56a220#Do]Xuanwu District[/wiki] including Huguang Huguang Theatre and Lao She Teahouse. There are also a number in [wiki=9b7e3908c33e1bb27f1bf0035140975c#Do]Dongcheng District[/wiki] including Chang'an Grand Theatre.
Acrobatics shows are also worth a visit if you want to see some traditional Chinese entertainment. Some of the best shows are found in Tianqiao Acrobatics Theatre in [wiki=5f86d04b5fbb046fff2081c4ed56a220#Do]Xuanwu District[/wiki] and in Chaoyang Theatre in [wiki=efdf00ed18d1597d90345f7516e82e34#Do]Chaoyang District[/wiki].
Drama plays has had a slow start in Beijing and is still not as widespread as you might expect for a city like Beijing, and you will most likely not be able to find many Western plays. However, some good places for contemporary Chinese plays do exist including Capital Theatre in [wiki=9b7e3908c33e1bb27f1bf0035140975c#Do]Dongcheng District[/wiki] and Century Theater in [wiki=efdf00ed18d1597d90345f7516e82e34#Do]Chaoyang District[/wiki].
Classical music has got a much stronger foothold in Beijing than drama plays. Some of the best places to go are the National Centre for the Performing Arts and the Century Theater both mentioned above as well as Beijing Concert Hall in [wiki=9e3293453371e84d62a1af45a7d9b418#Do]Xicheng District[/wiki].
Spectaculars are been built all over China, in June 2014 DreamWork's ' 'How To Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular' opened in a 4,000 purpose built venue on the grounds of the Beijing Bird's Nest. [url=http://en.damai.cn/event/tickets_69144/]tickets[/url]
* The Legend of Kung Fu production showing every night at the Beijing Red Theatre. Produced by China Heaven Creation, one of China's leading performing arts producers.
* Chaoyang Theatre hosts the best acrobatic show in Beijing. A thrilling performance that incorporates lion dancing, fire, contortion acts, bicycles and more.
* Beijing Tiandi Theater is 10 Dongzhimen South Street Dongcheng District Beijing. It is 100 meters north of the Poly Plaza.
* Li Yuan Theater is a venue famous for Beijing Opera performance co-funded by Qianmen Jianguo Hotel and Beijing Opera Theater.
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Other
Have a highly enjoyable and relaxing foot massage and/or pedicure etc (for a fraction of the price in the West) from any of the respectable and professional offerings in central Beijing (in the vicinity of the Beijing Hotel for example).
* Australian Yonnie is Beijing's only registered Yoga Alliance 500hr certified yoga teacher. She has a boutique yoga studio and offers private classes to visitors to the city.
* Try to create one of many Chinese dishes - from cold starters to famous noodles and dumplings. Beijing is a very interesting place for gourmet tours and exploration the cultures and traditions through food, with Black Sesame Kitchen and Hutong Cuisine being some of the options catered to English-speakers. The additional bonus of such learning is that you are acquiring new skills and bringing back home a piece of local culture along with fantastic taste of Beijing and North China cuisine.
* Located in a traditional courtyard home in downtown Beijing, The Hutong offers many different Chinese culture programs. Visitors can attend market tours, Chinese and international cooking classes, tea tastings and tours, traditional chinese medicine appointments, private meals and events, or just stop by the roof top terrace to get a view of the authentic hutong culture. Chefs, guides and teachers speak English, Mandarin, Spanish, Dutch and more by request.
* If you find yourself a very argumentative person, look for intellectual exercise or just meet people you should attend at least one of the meetings of "The Beijing Debate Society" (DBS). DBS is a not-for-profit, non-religious, non-political organisation that seeks to improve argument-building skills. DBS is governed by the British Parliamentarian Debates rules. The debating language is English.
* The Beijing Hikers run a couple trips every weekend and occasionally midweek as well, generally day trips to the mountains around Beijing (often including less-visited sections of the Great Wall). The trips include transportation from the Liangmaqiao metro station and English-speaking guides. The group also occasionally runs longer trips around China.
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Universities
Beijing is the center of higher learning in China. In fact, Peking University and Tsinghua University have been consistently ranked among the top universities in the world in recent times. As such it attracts the top talents from across China and is the destination for thousands of foreign scholars each year. Most of the universities are clustered in Haidian District in the northwestern part of the city. Nearly all of the universities in Beijing accept foreign students. Most foreign students are on Chinese language programs which can last from a few weeks to a couple of years. If you have a sufficient HSK level [url=http://hsk.org.cn/english/]] you can enroll in programs to study other subjects.
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* China's most renowned foreign studies school. The Weigongcun is in Haidian District.
* China's most well known Chinese school. The Beijing campus is in Chaoyang District.
* Branches in both Wangjing and Wudaokou. This is school mostly used by Korean students.
* Branches in Gulou and Sanlitun. A very well know Chinese school, famous for its tradicional courtyard in Xicheng district. Also provides Internships and accommodation to international students.
* Branches in Andingmen and Wangjing. A well know language school that emphasizes custom language programs and small class sizes.
* Courses in culture, language and TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine).
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*The Sinology Institute A small private school located near Drum Tower on subway Line 2, great for travelers visiting Beijing for a few days,they also offer long term classes. http://www.sinologyinstitute.com/
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Most of the international business offices are in Chaoyang Distrct around [wiki=4d2c8380f11efb413737d1513d01ae4e]Guomao[/wiki], Dawang, [wiki=8151753f315ed89ec49645deeb1e5802]Wangfujing[/wiki] and Chaoyangmen. The Central Business District or [wiki=4d2c8380f11efb413737d1513d01ae4e]CBD[/wiki] is centered around Guomao. Many technology companies have offices in Wangjing (sub-district in Chaoyang District) and Zhongguancun (Haidian District).
Like all of China, finding a job teaching English in Beijing is relatively easy for native speakers. In fact, if you are of European descent some employers may assume that you are already qualified enough to teach English to Chinese students. However, more prestigious employers (especially universities and high-end language schools) will generally require an English teaching qualification and a Bachelor's degree (normally in any discipline, although sometimes specifically in English/linguistics). Reputable institutions will provide proper working visa category to ensure legal employment; those which do not are not advised.
Teaching jobs are available teaching a range of ages from kindergarten to elementary, middle and high school students as well as universities and private language centers. Schools usually require native speakers with a degree in any discipline and TEFL certificate. There are plenty of job boards online as well as recruiting agents.
See also: [wiki=a0f3573bf5fcd180e70681a9d084c694]Teaching English[/wiki].
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See the [wiki=78fb473f134eed43c959f9ebdeeb4050#Districts]Districts[/wiki] articles for individual listings.
Throughout nearly all markets in Beijing, [wiki=2d006605bb53b8f95322148507581a35]haggling[/wiki] is essential. Especially when browsing through large, "touristy" shopping areas for common items, do not put it beneath your dignity to start bargaining at 15% of the vendor's initial asking price. In fact, in the most "touristy" markets final prices can often be as low as 15%-20% of the initial asking price, and "removing a zero" isn't a bad entry point in the bargaining process. After spending some time haggling, never hesitate to threaten walking away, as this is often the quickest way to see a vendor lower his or her prices to a reasonable level. Buying in bulk or in groups may also lower the price. How high or low the vendor sets the asking price depends on the customer, the vendor, the product's popularity, and even the time of day. Vendors also tend to target visible minorities more, such as Caucasians or people of African descent.
The are a number of interesting markets around Beijing where you can find all kind of cheap (and often fake) stuff. Some of the most popular places are Xizhimen in [wiki=9e3293453371e84d62a1af45a7d9b418#Buy]Xicheng District[/wiki], Silk Street or Panjiayuan in [wiki=efdf00ed18d1597d90345f7516e82e34#Buy]Chaoyang District[/wiki] and Hong Qiao Market in [wiki=ea5a91beee383638c256c339c9a0d246#Buy]Chongwen District[/wiki].
As an alternative to the markets you can go to some of the shopping areas lined with shops. This includes Nanluoguoxiang in [wiki=9b7e3908c33e1bb27f1bf0035140975c#Buy]Dongcheng District[/wiki] and Qianmen Dajie Pedestrian Street, Dashilan and Liulichang in [wiki=5f86d04b5fbb046fff2081c4ed56a220#Buy]Xuanwu District[/wiki].
If you are looking for traditional Chinese food shops try Yinhehua Vegetarian in [wiki=9b7e3908c33e1bb27f1bf0035140975c#Buy]Dongcheng District[/wiki], Daoxiangcun, Liubiju or The Tea Street in [wiki=5f86d04b5fbb046fff2081c4ed56a220#Buy]Xuanwu District[/wiki]. Please note that Chongwenmen Food Market in [wiki=ea5a91beee383638c256c339c9a0d246#Buy]Chongwen District[/wiki] has been demolished in 2010.
Visiting hotel shops and department stores is not the most characterful shopping in China, but worth a look. While generally significantly more expensive, they are less likely to sell truly low quality goods. The old style of Chinese retailing is gradually being transformed by shops with a better design sense and souvenir items are getting better each year. Silk clothing, table settings and so on and other spots around town, are worth a look, as are porcelain, specialty tea and other traditional items. Some of the most popular areas for this kind of shopping are [wiki=8151753f315ed89ec49645deeb1e5802]Wangfujing[/wiki] and The Malls at Oriental Plaza both in [wiki=9b7e3908c33e1bb27f1bf0035140975c#Buy]Dongcheng District[/wiki] as well as Xidan in [wiki=9e3293453371e84d62a1af45a7d9b418#Buy]Xicheng District[/wiki].
Antiques
The carpet business is strong in Beijing and you will find all manner of stores selling silk carpets and other varieties.
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See the [wiki=78fb473f134eed43c959f9ebdeeb4050#Districts]Districts[/wiki] articles for individual listings.
Beijing provides an ideal opportunity to sample food from all over the country. Some of Beijing's best restaurants serve food from [wiki=c01eba257b2d44afb1896051da9185b4]Sichuan[/wiki], [wiki=7fda3a38406931f97cf761ad5ab3e0ed]Hunan[/wiki], [wiki=50a13d0dbb195487a4b6c602ea0fe532]Guangzhou[/wiki], [wiki=bbae7b9f40c7d8010129a45b4be89807]Tibet[/wiki], [wiki=8469a2a692154dfca07dc40ce316837c]Yunnan[/wiki], [wiki=7934d0ba02d2e077367a33376c2acd09]Xinjiang[/wiki], and more.
*[wiki=58196a8ae3dbe0194ac60e5e0b39feaf#Eat]Sanlitun[/wiki]
Sanlitun has Beijing's widest selection of great restaurants, offering a second to none culinary tour of the world's finest cuisine, plus delectable dishes from Nearly every province.
*[wiki=488a277ee534beaa17f5fc23c16df144#Eat]Dongzhimen[/wiki]
Beijing's best loved specialities. You can sample almost anything on Ghost Street, from Sichuan Schuizhuyu and malatang to the rich taste of grilled seafood chuan'er, Peking Duck and even Chicken Kiev.
*[wiki=8151753f315ed89ec49645deeb1e5802#Eat]Wangfujing[/wiki]
New york has its Fifth Avenue, London has Oxford Street and Shanghai has Nanjing Road. Best of them all, Beijing has Wangfujing Street. Just nort of the Night Market, a second Food Street opens at night along Dong'anmen Avenue, with a more traditional range of Chinese street foods. Standard restaurants will open at the top levels of each of the Shopping Centres.
*Wudaokou in [wiki=1f96da5a77b2c8ed0bb651fdb42d8381#Eat]Haidian District[/wiki]
Wudaokou is the heart of Beijing's university district. Cafés, bars, clubs and restaurants in the area cater to a growing Western and South Korean student population offering simple cuisine like Salads, Sandwiches, pizza and all-day American Breakfast. Prices are more student friendly compared to the embassy districts or Sanlitun.
Some restaurants that we may recommand and most famous are :
Peking Roast Duck is a famous Beijing specialty served at many restaurants, but there are quite a few restaurants dedicated to the art of roasting the perfect duck. Expect to pay around ¥90 per whole duck at budget-range establishments, and ¥160-200 at high-end restaurants. Beijing duck (北京烤鸭 Bĕijīng kăoyā) is served with thin pancakes, plum sauce (甜面酱 tiánmiàn jiàng)，and slivers of scallions and cucumbers. You spread the sauce on the pancake, put a few pieces of duck, cucumber, and scallions.The end result is a mouthwatering combination of the cool crunchiness of the cucumber, the sharpness of the scallions, and the rich flavors of the duck.
The best way to eat well and on the cheap is to enter one of the ubiquitous restaurants where the locals are eating and pick a few different dishes from the menu. Truth be told, visitors can find Beijing a very inexpensive city for food, especially considering that tipping is not practiced in China (instead along with taxes, built into the menu price). Some of this is due to low wages for restaurant workers and farmers, use of genetically modified or engineered ingredients, or flavor enhancers or preservatives to help speed flavors along or quicken the cooking process. A combination of small eateries and street vendors are popular in areas such as [wiki=8151753f315ed89ec49645deeb1e5802]Wangfujing[/wiki], Huguosi Street, [wiki=488a277ee534beaa17f5fc23c16df144]Gui Jie[/wiki], and [wiki=6956d45fce861ff0ff04dd5d9f285149]Gulou[/wiki] areas.
Some of the cheapest and most delicious meals can be had on the streets:
*Savory pancakes (煎饼果子 Jiānbĭng guŏzi) are one of the most popular street snacks, eaten from morning till night with most carts operating during the morning commute and then opening again at night for the after-club crowds and night-owls. This is a North China specialty. This delicious pancake is cooked with an egg on a griddle, a fried dough crisp is added, and the whole thing is drizzled in scallions and a savory sauce. Hot sauce is optional. Not all street vendors are licensed and more than a fair share use recycled oil. For travelers unused to such and spending a few weeks in town may do well to avoid street vendors all together, or risk upset stomachs or worse. Diehard fans often go on a quest for the best cart in the city. This treat should only cost ¥2.50, with an extra egg ¥3. There are many styles, such as the egg is fried flat on top of the pancake and the toppings wrapped inside, or folded like a taco.
*Lamb kebabs (羊肉串儿 yángròu chuànr) and other kebabs are grilled on makeshift stands all around Beijing, from the late afternoon to late at night. [wiki=8151753f315ed89ec49645deeb1e5802]Wangfujing[/wiki] has a "snack street" selling such mundane fare like lamb, chicken, and beef as well as multiple styles of noodle dishes, such as Sichuan style rice noodles, but the brave can also sample silkworm, scorpion, and various organs all skewered on a stick and grilled to order. Huguosi Street (Line 4 or 6 Ping'anli Station) is also another popular area for goodies such as Shanxi noodles, stuffed buns (or filled, such as xiǎobǐng jiāròu 小饼夹肉), mutton soup and sweets of all kinds.
*A winter specialty, candied haw berries (冰糖葫芦 bīngtáng húlu) are dipped in molten sugar which is left to harden in the cold and sold on a stick. You can also find variations with oranges, grapes, strawberries, and bananas, or dipped in crumbled peanuts as well as sugar. This sweet snack can also sometimes be found in the spring and the summer, but the haw berries are often from last season's crop.
The most famous street for dinner food in Beijing is probably Guijie (簋街/鬼街 Guǐjiē), see [wiki=9b7e3908c33e1bb27f1bf0035140975c]Dongcheng District[/wiki] for further detail.
Street food in Beijing [url=http://theme.hobobe.com/guijie/index.html]]Gui Street (簋街) is located within [[Beijing/Dongzhimen|Dongzhimen[/url]], East of the street from Second Ring Road of the Western part of the Dongzhimen overpass and West of the street from East Main Street eastern end crossing.
Gui Street now showcases many excellent cuisines, the centre of a food paradise. Stretching over one kilometer, 90% of the commercial shops in the street house more than 150 eateries. You can definitely find most of the larger restaurants in the capital here. Therefore Gui Street is known for its street food in Beijing.
*Quanjude (全聚德) is the most famous restaurant for Peking Duck and is a national chain. Unlike McDonald’s, the quality, as well as price, among different Quanjude restaurants differs greatly. For quality and authentic Peking Duck, only two Quanjude restaurants should be patronized: one in Qianmen (前门) and one in Hepingmen（和平门）. Both of them are in central locations, providing the most authentic Peking duck dishes (and their prices are dearest too), but the former is right in the middle of tourist area and there is always a very long queue during lunch or dinner time. The latter is just one subway station away from former with a much bigger capacity, and you will be guided to your seats in no time when you walk in.
* This well-kept secret among Chinese people has some of the tastiest and most inexpensive ducks in all of Beijing. Half a duck is ¥58. And all its other delicious, innovative dishes keep customers coming back: be prepared for a bustling, noisy atmosphere, though the interior is often quite nice. Locations all over Beijing-look for a sign with two little pigs-including at Fangzhuang, Zhongguancun, Wudaokou, Xuanwu, and more. You can find one on Xisi Beijie between subway stations Ping'anli and Xinjieku. See also Dadong Roast Duck Restaurant in [wiki=9b7e3908c33e1bb27f1bf0035140975c]Beijing/Dongcheng[/wiki] or Quanjude in [wiki=ea5a91beee383638c256c339c9a0d246]Beijing/Chongwen[/wiki]
Beijing is also known for its mutton hotpot (涮羊肉 shuàn yáng ròu), which originally came from the Manchu people and emphasizes mutton over other meats. Like variations of hotpot (general name 火锅 huŏ guō) from elsewhere in China and Japan, hotpot is a cook-it-yourself affair in a steaming pot in the center of the table. Unlike Sichuan hotpot, mutton hotpot features a savory, non-spicy broth. If that's not exciting enough for you, you can also request a spicy broth (be aware that this is flaming red, filled with peppers, and not for the weak!). To play it safe and satisfy everyone, you can request a yuan-yang (鸳鸯 yuānyáng) pot divided down the middle, with spicy broth on one side and regular broth on the other. Raw ingredients are purchased by the plate, including other types of meat and seafood, vegetables, mushrooms, noodles, and tofu, so it's also perfectly possible to have vegetarian hotpot. A dipping sauce, usually sesame, is served as well; you can add chilis, garlic, cilantro, etc, to customize your own sauce. While "raw" sounds dangerous, boiling the meat yourself is the best way to ensure that more risky meats like pork are fully cooked and free of germs. In the city center, hotpot can run as much as ¥40-50 per person, but on the outskirts it can be found for as little as ¥10-25. Low-budget types may reuse the spices or cooking broth from previous guests, although it has been boiling for several hours.
*For vegetarians, Beijing's first pure vegetarian buffet restaurant is located a Confucius Temple, see [wiki=9b7e3908c33e1bb27f1bf0035140975c]Dongcheng District[/wiki] for further detail.
*Korean restaurants are also very common in Beijing, due in part by northern Chinese (males in particular) strong liking of meat. A frequent meal is the grill-it-yourself barbeque, including beef, mutton, chicken, and seafood items as well as some vegetables including greens and potatoes. Restaurants that serve abalone and sharkfin are considered the most expensive restaurants in the city. Expect to pay upwards of ¥800 for a "cheap" meal at one of these restaurants, much more if splurging.
*Mongolian restaurant is a must-try! There are several in the student district among with other minorities restaurants. Try mutton brains cold cuts, mashed potatoes with spinach, cold lamb with marinated garlic and of course Mongolian tea. You can buy mongolian tea and candies in places where they sell nuts and dried beef.
You can also find some local specialties in a supermarket such as tofu candy with different tastes, or mooncakes with various fillings. Green tea ice cream is something very special too.
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See the [wiki=78fb473f134eed43c959f9ebdeeb4050#Districts]Districts[/wiki] articles for individual listings.
Most of Beijing's bars are located in one of the bar clusters around the city. A few years back, the only one was [wiki=58196a8ae3dbe0194ac60e5e0b39feaf]Sanlitun[/wiki], but almost every year the last few years have seen a new area emerge. The most important areas are:
*Houhai in [wiki=9e3293453371e84d62a1af45a7d9b418#Drink]Xicheng District[/wiki] located around the lake, Houhai. Generally speaking, drinking at any bar in this area can be expensive, even by western standards, and the quality of cocktails or even beer varies greatly. Make sure you have checked the price before ordering, otherwise you may accidentally order a bottle of spring water whose price can be as much as ¥1,000.
*Nanluoguxiang in [wiki=9b7e3908c33e1bb27f1bf0035140975c#Drink]Dongcheng District[/wiki] is a winding and weaving area in one of the city's most visited hutongs.
*[wiki=58196a8ae3dbe0194ac60e5e0b39feaf#Drink]Sanlitun[/wiki] in [wiki=efdf00ed18d1597d90345f7516e82e34#Drink]Chaoyang District[/wiki] was once the centre of nightlife in Beijing and still popular with expats.
*Workers' Stadium in [wiki=efdf00ed18d1597d90345f7516e82e34#Drink]Chaoyang District[/wiki] has taken over part of the action in nearby [wiki=58196a8ae3dbe0194ac60e5e0b39feaf]Sanlitun[/wiki].
*West Gate of Chaoyang Park in [wiki=efdf00ed18d1597d90345f7516e82e34#Drink]Chaoyang District[/wiki] is one of the newest bar areas in Beijing.
*Ladies' Street in [wiki=efdf00ed18d1597d90345f7516e82e34#Drink]Chaoyang District[/wiki]. By day it has some fashion shops, as its name suggests, but it is also home to some interesting new bars, restaurants and clubs.
*Yuan Dynasty Wall Bar Street in [wiki=efdf00ed18d1597d90345f7516e82e34#Drink]Chaoyang District[/wiki] is a new ready-made bar area located nicely along a small river and a park but with quite uninteresting bars.
*Wudaokou in [wiki=1f96da5a77b2c8ed0bb651fdb42d8381#Drink]Haidian District[/wiki], where most of the foreign and local university students hang out. There are a number of bars and restaurants which serve a great variety of wine, beer and liquor for cheap. This area is also well known for its huge Korean population and a good place to find Korean food.
*[wiki=223ef796548c264f74f7e749254dca18#Drink]Dashanzi[/wiki] in [wiki=efdf00ed18d1597d90345f7516e82e34#Drink]Chaoyang District[/wiki], Beijing's trendy art zone, this old warehouse and factory district has been taken over by art galleries, art shops and bars. Well worth the t
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Tea
Tea, tea, and more tea! Some shops are in malls and others are stand-alone establishments. Whatever their location, always ask the price before ordering or else brace yourself for the most expensive egg-sized cup of tea in the world. You can experience different styles of tea ceremonies and tea tastings at tea houses especially in the Qianmen area south of Tian'anmen Square. These can range widely in quality and price. Some tea houses are really tourist traps whose main goal is to milk you of your money (See warning box). You can get a free tea demonstration at most Tenrenfu tea houses which are located throughout the city and at some malls. A private room or a quiet back table in a tea house with mid-range tea for two should cost ¥100-200. After an afternoon in such shops the remaining tea is yours to take home. Once tea is ordered, the table is yours for as long as you like.
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Coffee
As a tea-loving country and grower of much of the world's tea, coffee is not as easy to find but a taste for it--along with more expats dotted throughout Beijing--has seen more emerging middle class and students drinking it. For example, the city alone has more than 100 Starbucks locations. Most are situated around shopping malls and in commercial districts of the city. Other international chains such as Costa Coffee and Lavazza also have locations around Beijing. Coffee of varying qualities is also available in the ubiquitous Taiwanese style coffee shops such as Shangdao Coffee. These are usually located on the second floor of buildings and often times offer Blue Mountain Coffee, making places like Starbucks seem a real bargain. Most coffee shops offer wireless. Baristas in non-chain coffee shops may not be educated on how to make generally accepted espresso drinks, like lattes and cappuccinos. Espressos, alone, usually taste better and are more consistent.
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Baijiu
The most common hard liquor is baijiu (白酒 báijiǔ), made from distilled grain (usually sorghum) spirits. It comes in a variety of brands and generally for very cheap prices (¥8 for a small bottle) and should be avoided if you want to have a clear mind for your travels on the next day. The most famous local brand is called Erguotou (二锅头 Èrguōtóu), which has 54% alcohol content. It should be noted that the local Erguotou is sold in gallon containers, often on the same shelf as water and with a similar price-range and indistinguishable colour. Care must be made not to confuse the two. Maotai (茅台 Máotái), the national liquor, is one of the more expensive brands, and it used to cost about as much as an imported bottle of whiskey--but now it costs a lot more, from ¥1,000 to well in excess of ¥10,o00. Wuliangye (五粮液) is another high-end brands, costs around ¥1,000. Due to its mild taste, Wuliangye might be a better option for first time baijiu drinker. A large selection of imported liquor can be found at most bars and big supermarkets. One should better buy expensive liquor (both domestic and imported) from big supermarkets in order to avoid fake ones. Capital Spirits Bar is a good place to sample and learn about baijiu through their tasting flights.
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Beer
Beer can be quite good and nearly all are low-alcohol lagers. Beijing's own, Yanjing (燕京 Yànjīng), has perhaps the most dominating presence in the city (Yanjing being the city's name from its time 2,000 years ago as capital of the state of Yan). Beer mostly comes in large bottles and has 3.1%-3.6 alcohol content. Tsingtao (青岛 Qīngdǎo), the beer most easily found throughout all of China, is similar in taste and has several bottles which, like Yanjing, come in green. Price per bottle can be ¥10-20 in a restaurant, or ¥2-4, depending on size, from a street vendor. Both Yanjing and Tsingtao come in standard (普通 pǔtōng) and pure (纯生 chúnshēng) varieties; the difference mainly seems to be price. Beijing Beer (北京啤酒 Běijīng Píjiǔ）is the probably the third most popular brand in the city and typically found for even cheaper than other local brands. Craft beers and microbreweries and specialty beers can found in various German-themed restaurants throughout the city, which have been in the city since the 1980s, as well as a second wave of foreign-style microbreweries in the mid- to late-2000s.
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Wine
Great Wall is the most popular local brand of grape wine. Wine made in China does not have a great reputation, though this is changing. Giving wine as a gift is not a common custom in most places in China and most people will not be accustomed to wine etiquette or appreciation (white wine is often mixed with Sprite in clubs). Imported red wines are usually of a better quality and can be found in big supermarkets, import good stores, and some restaurants.
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See the [wiki=78fb473f134eed43c959f9ebdeeb4050#Districts]Districts[/wiki] articles for individual listings.
Accommodation aplenty exists in the [wiki=4d2c8380f11efb413737d1513d01ae4e]CBD[/wiki], various embassy areas, universities and business parks. A few hotels are also located very close to the [wiki=d03d640cce22bc05a28a4b355348190e]airport[/wiki] (essentially in one of the airport parking lots).
Tour groups can, perhaps unsurprisingly, reserve rooms at high-quality hotels at rates far below those published. Hostels and western-style travel hotels are almost universally open to foreign guests. The lowest end Chinese accommodations - Zhaodaisuo (招待所) - are generally inaccessible to the foreign community. However, for those determined to get a bargain, you may be able to get a room if you speak Mandarin. Many of the hostels are located in [wiki=9b7e3908c33e1bb27f1bf0035140975c#Sleep]Dongcheng District[/wiki] and [wiki=5f86d04b5fbb046fff2081c4ed56a220#Sleep]Xuanwu District[/wiki]. Discounted rates start around ¥30 for dorms and just below ¥200 for doubles in the cheapest hostels.
There are a large number of three and four star mid-range hotels throughout the city and in all districts. The listed rates for these kind of hotels are often in the range of ¥500-1,000 but you can often get a discount of around 50%.
Some 'expensive' hotels are in the city centre, especially in [wiki=9b7e3908c33e1bb27f1bf0035140975c#Sleep]Dongcheng District[/wiki] and on the eastern 3rd Ring Road in [wiki=efdf00ed18d1597d90345f7516e82e34#Sleep]Chaoyang District[/wiki], however by some Western standards these hotels may be viewed as a bargain. In the outlying areas, especially out by the [wiki=a40279d995f7d7db8a10e40e7e83f6c9]Great Wall[/wiki], are some country club type resorts as well as some unique, one-of-a-kind, hotels. For the most expensive hotels, the listed rates start at around ¥4,000, but are often discounted to a level around ¥1,500.
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Crime
Overall, Beijing is a very safe city. Violent crime is extremely rare, and it's not a problem to walk at night in urban areas. Beijing also enjoys the reputation of low crime rates in Asia and even the world.
Some petty crimes such as pickpocketing do happen, and one should be cautious in shopping areas, tourist sites and public transportation. Thieves are more active in the days before and during public holidays like the Lunar New Year and weeklong holidays like the Oct 1-7 National Day. Be very careful in those days.
Despite safe urban areas, some parts of Beijing's suburbs are not safe, because they concentrate almost all severe crimes of the city. They are called "Beijing's corner". Such as the middle western area of Fengtai, the western area of Shijingshan, the eastern frontier of Chaoyang, and the most parts of Daxing (except communities surrounding the metro route). As a tourist, it's unlikely you'll visit these areas anyway and you'd be unlikely to accidentally end up in them. If you did need to go for some reason though, taxi drivers may refuse to take you there.
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Scams
Tourists are often preyed upon by cheats and touts, who attempt to pull a number of [wiki=f30570728e45487f0729154766591990]scams[/wiki] on tourists. Be especially cautious in the inner city, around Tiananmen Square, and on the tourist-crowded routes to the Great Wall.
Beware of the Rickshaw scam around Forbidden City. They will ask you to sit in your Rickshaw when you get down from your taxi (because taxis are not allowed near the main entrance) and then they will take you around in narrow lanes. They will then stop in a lonely area to extort money from you. These Rickshaw are best avoided.
On the other hand, fears of scams have led many travelers to be overly dismissive of Chinese people who approach them. Many Chinese are tourists in their capital for the first time as well and they are genuinely curious about foreigners and may just want to practice their English and get a picture with you. Being asked to have your picture taken is very common and there are no known scams associated with this. Be friendly but don't feel pressured to go somewhere you hadn't planned on going in the first place. If you are outside the tourist areas then your chances of being scammed drop dramatically.
Chinese people are very friendly to travelers and foreigners in general; seeing through a scam requires the same common sense as travelling anywhere in the world. Beijing scams are not particularly innovative or brutal in world-wide comparison, and as long as you keep your wallet out of sight, you can always walk away without fear of violence or theft. That said, there are some common scams to be aware of.
* For tours to the Great Wall, be wary: the driver might just stop and set you off before your destination. Only pay afterwards if you are absolutely sure you are at the destination. Do not go for organized tours to the Great Wall in the ¥100-150 range that are advertised by people handing out flyers around the Forbidden City (or in the latest scam, masquerading as the real bus service to the Great Wall which only costs ¥20, but is guaranteed to waste your entire day). Conveniently you are picked up from your hotel (so they know where to get back at you, in case you will not pay), you end up on a shopping tour and afterwards you have to pay upfront to get back to the city. Of course, there are exceptions, and people showing letters of recommendation from their previous travels and pictures are usually okay, as are people offering trips to the wilder parts of the Great Wall (ie. not Badaling or Juyong). Shopping tours are also advertised from certain hotels, ask in advance for a tour without shopping to be sure.
*At the Bird's Nest, there will be people trying to sell you small items, such as Beijing 2008 Memorabilia, or toys that seems fun to play with. They will tell you that they are offering it to you for much less, then after you pay for your item, shortly after they will claim you never paid for it and will follow you around until you either give back them or pay again. Usually they offer items to you at very good deals, but don't fall for the trick, you'll end up paying double, if not more.
* Do not be tricked by students or young adults offering to go out for a beer or coffee to practice their English. Some scam artists will run up a elaborate bill by ordering food or alcohol and then expect you to pay for it or even half whether or not if you do or do not eat the food they order. In Chinese culture if someone invites you out for tea or dinner they pay the bill. If you are feeling this situation is about to happen shift credit cards out of your wallet by going to the bathroom or while sitting at the table. The scam artists can be working with the restaurant and the restaurant will ask you to pay with a credit card. Another sign if it is a scam is if they ask to follow you to a bank or back to your hotel to get additional money to pay them back. These people can come on very nice and come off as very nice people. If they want to follow you back to your hotel or hostel have them wait in the lobby and do not return. These people will likely avoid confrontation and eventually leave. These cases tend to happen mainly when you are alone. But, if you do not have any plans and want to exploit the exchange rate, it is not the worst idea. In any case, be nice and refuse politely, that will do the job for you.
* Do not follow any "students" or Chinese "tourists" wanting to show you something. They are most likely scammers or semi-scammers. Examples include "art students" who bring you to their "school exhibition" and pressure you to buy "art" (typically the same silk paintings which are sold all over Beijing) at insanely inflated prices. Tea sampling is another scam. It is free to sample tea for locals, but for tourists...you should ask. Always get prices in advance and keep the menu if you are concerned. In one incident, after sampling 5 types of tea with two "students", a group of tourists were confronted with a bill for ¥1,260! They even produced an English menu with the extortionate prices for sampling. Young attractive female "students" also try to lure male tourists to shops, restaurants or night clubs. The prices at such places can be extremely high for basically nothing."
* Fake alcohol can sometimes be a problem even at expensive restaurants or clubs. If one buys alcohol from a cart or sidewalk vendor, likelihood increases. Not uncommon for cigarettes purchased from sidewalk vendors to be counterfeit -- if what you're buying is 20% of the cost seen in a legitimate store with a proper business license, it should not surprise.
* Watch out for rickshaw scams around the tourist destinations. Take care when offered a ride in a rickshaw (pedicab). Make sure you and your driver know where you are going to be taken in advance and agree on a price in writing. The popular rickshaw scam is that you negotiate the very low price for a ride (could be as low as ¥5), and after a ride the rickshaw asks for ¥500 and gets out the laminated card listing the routes and prices. Rickshaw drivers generally charge ¥5 or ¥10 more than a taxi for short distances. It could be more for longer ones.
* Be wary of fake money. You may observe Chinese people inspecting their money carefully, and with a reason: there are a lot of counterfeit bills in circulation. This is less of issue in Beijing but still keep that in mind. The most common are 100's and 50's. A few tips for identifying counterfeit bills:
* Be very careful if someone wants to give back the largest currency bill (¥50 and ¥100) by the excuse of "no change". In an attempt to pass you a counterfeit bill they may tell you that they have lowered the price in your benefit. Or, they may ask you to contribute an additional sum in order to pass you the ¥100. If they give you back all the change money plus the coins on top (though coins are rare in Beijing) take your time to check each bill carefully.
* Another version of the above trick is when a vendor refuses to accept your ¥100 bill claiming that it's fake. The truth is most likely that he took your genuine bill and discreetly changed it for a fake one which he now is trying to give back to you. Hard to prove unless you saw the swap. This is especially common in taxis. If your ¥100 bill is from an ATM, do not give the taxi driver a new bill if he says the first one is a fake. He has likely switched your original ¥100 bill with a counterfeit, and will continue to do so with every new ¥100 bill you attempt to pay him with.
* Attempt to pay taxi fare with the smallest denomination bills as possible. If paying with a ¥100 for a ¥20 ride, for example, may result in a counterfeit ¥50 as part of your change.
* To check any ¥50 and ¥100 bill you get, do this: most importantly, check the paper. If its torn, thin or very slippery, ask for a different bill. Next, check the watermark, it should blur out softly. If there are hard visible corners in the watermark, reject the bill. Last, check the green "100" imprint on the lower left corner. It should be clearly painted on the bill so you can both feel and see a relief. If its missing or not feelable, reject the bill also. Rejecting bills is not considered impolite. It is perfectly acceptable to hand back a bill and ask for a different one. If the vendor gets upset, you should consider cancelling the purchase and moving on. If the colouring of a banknote is faded, it does not necessarily mean it is fake.
*Some price quotes for massages will not include oil but if not refused beforehand, may be added to your bill without your consent.
* Be careful when buying from Muslim peddlers stands. They sell some kind of an Altai dessert (made with sugar, walnuts, peanuts, almonds etc.) but they slice very big pieces and they'll force you (by their knives) to pay for it (1 kg costs more than ¥120). When you ask for them to slice it, take into consideration this dessert is much more dense than it looks (hence weighs a lot more than you think).
Traffic can be crazy in Beijing, and reckless driving is fairly normal. Loud, persistent honking is commonplace. It is simply another way to indicate that the driver is there. Be prepared for drivers to violate traffic laws even to the extent of going in reverse on highways to back up to a missed exit or driving on a sidewalk. Also expect occasional road debris (a piece of wood or torn out tire) to be laying in the roadway. At night, be careful of missing manhole covers or road work taking place without warning or without proper illumination at night. Pedestrians should be very careful crossing the street people will generally stop for you, but they will honk. Keep an eye on the locals and cross with them - there is strength in numbers. Also note some construction trucks will abuse the speed limit and also are known to at times ignore traffic signals. Proceed when clear, not necessarily when the traffic light is green.
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Emergency telephone numbers
Police: 110.
* Medical care: 120.
* Fire alarm: 119.
Remember these three telephone numbers, and they are valid in almost entire mainland China. If you speak in English, you'll be transferred to a translator but keep it simple.
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Good bilingual maps are hard to find in Beijing. Free maps are offered by good hotels, but with a scale of about 1cm=1km they give a general outline and not enough detail to explore by foot.
Air pollution has traditionally been a big problem in Beijing as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area has a lot of industrial production. Coal burning (used to generate majority of energy and heat), automobile exhaust, and dust storms from the Gobi desert combine to make some of the worst city air problems. In winter the cold air creates an inversion layer and traps the pollution in the city. A white surgical face mask may help with the occasional dust storms. A much higher-grade filter is needed to prevent 2.5 micrometer particulates (known as PM 2.5) from entering the body. Tourist are strongly recommend to check hourly and daily reports of air quality index (http://aqicn.org/city/beijing/) to know when a mask is necessary.
The government has implemented various measures to attempt to combat with the man-made and natural air quality issues.
Beijing's water supplies are monitored, but it is better to drink filtered or bottled water.
For general health and food advice see the main [wiki=ae54a5c026f31ada088992587d92cb3a#Stay_healthy]China[/wiki] article.
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Post office
Many available throughout the city which can post international mail.
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Internet access
Internet is highly restricted in China. Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and most Western news websites are completely blocked, and it is not uncommon for many foreign websites not to load. Examples of partially blocked sites include Wikipedia, Blogspot, and Tumblr. To circumvent this problem you can purchase a commercial VPN to tunnel out of the firewall. These can cost from free to ~¥120 per month. Be aware that free versions have security holes and can increase your chances of getting hacked.
Free WiFi can be found in all sorts of chain and independent cafes and fast food restaurants, and many sit-down restaurants as well. These cafes can look like restaurants from the outside, but most any place that is called a cafe will have WiFi. WiFi is also common in hostels and hotels. Faster connections may be available for a small fee.
Terminal 3 has a wireless network "Airport WiFi (FREE)". Passengers need to register for an account and then be granted five hours of use.
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Laundry
Laundry is inexpensive to be done in Beijing, as are some dry cleaning shops. Other dry cleaners near embassy areas or the [wiki=4d2c8380f11efb413737d1513d01ae4e]CBD[/wiki] may be of higher quality, or simply of higher cost. If near Peking University, try Jingquan laundry service next to several dormitories in the southwest corner of the campus. There is also a pickup and delivery service called [url=http://www.laundrytown.com]Laundry Town[/url].
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Embassies
[wiki_table=170261ce]
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Representative offices
*
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Long distance cyclist-tourists will find national road 109 is a pleasant way to enter or leave Beijing, though lots of work. It immediately enters steep hills on the edge of the city, but sees little traffic, is well maintained and passes though lovely landscape of farmland and forests. It's remarkable how close to Beijing you are, and how far it feels.
* [wiki=fe3697ee52d5d2841541ce5808afea1c]Tianjin[/wiki] - Around 30 minutes away by bullet train, Tianjin is one of four municipalities within China and contrasts with the capital due to its colonial European influence. Tianjin even has a charming Little Italy area in addition to other interesting historical sites.
* [wiki=bb6a72b6a93150d4181e50496fc15f5a]Mongolia[/wiki] - There is an international train K23 from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar on Monday or Tuesday every week (28 May, 2013 - 27 May, 2014 Every Tuesday Departure). Price is from USD300. Different from China domestic train ticket, K23 ticket only can buy from travel agent. You can inquire the ticket of [url=http://www.meettravelexpert.com/book-international-trains-from-beijing-to-ulaanbaatar-or-moscow.html]K3 from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar[/url] in advance here.
If you intend to take the Trans-Siberian-Railway to Mongolia you can take a overnight sleeper bus from e.g. Muxiyuan Long Distance Bus Station (木樨园长途客运站) to Inner Mongolia Erlian (二连) (¥180). Note that bus tickets can only be purchased at day of departure. To cross the border from Erlian (二连) to Zamyn Uud (扎门乌德):
"2) Crossing the border by bus
Buses from Erlian to Zamyn-Uud leave from Erlian bus station on the corner of Chaha’er Street and Youyi Lu near to the Mongolian Consulate. At the time of writing, there is a bus at 13:30 and at least one more later in the afternoon around 15:00. Taking the 13:30 bus should give you enough time to get on the 17:35 Zamyn-Uud to Ulaanbaatar train. This is subject to tickets being available when you arrive in Zamyn-Uud. If you arrive in the afternoon, may be unlikely.
The process when taking the bus is pretty much the same as when taking the jeep, only since more people have to get off the bus, go through immigration, and get back on the bus again, it takes a little longer. That said, you should be able to get from Erlian to Zamyn-Uud in around two hours. ¥40 plus the same ¥5 exit tax.
Four hours by train or bus or two hours by car, visit the former imperial retreat of Chengde (256 km/159 mi northeast of Beijing).
*[wiki=5feb168ca8fb495dcc89b1208cdeb919]Russia[/wiki] - There are two all-year-around Trans-Siberian trains from Beijing to Moscow. One is K3 which reach Moscow via Ulaanbaatar,departing on Wednesday every week. The other one is K19 which departs from Beijing on Saturday every week, reaching Moscow via Manchuria. Same as K23, these tickets are only can purchase from travel agent. You can purchase [url=http://www.meettravelexpert.com/book-international-trains-from-beijing-to-ulaanbaatar-or-moscow.html]the Trans-Siberian tickets from Beijing to Moscow[/url] in advance.
* [wiki=78fb473f134eed43c959f9ebdeeb4050]Beijing[/wiki], [url=http://www.Beijing3D.com]Map]of places to stay and visit in Beijing.
* [[Pingyao[/url]]
* [wiki=0161bb061215dd12cf010e11e2031971]Xian[/wiki]
[[WikiPedia:Beijing]]
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