Beijing

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Travel Guide Asia China Beijing

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Introduction

Mao is still watching the Forbidden City

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Beijing (北京), the capital of China, is looking much more into the future than into the past. Nowadays, it is a city crowded with tourists from China and all over the world. But just a stone's throw away in the past, the city was hardly ever visited by any foreigners. Since 1989, many things have changed and Beijing has been growing into a huge metropolitan area with around 16 million people living on a vast, expanding area. The old residential neighbourhoods, the Hutongs, have been almost entirely replaced by apartment buildings and shopping malls and the road system seems to change almost every day!

The city doesn't look as modern as Hong Kong or Shanghai, but it remains one of the most important cities in China from a cultural and political standpoint. The Forbidden Palace, in front of Tiananmen square, is a good example; but hidden between the high rise buildings and 10-lane motorways are some other magnificent examples of culture and religion, like the Temple of Heaven and the Temple of the Sleeping Buddha.

Close to the city are other significant historical attractions like the Ming Tombs and of course the biggest structure on earth ever built by humans: The Great Wall of China.

All these attractions deserve at least a week to visit, that is if you don't want to taste all the delicious food you can get in Beijing!

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Sights and Activities

Beijing

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Tiananmen Area

• Tiananmen Square is the main square in Beijing. If up in the early morning, a great activity is to watch the flag raising at sunrise.
• The Forbidden City -
• The Great Hall of the People is where the peoples congress meets. If you're interested in communist architecture this is a must see sight.
• Chairman Mao Mausoleum is in the middle of Tiananmen Square and is where Mao's body lies. It is also one of the few sights in China that is actually free to enter!
• Qianmen was built in 1419 and previously was the front gate to the inner ancient city of Beijing.
• Beijing Imperial City Art Museum opened its doors in June 2003, for Beijings application for the World Cultural Heritages and displays the history of the Ming Dynasty.

South of the City Centre

• [listing name=The Temple of Heaven type=sight price=To enter the park is only RMB10, for a ticket that allows you to see all the sights is around RMB100.]The Temple of Heaven is a stunning temple where the Emperor would go to pray to the gods for good times. The Temple of Heaven is located in the Temple of Heaven Park and there are several other interesting sights there that date back to the Qing and Ming dynasty. Price: Entrance price is 80 RMB per adult. The Forbidden City was the winter palace to the Emperor from the Ming Dynasty till the Republic. Be aware that the Forbidden City is under renovation with signs stating that they would be ongoing until 2020, they have reduced the entrance price to reflect this but several of the major halls are off limits. [/listing

North of the City Centre

• Beihai Park is a nice park north of the Forbidden City. There are several bars and restaurants located around the southern lakes. The northern lakes enter very quiet hutong neighborhoods and locals can be spotted fishing in the lakes.
• The Summer Palace - This is a stunning palace with an amazing lake. The palace is about 12 kilometres outside of Beijing.
• Great Wall of China is one of the most famous sights in China and very easy to get to from Beijing. Remember to choose a section of the Great Wall that will make you happy because the different sections can be completely different. The closest section of badaling is very touristy and can be extremely crowded with tour buses.
• Hutongs - Hutongs are the old residential neighborhood which are narrow chaotic and lots of fun. Slowly disappearing in the name of development many people around the world are calling for their preservation. Luckily some areas have been saved but many of the hutongs are losing their working class feel as the land is just becoming too valuable. Many wealthier Chinese are buying the traditional homes from the Qing and Ming dynasty that were divided up under the communist to rebuild grand mansions. This time with indoor plumbing, air conditioning and garages.

West of the City Centre

• Miaoying Temple Dagoba - Miaoying Temple Dagoba is a nice Yuan Dynasty temple located at Fuchengmennei Dajie. The highlight of this temple is the large collection of Tibetan style bronzes and statues. There are decent English translations. Address: Fuchengmennei Dajie, Hours: 9:00am to 4:00pm

East of the City Centre

• Dongyue Temple - This a very nice traditional Taoist temple and has good English translations. There are several Taoist Hades ranging from the Department for Wandering Ghosts to the Department of Hell. The best time to visit is during Chinese New Year. Address: 141 Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, Hours: 9:00am to 4:30pm Tuesday-Sunday
• Xiushui Silk Market - Xiushui Silk Market is located on Xiushui Shichang right off of Jianguomenwai Dajie near the Jianguomenwai subway stop. This market is a clothes shoppers dreams. It has everything from the finest silks to the best knock-off designer goods. Bargaining is a necessary here but very difficult because of the all tourists that forget to do it. Just be prepared walk away a couple of times or come early in the morning. There are a lot of pickpockets at the Silk Market so watch your belongings closely.
• 798 Art Zone is the center of the art scene in Beijing and is located at 4 jiuxianqiao street, Chaoyang District.

Events and Festivals

Beijing countdown clock

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• Chinese New Year (22 Jan 2014) - Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year (as it is the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar) and Spring Festival, signifies the beginning of a new year for the Chinese. Fireworks, dragon dancing, lion dancing and other performances occur in parks and streets. Houses are cleaned to drive away ill-fortune, making room for good luck in the new year. Feasts of dumplings and spring rolls are eaten and red paper-cuts decorate windows and doors!
• Beijing International Marathon (October) - Beijing International Marathon, held annually in October, is one of China’s most prestigious international races, notably for its start at the Tiananmen Square. It's been going since 1981 and attracts nearly 5,000 runners.
• Mid-autumn Festival (September or October) - Mid-autumn Festival[/b] is a harvest festival celebrated by the Chinese for over 3,000 years. It is a very important festival to the Chinese and is closely linked to the moon, so remember that it is tradition to eat Mooncakes, just watch out for the spicy ones or the ones with shredded pork on the inside! It is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar, which is usually around mid or late September.
• National Day (01 Oct 2013) - National Day celebrates the day the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949 and is celebrated as a National Holiday all over China. In recent years, the Chinese Government extended the National Day Holiday to one week’s time, which was called the Golden Week. It is intended to help expand the domestic tourism market and allow people time to make long-distance family visits.
• Dragon Boat Festival (Fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar) - Also known as Duanwu Festival, it is a traditional holiday where rice dumplings and other traditional foods are consumed, as well as racing dragon boats! Dragon Boats have been used for spiritual and competitive purposes for over 5,000 years in China and approximately 20 million people go out on boats during the festival. The dates for the next Dragon Boat Festivals are: 2013: June 12th, 2014: June 2nd, 2015: June 20th, 2016: June 9th, 2017: May 30th, 2018: June 18th.
• Beijing Kite Festival (April) - It is a tradition dating back to over 100 years and attracts kite flying teams from all over the world. The opening ceremony is particularly impressive with dragon dances, music and amazing kite displays. The Chinese Dragon kite is the most impressive to witness, but many others show beautiful designs of artistic craftsmanship. Address: Men Tou Gou (Western Suburb)
• Double Ninth Festival (Chongyang Jie) - It falls on the 9th day of the 9th month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar (hence the name). Chrysanthemum wine and cakes are eaten on this day to detoxify and help drive evil spirits away. Respect to the elderly is given through gifts. As it's held in the mild climate of autumn, hiking and walking in the natural landscape is enjoyed as well.
• Lantern Festival (Yuanxiao Jie) (15th day of the first lunar month) - "The Feast of the Full Moon" is full of fun! It's supposed to bring light and warmth of the sun after the cold winter months and prayers for rain for the spring plantation are done. Paper lanterns are everywhere, in all shapes and sizes. There are also exquisite expensive silken lanterns with historical scenes painted on. Of course lavish feasting is had too, and lots of face painting and lion dancing.
• Tomb Sweeping Festival (Qingming Jie) (April) - This day is in mourning of the dead and is an important festival where people offer sacrifices to their ancestors. The day before, the Chinese eat cold food and then on the day they go to the graves and pay their respects. People visit the graves of their ancestors and tidy up the place by removing weeds and leaves: "Tomb Sweeping". Beijing's most famous cemetery, Babaoshan, is usually crowded around Qingming as people come to respect their ancestors.
• Zhongshan Park Tulip Festival Beijing (Spring) - The impressive flowers, trees and rock formations of Zhongshan Park are a constant attraction, but the tulips in their spring full bloom are impressive enough to be held as an annual exhibition. There are around 300,000 tulips that submerge the park! Address: Zhongshan Park

Weather

Except for the summer months, it usually is pretty dry in Beijing. Summer months can be very hot with temperatures up to 40 °C, but average highs being around 30 °C mostly from June to August, nights being around 20 °C. Winter months on the other hand can be bitterly cold with temperatures below -15 °C at night and snow, although not much, is common. Average daytime temperatures from Demceber to February are slightly above zero, while nights are between -7 °C and -10 °C. The best times to visit the city are the spring months of April and May and autumn (October). Precipitation is possible year round but tends to concentrate during the warmer summer period.

Getting There

By Plane

The Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), the city's main airport, is about 32 kilometres northeast of the city centre. It is the sole hub for Air China and also a hub for Hainan Airlines and China Southern Airlines.
Air China flies to dozens of cities, including Bangkok, Dubai, Delhi, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Los Angeles, London, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Madrid, Melbourne, Manila, New York, Paris, Rome, San Francisco, Singapore, Seoul, Taipei, Sydney, Tokyo and Vancouver. Most of the Chinese cities are served as well.
Hainan and China Southern mostly have domestic flights, but among the two there are also flights to Amsterdam, Brussels, Berlin, Moscow, Seattle, Hanoi, Phuket, Phnom Penh, Tehran and St. Petersburg.
Dozens of other airlines serve Beijing as well, with additional destinations not mentioned above being cities like Kiev, Almaty, Auckland, Osaka, Chicago, Vienna, Cairo, Tel Aviv, Jakarta, Doha, Copenhagen, Istanbul and Tashkent, among many others.

The airport is accessible by four express tollways:

• The Airport Expressway is a 20-kilometre-long toll road that runs from the northeastern 3rd Ring Road at Sanyuanqiao directly to Terminals 1 and 2. It was built in the 1990s and has served as the primary road connection to the city.
• The 2nd Airport Expressway, opened in 2008, is a 15.6-kilometre-long toll road that runs east from Yaojiayuan Lu at the eastern 5th Ring Road and then north to Terminal 3.
• The Northern Airport Line, opened in 2006, is an 11.3-kilometre-long toll road that runs east from the Jingcheng Expressway to Terminals 1 and 2.
• The Southern Airport Line, opened in 2008, is a toll road that runs parallel and to the south of the Northern Airport Line from the Jingcheng Expressway to the eastern Sixth Ring Road at the Litian Bridge. This highway crosses the Airport Expressway and 2nd Airport Expressway, and enables drivers on the former to reach Terminal 3 and the latter to head to Terminals 1 and 2.

In addition to the expressways, there is a tree-lined, two-lane road that runs just south of the Airport Expressway. This Old Airport Road was the primary access route to the airport prior to the expressway's opening and remains the only untolled road to the airport.

Beijing Capital International Airport is served by the Airport Express Line of the Beijing Subway. The 28.1-kilometre-long line runs from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2 and then to the city with stops at Sanyuanqiao and Dongzhimen. It was opened on July 19, 2008, in time for the 2008 Olympics. A one-way trip takes approximately 16–20 minutes.

The airport also offers six different shuttle bus routes to and from various points in Beijing, including Xidan, Fangzhuang, the Beijing Railway Station, Zhongguancun and the Nanyuan Airport. There are several buses to different areas of Beijing including the Beijing International Hotel. These buses range in price although are usually around RMB20 to 40. There is even a direct bus to the neighboring city of Tianjin. Check the Routes and Schedules. A taxi should cost between RMB60 and 100 depending on traffic and where in Beijing someone goes.

Beijing Nanyuan Airport (NAY) is mainly a military airport, but China United Airlines serves a growing number of domestic flights.

By Train

Busy station

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There are two main train stations in Beijing. Between these two train stations you can get direct trains to almost every major city in China. There are also several international trains to cities including Moscow, Ulan Bator and Hanoi. There is even talk of creating a direct train to Kazakhstan. For more information read the articles Trans-Siberian Railway and International trains. Remember both of these train stations are pretty far from each other so double check your ticket before grabbing a taxi. Many popular destinations, such as Xi'an, have daily departures from both of the main train stations. There is also one train a day to Lhasa, depending on the time of the year.

All of the train stations can seem pretty crazy most of the year round. It might be worth having your hostel or hotel book a ticket for you instead of making the trip yourself. It is easy to lose half a day trying to buy tickets at a Beijing train station. Or buy tickets for your next city when you arrive in Beijing instead of making a separate trip.

• Beijing Train Station (北京火车站) is the main train station in Beijing. The train station looks like it is straight out of a communist text book and is massive in scale. It is located slightly east of the city center and has subway access on line 1 (or the circle line) at the Beijing Zhan stop. This train station has international trains to Moscow and Ulan Bator. Remember there is a ticket office for foreigners in the northwest corner of the 1st floor.
• Beijing West Train Station (北京火车西站) is also a very important train station in Beijing. This train station has a neo-imperial Chinese architectural style to it. Most of the trains going to the west of China leave out this train station. This train station is located pretty far west of the city centre so give plenty of time to travel there. Many of the trains going to Vietnam or Hong Kong leave from this station. There is a ticket office for foreigners on the 2nd floor that is open 24 hours a day. If you're craving one last Western fix before heading out into the sticks of China, there is a McDonald's in the waiting area.
• Beijing South Train Station (北京火车南站) or Beijing North Train Station (北京火车北站) also has trains to cities closer to Beijing. Both of these train stations are located on the Second Ring Road.

By Car

There are several expressways leading to and from Beijing. Most of them are toll roads and the tolls cost as much as European tolls. Because of this there tends to be little traffic on the expressways. At night be prepared for lots and lots of big industrial trucks. A driver can take side roads to avoid the tolls but this is technically illegal. Many small towns will charge an unofficial toll if you drive through their town, which is a fraction of the expressway toll.

By Bus

There are over 12 bus stations in Beijing. The best thing to do is to ask someone, at your hotel or hostel, what bus station you should go to for which city. It is pretty easy to buy bus tickets day of. Rarely you might need to buy a bus ticket the day before.

By Boat

Beijing's international sea port is outside of Tianjin in Tangu. There are direct trains and buses to Tangu. Although it might be easier to connect in Tianjin than to go to Tangu.

Getting Around

By Car

Traffic is terrible in Beijing! Never ride a taxi or drive a car during rush hour, you will be in parking lot traffic the entire time. The taxi's have a flagfall of RMB10 and go up. There used to be different prices depending on the quality of the taxi but that is no longer happening. Another option is riding on the back of a motorbike. This can be much quicker because the motorbikes can go in the bike lanes. Just remember that all pay for motorbike rides are technically illegal. (Note: motorbikes have been banned from the city areas.)

By Subway

Beijing Subway

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Subway is a very easy way to get around the city. Other then line 1 and line 2 you pay per every few stops (most journeys now cost a flat RMB2, tickets easily bought from either the ticket counter or vending machines) The several subway lines can get you around the city pretty easily. It is also the only way to avoid the horrible Beijing traffic. (There are now 5 lines operating, 13 are scheduled during the Olympics)

By Bus

There are countless public buses in Beijing. Just remember you pay different amounts depending on the distance. Usually the ticket seller is walking around the bus in a purple uniform, most journeys cost between RMB1-2.

By Foot

Walking around Beijing can be great, especially in the Hutongs. Beijing is a huge city so walking the entire time is very difficult. Also during the summer the heat can be so intense that an AC taxicab sounds amazing. Be aware though that because Beijing is changing rapidly, even the newest of maps can be wrong with some roads not shown, resulting in the tourist getting hopelessly lost! Try and get an up to date map when you arrive.

By Bike

The charm of riding a bike around Beijing is starting to fade. The side streets can still be very quiet and charming. But all the main roads have become clogged with tons of cars. Many of the main roads have bike lanes, which can make it easier, but still the constant pollution from cars can be a little too much to handle. If you do decide to rent a bike remember to always pay someone to watch it. In the last 4 years electric push bikes have become increasingly popular, watch out they are silent!

Eat

Megabite meal

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Beijing being the capital has different restaurants from all over China and the world. Just try to mix it up some. Eat at some fancy restaurants and some tasty crowded food stalls. Try to avoid restaurants near touristy areas and only eat in places that are crowded. Many of the the western bars, such as rickshaw, have good western food.

Many shopping malls have their own versions of foodcourts, such as Food Forum, Food Republic etc. they are either in the basement or on the upper floors. Most have an IC card system, where you pre-purchase a card (with a deposit) with any amount of RMB of your choosing, this can be topped up at any time, to use when buying food from the various stalls. At the end of your stay you can redeem the card, your deposit and what ever money you have left on the card. Some cards are interchangeable between malls.

• Cafe Sambal - Cafe Sambal[/b] - For great selections of authentic Malaysian cuisine and flavours. It is located in the Xicheng district. Hours: 11:30am to 12 midnight
• Donhuamen Night Market - Donhuamen Night Market[/b] - For a huge selection of grilled meats, vegetables and scorpians! And many other yummy things too!
• Oriental Plaza Shopping mall - Oriental Plaza Shopping mall[/b] has a huge food court which has plenty of cheap eats and is very popular with middle class locals. One place in this food court is called Megabite and it is seriously good value. You get huge, wholesome portions of meat and veg with rice for under RMB25. The best thing is that all stalls have the dishes on display, so for non Mandarin speakers it is very easy to order. Address: 1 Dongchang'an Jie

Drink

Bars

bla bla bar in Beijing

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There are bars spread out all over the city and their popularity changes greatly with the times. There are few bar streets though that always have something fun going on. If in town for only a few days just go to one of the bar streets and explore.

• Sanlitun Bar Street - Sanlitun Bar Street. pronounced Sanlatur, is one of the main bar streets. Beers can be a little pricey depending on the place ranging from RMB20-40 for a big class. There are three main sections of Sanlitun. The easiest is north and south off of Gongti Beilu but there is another section just west of the north section. Just follow one of the side streets going west. Here are a few recommendations but there are countless other bars to choose from.
• Rickshaw - Rickshaw is a great bar located just south of Gongti Beilu on Sanlitun. This bar offers nice western food and during the summer has an amazing outdoor eating and drinking area. They even have a beer pong table for people that like to play drinking games.
• The Bookworm - The Bookworm is library, bookstore, restaurant and bar all added together! Although not the ideal place for a wild night out, it is a great place to relax and pick up some new reading material. The Bookworm is located right off the southern section of Sanlitun.
• The Poachers Inn - The Poachers Inn is a great british pub located on the western side-street of Sanlitun.
• Nanluogu Xiang - Nanluogu Xiang is a great budget bar street, with several restaurants. Located in one of the Hutongs this is a very nice relaxed place to have a beer. Many of the bars are converted courtyard homes and have roof decks for drinking. The beer in general is pretty cheap, for Beijing, and around RMB10-15 a bottle.
• Houhai Lake - Houhai Lake has several bars and restaurants aimed at Chinese tourists and locals. Although with the best view of all the bar streets this place can get a little overwhelming. It is recommended to go early in the evening and enjoy the sunset over the lakes before moving on to different bars. This is also a great date spot.

Nightclubs

• Vics and Mics - Vics and Mics are two of the largest nightclubs in Beijing. They are located at the north gate of the workers stadium. This place is packed every night of the week and can have a hefty cover charge.

Sleep

Budget

• Templeside House Hostel - Templeside House Hostel has 2 'Hutong style' accomodation located in the XiCheng District.
• The Qianmen Hostel - The Qianmen Hostel is a nice hostel with free wi-fi internet and a decent restaurant serving cheap food. They offer shared and private rooms with TV. Address: No. 33 Meishi Street, Qianmen, Xuanwu District

Mid-Range

Many of the budget youth hostels and guesthouses have mid-range private rooms. Some of these rooms are in traditional courtyard homes. Others are pretty standard hotel rooms.

Upscale

• The Grand Hyatt in Beijing is at 1 East Chang An Avenue and is a great luxury hotel within walking distance from Tiananmen Square and Beijing's main shopping street. The restaurant has a full Asian and Western menu with stunning service. Because it is a very top end hotel the rooms are New York/Tokyo prices.
• The Emperor Hotel
• Beijing Hotel
• Hilton Beijing Wangfujing
• Marco Polo Parkside, Beijing
• The Regent Beijing
• Raffles Beijing Hotel
• Beijing Marriott Hotel City Wall
• Hotel Kunlun

Work

Unless you want to be an English teacher, have particular skill or speak fluent Chinese, finding work in Beijing can be difficult. It is possible to find low end sales jobs working for real estate companies but these jobs can be very difficult. If you really want to work in Beijing, and not have any of the above qualifications, it is best to set up camp and take any job that comes your way not matter how bad the pay is. Or go to a remote part of China and study Chinese for a year and come back.

Learn

Beijing - Chairman Mao outside the Agricultural University

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There are countless universities in Beijing. The most famous ones are listed below and are some of the universities that offer classes to foreigners:

• Peking University (北京大学) is considered the best university in China except in physical science and engineering.
• Tsinghua University (清华大学) is China's premier science university and is compared to MIT in the United States.
• Renmin University of China (中国人民大学) is considered one of China's best schools in law, social science and the humanities.
• Beijing Normal University (北京师范大学) has an excellent teaching Chinese to foreigners program.
• Learn Chinese in China - Hutong School (胡同学校) - A foreign managed Chinese school, famous for its tradicional courtyard in a Hutong Area. Provides Internships and accommodation to international students.

Keep Connected

Internet

There are several Wangba (联网) in every area of Beijing. Just walk a little bit away from a tourist sight and you can find one very quickly. Several hostels now have free wi-fi internet in their rooms for those travelling with laptops.

Telephone

See also: International Telephone Calls

Post

It is best to ask your hostel, guesthouse or hotel staff were the nearest post office is. China Post (中国邮政) is the official postal service of the People's Republic of China, operated by the State Postal Bureau of the People's Republic of China (website in Chinese only), and has more details about price to send letters, postcards and parcels, both domestically as well as internationally. The Chinese postal service is very good. Remember that in more remote places usually only one post office in a city can handle sending international boxes or letters. Also many times it might be worth having the name of the country you are trying to send to in Chinese characters. Post offices have a striking green logo and can easily be found everywhere in the cities. They are mostly open every day (including weekends!) from 8:00am to 6:00pm, though small offices might have shorter opening times, while the bigger ones in central and touristic areas are sometimes open during evenings as well.

Around Beijing

• Ming Tombs (明朝十三陵) are stunning tombs about 50 kilometres outside of Beijing.

External Links

• Beijing Municipal Government (Official site)
• EBeijing (official English website)
• Beijing Page