Introduction

Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China. Beijing lies in the north of the North China Plain. Mountains encircle the city's north, west and northeast, while the southeast part of the city is a plain that slopes gently toward the coast. The city is well known for its flatness and regular construction. Beijing belongs to the warm temperate zone with a semi-humid climate. It has four distinctive seasons, with short springs and autumns while summers and winters are always long. Annual temperatures average 12.8℃. January is the coldest month with an average temperature of -6℃, and July the hottest month with an average temperature of 29℃. It was the seat of the Ming and Qing dynasty emperors until the formation of a republic in 1911. It is rich in historical sites and important government institutions. Beijing made history in 2008 with the first Olympic Games ever to be held in China.

Travel to Beijing

Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) is located to the northeast of the central districts, 26 km from the city centre. The airport has three terminals as follows:

Terminal 1: Hainan Airlines.

Terminal 2: China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Skyteam.

Terminal 3: Air China, Shanghai Airlines, Oneworld, Star Alliance.

Travel between Terminals 1 and 2 is via a long corridor with travelators. A free shuttle bus runs between Terminal 2 and terminal 3. Terminal 3 is new and is massive (one of the biggest terminals in the world).

Taxi from the airport to the city centre will cost CNY70-120. Make sure the driver uses the meter or you will pay more. As most drivers cannot understand English, it is recommended to have the name of your hotel or address of destination written in Chinese (Mandarin).

Airport Express Train runs in a one-way loop from T3 to T2/T1 then Sanyuanqiao station (transfer to metro line 10) and Dongzhimen station (transfer to metro lines 2, 13). The train takes about 20 minutes from Dongzhimen to T3 and another 10 minutes to T2 [one-way fare CNY25]. Note: Use the free shuttle bus to travel between T2 and T3 (the train costs CNY25).

Airport Shuttle buses travel to the city centre every 10-30 minutes. This is the least expensive option to get to the city. There are several lines running to different locations throughout Beijing. [one-way trip is CNY16].

Public Bus & Subway is the cheapest way to get the city. Take public bus #359 from the airport to Dongzhimen station and change to the subway lines 2 or 13, but this can be slow and inconvenient.

Shuttle Buses - Many luxury hotels have their own complimentary shuttle buses services - ask your hotel if they will provide a complimantary transfer.

Local Transport

It is recommended, before embarking on a trip around the city, to have hotel staff write the names of places you want to visit in Chinese so you can show taxi drivers where you want to go.

Crossing the road in China is difficult even when using a pedestrian crossing. Be very careful crossing the road and assume that nobody will give way to you on a pedestrian crossing, even if a policeman is present.

Subway Train is probably the best way to get around the city as it is cheap, quick and signs are in English for travellers. The subway system operates from 5am to midnight but it is recommended to avoid peak hour as the trains are very crowded. Subway tickets start at ¥2 and there is a pre-paid card available with a ¥20 refundable deposit.

Taxis are reasonably priced but make sure the driver uses the meter or you will pay more. As most drivers cannot understand English, it is recommended to have the name of your hotel or address of destination written in Chinese (Mandarin). Be aware that many taxi drivers are often recent arrivals from the countryside and do not know the city well. Avoid travel in peak hours as Beijing's traffic is often congested resulting in long delays. Taxis can be hired for the day or half a day at a fixed price. Ask your hotel to hire a cab for you, it will cost about costs ¥400-600 per day. Be aware of fake taxis that try to take advantage of tourists.To avoid being scammed, have hotel staff explain the direction, distance and cost of you taxi journey.

Local Bus system is good in Beijing as many new buses were commissioned in preparation for the Olympics. The buses are cheap, convenient and cover the entire city, however, the bus system is difficult for foreigners to use as nothing is in English. If you are visiting Beijing for a longer period it would be useful to learn about the bus system but generally short term visitors are best to use the subway and taxis.

Car hire is available in China to foreigners, however it is not recommended as there is a lot of traffic and street signs are in Chinese only. Rental car hire fees and deposits can be very expensive. A better alternative is to rent a car with a driver, although this is also expensive.

Money

The Yuan or Renminbi (literally "people's currency") is the legal tender in the mainland of the People's Republic of China. It is issued by the People's Bank of China (PBOC, central bank). The official abbreviation is CNY, although also commonly abbreviated as "RMB".

Language

English is spoken by people in the tourism business. Many staff at hotels, shops, restaurants and museums will speak English.

Beijing Accommodation

There are many Western-style hotels in Beijing and are generally 3 star and above, all have English-speaking staff. Most of Beijing’s accommodation can be found in the city centre or close by.

Safety

Beijing is a very safe city. However, tourists have been preyed upon by cheats and touts mainly in the tourist areas of the inner city, around Tiananmen Square, and at the Great Wall.

Avoid cheap organized tours as visitors are taken on a shopping tour and asked to purchase merchandise before being taken to the final destination. Avoid students wanting to show you around or sampling tea as often they are trying to scam you. Be wary of fake money as there are a lot of counterfeit bills in circulation. Try to give the correct money and avoid handing over a large bill expecting the correct change.

Beijing Attractions

Tiananmen Square was built by Chairman Mao Zedong to be the largest square in the world and is infamous for the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. At one end of the square is Mao's mausoleum and at the opposite end is the entrance to the Forbidden City. Tiananmen Square is an amazing place to visit and people-watch especially visitors from all over China, many visiting their capital for the first time. [Entrance to the Mausoleum is free, no cameras allowed]

Forbidden City (the Palace Museum) showcases the magnificence and grandeur of the Imperial Chinese court during the height of its power in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Only one third of the area of the palace is open to the public but the Forbidden City remains a great spectacle and is very well preserved. There are signs in English posted on buildings describing their significance and visitors can rent an audio guided tour which explains each building or temple. [Open daily 8.30am, Entrance fee Adult CNY60, Subway line 1 to Tiananmen West or Tiananmen East, Bus 101,109 or 810]

Great Wall Of China is the most famous tourist attraction in China and can be visited from Beijing on a half day trip. The Badaling section of the wall is the closest but is usually crowded with tourists and is the most over-restored section of the wall. There is a ski lift taking visitors up to the top of the wall and a toboggan (or ski lift) down. In the summer bring a bottle of water as it is expensive to purchase at the wall. [Take a taxi or a coach tour, Adult ticket to climb the wall is CNY40]

Temple of Heaven is a sacred site where the emperor went to pray and is surrounded by a massive public park that is very popular with local residents for walking, exercising with tai chi and dancing in the mornings. [Entrance fee ¥15, subway line 5 to the Tiantandongmen Station, many buses pass the park]

Beijing Zoo and Aquarium has Pandas on display and has one of the largest aquariums in the world. The zoo is set in beautiful gardens with lakes and is popular with visitors. [subway line 4, Bus no. 103,105,107,111]

Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution has great displays of military hardware including USA military hardware apparently seized during the Korean conflict. The Museum exhibits tell the official version of Chinese military history, from ancient times up to 1949. [Entrance fee Adult ¥20]

China Aviation Museum has many great aviation exhibits where visitors can board many of the aircraft including Chairman Mao's plane. The museum is located about 50 km outside Beijing in the Changping District and is better known by the name Datangshan. [Open 8am-5.30pm, Entrance fee Adult ¥50, Take a taxi or Bus 912 or 643 from Andingmen station]

Beijing Botanical Gardens are open all year but are best visited in the spring when the gardens host exhibits of tulips, peach and plum blossoms and many other flowers. The gardens are located near the east gate of Fragrant Hill. [Adult ¥10, students ¥5, buses 331, 726]

Fragrant Hills is a beautiful park area located in the northwestern corner of Beijing and was formerly a Qing Dynasty Imperial garden. [Admission Fee Adults ¥10, students ¥5, buses 331, 360 or 634]

History

Some half a million years ago, Peking man lived in the southwestern suburbs of Beijing. The fossil remains of Peking man, his stone tools and evidence of use of fire, as well as later tools of 18,000 years ago, bone needles and articles of adornment from the age of Upper Cave Man are the earliest cultural relics on record in China today.

Beijing first served as the capital of China in 1264 when Kublai Khan's victorious Mongol forces set up what they named the Great Capital to rule their new empire, from a northern location closer to the Mongol homelands.

After the fall of the Mongol Yuan dynasty in 1368, the capital was moved back to Nanjing ("Southern Capital"), but in 1406, the 3rd Ming emperor Zhu Di moved it to Beijing (‘Northern Capital”) again and also gave the city its present name. This was Beijing's golden era when the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and many other Beijing landmarks were built at this time.

Beijing remained the capital into the Qing era and into the revolutionary ferment of the early 1900s, but in the chaos following the abdication of the last Emperor, Beijing was beset by fighting warlords. The Kuomintang thus moved the capital to Nanjing again in 1928, renaming Beijing as Beiping ("Northern Peace") to emphasize that it was no longer a capital. However, the Kuomintang was eventually defeated by the Communists, who in Tiananmen Square on October 1st, 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong proclaimed the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, with Beijing as its capital.

Nightlife and Entertainment

Sanlitun is the main nightlife area in Beijing and is located in Chaoyang district next to the embassy area. There are many restaurants, bars and nightclubs along the main street and side streets.

Hou Hai is a man-made lake surrounded with up-market restaurants and bars in the central part of Beijing. It’s a great place for dinner and a drink.

Wudaokou is popular with foreign and local university students especially Korean students. There are many restaurants, cafes and bars.

Nurenjie is an area situated off Liang Ma Qiao Lu, a short distance north of the US embassy. The area comes alive at night with many bars, restaurants and clubs.

Face Bar at 26 Dongcaoyuan attracts an upmarket clientelle including expats. The bar is decorated with antiques from around Southeast Asia, including opium beds for reclining in the bar area.

The Tree is a café and bar at 43 Bei Sanlitun Nan. It is an excellent place to come during the summer to relax and try refreshing Belgian Beer in the courtyard. It is also popular during the winter with its warm friendly interior, wood fired Pizza Oven and local art on the walls.

The most popular beers in China are Tsingtao and Yanjing (an old name for Beijing).

Dining

One of the highlights of Beijing is the cuisine. Beijing Roast Duck is the most famous specialty and is served at many restaurants across Beijing. Beijing is also known for its lamb hotpot which is typically cooked in a steaming pot in the center of the table. As with many cities restaurants in the city center are more expensive than those further away.

Wangfujing has many quality restaurants and cafes offering all types of food. There is an “eat street" selling many delicious meals such as kebabs and noodle dishes as well as other more bizarre delicacies such as silkworms, scorpions, and various internal organs all skewered on a stick and grilled.

There are many international restaurants in Beijing especially Korean restaurants with the table barbeque where you cook the food yourself.

Tea ceremonies are common at Beijing tea houses but there have been some tourist traps and scams where tourists were greatly overcharged for the privilege.

Try the local fare at a hawker street cart which produce cheap and delicious meals during the morning commute and then opening again in the evening to late at night. The most popular snacks are savory pancakes and kebabs of lamb, beef and chicken.

Beijing has most of the usual American fastfood outlets such as McDonald's and KFC. Coffee shops such as Starbucks are very common in malls and commercial centers. Starbucks provides free wireless internet.

Shopping

Wangfujing is Beijing's most famous shopping street, located to the east of Tiananmen Square, and has many modern shopping malls with a huge range of stylish department stores, showrooms with local and international branded goods.

Oriental Plaza is a large shopping mall located on Wangfujing Street. It has a wide range of merchandise and shopping stores representing some of the finest brand names around the world, as well as a food court serving Western cuisine and traditional Chinese food.

Golden Resources Shopping Mall is one of the largest shopping malls in Asia and has something for everyone in one complex including fashion, food, health and beauty and much more. The mall is located on Yuanda Road off the West Fourth Ring Road in Haidian District.

Hong Qiao Market is a great place to shop for silk, pearls and other semi-precious stones. The market is located close to the Temple of Heaven.

Panjiayuan is a weekend market located near Pan Jia Yuan bridge, on the eastern third ring road. The market includes antiques (mostly fake varieties), porcelain, jade, carved stone and wood, paintings, furniture, and other decorative items and many other items. The market starts early so the best time to visit is in the morning.

Xizhimen is a popular market with locals and an experience for visitors. The market is located next to the Beijing zoo.

Beyond Beijing

Great Wall Of China can be experienced further away from Beijing where visitors have a better view of the wall in a less restored state with fewer crowds. Mutianyu, Jinshanling, Huangshan and Simatai are several hours drive from Beijing and offer great experiences of the wall including extended hiking on the wall. The best way to see the more remote parts of the wall is to hire a taxi for the day.