Beijing Tourism
Getting There
Flights to Beijing land at Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), which is located about 20 km from downtown Beijing. From there, your best bet is take a cab to your hotel, which usually costs between 70-120 RMB. There's also an additional toll of 10 RMB for the airport expressway. It's recommended that you ask your travel agent to write the name of your hotel down on a piece of paper that you can show to the driver, because he probably won't speak English and you probably can't speak Chinese. Make sure the driver turns on the meter! Otherwise, you could be stuck paying whatever the driver feels like charging you.
Getting Around
Buses
Bejing's bus system is called a "hidden treasure," unfortunately for those who don't speak Chinese, it will remain hidden. It's cheap, convenient, and provides transportation to many places, but the drivers speak no English, signs are often unintelligible due to vandalism, and you'll have trouble understanding maps and routes if you don't speak Chinese. If you decide to go for it, they run from 5:30am to 11pm daily, and charges start at 1 yuan. Buses can range from luxurious coach buses to dilapidated pieces of junk with broken seats.
Subway
As an English speaker, the subway is a better bet for getting around. There are four lines: Line 1 runs from Pingguoyuan in west Beijing to Sihui East in east Beijing, serving 21 stops. Line 2 is a loop that runs under the interior 2nd Ring Rd. Line 13 runs from Dongzhimen to Xizhimen via Huilongguan, and the Batlong line/Line 1 Extension runs from Sihui to Tuqiao in eastern suburban Beijing. You'll be able to idenfity stations by a large blue "B" wrapped around a smaller "D". You'll be able to figure out where to go by the maps and English signs. Fare is 3 yuan. You'll need 4 yuan to transfer to the Batong line, while travel within the Batong line is only 2 RMB. Maps are widely available on the Internet.
Taxis
There are three classes of Taxis in Beijing. The first and nastiest class charge 1.20 yuan per km, but are gradually being phased out and replaced with second-class Hyundai Sonata taxis, which are 1.60 yuan per km. There are also more luxurious 2.00 yuan per km taxis, still affordable on an average Western budget.
Keep in mind that your driver probably will not speak English. Some phrases that are handy to know are "Qing da baio" (Run the meter, please), to make sure you are not overcharged, and you can get a receipt for complaining or reimbursement purposes by saying "Fa Piao."
What to See
Forbidden City - The best spot to learn about the Imperial Chinese court during the height of its power. You'll want to get there when the gates open at 8:30am to escape the crowds, and there's actually a Starbucks in there, too.
Tiananmen Square - the largest square in the world, and home to Mao's mausoleum. There's also a flag raising and lowering ceremony at dawn and dusk respectively.
Summer Palace - gardens and palace ruins of the Qing emperors.
Temple of Heaven - surrounded by a public park where you can observe the locals practicing tai chi in the mornings.
Zoo - reportedly one of the worst in the world, but the aquarium is something to write home about.
Great Wall - located about 1.5 hours out of the city, complete with ski lifts to take you up so you can walk on it. It's possible to rent a taxi to take you there. However, it gets rather windy, so you may want to bring a jacket.
Where to Shop
Xi Zhi Men - the clothing market where the Chinese themselves shop. It's located next to the Zoo.
Silk Street - Reopened in March 2005 as a five-story air conditioned building, still infamously selling the counterfeit goods that popularized the original Silk Street. You probably won't be able to tell the difference between the intricately designed fakes and the real thing.
The Malls at Oriental Plaza - East of Tiananmen Square, next to Wangfujing Street is an expensive shopping area where you can buy diamonds, CDs, food, and cheap DVDs.
Wangfujing - Higher-end shops.
Golden Resources Shopping Mall - Located by West Fourth Ring Road in Haidian District. At 680,000 square meters, it's the largest mall in Asia, offering countless shopping opportunities.
SanLiTun YaShou Clothing Market - 58 Gong Ti Bei Lu. It's basically a cheaper version of Silk Street.
Where to Eat
Quanjude Roast Duck - offers the local speciality, Beijing roast duck, at expensive prices for tourists. It's located right at the Hepingmen subway stop. For the real thing, walk south from the subway until you see some restaurants on the left side of the street.
You'll also want to try the lamb meat steaks, available from vendors on the street at all hours of the day.
If you're not feeling adventurous, Beijing is home to many McDonald's and KFC restaurants. There's also a number of Pizza Huts, the newest of which is in Chaowai. You can also get English food at the John Bull Pub near the Jianguomen subway station.
Drinking
Beer - the most popular beer in China is Qingdao, which costs 10 yuan, and Yanjing, which costs 2 yuan and has 11% alcoholic content.
Don't forget to try some tea! Chinese tea is considered to be the best in the world.
Where to drink:
Sanlitun - nightlife capital of Beijing. There's a main street lined with bars, a side street with cheaper bars, and large nightclubs nearby.
Hou Hai - Home to trendy restaurants and bars in central Beijing. Great for Beijing people-watching.
Where to Stay
Cheap - try Qiao Yuan Fandian near Beijing South train station. There's a 200 yuan deposit, but you'll enjoy an air conditioned room with four beds for just 31 yuan per night. There's also a youth hostel directly across from Beijing Zahn train station.
Mid-range - The Xinxing Hotel is a short walk from the Gongzhufen subway stop on Line 1. Rooms are 180-320 yuan per night, staff will clean your room twice a day, and there's free Internet access if you ask for it.
High-end - Grand Hyatt Beijing is a five-star hotel; it's simply a Hyatt in Beijing. Rooms are $150 a night. The Beijing Hotel is owned by the state but cheaper; Swissotel Beijing is dirt cheap for an "expensive" hotel; and Great Wall Sheraton even has a rotating restaurant.
Travel Tips
Beijing is a very safe city, but beware of scammers. A popular tactic is for "art students" to trick tourists into buying "art", or worse. Strange but true. When traveling to the Great Wall, make sure your driver actually drops you at the wall and not earlier, and only pay him after he has done this. Don't take tours advertised in Tiananmen Square.
Counterfeit money is rampant in China. If someone tries to give you a 100 yuan note in change by either lowering the price in your favor or another scam, reject it. Rejecting bills isn't considered rude. 50 and 100 yuan notes are the most commonly counterfeited. Inspect your money carefully.
Traffic - It's best to cross streets only when street signs permit. It isn't uncommon for wilder drivers to run red lights or drive generally recklessly.
Understand that sunken toilets are common in Beijing, which may pose a problem to some women. If you're not familiar with squat toilets, it's best to go in your hotel, and if you decide to go for it be extra careful to avoid accidents.
The Internet in China is heavily censored. BBC News and The New York Times news websites are generally unavailable, but Reuters is usually unblocked.
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