A local girl shows you around in Beijing

As a local in Beijing, I’d like to share some travel tips with you. I really hope that those who plan to travel in Beijing can learn more about Beijing from my travel tips. Here I wish every traveler enjoyed his/her trip in this city.

Tip 1 If you come to Beijing for the first time or you do not have enough time to stay in this city, then you shouldn’t miss these places, included are Tiananmen Square, Great Wall, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace and Dashilar.

If you have enough time, you may add Yuanming Yuan (called Winter Palace by some people), Prince Gong’s Mansion, Beihai Park, Ming Tombs, 798 Art Area, Bird’s Nest, South Gong and Drum Lane (Nan Luo Gu Xiang) into your itinerary.

Tip 2 If you arrive in Beijing at noon, deposit your luggage at your hotel and then visit the Temple of Heaven. In the late afternoon, you may go to from Temple of Heaven Dashilar to taste some local food. Qianmen Street is not far from the Temple of Heaven.

You can choose to take a taxi from the Temple of Heaven to Qianmen Street. Temple of Heaven has four gates. It costs around CNY 15 from any of the gate to Qianmen Street.

Tip 3 There are several bus lines that head for Qianmen Street from the West Gate of the Temple of Heaven, such as 2, 17, 729, 626, 69 and 71. Better use bus from there to Qianmen Street. If you plan to go to Qianmen Street from other three gates, taxi is your best choice.

Walk to the end of the road that extends from the West Gate of Temple of Heaven, you will see an overpass. The old theater of Temple of Heaven and De Yun She (a small theater founded by Guo Degang who is a famous cross-talk performer) are located nearby. You can walk from here to Hufang Bridge and Hu Guang Chamber too.

To the East Gate of Temple of Heaven, you will find the Hongqiao (Red Bridge) Market known for its pearl products. The prices are very expensive. Walk to the north for around 2 kilometers, you will reach Chongwen Gate. Nearby is the New World Shopping Mall where you can go shopping and feed your stomach. Near the Chongwen Gate subway station is a roast duck restaurant called Bian Yi Fang. Personally, I think the roast duck tastes better than Quan Ju De and the prices are cheaper than Quan Ju De too.

To the South Gate of Temple of Heaven is the restaurant called Nan Men Shuan Rou (南门涮肉). There you can enjoy rinsed meat. Well, you have to queue up when you get there because it is too popular. Walk around 200 meters from Nan Men Shuan Rou, you will find another restaurant that specializes rinsed meat too. It is called Ren He Ruan Rou (仁和涮肉). Locals usually go to Ren He Ruan Rou while tourists mostly come to Nan Men Shuan Rou.

Getting out of the North Gate of Temple of Heaven, you may find Ci Qi Kou Soy-bean Milk. Old locals prefer to drink soy-bean milk in the morning. I am a young local and can’t stand its smell. If you never drank it before, you can give it a try.

Tip 4 Taxi fare: The starting price for the first three kilometers is CNY 10 from 05:00 to 22:59 at daytime. Then CNY 2 is charged per kilometer for the remainder of the journey if it is less than 15 kilometers. If your journey is longer than 15 kilometers, the charge rises to CNY 3 per kilometer.

The starting price for the first three kilometers is CNY 11 from 23:00 to 04:59. Then CNY 2.4 is charged per kilometer. If your journey is longer than 15 kilometers, CNY 3.4 is charged per kilometer.

Waiting and stationary time is charged equivalent to 1 kilometer for every 5 minutes. In addition, CNY 2 will be charged as fuel surcharge.

Tip 5 The peak time in the morning and afternoon is horrible. If you go out between 06:30 and 08:30, 17:00 and 19:00, I suggest you don’t take a taxi to your destination. During this period, everywhere is jammed. If you take a taxi, you just watch the meter moves and your money goes into the driver’s pocket.

Instead, subway is a better choice. It just costs CNY 2 for a single trip per person but you can change any subway line as you like.

Tip 6 Qianmen Street is famous for its time-honored shops and restaurants. Also you can find many famous local snacks here. If you come here, you will find that all these time-honored shops and restaurants look brand-new because they were refurbished. Generally, the snacks taste authentic but the prices are a bit expensive. If you are really fond of Beijing snacks, walk along the Qianmen Street until you find the entrance to Xianyukou(鲜鱼口) lane and then you will find some time-honored restaurants and shops hidden in the lane.

Tip 7 Dashilar(大栅栏) is very close to the Qianmen Street. You can find its entrance on the Qianmen Street easily. When you get there, you will find there are many kinds of local specialties. Don’t buy any there. They are not expensive but have very low quality. For example, you may find some shops that sell jade ornaments at very cheap prices. Don’t go there. They are all fake.

If you are fond of Chinese tea, you may go to Zhang Yi Yuan (张一元) Tea Shop. It sells many kinds of tea. Don’t worry. The quality is guaranteed.

Tip 8 Tiananmen Square is on the other side of Qianmen Street. Many Chinese tourists wake up very early in the morning to enjoy the flag-raising ceremony. When we were at school, flag-raising ceremony was held every morning. It’s good memory. I enjoyed both flag raising and lowering ceremonies. I was very excited when the honor guards passed by me. I am not sure if you are interested in this activity.

After the flag-raising ceremony, you may visit the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao and the Monument to People’s Heroes. There is usually a long queue in front of the Memorial Hall of Chairman. Needless to say, most of them are Chinese tourists. They come from all corners of China to see Chairman Mao who is the founder of PRC. All tourists are forbidden to bring their bags into the memorial hall and taking pictures are prohibited.

To the east of the Tiananmen Square is East Chang’an Avenue. To the west is West Chang’an Avenue. You can walk along the East Chang’an Avenue to reach Wangfujing Pedestrian Street. There you may visit the shopping malls and enjoy some special snacks, for example, fried scorpions. You may find jade ornament shops there. Don’t buy any jade product in the small shops. They are fake. There is also a famous business district on the West Chang’an Avenue, that is, Xi Dan (西单).

If you come to Beijing for the first time, Wangfujing Pedestrian Street is a must-see. If you have time, you can go to Xidan for a visit.

Tip 9 Spare a day for the Forbidden City. It is definitely worth your visit. Why not take an opportunity to see the dwelling of the emperors in history? I am not a historian so that I can not give you much information about the Forbidden City. Better come here and explore it on our own. It takes about 4 hours to have a short trip in the Forbidden City.

I have to warn you “Never go to the Forbidden City during the May Day Holidays or National Day Holidays”. It’s too crowded and you definitely have no mood to appreciate its magnificence.

If you are not tired after a four-hour trip in the Forbidden City, then walk from the North Gate of the Forbidden City to Jingshan Park. Standing on the Jingshan Hill, you will have a panoramic view of the Forbidden City.

Tip 10 In fact, the Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, Prince Gong’s Mansion and Beihai (North Sea) Park are not far from each other. You can arrange them in a day’s trip. If you don’t have time, just pick up two of three of the above four attractions for a visit.

It’s a shame that I have never been to the Forbidden City and Prince Gong’s Mansion though I am a local girl. I just went to enjoy flowers in Jingshan Park and paddled in the Beihai Park with my parents.

Prince Gong’s Mansion was the former residence of He Shen who is probably the most corrupted official in the Qing Dynasty. He was favored by Emperor Qianlong. After the demise of Emperor Qianlong, He Shen’s property was confiscated. How much wealth had He Shen accumulated? It is said that all his property is six times of the Qing government’s annual revenue during that time.

Tip 11 After walking toward east a few minutes from the North Gate of the Beihai Park, you will reach Di’anmen (Di’an Gate). To the north of Di’anmen is Houhai (Back Sea). There is a bar street in Houhai area. You may have fun there.

Tip 12 Compared with Yuanming Yuan, I suggest you go to climb the Great Wall. It seems that foreigners are very interested in Great Wall. Can you tell me why?

Usually, most tourists go to visit Badaling Great Wall. You can take regular bus at Deshengmen (Desheng Gate). It costs CNY 12.

If you want to see the primitive Great Wall, just go to Mutianyu or Jinshanling Great Wall.

Tip 13 If you still have time, don’t miss the Hutong. There you can learn about Beijing locals’ lives. South Gong Drum Lane (Nan Luo Gu Xiang, 南锣鼓巷) and Smoke-Bag Slanting Street (Yan Dai Xie Jie, 烟袋斜街) are too commercial. I suggest you visit the Hutong near the Bell and Drum Towers.

Here is the conclusion:

Clothes: Beijing has four distinctive seasons. In spring, the temperature is low in the early morning and late evening. If you come to Beijing during this time, please bring thick coat with you. In summer, the temperature is too high and the weather is too hot. I suggest you avoid visiting Beijing in summer. In autumn, it is neither hot nor cold. Probably it is the best time to visit Beijing. In winter, it is very cold. If you come during this time, bring thick and warm clothes.

Food:
You needn’t finish all your meals at hotels. Some small restaurants and local snacks are worth a try.

No matter where you stay, you can easily find big super markets. You can easily buy what you want to buy.

Accommodation:
High-end, medium and inferior hotels or hostels can be easily found. Those hotels or hostels near the business areas and subway stations are more expensive. It depends on you. If you can afford more, five-star hotel is no problem.

Transportation:
Subway and taxi are your best choice. If you are alone, take the subway to your destination. If you travel with 2 or three friends, better use the taxi. Again, avoid the taxi in peak time.

Shopping:
Chinese tourists prefer to buy gifts for their relatives or friends. Roast duck, preserved fruits, Er Guo Tou (a kind of liquor) and other local specialties are their favorites.

I don’t know if foreigners are fond of buying gifts for their friends or relatives. If you want to buy roast duck, go to Quan Ju De or Bian Yi Fang. In fact, you can find preserved roast duck in the supermarket too. If you want to buy preserved fruits, go to Dao Xiang Cun (稻香村) or supermarkets. Dao Xiang Cun is a time-honored brand.

Anyway, do not buy roast duck or other local snacks near the railway station. The quality can’t be guaranteed.

 More Beijing Travel Reviews

1. 2012 Fragrant Hills Red Leaf Festival STEVENLEE Oct 16, 2012 03:06

2. Taxi drivers at terminal 2, Beijing Capital Airport BASSETT from NZ Oct 8, 2012 05:14

3. A Harrowing Beijing Tour operated by Holiday World Tours of Hong Kong LUMBA from Philippines Aug 29, 2012 12:41