march visit to Beijing
Oct 11, 2003 | 10:39 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: South Dartmouth
Posts: 8
march visit to Beijing
hi folks. 1st trip to China, 8nights in Beijing, inexpensive tip through Virgin Vacations...Staying at Best Western....have no idea even looking at maps and reading where this fits in terms of city , sites,shopping and safety...would appreciate anyone's comments...4 of us going wife, 21yo son, 24yo daughter and me.....thanks in advance
Oct 12, 2003 | 12:46 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 11
Not sure which part of the city your hotel is in, but getting around is fairly simple by bus or subway or even on foot. The taxi situation can be a bit annoying at times, as there are several cabs without meters driving around. When taking a cab, always ask the price first before getting in and don't be shy about sitting in the front. You can find many tours from Beijing to the Great Wall at Badaling, but I would recommend shopping around since some prices/packages are way better than others. As for sites, the Forbidden City and Summer Palace are both a must, there are many museums and temples which may be of interests, and Jingshan Park is a pleasant walk. In terms of shopping, the best place to start would be the Wangfujing and Dongdan districts, both of which feature many local and Western shops. If you're there over a Sunday, I would strongly recommend visiting the Panjiayuan market on the extreme south end of the city. Just walking around the market is an experience. It's only open from dawn to about 3pm on Sundays, and features all kinds of antiques (real and fake), collectables, toys, calligraphy, woodworking, etc. Be prepared to bargain for every purchase there!
Oct 12, 2003 | 4:06 pm
#3
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Is this a tour where sightseeing is included, or are you just getting an airfare and hotel package and doing all the sightseeing on your own?
If it's mostly "do-it-yourself," get a good guidebook with lots of maps. Beijing is a huge city -- covers a large area, and has a population of over 12 million people (IIRC). Unless your hotel is near some of the major sights, you won't be walking to them! Beijing is not a very walkable city (unlike Shanghai or Hong Kong, for example). The subway system is good but has a limited number of lines. I think that most of the time, you will be using taxis to get around (except when you are on organized tours, which provide the transport).
Although Beijing taxi drivers supposedly speak some English (like the numbers, for example), you will probably have trouble communicating with most of them. Be sure to have your destination written down IN CHINESE CHARACTERS. If it happens NOT to be a well-known destination, also have a map with the location marked, and/or an address or directions written in Chinese. Even when negotiating price, you may have to write things down, or use your fingers to represent numbers.
One thing I recommend is the hutong tour. This is an organized tour, on pedicabs, of an old-style neighborhood (hutong) of mostly one-story courtyard houses. You stop and visit a few sights and there is a home visit as well, where you can converse (through an interpreter) with the resident. Beijing is rapidly tearing down its old hutongs and replacing them with boring highrises. This modernization is destroying the unique character of the city, but at least some hutongs have been designated as areas to preserve (I believe) and are on the tourist track. (It would've been interesting to visit Beijing 20 years ago, when nearly all the vehicles were bicycles, but that too has changed. Smog and traffic jams are the norm now.)
Kathy
If it's mostly "do-it-yourself," get a good guidebook with lots of maps. Beijing is a huge city -- covers a large area, and has a population of over 12 million people (IIRC). Unless your hotel is near some of the major sights, you won't be walking to them! Beijing is not a very walkable city (unlike Shanghai or Hong Kong, for example). The subway system is good but has a limited number of lines. I think that most of the time, you will be using taxis to get around (except when you are on organized tours, which provide the transport).
Although Beijing taxi drivers supposedly speak some English (like the numbers, for example), you will probably have trouble communicating with most of them. Be sure to have your destination written down IN CHINESE CHARACTERS. If it happens NOT to be a well-known destination, also have a map with the location marked, and/or an address or directions written in Chinese. Even when negotiating price, you may have to write things down, or use your fingers to represent numbers.
One thing I recommend is the hutong tour. This is an organized tour, on pedicabs, of an old-style neighborhood (hutong) of mostly one-story courtyard houses. You stop and visit a few sights and there is a home visit as well, where you can converse (through an interpreter) with the resident. Beijing is rapidly tearing down its old hutongs and replacing them with boring highrises. This modernization is destroying the unique character of the city, but at least some hutongs have been designated as areas to preserve (I believe) and are on the tourist track. (It would've been interesting to visit Beijing 20 years ago, when nearly all the vehicles were bicycles, but that too has changed. Smog and traffic jams are the norm now.)
Kathy
Oct 12, 2003 | 6:49 pm
#4
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 11
If you are staying near the Chaoyang area, I would recommend a walking tour, much to see there. I completely second the idea of taking a hutong tour, especially around Dongcheng north of the Forbidden City. The tours are great, or if you're feeling adventurous there are many places to rent bicycles.
Oct 12, 2003 | 9:28 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: South Dartmouth
Posts: 8
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by KathyWdrf:
Is this a tour where sightseeing is included, or are you just getting an airfare and hotel package and doing all the sightseeing on your own?
If it's mostly "do-it-yourself," get a good guidebook with lots of maps. Beijing is a huge city -- covers a large area, and has a population of over 12 million people (IIRC). Unless your hotel is near some of the major sights, you won't be walking to them! Beijing is not a very walkable city (unlike Shanghai or Hong Kong, for example). The subway system is good but has a limited number of lines. I think that most of the time, you will be using taxis to get around (except when you are on organized tours, which provide the transport).
Although Beijing taxi drivers supposedly speak some English (like the numbers, for example), you will probably have trouble communicating with most of them. Be sure to have your destination written down IN CHINESE CHARACTERS. If it happens NOT to be a well-known destination, also have a map with the location marked, and/or an address or directions written in Chinese. Even when negotiating price, you may have to write things down, or use your fingers to represent numbers.
One thing I recommend is the hutong tour. This is an organized tour, on pedicabs, of an old-style neighborhood (hutong) of mostly one-story courtyard houses. You stop and visit a few sights and there is a home visit as well, where you can converse (through an interpreter) with the resident. Beijing is rapidly tearing down its old hutongs and replacing them with boring highrises. This modernization is destroying the unique character of the city, but at least some hutongs have been designated as areas to preserve (I believe) and are on the tourist track. (It would've been interesting to visit Beijing 20 years ago, when nearly all the vehicles were bicycles, but that too has changed. Smog and traffic jams are the norm now.)
Kathy</font>
Is this a tour where sightseeing is included, or are you just getting an airfare and hotel package and doing all the sightseeing on your own?
If it's mostly "do-it-yourself," get a good guidebook with lots of maps. Beijing is a huge city -- covers a large area, and has a population of over 12 million people (IIRC). Unless your hotel is near some of the major sights, you won't be walking to them! Beijing is not a very walkable city (unlike Shanghai or Hong Kong, for example). The subway system is good but has a limited number of lines. I think that most of the time, you will be using taxis to get around (except when you are on organized tours, which provide the transport).
Although Beijing taxi drivers supposedly speak some English (like the numbers, for example), you will probably have trouble communicating with most of them. Be sure to have your destination written down IN CHINESE CHARACTERS. If it happens NOT to be a well-known destination, also have a map with the location marked, and/or an address or directions written in Chinese. Even when negotiating price, you may have to write things down, or use your fingers to represent numbers.
One thing I recommend is the hutong tour. This is an organized tour, on pedicabs, of an old-style neighborhood (hutong) of mostly one-story courtyard houses. You stop and visit a few sights and there is a home visit as well, where you can converse (through an interpreter) with the resident. Beijing is rapidly tearing down its old hutongs and replacing them with boring highrises. This modernization is destroying the unique character of the city, but at least some hutongs have been designated as areas to preserve (I believe) and are on the tourist track. (It would've been interesting to visit Beijing 20 years ago, when nearly all the vehicles were bicycles, but that too has changed. Smog and traffic jams are the norm now.)
Kathy</font>
Oct 12, 2003 | 9:33 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: South Dartmouth
Posts: 8
hi kathy, thanks for note. this is a air and hotel pkg. debating buying tour with virgin vacations before we go or waiting. doing now has expense all taken care of, but i do likee spontinaity, so we will see. we are exploreers and tend to just go looking, language barrier or not.
any pearls you may think of i would appreciate........ and for anyone reading this...we are flying boston to chicago and chicago to beijing..any recommendations for suviving the flights??
thanks in advance
Larry
any pearls you may think of i would appreciate........ and for anyone reading this...we are flying boston to chicago and chicago to beijing..any recommendations for suviving the flights??
thanks in advance
Larry
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by KathyWdrf:
Is this a tour where sightseeing is included, or are you just getting an airfare and hotel package and doing all the sightseeing on your own?
If it's mostly "do-it-yourself," get a good guidebook with lots of maps. Beijing is a huge city -- covers a large area, and has a population of over 12 million people (IIRC). Unless your hotel is near some of the major sights, you won't be walking to them! Beijing is not a very walkable city (unlike Shanghai or Hong Kong, for example). The subway system is good but has a limited number of lines. I think that most of the time, you will be using taxis to get around (except when you are on organized tours, which provide the transport).
Although Beijing taxi drivers supposedly speak some English (like the numbers, for example), you will probably have trouble communicating with most of them. Be sure to have your destination written down IN CHINESE CHARACTERS. If it happens NOT to be a well-known destination, also have a map with the location marked, and/or an address or directions written in Chinese. Even when negotiating price, you may have to write things down, or use your fingers to represent numbers.
One thing I recommend is the hutong tour. This is an organized tour, on pedicabs, of an old-style neighborhood (hutong) of mostly one-story courtyard houses. You stop and visit a few sights and there is a home visit as well, where you can converse (through an interpreter) with the resident. Beijing is rapidly tearing down its old hutongs and replacing them with boring highrises. This modernization is destroying the unique character of the city, but at least some hutongs have been designated as areas to preserve (I believe) and are on the tourist track. (It would've been interesting to visit Beijing 20 years ago, when nearly all the vehicles were bicycles, but that too has changed. Smog and traffic jams are the norm now.)
Kathy</font>
Is this a tour where sightseeing is included, or are you just getting an airfare and hotel package and doing all the sightseeing on your own?
If it's mostly "do-it-yourself," get a good guidebook with lots of maps. Beijing is a huge city -- covers a large area, and has a population of over 12 million people (IIRC). Unless your hotel is near some of the major sights, you won't be walking to them! Beijing is not a very walkable city (unlike Shanghai or Hong Kong, for example). The subway system is good but has a limited number of lines. I think that most of the time, you will be using taxis to get around (except when you are on organized tours, which provide the transport).
Although Beijing taxi drivers supposedly speak some English (like the numbers, for example), you will probably have trouble communicating with most of them. Be sure to have your destination written down IN CHINESE CHARACTERS. If it happens NOT to be a well-known destination, also have a map with the location marked, and/or an address or directions written in Chinese. Even when negotiating price, you may have to write things down, or use your fingers to represent numbers.
One thing I recommend is the hutong tour. This is an organized tour, on pedicabs, of an old-style neighborhood (hutong) of mostly one-story courtyard houses. You stop and visit a few sights and there is a home visit as well, where you can converse (through an interpreter) with the resident. Beijing is rapidly tearing down its old hutongs and replacing them with boring highrises. This modernization is destroying the unique character of the city, but at least some hutongs have been designated as areas to preserve (I believe) and are on the tourist track. (It would've been interesting to visit Beijing 20 years ago, when nearly all the vehicles were bicycles, but that too has changed. Smog and traffic jams are the norm now.)
Kathy</font>