IgoUgo Travel Tips for Beijing 2008

Posted on February 13, 2008 in IgoUgo Picks
IgoUgo Travel Tips for Beijing 2008 Photo

Photo by TimThornton

Plan your journey summer in Beijing may feel like his own decathlon, but with this gold medal IgoUgo itinerary of the China experienced travelers, you should be able to encourage your team while experiencing Beijing at its best.

1. Consider alternative (and sometimes less!) Routes to Beijing

Add a second destination for your vacation China: fly from the United States to Shanghai, Tianjin, Nanjing, and after visiting, hop a domestic flight or train to Beijing. Or, when you are en route, attend one of the events taking place in secondary cities.

Theophilus said, "Tianjin is modern, but you can still find the old China. It is also a brilliant starting point for trips to other places as it is located at a railway junction. In Tianjin, you can go almost anywhere in China. And Tianjin is much cheaper than Beijing. "

Sakura said, "Our second class journey from Tianjin to Beijing was at ease. I was writing about my trip during this escapade, insofar as the train went very smoothly. He arrived at the Beijing train station on time, so that our wonderful train journey was over fairly quickly. "

ElyseMc said: "On Friday morning, we took the 9: 45 am China Eastern flight from Nanjing to Beijing. After 1.5 hours, we arrived at the airport in Beijing, was attended our luggage, and met the hotel car. "

Quan said, "Soft-sleeper train ticket travel be felt almost luxurious. In Beijing, you have to wait in a waiting room, plush complete with large, leather armchairs. And the soft sleeper ticket holders are allowed to join the platform for a few minutes, and sometimes tens of minutes, before the general rush, making the boarding process enjoyable. "

2. Choose a hotel in a neighborhood hutong

These traditional, winding streets with their neighbourhood and the atmosphere, are the perfect antidote to a day spent among the hordes in stadiums and major tourist attractions.

AsianPersuasion recommends the Red Lantern House: "This place was fabulous! Right in the middle of a hutong, the pension was a real homey feel. It is managed by three brothers, and every evening, they sit in the common area to listen their older bother playing the erhu, the Chinese version of the violin.'s youngest brother collects red paper lanterns and every night, it lights, oil lamps ordinary, and it creates the most amazing glimmer just draws you in. I really wished I could have stayed there a long time. "

Midtownmjd's pick is the Far East International Youth Hostel: "I would recommend this hotel-like hostel to anyone. Hostel rooms, amenities and services have been enhanced by its location in a traditional, hutong located in the center. TO 20-minute walk from Tiananmen Square, small alleys, and the community seems to feel, far from the vast plaza and tourist centre. "

3. Avoid crowded hotels completely with a host family

Contacts with a host family for the most authentic experience around you could even make friends for life.

Explorer2928 said: "I am in the midst of writing this to inspire those who seek to know not only the tourism fair in Beijing, but also the more cultural city. I was on a programme of family ' home for about a week at Christmas and it is certainly an unforgettable experience. I was very lucky to be introduced to this wonderful family by a friend who signs up for homestay programmes when he travels frequently. "

4. Embrace the capital of public transport

It's safe, fast, easy and cheap-and a window on everyday life in the capital of China.

Elisabeth28 said: "The buses are almost everywhere in Beijing, with rates ranging from 1 yuan for short journeys to 5 or 6 yuan for long rides on buses more comfortable. Even though it may not appear so as a first step, the bus system is very organized: Each stop has a name and is marked by signs of giving the numbers and routes all the buses that stop there. "

AsianPersuasion said, "Use the bus, the subway, or do what the Chinese are doing and have a motorcycle. I enjoyed using the subway. It costs almost nothing and trained monkey can figure it out in a day. "

5. Pack a sense of adventure and your own tissue

Beijing is never boring, especially when it is time to get out of a bathroom.

Sheric said, "Chinese public toilets are an experiment. They are the traditional squat toilet, and as we have seen, there is no toilet paper available. We knew this before we left home, so I invested in a pack of eight trips Kleenex packs. When you travel around Beijing, we have always made sure that we had at least one pack with us before we left the hotel in the morning. "

Sakura said, "The greatest concern on the trip to China for women to the situation of toilets. When I heard that they have no doors, I felt afraid to go to China. But I have not met the toilets without doors in my journey. It was mainly because I was very careful to choose the place. "

Kwasiak said, "There seems to be more Western-style toilets tourist sites in Beijing that I remember 2 years ago. For a Western toilet, pop in the handicap stall if there is one. Make sure you have tissues with you at all times, because very few bathrooms are all, whether in the east or west-style ".

6. Get a good introduction to the city to the Temple of Heaven

Marvel of the complexity of the Hall of Prayer for Good harvests in person before you see on all the postcards and T-shirt for the rest of your stay.

Phileasfogg said: "Tiantan was first sight that we visited, in Beijing, and we could not have hoped for a better introduction to the city. Cool With its green surroundings (the temple spread through a large park) and its finely buildings painted and varnished, Tiantan you expect to be besieged by tourists. Fortunately, it is not. "

7. Search your Great Wall

There are many segments of choice, but the right one for you depends on the type of traveler you are.

John Lamb said: "Badaling is the most popular section of the Great Wall and the one that most tour buses go. Because of this, it is also the most congested section of the wall. However, it is also restored and looks majestically beautiful Exploration on the hills like a snake. "

Nmagann said: "While most of Tai Ma towers were very well preserved with all the walls and the roof completely intact. Opinions were indescribable. It seems unimaginable that the high peaks that you saw in the distance driving will be the same those under your feet a little later. You feel like you are on top of the world. The terrain is very rugged and continually changing. "

Sarah7 said, "Tian Mu Yu is an excellent choice for our family to visit. Une petite hour's drive from Beijing, we see an aspect of movement on the roads in China, which may shock many visitors. This trip also allows you to see City and experience external how others might live. "

8. Enjoy at least one meal Peking Duck

The tradition involved in preparing the dish is fascinating, and the end result is delectable.

Mutt is IgoUgo among travellers who swear by Li Qun Roast Duck Restaurant: "This small family restaurant in an old courtyard house in a degraded in a hutong forgotten areas of the capital is without doubt the most authentic taste the city "flat".

Phileasfogg is in the court praising Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant: "Pile chunks of duck and spring onion on the pancake, roll it up, and the sky! It is very simple and delicious. Duck is crisp, gloriously juicy (albeit obviously oozing with calories!), and is perfectly complemented by sweet and sour flavour of the sauce and crunchy pungency of onions. pieces of skin, thick and crisp purely melt in the mouth. "

9. Take a breather for the city in Summer Palace

Despite the movement of Beijing and limit emissions of the plant during the 2008 Olympics, it is summertime in the city: Beijing will be hot and smog. Escaping the heat at the nearby Summer Palace.

MichaelJM said, "Beautiful decorating buildings dazzling, sensational statues of mythical animals, and beautiful frescoes, sensational scenery and wonderful wildlife are all part of a visit to the Summer Palace. It's an absolute necessity. "

10. Shop where the locals shop

Ttchotchkes abound, sellers hassle, and confusing yuan. Souvenirs minimize stress and maximize-style memorial to the local population 'favorite markets.

AsianPersuasion joins the other members to recommend IgoUgo Pan Jia Yuan Antique Market: "This place is IT! For real, honest prices and a wonderful selection of goods is the place to go. Vendors carry a variety of 'antiques, beads, chops, brushes, rollers, lacquer pottery, woodworking, jade, pottery, statuary, and Mao souvenirs ... the list goes on and on! "

11. Save energy for the night in Beijing

Nightlife is wild in Beijing; head to areas such as Sanlitun Houhai or see and be seen when performing dance floors shaking, or visit Tiananmen Square for another kind of spectacle.

Paul Bacon said, "My two friends have succeeded in England, it was therefore imperative that cultural I show them not only the regulatory sites such as the Forbidden City and the Great Wall, but also the bright lights of Beijing by night. The obvious area to do this is, of course, Sanlitun. Despite the demolition of the famous bar street in 2005, the region remains home to a large part of the Chinese capital the best nightlife. "

Rcoffelt said, "Tiananmen is enormous. Here, on October 1, 1949, Mao declared the founding of the People's Republic of China, so it's a very important place for Chinese. The square itself is not much to see, but the Gate of Heavenly Peace, is very impressive. At night it is illuminated and beautiful. "

12. Eat foods from street to the night markets

You have come for the Olympics for an adventure, and that includes eating adventures.

Seaotter71 said: "Surrender subversion and voyeuristic thrill of street food in Beijing. Given a strong stomach, you can eat everything in the sky, but the clouds, all in the earth, but the rocks, and while in the ocean, but the waves. And apparently, they can all be served skewered on a stick. "

13. Spoil yourself with the most affordable massages and haircuts of your life

Exhibits are ubiquitous, it is sufficient to monitor the premises of the one that catches your eye.

Tammyhayano said, "When deciding where to eat, often, passengers abide by the adage," If a restaurant seems busy, it's probably a safe (and good) place to eat. "I decided to apply this rule in the search for a place to get my hair Cup. Moreover, it was not a lack of hair salons, there were about eight to block! I chosen the hairdresser ended up doing an excellent job, but it is still not the best part. whole experience would cost me $ 2! "

14. Familiarize yourself with translations lost

Even in the larger sites, a translation into English is not necessarily abundant. But when they appear, you will undoubtedly find a reason to smile.

Bentropy said, "I quickly developed an eye for the amusing details of the English translation of Chinese signs and messages. My introduction to this phenomenon has come on the subway in Shanghai. Since then, I kept my eyes wide open For more gems, and when I decided to sample some local delicacies, I found a bag of something that looked like sticky viscous petals. On this has been a very intense romantic poem in which a woman proclaimed his affection for her lover "from the bottom of my heat."