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| Life in Beijing |
The City Beijing has always been to built to impress. The capital of China from 1421-1911 and then again from 1949, the city is laid-out on a massive grid dotted with grandiose imperial fortressed, temples and winged rooftops. Alongside these, the current crop of architectural icons rising in time for the 2008 Olympics are set to define Beijing as a superpower of the future as well. Sightseeing The Major attractions in Beijing and its surroundings are the following: |
Great Wall of China |
The Great Wall of China, one of the greatest wonders of the world, was enlisted in the World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching approximately 6,700 kilometers (4,163 miles ) from east to west of China. With a history of more than 2000 years, some of the sections of the great wall are now in ruins or even totally disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance. |
Tianamen Square |
The Tiananmen Square in the center of Beijing, is said to be the biggest square in the world. It is 880 meters from north to south, and 500 meters from east to west, with total area of 440,000 square meters and can hold one million people. |
| Forbidden City |
| Lying at the center of Beijing, the Forbidden City, called Gu Gong in Chinese, was the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Now known as the Palace Museum, it is to the north of Tiananmen Square. Rectangular in shape, it is the world's largest palace complex and covers 74 hectares. |
| Temple of heaven |
| The Temple of Heaven is a worthwhile visiting place in Beijing. It is much bigger than the Forbidden City and smaller than the Summer Palace with an area of about 2,700,000 square meters. The Temple was built in 1420 A.D. during the Ming Dynasty to offer sacrifice to Heaven. As Chinese emperors called themselves 'The Son of Heaven' ,they dared not to build their own dwelling, 'Forbidden City' bigger than a dwelling for Heaven. |
| Summer Palace |
| Situated in the western outskirts of Haidian District, the Summer Palace is 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) from central Beijing. Having the largest royal park and being well preserved, it was designated, in 1960 by the State Council, as a Key Cultural Relics Protection Site of China. Containing examples of the ancient arts, it also has graceful landscapes and magnificent constructions. The Summer Palace is the archetypal Chinese garden, and is ranked amongst the most noted and classical gardens of the world. In 1998, it was listed as one of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. |
| Temple of Lamas |
| Built initially in 1694 during the Qing Dynasty, this building was the residence of Emperor Yongzheng when he was just a prince. However, in 1744 the Qing Dynasty formally changed the status of the dwelling to that of a lamasery, and so Yonghe Lamasery became the national centre of Lama Administration. |
| Ming Tombs |
| Ming tombs are the general name given to the mausoleums of 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). The mausoleums have been perfectly preserved, as has the necropolis of each of the many emperors. Because of its long history, palatial and integrated architecture, the site has a high cultural and historic value. The layout and arrangement of all thirteen mausoleums are very similar but vary in size as well as in the complexity of their structures. |
| Entertainment |
| There are a wealth of entertainment options in the larger cities of Beijing as well as the more traditional Chinese arts of Peking Opera and Acrobatics. There are many free monthly magazines with general listings of coming events, as well as online newsletters with updated listings. |
| Cultural Events |
| Beijing attracts a large array of international acts, from the Beijing International Jazz Festival to the Icecapades. Each year, Beijing plays host to numerous international operas, ballets, symphonies, and art exhibitions. |
| Cinema |
| Beijing has several movie theaters that play both foreign and domestic movies. Often times the Chinese films at these cinemas also feature English subtitles. Cherry Lane Cinema and the Wangfujin Cineplex are favorites, while there is also a movie theater in Wudaokou, near the Universities, that features the latest foreign blockbusters. |
| Sports |
| Beijing offers a multitude of options for participating in and watching sports. Many students choose to join organizations, clubs, or official sports teams at their university. There are also many other options located around the city to keep up with your sport or to try something new. The list below in only a brief introduction to what you can discover in Beijing. |
Beijing holds an unexpected nightlife scene for most foreigners though it counts with a variety of clubs and bars. |
| Sanlitun |
| The most popular bar area Many bars, most open till 4am or later. They all have that certain Beijing feel. It is frequented by many foreign customers so you will not feel out of place. On of the best known bars in Salitun is.Poachers Inn at 43 Bei Sanlitun Lu. Perhaps Beijing’s best-known bar, this ex-pat watering hole is accessible and fun. It is very popular on Thursdays, when a jazz band plays, and on Friday and Saturday when the attached club holds a disco. Durty Nellie’s is a popular Irish pub on Sanlitun Lu with live music and great beer. Very popular with ex-pats is the Goose and Duck Pub, again at the west gate of Chaoyang Park, which has a beer garden out front. Artifacts, at the east gate of Chaoyang park, serves great mojitos, sangria and "unusual" tea in a laid-back atmosphere, while Alfa (5 Xingfu Yicun, opposite Workers Stadium north gate) is the pulsating home to notorious party organizers, 010. World of Suzie Wong, 1A Nongzhanguan Lu by the west gate of Chaoyang Park, is an elegant and stylish faux-1930s throwback that serves killer daiquiris. BED, located in a converted hutong, is a welcome option for those who wish to listen to jazz, trip-hop and electronic music in a quieter, more atmospheric setting. Nanjie Bar- Recently opened it’s the hottest place for foreigners today. It’s a mix of a bar and club. It’s a perfect place to meet people from all corners of the world. |
| Clubs |
| Beijing's club scene consistently surprises new arrivals with its energy and variety. New clubs are continually opening. To get you started we have listed below some of the most popular clubs among past and present students. |
| Downtown |
| The most popular clubs among foreigners are Mix and Vics, located opposite one another inside the Workers Stadium north gate. They mix up a nightly thrash of hip hop, RnB, pop and reggae and is popular with visiting celebs and music stars. Banana is the place to go for house and electronic music. International DJ's often spin inside Banana's cavernous location to throngs of Chinese and foreigners. JJ’s, 74-76 Xinjiekou Bei Dajie packs in a mostly Chinese crowd on weekends and features lasers, a sci-fi theme and scantily clad Russian dancing girls; imported British DJs play a mixture of techno, reggae and house. Kiss Super Club, 35 Xue Yun Lu, is an enormous club with two dance floors and a booming sound system pumping out house and techno. Tango, South Gate of Ditan Park, is another super club that attracts a diverse and sizeable crowd. As in other major Chinese cities, Beijing also has a BabyFace (and its imitators) featuring the tried and true Asian clubbing recipe of lights, lazers and a very loud sound system. |
| Wudaokou |
| Located in the student district, Wudaokou and the surrounding area is home to a lively youth oriented club and bar scene. Most popular remains Propaganda, while Taku packs of all-you-can-drink nights. The new and enormous Club 180 has also proven to be a good choice on Friday nights. Pyros pizza it’s a place where students meet. |
Food The northern capital’s tumultuous history has brought not only ostentatious monuments and one incredibly long wall, but a varied cuisine that reads like a history book. Sitting at the edge of the expanding northern desert, Beijing gets whipped by frigid Siberian winds in the wintertime- the hearty food found here is a reflection of this. Legend has it that the Mongols brought with them their mutton hotpot, whose steamboats fog windows here on winter nights. The dumpling descended from Manchuria; its steamy filling and thick wheat wrapper has since become a mainstay of local cuisine. And then there’s Peking duck, a dish that bears not only the name of the city but ably shoulders its culinary identity. So, for a true taste of the Chinese capital, get your fill of one or all of these robust local favorites. |
| Mongolian Hotpot |
| There are two main interpretations of hotpot in Beijing-fiery Sichuan style, and the milder, mutton-centric Mongolian hotpot is served in a steamboat, a tureen-like contraption that is heated beneath, with a small hole in the centre to allow smoke and steam to escape. Raw, paper-thin slices of fatty mutton, the best of which is raised in Inner Mongolia, are plunged into a fragrant broth tableside for a few seconds, until they quickly curl and change color (do not overcook). The meat is eaten along with countless varieties of leafy vegetables, mushrooms, noodles and even dumplings, all dunked in a sauce of sesame paste, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, salt, coriander and chilli (you usually mix your own sauce in this DIY environment). Eating steamy hotpot on a freezing winter’s night is an experience one shouldn’t miss out on in Beijing-and few places are better than trendy Ding Ding Xiang. |
| Dongbei Dumplings |
| Dongbei jiaozi ,or northeastern-style dumplings, are a staple here in the capital. You can see them being swiftly folded in restaurants across the city, after which they are boiled or steamed and served piping hot with a side of dark vinegar. Jiaozi can be filled with just about anything, although the most common parcels contain pork, cabbage, and sometimes leek. For dumplings at any hour of the day or night, try Bazhen Jiaozi. For a more polished dumpling feast, head to Orient King of Dumplings, which serves over 30 varieties in clean, modern surrounds. |
| Peking Duck |
| Peking duck (Beijing kaoya) is not a dish to be taken lightly. The birds are raised for the single purpose of roasting, and undergo an aging process where they are hung and pumped full of air to separate their thick skin from the meat. They are then brushed with molasses, and traditionally roasted in a wood-fired oven which renders them chestnut-brown with the crisp-but-juicy skin a soup and occasionally sliced and served alongside the skin. Due to the complexity of this creation, it’s best to visit a restaurant that specialized in Peking duck. After the bird is carved tableside, you can dip the skin in a sweet, brown sauce and wrap it in a thin pancake with julienned leek and cucumber. Try it at the cheap and cheerful Liqun Roast Duck Restaurant located in a tumbledown courtyard residence, or the more upscale Dadong. |
| Transportation |
| Public Transport |
The public transport system in Beijing is excellent, though foreigners often avoid the bus system until their understanding of Mandarin Chinese has improved past the basics. Travel by subway or taxi are the easiest and most common options. City buses run 05:30-23:00 and are very crowded, particularly in the rush hours (06:30-08:30 and 17:00-19:00). There is also a limited night service between 23:00 and 05:30 hours. Fares are paid to the conductor. It is important to have the destination written in Chinese as the conductor almost certainly will not speak English. Clean, fast and efficient, the subway (05:30-23:00) is an appealing alternative, although the trains can be packed during rush hours. The subway consists of two main lines: the East-West Line runs from Pingguoyuan to Sihui Dong, and the Ring Line follows a circular route, mirroring the Second Ring Road. The ‘13 line’ operates in the north of the city, connecting Dongzhimen and Xizhimen Ring Line stations, and the ‘Ba Tong’ Line 1 extension threads further east as far as Tuqiao – though neither is of much use to tourists. Four new Beijing subway lines, including an airport link, are due for completion by 2008 (a total of 16 lines are planned by 2020). Entrances are marked by a logo of a square inside a ‘C’ shape and there is a flat rate depending on the length of the journey. Tickets can be purchased from the ticket offices above the platforms and, as tickets are undated and valid for all journeys. Signs and announcements are in Chinese and English. |
| Taxis |
| Taxis are plentiful (42,000 apparently ply the capital’s streets daily), cheap and metered. They wait around major department stores, hotels and railway stations and can be hailed on the street. Taxis in Beijing are mostly small, red hatchbacks or saloons (known as xiali) and, generally, the smaller and older the car, the cheaper the fare. All taxis have a sticker in the back window that indicates the rate per kilometre, but the usual rate is RMB 10 for the first three kilometres and RMB 2 per kilometre thereafter. There is a 20% surcharge after 23：00. It is important to write the destination in Chinese as most drivers are unlikely to speak English. Taxis can be pre-booked through Beijing Taxi Co. (tel: (10) 6837 3399). |
| Driving in the City |
Few short-term visitors to Beijing attempt to drive there, as hiring a car is a lengthy process, parking is difficult and car hire is restricted to the city limits. Visitors would also need to be in possession of a Chinese driving licence, which can only be obtained by those holding a Resident’s Permit. Although road regulations do exist, they are regularly ignored and it is not uncommon to see aggressive lane-swapping by buses and taxis or even traffic going the wrong way on roads or roundabouts. Theoretically, traffic drives on the right but on smaller roads this is not always adhered to. It is important to remember that in the case of an accident it will always be assumed that the foreigner is at fault. |
| Trains |
| China has one of the biggest and busiest rail networks in the world. The best Chinese trains are very safe, modern and comfortable. Beijing has five railway stations but Beijing's West Railway Station at Lianhuachi is the newest and largest. Each station has lines running to almost all provincial capitals, and to all China's major cities. There are four kinds of seats available: soft berths, hard berths, soft seats, and hard seats. Most overnight trains have dining cars. |
| Purchasing Train Tickets |
You can book your train ticket by yourself but the process can be rather confusing and time-consuming. You can contact China Study Abroad for assistance with your travel plans. Or, if you prefer to go it alone you can conveniently book your train tickets using a travel agency such as Chinese Business World's travel center or www.chinatravelcenter.com. They can help you to make train reservations if you send them an e-mail request. Because from June to August it is the tourist period, send them an e-mail request as soon as possible you know when you are leaving or at least 2 weeks before that they can reserve the train tickets at your convenient dates and requirement. You can book a ticket by phone :+86 (0)10-8463 4451 or +86 (0)10-8463 4452 or write them an email at china@cbw.com. Then they will do the rest and after receiving your payement, they will send the ticket reservation to your hotel some days before your departure date. Reservations for the best Z-category express trains open 20 days in advance, but for most other trains bookings only open between 4 and 10 days before departure. The rules appear to vary..! However, you can't buy a ticket before bookings open. You can generally only book a train journey at the station where your journey starts, so (for example) the reservations office at Shanghai can sell you a Shanghai-Beijing ticket but not a Beijing-Xian ticket. Berths are best booked at least 2-3 days in advance, apart from peak periods (the Spring Festival, May Day 1st May, National Day 1st October) when they should be booked as soon as reservations open. If you opt to book your ticket by yourself, the process can be rather Beijing Railway Station and Beijing West Railway station do however have special counters, which sell tickets to foreigners and overseas Chinese for up to five days in advance. When purchasing your own, remember to bring your passport or ID. |
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