TRAVEL TIPS
BEIJING
OVERVIEW TRANSPORTATION VISÃO GERAL TRANSPORTE ATTRACTIONS ATRAÇÕES
WHERE TO STAYONDE WHERE TO EAT SHOPPING COMPRAS FICAR ONDE COMER
OVERVIEW Beijing, the capital and second largest city
The urban area of Beijing consists of the
in China after Shanghai, is situated at the
central city, called the Old City, a series of
northern tip of the roughly triangular North
suburbs and farmland beyond. Tian’anmen
China Plain. Mountains to the north, northwest
Square (The Gate of Heavenly Peace) is at the
and west shield the city from the desert
centre of Beijing, and, directly to the south of
steppes. The great Wall of China, which
the Forbidden City, former residence of the
stretches across the northern part of the
emperors of China. To the west of Tian’anmen
Beijing Municipality, made use of this rugged
is Zhonqnanhai, residence of the leaders of the
topography to defend China against nomadic
People’s Republic of China. Running through
incursions from the steppes.
central Beijing from east to west is Chang’an Avenue, one of Beijing’s main thoroughfares.
The city has been the country’s capital on and off for over 2000 years. Many rulers,
The city’s climate is a monsoon-influenced
including Mongol emperors Ming and Manchu,
humid continental climate, characterised by
built palaces in Beijing. Today, China’s chief
hot, humid summers due to the East Asian
government leaders live and work in the city.
monsoons, and generally cold, windy, dry
DUFRY TRAVEL TIPS BEIJING
winters that reflect the influence of the vast Siberian anticyclones. Average daytime high
TRANSPORT
temperatures in January, the coldest month of the year in Beijing, are at around 1째 C (33째 F), while average temperatures in July, the warmest month, are around 30째 C (87째 F). Early autumn is probably is probably the most comfortable time of year to visit Beijing. During that period, temperatures are reasonable with a limited amount of rain. The post monsoon high pressure system keeps the skies clear, the days slightly warm and the nights crisp and cool. Spring can also be delightful.
Beijing is a major transportation hub, with dozens of railways, roads and motorways passing through the city. It is also the focal point of many international flights to China. The Beijing Subway is the most convenient and affordable means of transportation in the city. It is generally fast, clean and economic. A flat fare with unlimited transfers applies to all lines, except the express link to the airport. The electronic commuter fare card, Yikatong, is accepted on all lines.
Summer can be extremely hot and it is also the rainy season. Winter can be incredibly cold.
Besides bicycles, public buses are the
five centuries, this palace functioned as the
cheapest way to get around Beijing. Beijing
administrative centre of the country.
buses cover almost every part of the city. The service is run by Beijing municipal
The Great Wall of China is one of the ‘Eight
government and is safe and reliable.
Wonders of the World’. This immense wall was built to keep out invaders as well as to retain
A leisurely way of touring Beijing is in a
the inhabitants. It spans five provinces from
classic pedal driven rickshaw, three wheeled
Shanhaiguan Pass in the east toJiayuguan Pass
bicycles often driven by old, retired men.
in the west, looking like a gigantic dragon
There are fleets of them circling around the
across deserts, grasslands and mountains. In
Tian’anmen Square area. It is very pleasant
the downtown area of Beijing, it is possible to
to take a ride around the square in the
climb Badaling Great Wall.
evening, but if you do, make sure you come to a price agreement first.
Imperial gardens: Besides the spectacular imperial palaces, Beijing also possesses the most luxurious royal gardens—the well-
ATTRACTIONS
preserved Summer Palace with an area of 727 acres, the elegant Beihai Park and the destroyed Old Summer Palace.
Beijing is famous for its beautiful palaces, temples, gardens, and huge stone walls and gates. Among the most important of the cities attractions are:
WHERE TO STAY
Tian’anmen Square, which means “Gate of
Foreign visitors were once restricted to staying
the Heavenly City”, is located at the centre
in high-priced official hotels. Tour groups tend
of Beijing. There you can visit Tian’anmen
to use these hotels, but do so at rates far
Tower, the Monument to the People’s Heroes,
below those published. In general, restrictions
the Great Hall of the People,Mao Zedong
on where foreigners can stay have become
Memorial Hall. Thousands of people visit the
less and less frequently enforced. Hostels
Square every day.
and western-style travel hotels are almost universally open to foreign guests. The lowest-
The Forbidden City is the largest and the best-
end Chinese accommodations are generally
preserved imperial palace complex in the
inaccessible to the foreign community. However,
world. It has 9,999 rooms in flourishing period
for those determined to get a bargain, you may
with just a single room short of the number
be able to get a room if you speak Chinese.
that ancient Chinese belief represents ‘Divine Perfection’, and is surrounded by a moat six
Some ‘expensive’ hotels are in the city centre
meters deep and a ten-meter high wall. For
and on the eastern 3rd Ring Road, however
DUFRY TRAVEL TIPS BEIJING
for food in Beijing is probably Guijie. Anyone familiar with Western currency and prices will find Beijing a very inexpensive city for food, especially considering that tipping is not practiced in China. Some of the cheapest and delicious meals can be had on the streets. Savoury pancakes are one of the most popular street snacks, eaten from morning till night with most carts operating during the morning commute and by Western standards these hotels are
then opening again at night for the after-club
relatively cheap. Listed prices can sometimes
crowds and night-owls. This delicious pancake
be negotiated.
is cooked with an egg on a griddle, a fried dough crisp is added, and the whole thing is
In the outlying areas, especially out by the Great
drizzled in scallions and a savoury sauce. Hot
Wall, there are many country club type resorts.
sauce is optional. Lamb kebabs and other kebabs are grilled on
DINING OUT
makeshift stands all around Beijing, from the late afternoon to late at night. Wangfujing has a “snack street� selling such mundane fare like lamb, chicken, and beef as well as multiple
The best way to eat well and cheaply in Beijing
styles of noodle dishes, such as Sichuan style
is to enter one of the restaurants where the
rice noodles, but the brave can also sample
locals are eating and pick a few different
silkworm, scorpion, and various organs all
dishes from the menu. The most famous street
skewered on a stick and grilled to order.
A winter specialty, candied haw berries are
A dipping sauce, usually sesame, is served as
dipped in sugar and sold on a stick. You can
well; you can add chillies, garlic, cilantro, etc, to
also find variations with oranges, grapes,
customize your own sauce. While “raw” sounds
strawberries, and bananas, or dipped in
dangerous, boiling the meat yourself is the
crumbled peanuts as well as sugar. This sweet
best way to ensure that more risky meats like
snack can also sometimes be found in the
pork are fully cooked and free of germs.
spring and the summer, but the haw berries are often from last season’s crop.
Beijing provides an ideal opportunity to sample food from all over China. Some of
Beijing Roast Duck is a famous Beijing specialty
Beijing’s best restaurants serve food from
served at many restaurants. Beijing duck is
Sichuan, Hunan, Guangzhou, Tibet, Yunnan,
served with thin pancakes, plum sauce and
Xinjiang, and many more.
slivers of scallions and cucumbers. You dip the duck in the sauce and roll it up in the pancake with a few slivers of scallions and/or cucumbers. The end result is a mouth-watering combination of the cool crunchiness of the
SHOPPING
cucumber, the sharpness of the scallions, and the rich flavours of the duck.
At Beijing’s many markets, haggling is essential. Especially when browsing at
Beijing is also known for its lamb hotpot which
large, “touristy” shopping areas for common
originally came from the Manchu people
items, do not put it beneath your dignity
and emphasizes lamb over other meats. Like
to start bargaining at 15% of the vendor’s
variations of hotpot from elsewhere in China
initial asking price. After spending some
and Japan, lamb hotpot is a cook-it-yourself
time haggling, never hesitate to threaten to
affair in a steaming pot in the centre of the
walk away, as this is often the quickest way
table. Unlike Sichuan hotpot, lamb hotpot
to see a vendor lower his or her prices to a
features a savoury, non-spicy broth. If that’s
reasonable level. Buying in bulk or in groups
not exciting enough for you, you can also
may also lower the price.
request a spicy broth (be aware that this is and satisfy everyone, you can request a ying-
HOTEL SHOPS AND DEPARTMENT STORES
yang pot divided down the middle, with spicy
Old style Chinese retailing is gradually being
broth on one side and regular broth on the
transformed by shops with a better design
other. Raw ingredients are purchased by the
sense and more sophisticated souvenir items.
plate. In addition to lamb, beef, and seafood,
Silk clothing, table settings and so on such, are
this also includes a wide variety of vegetables,
worth a look, as are porcelain, specialty tea
mushrooms, noodles, and tofu, so it’s also
and other traditional items.
flaming red, filled with peppers). To play it safe
perfectly possible to have vegetarian hotpot.
DUFRY TRAVEL TIPS BEIJING
CARPET STORES
you are aware of this law he/she may lower
The carpet business is strong in Beijing and
their prices since they know you know their
you will find lots of stores selling silk carpets
“antiques” really aren’t Ming Dynasty originals.
and other varieties. There are also a few places which sell authentic Tibetan carpets.
ANTIQUE FURNITURE
CURRENCY The Renminbi (literally “people’s currency”) is the legal tender in the People’s Republic of
There is a number of companies that cater to
China. The official abbreviation is CNY, although
tourists interested in buying antique Chinese
it is also commonly abbreviated as RMB.
furniture during their visit to Beijing.
WARNING China’s government passed a law in May
The units of Renminbi are yuan, jiao, and fen. One yuan is divided into 10 jiao. One jiao is divided into 10 fen, pennies in English.
2007 banning the export of antiques from before 1911. Even antiques bought at proper
The paper denominations are issued both in
auctions cannot be taken out of China. As
notes and coins. Chinese paper money usually
violation of this law could lead to heavy fines
comes in 1 fen (rare), 2 fen (rare), 5 fen (very
and a possible jail term, it would be wise to
rare), 1 jiao, 2 jiao, 5 jiao, 1 yuan, 2 yuan, 5
heed it. However if you let a vendor know
yuan, 10 yuan, 20 yuan, 50 yuan and 100 yuan.
The denominations of coins are 1 yuan; 5, 2 and 1 jiao; and 5, 2 and 1 fen. In spoken Chinese, yuan is often called as kuai and the jiao is known as themao. Fen-denomination RMB is rarely used, except at supermarkets.
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
86 010 110 119
COUNTRY CODE CITY CODE POLICE FIRE STATION
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
64563604 TOURIST INFORMATION
65130828 65158264