Travel Tips | Beijing (Eng.)

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

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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

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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.

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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