Insight Guides Explore Beijing (Travel Guide eBook)

Insight Guides

• Publisher: Insight
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9781786710345
• Topic: Personal Development
• Subtopic: Travel

Explore Beijing is from the popular series from insight and is the ideal companion when discovering this vibrant city. This itinerary-based guide provides details of the country's best routes, written by a local expert, for that personal touch and insider information. Explore Beijing is the perfect companion when exploring this fascinating city, revealing its history and cultural flavour through appealing walks and tours.These cover Beijing's classic attractions but also tracks lesser known sights and up and coming areas.

The best places to eat and drink are highlighted in each route and in the directory section, which also contains a wealth of useful practical information, including a range of carefully selected hotels to suit all budgets. All routes are plotted on the useful pull out map, and evocative photography reveals Beijing's unique character.

The stylish design, full colour photography throughout and durable, flexi bound cover makes this guide not only a pleasure to read, but also the ultimate companion when exploring Beijing.

About Insight Guides: Insight Guides has over 40 years' experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce around 400 full-color print guide books and maps as well as picture-packed eBooks to meet different travelers' needs. Insight Guides' unique combination of beautiful travel photography and focus on history and culture together create a unique visual reference and planning tool to inspire your next adventure.

'Insight Guides has spawned many imitators but is still the best of its type.' - Wanderlust Magazine

A-Z

A

Age restrictions

Age restrictions for various venues and activities are lax or non-existent. Laws that ban minors from internet cafés, for example, may exist, but they are rarely enforced. It is also not uncommon to see young children purchasing alcohol or cigarettes, presumably for their parents. At the most, some rides in amusement parks may refuse very small children, and venue ticket prices are often graded according to age.

Airline offices

The majority of foreign airline offices can be found in and around the Yansha Friendship Shopping Mall, on the north-east Dongsanhuan Lu (Third Ring Road). Try www.thebeijinger.com or www.timeoutbeijing.com for an up-to-date list of addresses and phone numbers.

China’s national tourist offices and travel agencies, including hotel travel desks, can give you the current flight schedule of domestic airlines. You can buy tickets from travel agencies or airline booking offices. Travel agencies may be more convenient, and are more likely to have English-speaking staff, although they are likely to charge more. Ticket offices around town sell air tickets, look out for pictures of trains and planes on the signage of small shops. Otherwise, try China International Travel Services (CITS; tel: [phone]; www.cits.com.cn)

Signage at a foreign bank

Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications

B

Budgeting

For many aspects of travel, particularly food and transport, it will be significantly cheaper in China than Western countries. Beijing is trying hard to play catch-up, however, and you may be occasionally surprised by high prices.

Accommodation can cost anywhere from 50 yuan for dormitory beds in youth hostels to luxury prices for rooms in international hotels. An average double room in a hotel will cost from 350 to 600 yuan per night. Dining expenses can likewise vary; in a typical Chinese restaurant you will end up spending 50 to 100 yuan per person. A bus ride is usually 1 yuan and a trip on the subway is 2 yuan, while taxi fares start at 10 yuan and may reach 30 yuan for a longer trip within the city. Admission tickets start from a few yuan for an average park to 60 yuan for the Forbidden City. Most large museums and exhibitions charge 35 to 50 yuan.

Business hours

Business hours vary. Government offices, including banks, are generally open 8am–5pm. Some close earlier and most have a lunch break from noon to 1pm. Offices also open on Saturday mornings, but not on Sundays. The best time to get things done is at the start of the working day – many government offices are reluctant to do anything after 3pm.

Most shops open at 9am and close around 9pm, though if they are still state-run they may close by 6pm. Many department stores and privately run small stores open until 9pm. Money exchange outlets – but not banks – are open seven days a week and also generally operate long hours. At tourist sights, ticket sales may stop 30 minutes before closing time and many museums are closed on Mondays.

Beijing police

Nowitz Photography/Apa Publications

C

Children

Those travelling with children should take care out in the streets, as Beijing’s traffic is notoriously chaotic and unpredictable. Illness can be an issue, as well: people from all over China and the world congregate in Beijing, bringing their colds with them, and each season presents its unique health risks, not helped by the poor air quality. Information and advice on almost every child-related concern imaginable is available on Beijing Kids (www.beijing-kids.com).

Climate

The best time to visit Beijing is from early September through to late November, when it is normally dry and sunny, with moderate temperatures. If you visit between March and May, chances are you will encounter at least one of the annual dust storms that blow in from the Gobi Desert. Summers are hot and muggy, with occasional torrential downpours. The temperature in the hottest month, July, averages 30°C (86°F) but it can occasionally soar to nearly 40°C (104°F). Beijing winters are cold and very dry but mostly sunny. The coldest month, January, averages about -5°C (23°F), but temperatures can drop to as low as -23°C (-9°F). It generally snows once or twice during the winter, and spring may see three or four monsoon-type downpours. Otherwise, there is little precipitation. A polluted haze is the norm for Beijing skies apart from during summer months. During holidays and important events, cloud seeding is often used to help produce glorious weather.

Clothing

Shorts, sandals and a sun hat are necessary in summer, while winter calls for heavy coats and warm hats. Locals wear several layers of clothing all winter. One of the best buys in Beijing is silk thermal underwear. Beijing is a great city to explore on foot, so comfortable walking shoes are essential. Remember to have something waterproof (or at least an umbrella) with you in spring or autumn, as showers are quite common.

Crime and safety

Violent crime is very rare in Beijing, at least when it comes to foreigners. Walking the streets at night is quite safe, and there are no ‘bad’ parts of town. Women, even those travelling alone, can expect to go unharassed. That said, pickpockets are a danger in most public places. When in crowded areas, keep an eye on wallets and other valuables, and never leave belongings unattended. Scams are the most common risk and the teahouse con remains popular around Wangfujing and Tiananmen: friendly locals approach out-of-towners to invite them to a teahouse but don’t pick up the extortionate bill. Taxi drivers should always use the meter. The police are willing to receive reports and do what they can to help, but only rarely can they actually retrieve stolen items.

Customs

Written declarations are required only of visitors carrying more than US$5,000 or who exceed duty-free limits. Chinese customs are especially sensitive to pornographic material as well as publications deemed to be anti-government, which can be a surprisingly wide category. Foreign visitors are also advised not to bring more than one copy of the Bible into China. Antiques dating from prior to 1795 cannot be legally taken out of the country. Foreigners carrying illicit drugs have been sentenced to long prison terms. Take care when bringing DVDs or CDs out of the country – Chinese customs will let them pass, but customs in your home country may not.

What not to do in a park

Nowitz Photography/Apa Publications

D

Disabled travellers

Beijing is woefully unprepared for disabled travellers: textured paths on the sidewalks, ostensibly for the blind, are the sole concession to the disabled. Wheelchair ramps are very slowly catching on, but they are in so few locations that it makes little difference. Public transport is entirely inaccessible to wheelchairs; even those on crutches will have difficulties.

E

Electricity

Electrical current runs at 220 volts. Many hotels have 110-volt shaver sockets. Most outlets can accept both parallel- and angled-prong plugs.

Embassies

Embassies are generally located either in the Jianguomen area, Sanlitun or Ritan Park locale.

Australia: 21 Dongzhimenwai Dajie; tel: 5140...