Destinations : China : Beijing

About Beijing

Beijing is in northern China, capital of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and also known Peking. Yanjing is another popular informal name for Beijing, a reference to the ancient State of Yan that existed here during the Zhou Dynasty. Beijing is recognised as the political, educational, and cultural center of the PRC, while Shanghai and Hong Kong predominate in economic fields.

The city is well known for its flatness and regular construction. There is only one hill to be found in the city limits (in Jingshan Park to the north of the famous Forbidden City). Like the configuration of the Forbidden City, Beijing has concentric "ring roads", which are actually rectangular, that go around the metropolis.

Chinese people are very tolerant of foreigners. Even the strangest behaviors are often accepted, for they think that such things are normal in other countries. Be polite. Always get the name of the place you are going to and your hotel written in Chinese. Remember that young people there seemed to know more English than the bigger hotel staffs.  Cultural aspects are great. Beijing is considered as a "famous historical and cultural city", "cultural center" and "international metropolis".

Beijing was selected to be the host of the Olympic Games in 2008. The slogan of the games is “One World, One Dream” and there are three main themes:

1. Green Olympic Games
2. High-Tech Olympic Games
3. People‘s Olympic Games

A main attraction of Beijing is Tienanmen Square remembered by the students demonstrations with a violent ending in 1949, now it acts as a huge park, with couples strolling hand in hand, children playing, and enthusiastic kite flying. The view here is said to be astonishing. In the early evening, soldiers of the PLA troop out to lower the Chinese flag, which attracts large crowds of people. The square brings together the city's people.

Sites to visit

1. The Palace Museum also known as The Forbidden City, former home of the 24 Ming and Qing emperors, occupies a total space of more than 720,000 square meters.and houses 1.5 millions items of sets of relics. The Badaling Great Wall is located in the northwest of Beijing, it is a pass to the Jundu Mountain and is the soul of the whole Great Wall. Chinese people says - “The Man who has visited The Great Wall is all acclaimed as the pick of perfection”.
2. The Summer Palace landscape; 70,000 square meters of building space features a variety of palaces, gardens and other ancient-style architectural structures.
3. The Imperial Palace of Prince Gong, is the largest and best-preserved imperial residence in China in 61,120 square meters.

We also recommend to visit The Beihai Park, Yuanmingyuan Park, The Ming Tombs, Lama Temple, Capital Museum, Wangfujing Church, Jingshan Park and Guozijiang – The Imperial College. Also do not loose National Aquatics Center, Narional Stadium.

Shopping

China is a society of merchants. With exception of supermarkets, state-owned companies and restaurants, you can negotiate about the price everywhere, and to do so is very much advised, because the prices are initially set being too high, especially for tourists.

Staying friendly, not letting oneself get worked up, giving the seller the feeling, to be really interested in the product, and insisting on getting prices offered that are appropriate. Mostly, you should start negotiating about a quarter of the initially offered price. Shopping in China is a unique experience. You can get everything at the big markets. For example the silk markets located in Beiijing’s District Xiushui Jieor in Sanlitum. Apart markets and malls all around Beijing, there are also some high-quality designer stores and shops that are offering genuine labels. You will find many of them for example in Beijing’s Wangfujing Street where you can find shopping centres and boutiques, where it is still possible to rummage through and to go for a cosy window-shopping.

Liulichang Street is located in Xuanwu District, 1 kilometer from Tiananmen Square. It is a spot of historical and cultural interest that shows traditional Chinese culture, specially in terms of painting and calligraphy. Great for writers and artist as here it is sold the four treasures of study: writing brush, ink stick, paper and ink slab.

Eating and Drinking

Chinese are generous people, they like to offer dinner/lunch to friends, specially foreign friends. Don't insist too much to take the bill if your friends offered to pay, do the same thing in return when your friends visit your country!

Chinese has the habit to order sometimes much more than what they can finish, apart from the habit (good or bad), this is the way to show the warmth and sincerity. This is the culture diversity.

Most foreigners love Chinese food and ate it regularly (if not frequently) in their home countries. However, be advised that the Chinese food you had grown accustomed to back home, is not the same in China. And all except 4- to 5-star hotels will expect you to eat with chopsticks. Drink bottled mineral water or boil it for at least 10 minutes.

Beijing is a culinary mirror held up to various regional Chinese cuisines, including Cantonese, Sichuan, Shandong, Zhejiang and Jiangsu cuisines and more. Cuisines from minority ethnic group areas such as Xinjiang and Tibet can also be found in the city. The most famous dish is Beijing Roast Duck, try it! It is delicious. To live the adventure to return to the past try the Royal Cuisine “Gongting Cai” (as the name suggests, royal cuisine is composed of the recipes and dishes of the imperial kitchens, dating from the time of the Qing Dynasty 1644-1911); or the Imperial Cuisine “Guanfu Cai” that is cuisine with natural ingredients, exquisite condiments, long cooking times and intricate cooking utensil.

Tea means tradition, and Beijing is China’s most important distribution center for tea, with a great selection of tea from different parts of the country.

By Night

Beijing boasts a vast array of fashionable nightspots to enjoy and it’s very common, especially for young people, to go out in the evenings. Beijing Nightlife consists of numerous bars, nightclubs, theatres, restaurants and cinemas. However, twenty years ago the word ‘nightlife’ wasn’t even used. If nightclubs are not to your taste, then there are plenty of other fantastic restaurants and theatre shows in English language to take in. Chinese opera and acrobat shows should not be excluded from a visit to China or Beijing nightlife.

Visit Houhai, an area around the lake that includes many places to eat and bars to relax in, as well as some more lively nightclubs or share a Shisha pipe with friends. Sanlitun is an entertainment area incorporating approximately 60 clubs and bars and over 100 restaurants, with also numerous art galleries, massage and spa parlours shops and boutiques. Wudaokou is a neighbourhood in the Haidan district in North West Beijing, approximately 10 km from the city centre between the fourth and fifth ring roads, extremely popular with local and international students is highlighted by the high number of bars and clubs that generally offer cheaper drinks prices compared to other popular districts. Nanluguo Xiang, where you can find many relaxed bars to unwind in during the week, the street has a very chilled out atmosphere and is very popular with young tourists, can be found youth hostels on the street and around the area.

Climate

Beijing's climate is a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate, characterised by hot, humid summers due to the East Asian monsoon, and generally cold, windy, dry winters that reflect the influence of the vast Siberian anticyclone. Average temperatures in January are at around -7 to -4 °C (19 to 24 °F), while average temperatures in July are at 25 to 26 °C (77 to 79 °F). Highest temperature ever recorded is 42°C and lowest recorded is -27°C. Annual precipitation is over 600 mm, with 75% of that in summer.

Hotels in Beijing

The Best Boutique and Design hotels in Beijing : Hotel Kapok Beijing,