Your Guide To Beijing

Beijing, the capital of the People’s Republic of China, is the political, cultural centre of international exchanges and technological innovations of the country.

Located in the northern part of the Northern China Plain, the Beijing Municipality, covering an area of 16,411km2, borders the Tianjin Municipality and Hebei Province. The climate is continental monsoon.

As a city, Beijing has the largest number of World Heritage sites, such as the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall of China in Badaling, Other historical monuments built throughout the history more than a tri millennium of the city. Some 700,000 years ago, a tribe called “Peking Man” was already living in Zhoukoudian, south-west of Beijing. In 1045 BC, Beijing, then denominated Jicheng was the capital of the Kingdoms of Ji and Yan. In 938, it served as auxiliary capital to the Liao dynasty. It became the capital of the Jin Dynasty and the Great Capital of the Yuan Dynasty. On October 1, 1949, Beijing became the Capital of the People’s Republic of China.

At the end of 2015, the population permanently residing in Beijing was 21.7 million. That same year, Beijing’s GDP reached 2.3 billion Yuan or about 344 billion US Dollars.

Beijing will host the A1 International Horticultural Exhibition in 2019. In 2022, Beijing and Zhangjiakou City (Hebei Province) will jointly host the Olympic Winter Games. Beijing will thus become the first city in the world to host both summer and winter Olympic Games.

Getting To Beijing

Getting There

As it is the capital of the country, it is not difficult to reach Beijing.It has connections by plane and train with almost all China and a fleet of buses with numerous destinations.It is an excellent starting point for exploring the rest of the country.

By Airplane

Beijing has direct air links with almost every major city in the world. There are also direct flights between Beijing and major Chinese cities. And at least one a week to smaller cities across the country.

To purchase Chinese airline tickets departing from Beijing, you can go to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC, Zhōngguo Minhang, Aviation Building, Minhang Yingyè Dàshà, 66569118, national 6601 3336, international 6601 6667, 15 Xichang’an Jie; H7.00-24.00), or to one of the numerous agencies and counters that are around the city. Most mid-range and high-end hotels also sell tickets. Discounts are customary, so it’s worth asking.

 By Bus

There are no international bus routes to/from Beijing, but there are numerous long-distance national routes that run along the national highways that depart from the capital. Beijing has several long-distance bus stations located in the perimeter of the city, in the approximate orientation of the routes they cover.

Another important station is the bus station Of Zhaogongkou (Zhaogōngkou Qichezhan), to the south (useful forTravel to Tianjin and Jinan).There are also busesTo Tianjin (70 CNY/ $10.2, from 7.00 to 23.00) andQinhuangdǎo from the international airport.The long-distance station of Lizeqiao, inXisanhuan, west of Beijing, also covers the routes to Tàiyuan and Nánjíng.

Food and Drink In Beijing

The Chinese cuisine is very rich and varied and has an ancient culinary tradition that is commonly represented throughout the world. The dishes, tasty and well seasoned, usually mix the sweetest flavours with acids, salt and spices.

The basic component of the meals is rice, which is usually served with all kinds of vegetables, meats and fish from which it is used to the most remote part. The long periods of famine that have ravaged the country throughout history have influenced that all parts animals (cartilages, claws, entrails, heads) are able to be used in preparing the spicy dishes.

Among Chinese dishes found in Beijing, it is worth noting the following:

1. Peking Duck: The best-known dish of the Pekingese cuisine consists of a roasted and marinated duck that is served in slices and consumed inside a pancake along with some vegetables.

Cost CNY20.7 ($3)

2. Dim sum: Steamed dumplings made from different ingredients. It is a more typical dish of Beijing. In some restaurants, they are called dumplings.

Cost CNY16.5 ($2.4)

3. Hot pot : Set of foods that are cooked in a hot broth located in the center of the table. This kind of Chinese fondue offers the advantage that you can see the food before cooking and mixing it with the sauces.

Cost CNY14.5 ($2.1)

4. Chicken Kung Pao : Chicken sauteed with vegetables and peanuts.

Cost CNY19.3 ($2.8)

5. Soup soup : Prepared soup based on meat, bamboo shoots, chilli, tofu and blood of pork.

Cost CNY11.7 ($1.7)

Accommodation In Beijing

Beijing is a huge city and no matter your budget, you would always find a nice and decent accommodation which includes hotels, inns and hostels. Top on the list of hotels include:

1. Hilton Beijing Wangfujing. Cost CNY25.3 / $174
2. JW Marriott Hotel Beijing. Cost CNY18.3 / $129
3. Red Wall Garden Boutique Hotel. Cost CNY16.9 / $116
4. Novotel Beijing Xin Qiao. Cost CNY 9.3/ $64
5. Days Inn Forbidden City. Cost CNY6.7 / $46

Side Attractions In Beijing

Beijing is a bustling city full of people and sounds. The Chinese capital is a fascinating city that is rapidly modernising but retaining some aspects of its glorious past. It is a good city to explore on foot, enjoying delicacies at an evening meal market or visiting some of Beijing’s main tourist attractions. These attractions include:

1. The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City is one of the world’s great palaces, standing tall with the Kremlin, Buckingham Palace and Versailles. It is unquestionably the most popular tourist attraction in Beijing, with crowds showing it. It was the seat of the Chinese government for many centuries and therefore was out of bounds to the plebeians. Today it is open to anyone who wants to learn more about the Middle Kingdom heritage. There really is no way to avoid the crowds here, but visitors might want to check out the halls on each side to learn more about the country. Most people walk right through the center to see the large rooms and overlook the treasures to one side.

2. Badaling

Badaling is the easiest site to access the Great Wall of Beijing, making it one of the busiest. (Tip: To avoid the crowds, go on a weekday afternoon or turn left at the main gate) Accessible by public bus from Deshengmen on Beijing’s second ring road, Badaling is the place where the Chinese government takes its Official visitors. The views of the Great Wall – the world’s longest open-air museum – that meander through the mountains are breathtaking. Badaling, which has wheelchair access to some quarters, is also home to the fabulous Great Wall Museum, with its dioramas of construction and wall defence.

3. Summer Palace

The Summer Palace is located 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) from the centre of Beijing and is dominated mainly by Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake. As its name implies, the Summer Palace was used as the summer residence of China’s imperial rulers – as a retreat from the Forbidden City. The gardens expanded substantially in 1750, reproducing the styles of various palaces and gardens throughout China. Kunming Lake extended to imitate the West Lake in Hangzhou.

4. Tiananmen Square

Surrounded by Soviet-style monuments and government buildings, Tiananmen Square is the largest square in the world. It remains an incredible place and a place to relax and see visitors from all over China, many visiting their capital for the first time. There is an increase of the flag and the ceremony of reduction at sunrise and sunset at the north end of the square. There are 4 marble lions in front of the Tiananmen gate, the north-west has a bullet hole in its stomach since the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

5. Beihai Park

Beihai Park, in the centre of Beijing, is a delight to visit at any time of the year. As the most popular park in Beijing, people skate on ice in the lake in winter and stroll through it in the spring when the trees are in bloom. Its Tibetan style White Pagoda Temple on the island of Qionghua is a landmark in Beijing. Because it is so close to the Forbidden City, the park was once a royal park. Weekend mornings are a good time to visit, as the locals and visitors indulge in dancing, singing karaoke or Beijing opera, playing badminton or performing in string quartets. It is a real entertainment package.

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