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sbergman
Veejay
Joined: Sep 12, 2007
Posts: 2120
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 Posted:
May 05, 2008 - 11:41 AM |
 
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| Post subject: Beijing |
Just returned from a few days in Beijing and thought I'd start a thread for folks to share Beijing travel tips.
We found a great private driver Zhang Yong Kim "John". He's very nice, has a nice clean car, drove a taxi for many years in Beijing and speaks English. www.Beijing-driver.com or johnyellowcar@hotmail.com
The clock collection in the Forbidden City is very cool. If you haven't been there since they fixed up the exhibit space, go again.
Leave plenty of time for the Summer Palace. It's an incredibly beautiful place to spend the day. Prettier than a walk around the lake in Hangzhou and not nearly as crowded.
If you're in good shape, go to Simatai to see the Great Wall. Start early and plan to walk up and take the cable car down. We arrived at 9 and the place stayed quiet until about 11. Didn't try the zip line but it looked like lots of fun.
The parks were filled with older people singing and playing instruments (because of the holiday?). It was so wonderful. |
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happyhere
Seeker
Joined: Jan 27, 2007
Posts: 47
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May 05, 2008 - 01:12 PM |
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sbergman
Well I think this thread is interesting. Having lived in both cities for many years, I can tell you, hands down Shanghai is a much nicer place to live.
The problem with Beijing is the air pollution and the inconvenience of getting around and getting things done compare to Shanghai.
Last year Shanghai had roughly 1 month of days that were consider polluted (when SEPA says the levels of pollutants are 100 or above). Beijing had about 5 month of polluted days. Last Christmas there were almost 4 days of 500 or above. That means the air was so polluted that even the most fit person should not have come outside if at all possible. Also the air here is sooo dry. It ages people quickly. A 40 year old woman in Shanghai looks a lot better than a 40 year old woman in Beijing. The dryness just sucks the water out of everything. The Huangpu and the delta that Shanghai is on really keep people's skin in tact much better. Yes you all sweat more but you look better for it.
The subway in Shanghai goes from strength to strength. Shanghai is about 10 years ahead of Beijing in terms of subway development. So much of Beijing is not connected to the subway and so you are always trapped in a car, unless you like crowded buses. Walking in Beijing is almost impossible because everything is so spread out here.
Shanghai is crowded for sure, but things are more convenient. I started living in China in the 80s and back then getting 1 or 2 chores done in a day felt like a big accomplishment. Then after returning to China from HK and abroad, I spent years in Shanghai and felt I could do so much in one day. And then I moved to Beijing and felt I was back in the 80s again. Things are a lot more bureaucratic here in Beijing than in Shanghai.
But I don't want to be too negative about Beijing. It does have some really beautiful places to visit. My top 10 would be
1) The Great Wall -- but not Badaling too many tourists. I personally like Mutianyu. You have to climb a steep path to get to the wall or you can take a cable car if you can handle that. It has a great toboggan-like thing you can slide down to the very bottom of the mountain path that you walk up to get to the wall.
2) Summer Palace -- make it a whole day trip, buy a through pass take your time and enjoy the place, bring a lunch and rent a boat; if you haven't been there for a while go again because there has been excellent renovation. (But I still think West Lake in Hangzhou is much better.)
3)Tthe Forbidden City – go first thing in the morning before the crowds get too great.
4) Tiantan (the Temple of Heaven) as well as teh surrounding park. This has also been renovated in the last few years.
5) The Guozijian Hutong -- rent a bike explore the back alleys, visit Confucius Temple and check out the steles that have the names of the mandarins who passed the imperial examinations and go to 1ama Temple . There is a great vegetarian restaurant right across from the Confucius Temple.
6) Tiananmen Square -- early in the morning to see the flag go up. If later in the day see the Great Hall of the People; walk to the east and see the new opera house (the egg). See Mao’s body if you like that sort of thing.
7) Ritan Park -- my favorite little park. In the winter do chair skating in the little pond, walk to the top of the little hill in the park and sit in the little pagoda, a great people watching place also lots of things for children to do, a community park with historical value, free of charge; lots of restaurants and cafes around the edge of the park, when you leave the park from the north gate take a look at the propaganda board in front of the North Korean Embassy (Ritan is in the first embassy district), walk west to the Russian district (Yaobaolu) and watch Russian merchants doing their buying and selling
 The Silk Market on Jianguomenwai -- Ask for no more than 1/3 the price offered and stand your ground. This is really fun shopping. But the sellers get pretty aggressive sometimes.
9) Capital Museum on Changanjie-- great for porcelains and bronzes. Very beautiful museum
10) Beijing’s big modern malls. The Place on Dongjiadu, Dongfang Malls on Jianguomen near the Wangfujing walking street is also fun too. There are loads of cafes and upscale restaurants. |
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happyhere
Seeker
Joined: Jan 27, 2007
Posts: 47
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May 05, 2008 - 01:21 PM |
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The mall called the Place is on Dongdaqiao Lu sorry |
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hautumncloud
LoopKicker
Joined: Nov 04, 2006
Posts: 846
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May 05, 2008 - 03:39 PM |
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We lived in Beijing for one year 2006/2007 and I must say I much prefer Beijing to Shanghai. But then the debate is endless about which is better, BJ, SH or GZ.
We lived in a high rise right downtown in BJ and we had many clear days in BJ where the sky is completely blue and from our windows, we can see straight past the city right out to the skyline of Great Wall. In SH, the sky is always grey which was quite a surprise since we were told the air here is better. And we even live in the suburbs here in SH where air is supposed to be much better than the city. As for the weather, I do prefer the dryness in BJ - the humidity in SH is one that I dislike alot especially in the summer and rainy season. The winter in BJ is very bearable although the temperature is much lower but in SH, with the humidity, the coldness goes right down your bones just like in London. While we were living in BJ, my husband used to travel a fair bit to SH and each time he is in SH, he gets sick. True enough, when we moved here, we had gotten a lot more illness than we did in our entire year in BJ. Perhaps, we are just very used to Toronto's weather as it is very similar to BJ's. The central heating for apartments and house are also much much better in BJ than in SH. In Beijing, I do feel that there are so much history to explore and people are much nicer than the Shanghainese. Plus I learned Putonghua in Beijing and really enjoy the "er" tone added to the standardised Putonghua. I guess each one have their own preference.
For places to go, I would add the following:-
1. Panjiayuan - antique market/flea market, opened in the weekend only. Although the shops around the market open all week long with beautiful Chinese paintings in scrolls for very reasonable prices.
2. Drum Tower and Bell Tower - old buildings to visit and walk around there along Gui Jie (ghost street - a whole street lined with red lanterns filled with 24 hours restaurants). While there, take a pedicab tour to go into the hutong areas.
3. While at Tiananmen, walk south to Qianmen Dajie and see the old city as well as the gate to the city.
4. Visit local style wholesale market at Muxiyuan. In that area, you can see everything from a whole street that sells only buttons to seeing a pig's head being torch to rid the hairs on the skin. Buy silk duvets, beddings, stationeries, curtains, silk fabrics etc.
5. Take the Royal Canal tour in a little boat to go through the route which Empress Cixi travels to get from the Forbidden City to the Summer Palace - would be great if you go with a tour guide so she can explain the different venue you pass while in the canal.
5. Visit the Underground City - buildt to house the entire BJ population in case the Russian attacks. Only a small part of the underground tunnels are opened to the public.
And the list goes on....Ming Tomb, 1ama Temple, Chaoyang Park, Wangfujing Pedestrian Shopping Street, Olympic Park, Fragrance Hill Park, Botanical Gardens etc
There is a club specially for expats that does many of the outings in and around BJ for very reasonable prices called the Chinese Culture Club. We went a few times with them and our guest who visited from UK went with a private tours with CCC to Xian & Guzhou and had very good things to say about them. We also went to a remote part of the Great Wall close to Tangshan with them for a weekend and stayed at renovated siheyuan right at the Great Wall! We also visited the fine bone china (dishes) factory on the way there as Tangshan is well known for its fine bone china dishes. It was fantastic.
Here is their website:-
http://www.chinesecultureclub.org/tours/ |
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hautumncloud
LoopKicker
Joined: Nov 04, 2006
Posts: 846
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May 06, 2008 - 09:50 PM |
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Here are a few exotic restaurants in Beijing which visitors as well as expats living there would appreciate:-
Beijing Da Dong Roast Duck Restaurant
South Eastern Corner of Chang Hong Bridge
Third Ring Road, Beijing
Tel: 65822892/65824003/65824012
Best to reserve before going otherwise be prepared for a long wait. They also have another branch but I don't have the details/contact # for that. In my opinion as well as annual magazine surveys, they serve the best Peking Duck. They also have a "out of the world" most beautiful menu! For a meal for 9 adults incuding 2 ducks, we paid RMB900.
Beijing Huajia Yiyuan Restaurant
235 Dongzhimen Street within Dong Cheng District
Tel: 64051908
This is close to the Gui Jie (Ghost St near Bell and Drum Towers). This restaurant is a beautiful siheyuan (court yard house) and serve Cantonese style as well as Beijing style food. The entrance is very deceiving as it leads to a huge place inside. You can eat in the courtyard or in the rooms while listening to a live musician playing Chinese instruments. Also best to reserve. For dinner for 9 people, we paid about RMB850.
Beijing DaZhaiMen Lao YuanZi
3, Huixinbeili
Chaoyang District
100 metres east on the Roma Garden
Tel: 64952166/ 64950018
www.bjdazhaimen.com
This restaurant serve Imperial style food - recipes handed down from the emperor's kitchen. Very unique food at reasonable prices. What is special is also while you eat from 7pm to 9:30pm, there is a life performance of Chinese opera singing, acrobatic, kung fu, face changers etc, at no extra charges. Best to reserve the table right in front of the stage - maybe need 1 month in advance. A meal for 9 of us cost about RMB800.
Ding Ding Xiang Hot Pot Restaurant
Tel: 64179289/64170988, another branch 64172543/64172546
Add is in Chinese with no pinyin, so I can't put it here, sorry.
Very good hotpot restaurant. Modern decor, good service. One of our favorites! Also best to reserve.
Lei Garden Restaurant
3/F Jinbao Tower 89
Jinbao Street
Dong Cheng District
Beijing
Tel: 85221212
The infamous Lei Garden which is well known in HK, Singapore, GZ - I hope they come to SH soon. Cantonese food and dimsum.
Jun Wang Fu
South west of Chaoyang Park
Sorry, can't find the card but hotel staff could likely find it for you. Also imperial style food, very lovely older Chinese palace style settings. |
Last edited by hautumncloud on May 06, 2008 - 10:21 PM; edited 1 time in total |
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andyfff
Rocker
Joined: July 03, 2005
Posts: 635
Status: Offline
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May 06, 2008 - 09:59 PM |
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A few weeks ago I went to BJ for my first time. I was completely shocked at the air pollution. Maybe I was there on a particularly bad weekend, but it was 50 times worse than Shanghai. The toxic clouds were everywhere, hanging over the city like a heavy fog. Now that I look at my photos it is disgusting. Even at the Great Wall, 3 hours away, there is still a haze of pollution. We stood 200 meters away from the new Olympic stadium and could barely see it. Really. |
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hautumncloud
LoopKicker
Joined: Nov 04, 2006
Posts: 846
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May 06, 2008 - 10:07 PM |
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A few more to add:
Ya Show Market on intersection of Gong Ti Bei Lu and Sanlitun. Similar to Silk Market but better prices and not as busy, vendors are not as aggressive.
Hong Qiao Pearl Market - located on the north entrance of the Tiantan (temple of Heaven). While you are there, pop by the Old Beijing ZhaJiang Noodle King Restaurant, diagonally across the market on Chong Wen Men Lu. The restaurant is like the cafes you see in Chinese kung-fu movies. The food is not to die for - you can order the house special noodles with black sauce, hot or cold. Their deserts fruits (banana/apples) dipped in honey is quite good. The service you get is exactly like the ones in kung fu shows, lots of yelling out orders. Somedays, you may even find a jar of crickets in the shop - not as food! but the sound they make is amazing.
A note about Tiantan - You may want to go there early morning and you will se masses of older folks doing taichi (you can join in as well) and some groups singing, some groups dancing - the older folks in BJ do these as their exercise. |
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amig
Talker
Joined: Apr 26, 2007
Posts: 116
Location: suburbia
Status: Offline
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May 07, 2008 - 12:05 PM |
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Hey great write-ups guys. We are planning a trip to BJ this summer, so this info is so timely. Thanks. Any tips for family with small kids? |
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happyhere
Seeker
Joined: Jan 27, 2007
Posts: 47
Status: Offline
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May 07, 2008 - 01:06 PM |
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hautumncloud-- Yes, Shanghai get less sunshine and the central heating can't compare to the North's; but the particulate matter in the air here is so much worse than Shanghai.
I would go to the SEPA website for a scientific comparison. Shanghai wins handdown for air quality. Fog is fog,but Beijing has got smog and a lot of it.
I also strongly disagree with the stereotype that Shanghai people are unfriendly compared to Beijing people. Shanghai people are not as hung up with "you are a foreigner - I am a Chinese mentality" as Beijing people are. Yes, Shanghai people have a edge, but they are make very good friends.
As for speaking Putonghua, I lived in Shanghai for more than 7 years and never learned to speak much Shanghaihua. I was able to get around really well in Putonghua only (which I spoke before I moved there) .
But let's not get bogged down in the never-ending Beijing-Shanghai comparison. I love Shanghai, and I am the first to admit I am biased toward Shanghai.
Food, yes food...
Two of my favorite restaurants in Beijing are
Sichuan
Chaun Ban
I think this is the best Sichuan in Beijing. It is the Sichuan provincial guest-house restaurant where provincial leaders eat when they are in the capital. The place gets really crowded. People wait up to 3 hurs just to get in. Bit you can call for reservations
If you are a group get a baofang
Address- 5 Gongyuan Toutiao Jianguomennei Dajie, Dongcheng District. in an alley off Jianguomenwai near where the 2nd ring bridge turns Jianguomennei into Jianguomenwai.
Yunnan
In & Out
Very big but very good Yunnan food; in Sanlitun so you can make it part of an evening.
1 Sanlitun, Beixiaojie, Chaoyang District,
Tips for families with small kids --
Check out Ritan Park and/or Chaoyang Park both of which have children's play areas (bumper cars, carousels, etc.)
If your children are over 7, then Chaoyang Park is better because it has more for bigger kids. |
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ggh
PopStar
Joined: May 13, 2006
Posts: 1077
Location: Shanghai, Puxi
Status: Offline
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June 29, 2008 - 12:28 PM |
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It's a great write up here and I really appreciate the pros and cons of BJ and SH shared by people who has lived in both cities.
I am living in SH now and migth soon be posted to BJ. I am doing some research now. I love SH. I heard so many stories that SH is much better than BJ, and it makes me sad. But i also know people who hate SH.
I guess it really depends on individual and until I experience it on my own, it's really difficult for me to tell which place will be better for me.
I appreciate anyone who has experience living in both cities to tell more of their experience and comparison between the 2 cities. |
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jeannie5
Raver
Joined: Aug 21, 2007
Posts: 428
Status: Offline
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 Posted:
June 29, 2008 - 02:56 PM |
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| hautumncloud wrote: |
| We lived in Beijing for one year 2006/2007 and I must say I much prefer Beijing to Shanghai. But then the debate is endless about which is better, BJ, SH or GZ. |
i second to what you mentioned...i do prefer beijing too despite having lived in shanghai longer than in beijing(10 years in shanghai and 2 years in beijing).The reasons why prehaps beijing feels and looks more 'china',and i do have less high blood pressure relapses communicating with anyone in beijing compared to anyone in shanghai.i am not saying the people are more cultural there but maybe the local people i came across in beijing are more polite in some way.
I do agree with the air pollution and inconvenience due to the city planning and transport. however,when someone like me who loves more of chinese cultures and its history and can't get enough of peking opera(incl. my son).just can't get enough of all the places u guys mentioned as above. |
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jzzzzzzz
PopStar
Joined: July 07, 2006
Posts: 1218
Status: Offline
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| Posted:
July 02, 2008 - 12:50 PM |
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| Post subject: Re: Beijing |
Thanks for this recommendation. I pointed some visiting friends to your post and they just enjoyed a great couple of days with John as their driver. |
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italian-in-SH
Seeker
Joined: June 28, 2008
Posts: 55
Status: Offline
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July 02, 2008 - 02:44 PM |
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I have never lived in BJ, but I have been there a few times. My verdict: Shanghai all the way! Beijing is certainly more interesting from a cultural and historical perspective, but as a place for living, I think Shanghai is much better. One does not have to look that far. Just consider three things: 1) the poor urban planning (highly dispersive and fragmented city); 2) underdeveloped transportation (especially underground) system; and 3) higher polllution levels (there is scientific evidence of this, despite different people's perceptions). Of course, I do understand that for some people these limitations are transcended by the richer cultural offer in BJ. |
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"A gentleman is one who never hurts anyone's feelings unintentionally" |
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