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Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China, and second largest Chinese city by urban population after Shanghai. Beijing is one of the oldest cities in the world, with a rich history dating back over three millennia. It is also home to many national monuments and museums and has seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, namely the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Ming Tombs, Zhoukoudian, parts of the Great Wall and the Grand Canal.
Leisure trip at a glance
Country: People's Republic of China
Period: 07 May to 15 May 2009
Flight timings:
07 May: SQ 800, SIN–PEK, ETD 0105 ETA 0720
15 May: SQ 803, PEK–SIN, ETD 0845 ETA 1500
Air tickets: Return tickets at SGD 695 (inclusive of airport taxes)
Accommodations:
Beijing Zhong An hotel – 中安宾馆 (07 to 08 May)
Fu Li Lodging – 福利公寓 (09 May)
Beijing Zhong An hotel – 中安宾馆 (10 May)
Beijing Inlodge hotel – 三熙青旅商务酒店 (11 to 12 May)
Courtyard Marriott Beijing – 北京万怡酒店 (13 to 15 May)
Currency exchange rate: RMB 100 = SGD 21.98 (May '09 period)
There is no time difference between China and Singapore as both countries are in GMT +8 time zone. Total damage was about SGD 1500 including airfares, airport taxes, transport, food and hotel, excluding personal expenses.
Here's the overview of the trip itinerary:
Day 1 – Midnight flight SQ 800 to Beijing International Airport and took Airport Express. Checked in Zhongan hotel (中安宾馆) for subsequent 2 nights. Went to Beijing Hub of Tour Dispatch (北京旅游集散中心) to book my 2-day Chengde tour. Visited Great Hall of the People (人民大会堂), Zhengyang Gate (正阳门) and Archery Tower (箭楼), Qianmen street (前门大街), Dazhalan street (大栅栏), Ox Street Mosque (牛街礼拜寺), Ancient Observatory (古观象台), and Temple of Heaven (天坛). Shopped at Hongqiao Mall (红桥百货) and Sogo Shopping Mall (庄胜崇光百货).
Day 2 – Booked my 1-day tour at Beijing Hub of Tour Dispatch (北京旅游集散中心) and immediately followed the tour bus to Great Wall at Badaling (八达岭长城). After lunch at Yuluyuan (御鹿苑), proceeded to Ming Tombs - Dingling (明十三陵 - 定陵). After tour, shopped at Wangfujing street (王府井大街).
Day 3 – Checked out Zhongan hotel and proceeded to Train Station. Took train no. K7711 to Chengde (承德). Visited Chengde Imperial Moutain Resort (承德避暑山庄). Checked in Fuli Lodging (福利公寓).
Day 4 – Checked out lodging and visited Puning temple (普宁寺) and Putuozongcheng temple (普陀宗乘之庙). Took train K7712 back to Beijing. Checked in Zhongan hotel (中安宾馆). Shopped at Xidan Mall (西单购物中心) and Beijing Books Building (北京图书大厦).
Day 5 – Checked out Zhongan hotel and checked in Inlodge hotel (三熙青旅商务酒店). Visited Yonghe Lama Temple (雍和宫), Confucius Temple (孔庙), Imperial Academy (国子监), Olympic Park (奥运公园), National Aquatics Centre – Water Cube (水立方), Bell and Drum Tower (钟楼、鼓楼), Nanluo guxiang (南锣鼓巷), Mansion of Prince Gong (恭王府), Lotus Lane (荷花市场), and Yandai Byway (烟袋斜街). Shopped at Shin Kong Place (新光天地), The Place (世贸天阶) and Silk Street (秀水街).
Day 6 – Visited Beijing Zoo (北京动物园), Paleozoological Museum of China (中国古动物馆), Summer Palace (颐和园), and Old Summer Palace (圆明园). Shopped at Haiding Book City (海定图书城).
Day 7 – Checked out Inlodge hotel. Visited National Grand Theatre (国家大剧院), Tiananmen Square (天安门广场), Beijing Palace Museum (故宫博物院), Jingshan park (景山公园), and Beihai Park (北海公园). Checked in Courtyard Marriott hotel (北京万怡酒店).
Day 8 – Visited Military Museum of Chinese People's Revolution (中国人民革命军事博物馆), Beijing Capital Museum (首都博物馆), Hard Rock Café, and Wangfujing Paleolithic Museum (王府井古人类文化遗址博物馆). Shopped at Chongwenmen Market (崇文门菜市场), Beijing New World Shopping Mall (北京新世界商场) and SoShow Shopping Mall (搜秀城).
Day 9 – Checked out Courtyard Marriott hotel and took Airport Express to Beijing International Airport for morning flight SQ 803 to Singapore.
Transportation
Beijing Airport Express
Airport Express line (北京地铁机场线) is a light rail extension of Beijing Subway to Beijing Capital International Airport. There are only four stops at this line: one at Dongzhimen subway station (东直门站), Sanyuanqiao subway station (三元桥站), Airport Terminal 2 & 1, and Airport Terminal 3. The express train runs in a loop at a speed of 100 to 115 km/hour.
Ticket sales counter of Airport Express can be easily located inside the terminal (left photo below); just need to follow the signs that read 'Airport Express' (机场快轨). A magnetic farecard will be issued (right photo below) and has to be returned at the end of the ride.
Express train has this sleek design (left photo below) and cabin is clean and spacious (right photo below).
Most of the time the train is traveling inside the underground tunnels. However I did manage to capture a clip when the train travels above the ground (video below).
It takes about 16-mins from Terminal 3 to Dongzhimen station and each ride costs RMB 25 per trip. For comparison, the Airport Express is faster than airport shuttle buses (RMB 16) and cheaper than taking a taxi (about RMB 80 to TianAnMen).
Beijing Transportation Card
Also known as 'One Card Through' (一卡通) or 'Transportation IC Card' (交通IC卡), it is similar to Singapore's EZ-link card or Hong Kong's Octopus card. This stored-value card (left photo below) really can save the time and trouble of queuing for subway tickets and finding loose change. It can be used in most forms of transportation such as Subways, Public Buses, Airport Express and even in selected Taxis.
Each card cost RMB 20 (deposit) and the actual stored-value will depend on its usage. My recommendation is add RMB 50 first and then top it up later. Each top-up value is in the denomination of RMB 10. These stored cards be purchased or topped up at any Subway station counter that has the signage that reads 'IC card selling and add value' (IC卡售卡充值) as shown in the photo (right photo below). Or can be topped up at RMB 50 at any subway ticket machine. However do note that only Fuxingmen subway station (复兴门站) and selected bank outlets allow the refund of the card.
For more information, click here for its official website (only in Chinese).
Beijing Subway
Beijing Subway (北京地铁) is the most efficient and cheap form of transportation to travel in Beijing. Currently 8 lines (including Batong line and airport line) are in operation. Refer to the following Subway map and do note that Line 4 and line 9 are under construction during my trip there.
Click on the above picture to enlarge.
A flat fare of RMB 2 applies to all single trip regardless of the number of stations or transfers, except when taking Airport Express (cost RMB 25). Train stations generally have sufficient signage to direct passengers where to exit. One experience to share is to get the exit correct as the distance between one exit from the other can be a road apart.
Due to the different phases of operation, stations of older lines such as Line 2 (left photo below) which opened in 1971 do looked like those "Bomb-Shelters". However stations of newer lines such as Line 8 (Olympic line) will have a modern look (right photo below). Transfer between different lines can be a hassle; sometimes do expect to walk 2 to 5-mins and through tunnels /stairs to different storey when transferring. If you're carrying a heavy luggage, then do prepare to carry it up/down the stairs in stations of older lines because there is no escalator or lift available.
Subway train cabin is clean and spacious (left photo below). There is even a panel of LED lights to indicate the arriving station and upcoming stations (right photo below), which Singapore MRT has only recently implemented. Surprisingly I couldn't find any 'No eating / drinking' sign inside the subway train, so I guess it's alright to eat and drink inside the train? I've also observed some illegal hawkers selling newspapers and maps while the train is moving.
Train arrival announcements inside the train are made in two languages: Chinese and English. One observation I've made was when the train stopped, the English announcement then aired 'We're arriving at XX station'. While the announcement in Chinese would say 'XX 站到了'. Probably the announcement made was a little late after the train has stopped.
Following clip shows the arrival of a subway train of Line 2 at Jianguomen station (video below).
Beijing Taxi
Literally called 'Car for rental' (出租车), there are several taxi companies operating in Beijing and can be differentiated by the taxi color (left photo below). Taxis in Beijing are metered and a detailed receipt can be obtained from the driver (right photo below). Taxi fare starts at RMB 10 for the first 3 km and thereafter RMB 2 per km. In addition, there are mid-night surcharges and airport charges.
Try to avoid taking a taxi during the peak hours if you're rushing for time because of its availability and heavy traffics in city area.
Public Buses in Beijing
It can be rather complicated to take public buses in Beijing, especially if you are not familiar with the destination or traveling during the peak hours. If required, always refer to the bus route at the Bus stop to gauge the number of stops in between your destination (left photo below). Depending on the type of buses, ticket operator is available beside the boarding door for cash-paying passengers (right photo below).
For transportation IC card users, just need to tap onto the sensor beside the door when boarding. When alighting, just need to tap onto the sensor at the exit door (the rear door). However do note that not all buses need to tap when getting off; what I did was to observe what the local passengers did when they alight.
Most single trip bus fare is RMB 1 while other bus operators charges RMB 1 for first 12 km and thereafter RMB 0.50 for every 5 km. To promote the use of IC cards, there is 60% discount on every trip paid using the IC card.
Travel Experiences
- Security checks are everywhere in Beijing.
All hand-carry bags or luggage from passengers entering any subway station would have to be scanned. The scanning machines used are similar to those used in the airports (left photo below). Therefore do expect to wait a little longer in the queue before boarding the subway.
Besides checks in subway station, security checks are also common in major tourist area. For example after depositing the bags outside the Great Hall of the People, additional security checks would be performed to every visitor entering the hall (right photo below).
- Begging does happen in Beijing. During my trip, I observed twice inside the subway train and once at the entrance of a mosque where I was approached directly. Begging should be discouraged and my personal tactic is to refuse them politely.
- Visitors on free-and-easy would definitely be approached by touts promoting Beijing tour (especially to the Great Wall) or distributing flyers at major tourist area such as outside the train stations or even inside the Forbidden city! Often they are very much cheaper than those offered by well-reputable travel agencies and this is one of the approaches to trick unknowing visitors. According to the tour guide from Beijing Hub of Tour Dispatch, these touts will extort a higher tour fare and even threaten to leave visitors at the Great Wall (less popular section of the wall) where there is no public or private transport available. Following is the brochure distributed by the Beijing Hub to warn visitors on such approaches (click on the photo to enlarge).
- Weather in China is unpredictable when I was there in May; a day before can be 29°C in the afternoon and the next day dropped to 21°C during the day. So do check the weather forecast daily or bring an extra coat just in case.
Interesting Observations:
- Like all major cities in China, roads in Beijing (of same direction) are separated into two lanes: one for vehicles, while the other for Bicycles only (left photo below).
- Bicycles can be transformed into mobile stalls selling items such as hand-bags and popular fiction / non-fiction books (right photo below).
- No plastic bags will be given for free in all supermarkets or groceries stores. Depending on its size, each plastic bag can cost RMB 0.10 to RMB 0.40. This environmental-friendly campaign is definitely more successful compared to Singapore. Therefore do remember to bring extra plastic bags when shopping for groceries such as mineral water or snacks.
Besides groceries, book stores in Beijing also have the same policy. Interestingly these bookstores tied the books in bundles just like those herbal packs in traditional Chinese medical halls (left photo below). - Toddlers are often spotted wearing open-crotched pants (开档裤). Not because of fashion trend but more for the reason that it is convenient for toddlers to pee or poop as part of toilet training (right photo below).
- Getting a quick-bite for breakfast is easy in Beijing with these 'Breakfast Carts' (left photo below) located outside of most subway exits.
- Was surprised to see this marinated 'Dog Meat' sold in a grocery mart (right photo below). Isn't dog meat banned in China years ago?
- Besides grammatical errors, English spelling mistakes are common in Beijing. Below are some examples I saw during my trip:
Tour information at a hotel concierge (left photo below) and a notice in Chengde Imperial Mountain Resort (right photo below).
Notices inside the Chengde Imperial Mountain Resort (photo below). Click to view larger photo.
Notices in the Great Hall of the People (left photo below) and a visitor tag from Beijing Hub of Tour Dispatch (right photo below). Besides grammatical errors, can you "pick" out the common spelling mistake in the right photo below? Click to view larger picture.
- Signage is more creative and humorous in Chinese (see photos below).
- Artists are often spokesperson for various food products in China. Below are some examples I saw:
Jay Chou (周杰伦) promoting a local brand of potato chips (photos below).
Wang Lee-Hom (王力宏) spotted on mineral water bottles (left photo below) and Show Luo (罗志祥) advertising for a fast-food restaurant (right photo below).
Recommended Travel Guides:
Here are the two travel guides highly recommended by me: 'Beijing Travel Guide by Zhengwenshe' (北京正文社旅游全攻略) (left photo below) and 'National Geographic Traveler – Beijing' (right photo below).
'Beijing Travel Guide by Zhengwenshe' has more in-depth coverage on local food and shopping, and has well-illustrated maps. However it was published only in Chinese. Whereas the 'National Geographic Traveler – Beijing' has good historical background on the attractions and simplified boxes with different color coding which makes trip planning very much easier.
Useful links:
Beijing Travel Guide – Wikipedia:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Beijing
Beijing Government website:
http://www.ebeijing.gov.cn/
List of Beijing Museums:
http://www.china.org.cn/english/features/museums/116909.htm
Beijing Pictorial Guide:
http://www.kinabaloo.com/beijing.html