Beijing, China

Posted on Oct 23, 2016 in Places

With almost 12 million people, the capital of the People’s Republic of China is the world’s third largest city in terms of population.  Even so, I was surprised that it didn’t feel crowded (except for that one evening on the metro…).  Parks, tree-lined streets and massive cultural sites all give the city an open feeling.

Sure there are the tiny alleys through the hutongs but the mostly single storey dwellings ensure that the narrow lanes retain a peaceful, open feeling.  There are certainly neighbourhoods with high rise (hotels, office blocks, etc) but they don’t crowd the traditional architecture – win-win I think.

On this occasion, rather than the luxury of an international chain, we chose our accommodation well, opting for a small, character filled hotel in a hutong. Walking through the waking neighbourhood was a lovely way to start each day.  Locals greeted us and welcomed us into their dumpling shops and bakeries and later in the day, hole in the wall bars appeared from behind the shutters.  We resisted for a while but it was only right to give in eventually!   Even though our location was incredibly quiet, we were only five minutes from the nearest subway station and two good sized blocks from Tiananmen Square!

As with our other stops in China, the metro system is outstanding – frequent, clean, cheap and extensive, getting you everywhere you would want to go.  Buses are also everywhere and taxis are easy to find with the exception of the wee small hours.

As far as sites go, it’s definitely worth ticking off the well known ones – Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Temple of Heaven and the National Museum.  I have no tips for these that haven’t been written before but, I will echo one of the most important pieces of advice – choose your timing carefully!  Whilst we didn’t see many non-Asian visitors during our trip, the number of domestic tourists was mind-boggling so all sites require queuing and patience (mostly because the domestic tourists aren’t good at queuing!).  How much so, depends on when you visit.  Timing is also incredibly important for a visit to The Great Wall.  In my opinion, it’s well worth a visit but if you can spare a little extra dollars, do a private tour.  Just an English speaking taxi driver is fine but at least you get to dictate when and where.  We chose to bypass the Badaling site and instead travelled a little further to Mutianyu.  We left early and arrived just as the first domestic tourists were arriving.  By the time they had themselves organised, we had taken the cable car and were on the wall almost alone.  Breathtaking!

When you’ve had your fill of the traditional sites, take a wander and you’ll stumble across walking streets, hidden lakes and markets.  Small bars and cafes are everywhere.  South Luogu Alley is terrific for people watching in the evening when young Beijingers converge but it’s not the place to go if you’re claustrophobic.  If waterside is more your thing, head to the Jinding Bridge and stroll around the lake at sunset while the bars open up and the locals try to navigate the peddle boats.

Food in China is a mixed bag and Beijing is no different.  Street vendors with deep fried offerings are everywhere, dumpling shops abound and every shop front seems to have a restaurant on the floor above.  No trip would be complete without sampling Peking Duck in it’s home town and in our experience, it was outstanding.

Negatives?  Pollution, plastic everything and cigarette smoke top the list for me.  Oh and spitting or more specifically that horrid noise that comes just before the spitting!  It doesn’t seem to matter where or when however, I was pleased to see a few signs that seemed to indicate the practice is becoming less acceptable.  Electric powered bikes are interesting… they’re everywhere and you can’t hear them coming.  And food waste.  Constantly.  When two people order six dishes for lunch and walk out leaving most of it, the only explanation I can come up with is potentially its seen as a display of wealth.

Counterfeit currency is a huge problem across China and Beijing is no different.  Fake notes come from ATM machines, shops, restaurants – it’s constant.  We didn’t use taxis often but apparently drivers are well known for accepting your payment and then telling you its counterfeit while quietly exchanging your good notes for their bad ones.  Small scale money laundering!

Except for those few negatives, independent travel in China is easy and with a little bit of effort, you can scratch under the surface and find some amazing experiences.  For me, the highlights of Beijing are the people (mostly happy and welcoming), their culture is fascinating and the food is terrific.  Definitely do the popular sites but leave plenty of time for wandering.  That’s where the fun is.

Visited: October 2016