Beijing Circumstance

It's been 5 month since my last trip to China. So, I can't write too detail, but I'll give information about place I've been visited and China circumstances. I already visit China at year 2008, but I only had chance visit south China (Shenzhen and Zhu Hai, others is Hongkong and Macau). This time I visit north China : Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Wuzhen.

My trip at year 2008 was by tour, so there was not much I could tell. Hongkong and Macau was easy to go, to Shenzhen, well... it needs effort. But Place I can recommend at Shenzhen is: Splendid of China and Widow of the World, shopping at Lou Hu. While Zhuhai was small town, it sold many medicines.

Since I visited north China by myself, so I have many information I can write down.

First is Beijing.

The airport was big, and queue quite long. First time came to the capital from the biggest population country in the world, trust me it was sooo crowded. I had to queue in everywhere I go.

How to go down town from Beijing Capital Airport?

1. The easy way, by taxi.

Fare probably CNY 150. Legal taxi police number is “B”, yellow colors at arrival floor.

But to take cabs had to queue quite long (very long actually).

2. By bus.

Buy bus ticket at bus counter, cost CNY 16 (I get off at Beijing Railway Station, since I stay nearby). Just say: “Běi jīng Zhàn - 北京站”, to the officer (don’t expect too much, the officer can't speak English, so you got to prepare by yourself).

After that queue to get in to the bus, don't forget to ask first, for the direction.

The bus had several route, this is the web: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/beijing/transportation/airport-shuttle.htm

3. Airport railway

Fare CNY 25, get off at Dongzhimen subway station. Then continue ride subway or taxi. The railway close at midnight.

 

To visit China needs to prepare many information, first no people I can ask (they didn't speak English), I arrived at 2 AM in the morning, no direction in English, all in Chinese, but if you speak and read Chinese, then it just fine.

Also, for me, I prefer ask to the passenger rather then ask the officer, since the passenger was nicer. Maybe because I was look like Chinese, they thought I was citizen.

How to ask: “qing wen, zhe ge ba si dao bei jing zhan ma? – 請問, 這個 巴士 到 北京站 嗎? (Excuse me, is this bus go to Beijing Station?). Oh, also you need to speak loudly, they speak so loud.

By the way, my Chinese alphabet was traditional (I only had traditional alphabet at my computer) and China used Simplified one.

In the bus, there were small television – no sound, it describe bus route, but once again in Chinese. Beijing station was the last stop.

Arrived at Beijing Station, we continue take cabs to the guesthouse (9 Dragon House). All cabs was illegal (we arrived at 03.00 AM, legal cabs only available inside Beijing Railway Station, which is closed), and the price they ask was too high, 10 times then normal fare.

Try to bargain. But if you look like foreign (I mean non Chinese), don’t try this, why, they won't cut the price.

If come to down town early in the morning was inconvenient, then just stay at the airport till morning, then take bus or airport railway. Many tourists did it.

Actually from guesthouse to Beijing Railway Station fare only CNY 11, but they ask CNY 140 (crazy driver), I bargain and got CNY 40, still expensive, but it was the best option, since I didn't knew the way.

Tips bargain: Don't show them you didn't know about Beijing at all.

Place I stay during my visit at Beijing:

9 Dragon House (Xinmao Hostel)

No.78, Dongsijiu Alley, Beijing, Dongcheng District

北京鑫茂青年酒店

北京市东城区东四九条78号

Web: http://www.dragonshostel.com/Hostel%20Rooms%20&%20room%20rate.html

Tips book: book early (I book 8 month before I arrived), because the price will raise high. When I book I got CNY 158, when I arrived the price already raise to CNY 328.

9 Dragon House (Xinmao Hostel).

Bedroom was nice, had window, bathroom clean, standard facility: air conditioner, television, cup, cooking water (I didn’t knew the name – sorry), towel, soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, toilet, shower, toilet sandal, hanger, big mirror and cupboard, free wifi (wifi was good), no breakfast, the lamp not too light.

During my stay, I slept with open windows everyday (even I turn on the air conditioner, but I prefer fresh air), and it safe.

Front desk speak English fluently, many tourist (non Chinese) stay here.

Provide Beijing city tour (but I didn't take it, I got cheaper tour then here).

No elevator. It had 4^th floor (I stay at 4^th floor, and had to carry my own luggage by myself). Location is near Hutong (Beijing ancient village), near Subway station, easy to find food.

The guesthouse offer free picking from Beijing railway Station (only till 18.00).

Deposit CNY 100 was needed, and return when check out.

I had breakfast at Huguo Temple snack, only 2 minutes walk from guesthouse. It was at the main road.

Nearest subway station Zhangzizhonglu exit C, only 5 minutes walk.

Hostel 161

No. 161 Lishi Hutong, Dongsinandajie, Dongcheng District,

北京市, 东城区, 礼士胡同161号

Location next to Hutong, easy to find food, near main street (main street sold many things, but for me it's expensive). From Dongsi Subway station exit C, just walk 3 minutes. Deposit CNY 200.

Front desk speak English fluently, many foreign (non Asia) stay here. The interior was modern, nice hostel.

The hostel was cozy, but unfortunatelly, when we arrived there the wifi under restriction. There were free computer can be used at 1^st floor (but I didn’t used it), near cafeteria. No breakfast. The fare also higher compare with Xinmao hostel CNY 358/room.

We got room at 2^nd floor, but at here there were bellboy, so we didn’t have to carry our luggage by our self, of course we tipping. Room interior better rather than Xinmao Hostel, modern and clean, but at here they only provide towel, no toilet sandal, toilet equipment, hanger, big mirror nor cupboard. The light better than Xinmao hostel.

Compare with Xinmao hostel, Hostel 161 neighborhood more crowded, at Xinmao more quite. For fresh air, I prefer Xinmao hostel.

By the way, the air conditioner and television remote all in chinesse language (same with Xinmao hostel), so better ask explanation at front desk.

Huguo Temple Snack (护国寺小吃店)

Address: 东四北大街214号(近平安大道)

Here the web: http://www.dianping.com/shop/2006086

In Chinese alphabet but you can see the food picture, also can translate by Google.

http://www.dianping.com have many information for Beijing food, at each district. It will help, but had to know Chinese alphabet since the web on Chinese.

Beijing Railway Station

It's totally crowded, many citizens slept at Beijing Railway Station, maybe they didn't get ticket so they stay there (at the yard).

Outside the station building many stall, they sold fruit, instant noodle CNY 2,5 – CNY 4 (depend on the taste), Chinese food. Price were normal, water CNY 2, fruit was cheap.

To buy train ticket had to walk, till the end of the building from subway exit.

Be careful there were many illegal pander sold train ticket, of course the price higher then buy at the counter. They offer me train ticket to Harbin, but since I was foreign they can sold it, because it need ID Cards to print at the ticket.

Harbin train ticket was hard to get, if really want to go Harbin, had to buy it at least 3 days before the day.

The counter ticket were many, but only 1 counter available for foreign (closed at 21.00) – number 16 (it stated for foreign - but many citizen buy ticket there). But if you already had itinerary and know about the train schedule, train number, just queue at every counter.

The counter closed at 24.00.

As I know – till the day I visit Beijing, the train ticket can’t buy online, there were charge CNY 150 buy online (buy not direct with the station).

At Beijing Railway Station can buy ticket to from many places.

I bought round trip ticket from Shanghai to Hangzhou, Shanghai to Suzhou here.

Here china train web: http://www.chinatrainguide.com/

Ride taxi from here, was crazy. I never saw long queue for cabs as long as here. It took 1 hour for queue. I never ride taxi from here.

Beijing Transportation

1. Taxi

Web: http://www.beijingtrip.com/transport/taxi.htm

Tips ride taxi: Choose legal one, blue color, always ask for receipt. Ride taxi near subway station is easy, but at rush (morning and afternoon) hour it will be difficult.

Sometimes they refuse to bring passenger, when they way was not same with them. I had this experience once, when I ride taxi from Temple of Heaven, the driver was female, she’s kind, but she said that the direction wasn’t same with her. Maybe because at 15.00 there were changing shift for taxi driver.

Beijing taxi fare:

                                                            Day Time        23.00-05.00

Flang fall (3km)                                       ￥  10,00         ￥      11,00

After 3 km                                              ￥    2,00         ￥        2,40 per km

> 15km                                              ￥    3,00         ￥        3,40 per km

Fuel surcharge - if the journey > 3km  ￥    2,00         ￥        2,00

There were charges for passenger CNY 1 per person. But not all taxi gave it. I only had it twice.

2. Subway.

Web: http://www.chinahighlights.com/image/map/beijing-subway-map-new.jpg

Don't forget to buy IC Card.
At every Subway station entrance there were scanner, all belonging had to be scan before enter the subway station. Subway clean, and crowded. Subway station closed at 23.00.
Not all station had machine to buy subway ticket, so had to queue at counter.

3. Ricksaw

The ricksaw was using bicycle. It was cheaper ride cabs rather than ricksaw. Bargain fare before get on it.

At my country we call it Becak. Similar used bicycle, but not exactly same.

4. Bread minivan

The rider was at front, and the passenger at behind. But only 2 passengers can ride on it. Price can be bargain.
 

     5.   Bus
           It's easy ride bus at Beijing, using IC Card to ride it was more efficient.

IC Card

How to buy it?

Not all subway station sold IC Card. I bought it at Tiananmen Subway station. Deposit CNY 20 for the card, and it can be reload by our self with ATM machine or at counter.

IC Card was refundable (full deposit and balance). But not at all subway station.

IC Card can be refund at:

Subway Lines             Stations

Line 1                          Guchenglu, Sihui

Line 2                          Fuxingmen, Xizhimen

Line 3                          Lishuiqiao, Yonghegong, Dongdan, Songjiazhuang, Xizhimen

Line 4                          Jianguomen, Beitucheng

Line 10                        Shaoyaoju, Zhichunlu

Line 13                        Dongzhimen

Airport Express           T2 of Beijing Capital Airport

I refund at T2 of Beijing Capital Airport, since at Dongzhimen (not at subway station, but at bus station – front of subway, so got to get out from the station first than cross to the bus building, by under pass) didn't receipt it. I wonder how it can't be refundable at Dongzhimen?. Till now I still didn’t know the reason. Maybe it's because the type of my card (dunno).

Since my flight at Terminal 3, but the IC Card only can be refund at Terminal 2 (I ask to the officer where I can refund it, when I buy airport railway ticket), so I get off at Terminal 2, and told the officer I'm going to refund my IC Card, I didn't had to tab my train ticket, so I can ride next train to terminal 3.

IC Card can be used at Subway station, and to ride bus.

Or buy subway ticket CNY 2 (for one single trip, single fare to all destination). Ticket can be bought only at the counter.

Book Domestic Flight

Well, travelling using train at China was comfortable, but sometimes travelling using airplane better, of course faster. Sometimes they offered cheap fare. They already open the ticket at least haft year before the date.

Cheap domestic flight:

Air China Airlines       : http://www.airchina.com.cn/en/html/index/index.shtml

Eastern Airlines           : http://en.ceair.com/

Southern Airlines        : http://ec.csair.com/B2C/modules/order/internal/bookOrder.jsp

But for foreign can’t book it, only for citizen, but at least we can see the promotion.

Book at agents:

www.9588.com (I book here: http://ticket.9588.com/FlightTicket/Main_E.aspx)

www.elong.net.com

www.ctrip.com (I book here, for hostel at Wuzhen)

www.travelzen.com

There were no charges, but before book better to read the regulation carefully.

Beijing Citizen

Well, they didn't smile, and they speak loudly. They tend not polite. So when you meet kind citizen had to be careful, maybe they want something from you (not all people like this).

When queue they tend to get in front of, also they didn't say sorry nor thank you (don't surprise with it).

They eat a lot, the portion of the meal was large.

The toilet, the cleanest one, still had “special toilet perfume”, even at branded mall, was same. So had to prepare your self before enter the toilet, bring your own paper toilet.

Ask with young people better rather than elder. Even if you speak Chinese, younger people more manner. It's hard to find people who can speak English.