edit Beijing Travel Guide

• Forbidden City (also known as the Palace Museum) - the spot to appreciate the might and grandeur of the Imperial Chinese court during the height of its power
• Temple of Heaven - the greenest place in Beijing, surrounded by a vast public park popular with local residents practicing tai chi and dancing
• Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution - read the official Chinese version of what happened in Chinese military history, from ancient times up to 1949.

Beijing literally means "Northern Capital", a role it has played many times in China's long history. While various small towns and warlord capitals have been traced back as far as the 1st millennium BCE, Beijing first served as the capital of a (more or less) united China in 1264 when Kublai Khan's victorious Mongol forces set up what they named the Great Capital (大都 Dà Dū) to rule their new empire, from a northern location closer to the Mongol homelands.

After the fall of the Mongol Yuan dynasty in 1368, the capital was moved back to Nanjing ("Southern Capital"), but in 1403, the 3rd Ming emperor Zhu Di moved it to Beijing again and also gave the city its present name. This was Beijing's golden era: the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and many other Beijing landmarks were built at this time. Beijing remained the capital into the Qing era and into the revolutionary ferment of the early 1900s, but in the chaos following the abdication of the last Emperor, Beijing was beset by fighting warlords. The Kuomintang thus moved the capital to Nanjing again in 1928, renaming Beijing as Beiping ("Northern Peace") to emphasize that it was no longer a capital. However, the Kuomintang was eventually defeated by the Communists, who in 1949 proclaimed the People's Republic of China with its capital at Beijing.

By plane

Beijing Capital International Airport (Běijīng Shǒudū Guójì Jīcháng, IATA: PEK) is located to the northeast of the central districts, 26km from the city centre. The airport is being expanded at a furious pace to be ready in time for the 2008 Olympics. Terminal 2, opened in 1999, is still new and shiny, with contemporary abstract architecture, while Terminal 1 was renovated in 1995. Facilities on arrival include ATMs and money changers.

Be aware that upon departure, porters may want ¥10 to wheel your bags 50m to check-in and that most eating options are rather outrageously priced. Before you cross through security, if you want a bite to eat in the Terminal 1, there is a KFC which has lowered its prices a little, and in Terminal 2, there are 2 KFCs, and the restaurants in the basement have relatively low prices compared to what's above. A meal at any of these places should be around ¥20.

Many people use taxicabs to reach town from the airport. Try to get the Chinese name in characters of your hotel so that you can let your taxi driver read where you want to go. A taxi from the airport should cost ¥70-120. You will have to pay the fee shown on the meter (make sure the driver uses it) plus ¥10 toll for the airport expressway. Traffic jams are common.

The cheapest way to get to the city centre is to take the airport shuttle (+86 10 64594375/64594376) . There are several lines running to different locations throughout Beijing. Trips are frequent, and tickets cost ¥16 for a one-way trip. Follow signs for the buses (Jīchǎng Bāshì) to find the bus-stops:

By train

Beijing has many railway stations. Most trains arrive at the central or West stations.

• Beijing Railway Station (北京站 Běijīng Zhàn). In the heart of the city.
• Beijing West Railway Station (北京西站 Běijīng Xīzhàn). Presently the largest.
• Beijing North Railway Station (北京北站 Běijīng Běizhàn). Very small compared to the other three, but you might end up here if you are coming in from Inner Mongolia.]
• Beijing East Railway Station (北京东站 Běijīng Dōngzhàn). For trains to Chengde.
• Beijing South Railway Station (北京南站 Běijīng Nánzhàn). Closed until 2008, when it will reopen to offer high-speed services to Tianjin

By car

By the time of the Olympics in 2008, foreigners will be allowed to rent vehicles while in China.

Beijing is the hub of several expressways heading in all directions and the following is a list of the expressways and their destinations:

• Jichang (Airport) Expressway (Beijing (Sanyuanqiao - Siyuan - Beigao - Xiaotianzu - Beijing Capital International Airport))
• Jingcheng (Beijing (Taiyanggong - Wanghe Bridge - Gaoliying - Huairou - Miyun - Gubeikou) - Luanping (Hebei) - Chengde)
• Jingtong/Jingha (Beijing (Dawang Bridge - Sihui - Gaobeidian - Shuangqiao - Huicun - Tongzhou District))
• Jingshen (Beijing (Sifang Bridge - Shiyuan Bridge - Huoxian County, Tongzhou - Xiji) - Xianghe (Hebei) - Jixian County (Tianjin) - Jinwei - Tangshan (Hebei) - Beidaihe - Qinhuangdao - Shanhaiguan - Jinzhou (Liaoning) - Shenyang)
• Jingjintang (Beijing (Fenzhongsi - Shibalidian - Dayangfang - Majuqiao - Caiyu) - Langfang (Hebei) - Tianjin (Yangcun - Central Tianjin - Tianjin Airport - Tanggu District/TEDA))
• Jingkai (Beijing (Yuquanying - Daxing - Huangcun - Panggezhuang - Yufa) - China National Highway 106))
• Jingshi (Beijing (Liuliqiao - Wanping - Liulihe) - Shijiazhuang (Hebei)) {Also known as the 'Jingzhu Expressway' (Beijing - Zhuhai)}
• Badaling (Jingzhang) Expressway (Beijing - Badaling Expressway - Donghuayuan - Huailai - Xiahuayuan - Zhangjiakou)

11 China National Highways (Guódào) also link into Beijing. G101 - Jingshun Road (Beijing - Shenyang, Liaoning) G102 - Jingha Road (Beiling - Harbin, Heilongjiang) G103 - (Beijing - Tanggu, Tianjin) G104 - Nanyuan Road (Beijing - Fuzhou, Fujian) G105 - (Beijing - Zhuhai, Guangdong) G106 - (Beijing - Guangzhou, Guangdong) G107 - (Beijing - Shenzhen, Guangdong) G108 - Jingyuan Road (Beijing - Chengdu - Kunming, Yunnan) G109 - Fushi Road (Beijing - Datong - Yinchuan - Xining - Golmud - Lhasa, Tibet) G110 - (Beijing - Zhangjiakou - Hohhot - Baotou - Yinchuan, Ningxia) G111 - (Beijing - Jiagedaqi, Inner Mongolia)

By bus

Long-distance buses from areas as far as Shanghai and the Mongolian border connect to Beijing. You can reach areas as far as Harbin or Xian on a single bus ride. Beijing has over 20 long distance bus stations, but what you need to do is go to the bus station located on the edge of the city in the direction you want to travel.

Most of the buses from the Long Distance Bus Stations will be regular or express buses, which take the expressways, cost from ¥200-600 per trip, have comfy seats, and most rides don't take more than 6-12 hours, but sleeper buses are also available. A sleeper bus, with bunk beds in rows, average about ¥100 per trip, but many go really slowly up hills, avoid expressways, stop at every city or town, provide "meals" which you have to pay extra for, take the potholed National Highways to save money, and a bus ride can take up to 24 hours. The average speed is only 40 km/hr on the moderately fast sleeper buses, and the range could be from 25 to 60 km/hr. It may be a good authentic taste of how less wealthy Chinese people travel.

By boat

Though many residents of Beijing know conversational English, one should not count on finding a taxi driver who knows English well. Neither should a foreigner with minimal experience with the Chinese language put undue faith in his or her ability to pronounce Chinese place names so that a local can understand clearly. Before embarking on a trip around the city, print out the names of places you want to visit in Chinese characters. Show the text to the taxi driver, or just ask for help on the street. You have more chance to get help in English if you address younger people, as many schools in China have expanded their English education in the last few years.

By Car

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By Mass Transit

By Foot

Emergency

Dial 120.

Police

Dial 110.

Fire Department

Dial 119.

Hospitals

Crime

Beijing is a very safe city. However, tourists are often preyed upon by cheats and touts. Be especially cautious in the inner city, around Tiananmen Square, and on the tourist-crowded routes to the Great Wall.

Smoking

• Great Wall about a 1.5 hour bus ride from the city, recommended but be aware of bus scams! Two or more sections nearer the city have been restored and are available for tourists to walk upon. One section even has a ski lift up and a toboggan (or ski lift) down. You may want to bring a jacket against the wind or cold in the chillier season - in the summer you will need lots of water, and it will be cheaper if you bring your own rather than rely on the vendors on the Wall. The Badaling section is the most famous, but also the most over-restored and crowded. Jinshanling, Huangshan and Simatai are more distant (several hours drive) but offer a better view of the wall in a less restored state with fewer crowds. Mutianyu has been restored, but far less crowded than Badaling. Crowds are a definite issue with the Great Wall: at popular sections at popular times, it becomes not the Great Wall of China, but rather the Great Wall of Tourists. It is possible to rent a taxi for a day to take you to these sites. Renting a taxi should cost ¥400~450. For this price the driver takes you wherever you want, and will wait for your return.
  • Badaling: The least expensive way of getting there is to take the Bus #909 from Déshèngmén (德胜门), just east of the Jishuitan Line 2 Subway stop. The journey lasts about one hour, and costs around ¥10. There are also official tourist buses that leave from Dongzhimen, Qianmen, and Beijing Railway Station. Another, not especially convenient, option is the train: the 8:06am Shāchéng (沙城) train leaves Beijing North Railway Station daily, and gets to Badaling at 10:49am. Return trip leaves at 14:34. The final option would be to hire a taxi for the day.