Beijing - ChinaTravelDepot.com

Shopping and Food

Don't be dismayed. Shopping in Beijing is just like at home, with a few twists and turns. Of course, a good rule of thumb is not to set your expectations too high. Obviously, the local Beijinger will have experienced incredible changes to what's on offer, and over the last number of years brand awareness will have grown nationwide. But as with all things in China, expect Chinese characteristics. And remember: haggle!
To experience the pleasure of Chinese food completely, it is not enough to choose something comfortingly familiar, such as sweet-and-sour pork, hoping that will taste the same as in the neighborhood restaurant back home. It may well do so, but this misses the point of a Chinese meal, with its yin-yang balance of flavors, textures and ingredients. The foods from Beijing are satisfying indeed, with sharpened, direct flavors that Westerners undoubtedly will find pleasing. With cold winters, a short growing season, and a relatively arid climate, northern China developed a cuisine based on wheat, millet, and soybeans. Northern cooks developed wheat pancakes, like those that accompany their famous Peking duck, and thin wheat skins for meat-filled pot-sticker dumplings. Modern Beijing (Peking) chefs are proud of their hand-pulled noodles (lai mein) said to have originated in the north during the Han dynasty some 2000 years ago, shortly after the technique of flour milling reached China, via India, along the new Silk Road between what is now Afghanistan and Xian. Trade along this route, which took silk robes to the Roman emperors and much later brought Marco Polo from Venice, enriched the northern provinces with herbs, fruits, vegetables, and spices.

Chinese Acrobatic Show
Chinese acrobatics have come a long way. They remain as one of the most popular art forms in China and have gone through extensive evolution and development to reach their current level and fame. Challenging acts have been developed - 'Flying Trident', 'Balancing Chairs', 'Trick with Jars', 'Hoop-Diving' and 'Traditional Conjuring' are all equally intriguing performances not to be missed. In addition, there are Wushu, Diabolo Skills and the famous Lion Dance, all conceived from folk sports and games. If you are in China this is a definite MUST SEE activity to add to any visitors list.

Peking Opera
Beijing has the most famous opera houses in China out of the 300 or more throughout China. There are performances of traditional opera in virtually every town. A visit to the Chinese opera is a relaxed affair and occasionally quite noisy. There is no need for your evening dress and tie when visitring an opera house, unlike the West normal neat day clothes will do.
Kungfu Show
Thousands of years ago in a mysterious land called The Middle Kingdom, many legends were created. Martial arts was one of them, made famous by its name Kung Fu.In an ancient temple we encounter a little boy. Through practicing Zen Buddhism and Kungfu, our little monk eventually grows and finally reaches the sacred goal of enlightenment.

Transportation

Buy a bus card. You can do this in any subway station, and at many major bus stops/stations where there is an office with a ticket window. Its a blue plastic card with a chip on it, and will only cost you a 20 RMB deposit which you will supposedly get back if you turn in the card (and which you will not get back if you lose or damage the card….) The card is called a “Jiaotong Yikatong”. Aside from the convenience of not having to buy a ticket every time you ride, the primary advantage of the card is that it gives you a huge discount on bus rides. Many buses commonly charge 1 RMB cash for a ride. The same ride with the card is 0.4 RMB. Some buses charge by distance, up to several RMB, but the card will always save you some money, sometimes a lot. There is no discount on subway usage, only convenience. Beijing buses are frequent and cheap, and go to every nook and cranny of the city. And some of them go an incredibly great distance for an incredibly small fee, meaning you often don't even need to transfer. The city truly is at your feet if you get to know the bus system a little. (Beijing is way too big to be a walking city, and the traffic is way too nasty for Beijing to be a bicycling city.) On the other hand, buses are often crammed full, and progress is often slowed or halted by the mounting gridlock caused by too many cars and too few streets. The following are some bus routes in numerical order. If there is another resource that provides bus routes in English, please speak up! Theoretically http://www.bjbus.com/ is the official source for information.

Tourist Attractions

Great Wall
A symbol of ancient Chinese civilization, the Great Wall has stood for more than 2,000 years. The wall was built in stages from the 5th century BC up to the 16th century AD as protection against northern nomadic tribes. Stretching from the coast of the Bohai Bay in the east and ending at the Jiayu Pass in the west, it snakes along the back of mountains, deserts and valleys for 6,350km (3900 miles). It is said to be 1 of the only 2 human engineering projects visible by astronauts from space with the naked eye. Built of huge granite slabs and special sized bricks, the Great Wall at Badaling 75km (47 miles) north of Beijing is most typical of the Wall during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). There the wall is wide enough for 5 horsemen to ride abreast or 10 men to walk side by side.

Ming Tombs
The Ming Tombs lie in a valley to the south of the Tianshou Mountains in the Changping district, about 48km (30 miles) northwest of Beijing. 13 of the 16 Ming emperors were buried here and the tombs are "defended" from evil influences by the dragon and tiger hills on either side of the valley. Currently, only 3 of the tombs, namely Changling, Dingling are open to the public.

Sacred Way
Going inward from the stele Pavilion is the 3.5 Km long Sacred Way, which means the road leading to Heaven. The emperor, known as the Son of Heaven went through the sacred road to the sacrificial altar to converse Heaven during his reign, naturally, after his death, he would also go through the Sacred Way back to heaven.Alongside the Sacred Way are 18 pairs of marble figures lined up in antithesis, these marble figures, sculptured from whole stones, were erected over 500 years ago, the traditional way of putting over marble figures as guard of honor in front of the mausoleum began in the Han Dynasty which signified the dignity of the emperor, symbolizing the good fortune and warding off evil influence.

Forbidden City
The Forbidden City (known officially as the Imperial Palace Museum) was commissioned by the third Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Yong Le. The palace was built between 1406 and 1420, but was burnt down, rebuilt, sacked and renovated countless times, so most of the architecture you can see today dates from the 1700’s and on wards. The Forbidden City was the seat of Imperial power for 500 years, and is now a major tourist attraction in China. The total area of the complex is 183 acres, so it takes quite a while to walk through, especially if you want to have a close look at everything. All together there are 9,999 1/2 rooms in the Museum, not all of which can be visited.

Tian’anmen Square
Located at the center of Beijing City is Tiananmen Square, where you can visit Tiananmen Tower, Monument to the People's Heroes, Great Hall of the People, Mao Zedong Memorial Hall and see the national flag raising ceremony. Thousands of people come to the Square every day.

Summer Palace
Summer Palace is a favorite among tourists sightseeing in Beijing. Indeed, it is one of the best parks in the city. Originally it was a retreat for emperors to escape the scorching summer heat of Beijing. The Summer Palace was used by emperors for 800 years, but fell into disuse in the 18th century. Then in the 19th century, the Empress Dowager Cixi made massive renovations and restored many buildings using money funneled out from the state treasury.

Temple of Heaven
China's largest temple and altar complex, the Temple of Heaven in the southern part of Beijing covers an area of 270 hectares. The Temple of Heaven is an exquisite and extraordinary example of Chinese religious architecture. Construction of the temple began in 1420 and at the temple emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties worshipped heaven and prayed for abundant harvests. In imperial times, twice a year a magnificent ceremony was conducted when over 1,000 eunuchs, ministers and courtiers would leave the Forbidden City for the Temple of Heaven. The emperor would fast and remain celibate and sleep overnight in the Palace of Abstinence (zhaigong) before carrying out traditional ceremonies and sacrificial rites in the morning.

Hutong cultural tour
This tour takes you back to the old days of Beijing. Hutong is the Chinese name for the ancient city alleys and narrow lanes originally built in the Yuan Dynasty, where neighborhoods are made up of traditional courtyard-style homes. Ride in an old-fashioned pedicab through the Hutong district during this guided tour.

Lama Temple
In the northeastern part of Beijing stands Yonghe Lamasery, a Yellow Hat Tibetan lamasery and one of the city finest and most celebrated temples. Its 5 main halls and many galleries are filled with exquisitely detailed tanka paintings and beautifully carved or cast Buddha images. The buildings encompass the Han, Mongol, Manchu and Tibetan architectural styles and the brilliance of the blue, green and gold detail on the sharp red pagodas is simply stunning. The temple is renown for its "3 matchless treasures". These include an 18 meter (60ft) sandalwood Maitreya Buddha statue sculpted from a single tree, a niche of Buddha carved from the nanmu tree and the "mountain of 500 arhats" made from precious stones and metal.

Longqingxia Ravine (Dragon Rejoice Ravine)
Longqingxia Ravine (Dragon Rejoice Ravine) has been a local attraction since the Song Dynasty. Emperor Renzong of the Yuan Dynasty was born south of here. When he ascended the throne, he named the county Longqing Prefecture to commemorate his birthplace.
About 85 kilometers north of Beijing proper, this recreational site is part of a large reservoir on the Gucheng River. The dam was built in 1981.
There is good skating in the winter, as well as lanterns and sculptures to enjoy. Boats are available the rest of the year for tourists to view the natural scenes of the valley, which are inaccessible by other modes of travel.
Some say the scenery can be compared to Lijiang in Guilin and the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River.
There is a temple built in 1639 along the water’s edge. At one time there were images of the founders of Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism there.
Beside is a famous pond, the bottom of which can be seen through clear water over one meter deep. There are nine old cypress trees on the cliff behind, one called the “magic king of trees” with its trunk extending way beyond the edge of the cliff.
The only way to the ravine is by boat along the reservoir at the present time. It is possible to rent a tent and stay at the foot of the hill overnight. The next morning you can hike to Songshan Forest Park for a change of scene.

Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall
A 4-story building that exhibits the history and future plan of the city, and most importantly, you can see all the major structures for the Olympic 2008: the National Stadium("Bird Nest"), the National Aquatics Center,etc. Enjoy a 17-minute 3D movie that animates all 3500 years of the city's history. There are also exhibitions on the nuances of the courtyard dwelling, the epitome of Beijing traditional buildings.