An Englishman in Beijing One thing to always remember when travelling in China – is to expect the unexpected at every corner you turn.
Beijing is a wonderful OLD City, and unlike almost all of the other major cities in China, Beijing is the capital, and that is where the Central China Government are all situated, so, unlike other cities, like Guangzhou and Shanghai – you can’t get away with much.
There are more DO’s than DO NOT’s in Peking, to use it’s original name.
When staying in one of the many Beijing hotels, there are many tour groups advertised, but these are NOT the way to travel around Beijing. Almost all of the tour buses will take you quickly to the famous sights – but you will only be there long enough to take a few “snaps” and certainly not long enough to take a good photograph. They will ALL take you to places of little interest where you will be expected to buy things that you do not really want. Both the tour guide & bus driver are paid to take you there.
The best way to go is in a group of two, and then you can enjoy all the varied, different, and wonderful modes of transport that are available in this ancient city. I will not tell you in detail about them – but will leave you to discover and enjoy them for yourselves.
Places to visit are endless – but no matter how long you are there you MUST go to:
• Tiananmen Square – one million people can stand in this outdoor area
• Forbidden City – you can spend all day discovering this beautiful place – but you MUST get an audio introduction to accompany you around – it only costs a few pence – and to listen to Sir Roger Moore guiding you around is priceless – if the batteries on the tape machine still work.
• Temple of Heaven – this is a very large area – not too far from the Forbidden City – and if you like to see the old and original places of worship, this place will deliver that. This where the Emperor would “connect” to the Gods. There is also the Wall of Echoes’ – but you never know if it works – because there are thousands of people there from all over the world shouting. You can shout in English and maybe hear your echo in Russian – who knows.
• The Great Wall of China – there are again – many excursions and tours that will take you there and you may feel safer – but a much more EXCITING way to get there is by taxi – remember – everything in China is negotiable – and a return trip, and make sure that you agree a RETURN trip should cost no more than 300 or 400 Chinese Yuan. The nearest part of the Wall is at Badaling – and should take no more than an hour and a half – depends on the state of the taxi and the state of the driver !!!!
My experiences and memories of Beijing are of wonder, fun and exploration. Engage the local people – they cannot speak English, and it is better if you cannot speak Chinese – this will make everything so much more fun and memorable. The Chinese, are a loving and friendly bunch of happy people.
The secret to total happiness in Beijing is to leave all your cultural baggage behind, and imagine that this is your first day in kindergarten – and this is how life should be.
You will be surprised how much fun and laughter you can have in just one day in Beijing
The march of a million kilometres starts with one small footstep
