Beijing and beyond

[SYD]

Surprisingly, there doesn’t seem to be a general thread on this destination, but anyway - booked a QF J Sale to PEK a few months ago and I now need to pull finger out and start booking things on the ground!

I’m thinking that only one side trip is sensible - maybe Xi’an?

Seeking hints/tips/traps for hotels, eating, getting about Beijing and Great Wall? Perhaps at least one side trip (probably not Shanghai).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Why not Shanghai? In terms of history, food, entertainment... it’s a great way to spend two-three days. Add an extra day there and you can go to one of the adjacent water towns.

You have a chinese visa?

 

[Isochronous]

Consider a day or two in Tianjin - 45mins on the bullet train, has a great collection of colonial buildings and you can stay in a Ritz-Carlton or St Regis for $200 or less.

 

[casanovawa]

When are you going? I'll be in Beijing from about the 22/10-27/10....

 

[Cruiser Elite]

SYD - here is a brief list of PEK must sees - Beijing Tourist MUST sees:

• Great Wall
• Forbidden City
• Tiananmen Square / Mao Tomb
• Summer Palace
• Temple of Heaven
• Ming Tombs
• Hutong Tour
• Beijing Duck Restaurant
• Wanfujing Street
• Pearl Fake Market

If you haven't been to Shanghai then really consider it - Shanghai Tourist MUST sees:

• Jazz band at Peace Hotel
• Night cruise on Huangpu River to view Bund lights
• Visit the Bund itself
• Fake market at Science and Technology Subway Station
• Xin Tian Di
• Stroll pedestrian mall Nanjing Lu
• YuYu Gardens
• Shanghai QiBao Ancient Town,
• Binjiang Park across from Bund – take in Flar at RC Pudong whilst there
• Shanghai Aquarium

Lots of alternatives for side trips for you - it all depends on what you might be interested in. I see Tianjin mentioned - yes it is only 30 mins by HSR but after spending 100s of nights there I can tell you it is totally boring and not worth visiting. Xi'an much better alternative albeit much further away. Or Chengdu to see the Pandas - Nanjing was the Capital of China pre Mao and many historic places of interest there. I have been going to China for 20 years and still have not cracked the surface.

But seriously nobody can tell you what you should do - make your own decisions and go forth and enjoy. I will be in both BJ and SH later this month and also Nov or early Dec - who knows our paths might cross.

 

[SYD]

Why not Shanghai? In terms of history, food, entertainment... it’s a great way to spend two-three days. Add an extra day there and you can go to one of the adjacent water towns.

You have a chinese visa?

Thought we’d save Shanghai for a seperate trip since it will warrant a reasonable amount of time itself. We considered an open jaw into one and out of the other but the sale was only PEK.

Visa - no, not yet but trip is not until Easter next year. Need to renew my passport first (it expires around Easter...).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Yeah.... I’m not sure Shanghai is a ‘more than three day’ city. About three days will see you complete all the essentials.

For example Shanghai is great for things like antiques, but you really need to know the exact shops to go to. There are fantastic restaurants, and night life, but again, you really need to ‘know’ where to go.

Without the insider knowledge, about three days will get you the essentials, and enough restaurants and entertaining. For example CE mentioned jazz at the Peace Hotel, and another night you might do the Long Bar at the Waldorf Asoria (fully restored to its 1920s grandeur, with a live jazz solo singer). And you’d eat at Lost Heaven.

I guess if you were spending longer you’d do the water towns. But they’re a day trip.

Personally I would fly between being and shanghai. I know others would take the train.

 

[SYD]

Yeah.... I’m not sure Shanghai is a ‘more than three day’ city. About three days will see you complete all the essentials.

For example Shanghai is great for things like antiques, but you really need to know the exact shops to go to. There are fantastic restaurants, and night life, but again, you really need to ‘know’ where to go.

Without the insider knowledge, about three days will get you the essentials, and enough restaurants and entertaining. For example CE mentioned jazz at the Peace Hotel, and another night you might do the Long Bar at the Waldorf Asoria (fully restored to its 1920s grandeur, with a live jazz solo singer). And you’d eat at Lost Heaven.

I guess if you were spending longer you’d do the water towns. But they’re a day trip.

Personally I would fly between being and shanghai. I know others would take the train.

Yes, distance and taking out two days travelling was the main reason to skip Shanghai this trip. Having said that, Xi’an is a bit of a schlep but two seperate friends have highly recommended making the effort. One of them loved Beijing and Xi’an but hated Shanghai!

 

[moa999]

Xian is worth the trip, but distance wise its comparable to coming to Sydney with a side trip to Uluru.

Other smaller destinations include
- the lake towns of Hangzhou/Suzhou near Shanghai.
- thekarst mountain/river town of Guilin, rice terraces in Longji.
- pandas in Chengdu.
- Yangtze River/Three Gorges dam from Chongqing

 

[SYD]

Oh, forgot to mention that for Hotels - I'm IHG Plat, HH Gold and Accor Gold - if they are of any benefit there.

There appears to be a one of those Accor sales on at the moment. Will explore that option (as well as the others).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

A tip for those looking at shanghai hotels with the accor sale... the mercure ‘jingan’ is no where near jing an temple, which is actually a pretty good place to stay. They merged a couple of suburbs and the mercure jingan is actually 20-30 minutes away.

 

[siri]

Beijing hotels are quite reasonable and should avoid chinese hotels.. I lived in Grand Hyatt-Beijing for 3 yrs and its a great hotel and right in the middle of the Beijing and walking distance to Forbidden City and great shopping centre around (Wangfujing) and within the hotel site. You also have underground station downstairs and make sure to visit few silk markets and the one near swiss hotel which house 4-5 floors. Beijing main rail station also within walking distance.
I have been visiting china since 1990's.
Some one here "Cruser elite" given you almost all the places to visit and make sure to visit summer palace and also the great wall.
Most people does not know about china since Beijing is a business and cultural centre of china and not Shanghai but Shanghai is the main commercial hub. People in Beijing are very polite and cultured and you will not see the same in Shanghai.
You can walk anywhere in Beijing with out any issues and east part of Beijing got business(also north, tech centres) and also most hotels.
Markets
8 Xiushui East Street, Jianwai Dajie, Chaoyang, Beijing.
Panjiayuan Flea Market, or Panjiayuan Market, or Panjiayuan Antique Market.
Beijing Antique City ( former Beijing Curio City) is a four-story building. It is located just to the west of Huawei Bridge on the southeast third ring road, about 300 meters south of Panjiayuan Flee Market.
Fahuasi Jie 136, 东城区 District, BeijingTel: 010-8766 7125

 

[wheelsup]

We (two couples) stayed for a few days at Park Plaza Beijing Wangfujing which is handy to the temples/square/shopping etc - even some of the hutongs around the back. We joined their 'club' and spent every evening helping deplete their bar stocks of gin and scotch and wonderful snack foods so never had to spend on dinners. Also found a local guide who took us around the sites including some of the above and the Wall for a very full day - she was great value. The hotel even helped with tickets for, and transport to, the bullet train to Tianjin upon leaving. A great stay.

 

[bPeteb]

We did the same last year - booked flights, then planned. Trip report is China. More importantly first visit to the First Lounge

 

[Cruiser Elite]

For shopping for newbies in BJ Ya Show in Sunlitan is closed and long gone - Silk Market on Jianguomen Outer Rd has totally changed from total fake knock offs to ALL branded stalls - don't waste your time going there looking for clothes - still plenty bargains for watches, jewelry, leather goods, luggage etc

If you want fake designer clothes head to Pearl Market - Hotel Concierge will give you card to give to taxi driver

 

[SYD]

We did the same last year - booked flights, then planned. Trip report is China. More importantly first visit to the First Lounge

Great TR!

 

[Happy Dude]

Xian is worth the trip, but distance wise its comparable to coming to Sydney with a side trip to Uluru.

Other smaller destinations include
- the lake towns of Hangzhou/Suzhou near Shanghai.
- thekarst mountain/river town of Guilin, rice terraces in Longji.
- pandas in Chengdu.
- Yangtze River/Three Gorges dam from Chongqing

To be fair, these are also substantially distant from Beijing. Sensational places to visit though, all of them.

I'd head west. China gets better the further west you go.

 

[Isochronous]

To be fair, these are also substantially distant from Beijing. Sensational places to visit though, all of them.

I'd head west. China gets better the further west you go.

Have you been to Kashgar?

 

[Happy Dude]

Have you been to Kashgar?

Yes, via Urumqi.

 

[SYD]

Qantas pulls the plug on Sydney-Beijing flights

Qantas will remove China's national capital from its international network, relying instead on codeshares with partner airlines.

www.executivetraveller.com

Poo! This could come in before we’re booked to PEK in early April.... I will have to see what QF offer but I see a refund coming . Lucky I haven’t booked anything on the ground.

I guess this also answers the question of whether QF was going to switch to PKK...