Quick viewing(Text Mode)

Beijing Beijing Top Sights • Local Life • Made Easy

Beijing Beijing Top Sights • Local Life • Made Easy

Get straight to the heart of the city BEIJING TOP SIGHTS • LOCAL LIFE • MADE EASY

Top Sights Local Life Best of Beijing The city’s must-see Discover how to We’ve found the sights plus expert unlock the city with best walks, food, advice to make your guides to areas that art, shopping, views, trip even better. the locals really love. nightlife and more.

A B C X D

i

ᮄ PLUS G n Xīhǎi

ao j l ࣫Ҁ࣫キ 㸫 i Lake

i e ang idajie q £# k ia ষ o ᖋ㚰䮼㽓 ໻㸫 o

X D ie Běijīng ࣫ u

• Maps for every neighbourhood jie e Hòuh X B un North Train ໻ s 1 Wutasi C (Second Ring Rd) e h Lak

㸫

Station i e #ú d

Xinjiekou n H aj • Walking tours and day planners g 10 ᮄ㸫ষ i m ᖋ 㽓Ⳉ䮼 ¦# e

e ¦# 㚰 Xizhimennei Dajie n

Xi

䮼 Zhengjue n • Packed with expert travel tips 㽓Ⳉ䮼໪ ໻㸫 e e B zh ji ݙ a i ai D e w Da en N imen izhim i ໻ X li

s

㸫 j h Xizhimenw i ai Na e • 100% independent advice nlu i L

u

an Guanyuan 2 Park uosi Jie d si Lu Hug e0 1 km aji XĪCHÉNG Huguo # 0 0.5 miles Ping'anli

e ᑇᅝ䞠 Chegongzhuang Daj ¦# ¦# Di'anmen X

ie 䔺݀ 㸫 ഄᅝ䮼㽓 ໻㸫 X

ISBN 978-1-74179-962-0 ᑘ໻ Ping'anliXidajie Xi i

F

huangch s

ux Chegongzhuang u

Xi

h

For reviews see L 㸫 㽓ಯ࣫໻ 99315 i si ing 䔺݀ᑘ k u ݈࣫໻㸫 ໡݈䮼࣫ E u Top Sights p58 y Beidajie

g m D

æ n

Sights p64 Be enggen a en e

ji ú D Eating p65 e

Beid 3 û Drinking p67 XĪDĀN ý Entertainment p67 Miaoying Temple a

jie 9 781741 799620 þ White Dagoba ij Shopping p69 ie #æ ¦# 2 ¦# nwai Dajie 䯰៤䮼໪ ໻㸫 㽓ಯ 3RD EDITION Fuchengme Xisi USA $13.99 F

u (

S Jie Published Apr 2013 S 䯰ජ䮼 Wenjin

c

៤फ໻㸫 䯰៤䮼फ

e a

e h

i UK £8.50 Nandaji

j First Published Mar 2008 n c

e

a

l o

n i

h

D n

g

e

d

m o

D a

Ri

e i o

e

n q

n lonelyplanet.com 4 Yuetan B eijie n

g g N

ng e l i i a

u Ro

J

n p i

d u a Yuetan a a o

d T

y j

) Park i Lingjing Hutong

u e Yuetan Nanjie Guangningbo Jie ¦#♉๗㚵ৠ F pocket-beijing-3-cover.indd 1 13/12/2012 11:01:33 AM BEIJING TOP SIGHTS • LOCAL LIFE • MADE EASY

David Eimer

-title-pk-bei3.indd 1 10/12/2012 12:47:46 PM In This Book

16 Need to Know 17 18 19

Before You Go Arriving in Beijing Getting Around E# Need to Most travellers arrive at Beijing’s Capital Beijing is a vast, sprawling city and an Summer The Beijing Your Daily Budget Palace International Airport (www.en.bcia.com increasingly traffic-clogged one. The ever- & Dongcheng North Know Under ¥300 .cn), which is connected to the city’s expanding subway system, though, will take (p22) Neighbourhoods X subway system via the Airport Express train. you to almost everywhere you need to go. Imperial palaces, parks, Dorm bed ¥50–70 # QuickStart International arrivals by train are at either It’s efficient, safe, very cheap and much hutong, hip bars and E X Eat street food and in local restaurants For more information, see Survival the main Beijing Train Station or Beijing West quicker than sitting in a taxi most of the restaurants; this 798 Art The Summer District Guide (p135 ) X Travel by bike or public transport time. Another alternative is to do as the neighbourhood has it all. Train Station. North Chaoyang locals do and get on your bike. Palace & Haidian E X Visit the free sights Top Sights (p70) Currency From Beijing Capital (p94) A Forbidden City Avant-garde art at the (Yuan: ¥) International Airport b Subway Glorious gardens and Midrange ¥300–600 buzzing 798 Art District Beijing’s subway system gets bigger every parks are just a hop Square X Standard double room ¥250–350 Destination Best Transport and cool cocktail bars in Language year and is by far the best way to get around away from the hip Lama Temple . X Eat in a mix of restaurants, drink in bars South Chaoyang & Airport Shuttle Bus the capital. Tickets cost ¥2 for a single jour- student hang-out of the CBD Line 1 Wudaokou. E X Travel by taxi ney and trains run from 6am to 11pm. Top Sights Visas Dongcheng NorthAirport Express E Top Sights 798 Art District X See all the sights All visitors to , except for citizens of H Cycling & Airport Express, then Brunei, Japan and , need a visa Top end over ¥600 Xicheng subway Beijing is as flat as a mah jong table, which to enter. Standard 30-day single-entry makes cycling easy. Bikes can be hired X Room in a courtyard hotel ¥700–1000 Lama Guide tourist visas readily available from Chinese North ChaoyangAirport Express, then # at numerous places around town and are TempleE embassies and consulates worldwide. X Dine in the best Chinese and international subway especially good for exploring the hutong, restaurants, drink in cocktail bars Dongcheng SouthAirport Express, then where traffic is far more manageable than on Money X Tickets for shows subway the main roads. Beihai Park & Most ATMs accept foreign ATM cards and Xicheng (p56) Taxi credit cards. Changing foreign currency K The parks at the heart of is straightforward. Credit cards are not Taxis are plentiful in Beijing and almost all this historic district are Useful Websites Beihai E# widely accepted, except at high-end hotels, At the Airport taxi drivers are honest and will use their some of Beijing’s Park restaurants and shops. Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com Beijing Capital International Airport meters. Very few, though, can speak any favourite playgrounds. /china/beijing) Destination information, hotel International flights arrive at terminals 2 and English and journeys can be slow because of E E000# Mobile Phones Top Sights 0000 booking and travel tips. 3. There are ATMs in both terminals, as well heavy traffic. Taxi flagfall is ¥10. 0000Forbidden City Most foreign phones will work (check Beihai Park 0000 The Beijinger (www.thebeijinger.com) as moneychangers and information desks they’re unlocked for roaming before you go). J Bus Your keys to under- Entertainment listings. with English-speaking staff. You can also buy South Chaoyang Local SIM cards are cheap and easy to buy. local SIM cards, pick up a temporary drivers Beijing’s buses are numerous, go everywhere 00 Wild Wall (www.wildwall.com) All about the 0000Tiananmen license (at terminal 3) and hire a car. The and are dirt cheap: ¥1 for a ticket. But they 000E#0 (p84) Great Wall. 0000Square Time Airport Express and Airport Shuttle buses are always packed, move slowly and can be a 0000 Home to Beijing’s 0000 best markets, as China (GMT/UTC plus eight hours) ChinaSmack (www.chinasmack.com) Find leave from both terminals. Queues for taxis challenge for non-Mandarin speakers. 0000 Park & Dongcheng well as cutting-edge out what China’s netizens are talking about. can be long, especially at terminal 3, but do Plugs & Adaptors South (p48) architecture. not be tempted to take an illegal taxi. Some of the finest Plugs either have two or three pins (see E Top Sights p 139 ); electrical current is 220V/50Hz. restaurants Advance Planning Worth a Trip in the city, excellent Temple of Panjiayuan Antique Adaptors can be bought at the airport. E# Heaven Market Three months Research Beijing, book E Top Sights shopping and one Park standing the city – stunning temple. Tipping flights and get your visa. The Great Wall Tipping is not standard. High-end restaurants One month Reserve your hotel. E Top Sights Panjiayuan will add a service charge, but tips are not E# Antique Temple of Heaven Park Market we help you decide expected by wait staՖ or taxi drivers. what to do and how Need to Know Neighbourhoods to do it Tips for a What’s where smooth trip

106 Worth a Trip The Great Wall 107 88 South Chaoyang Shop Like a Beijinger 89

70km from Beijing 2 Five Colours Earth Ѩ㡆ೳ bYong’anli) creates beautiful and unique shard boxes, bottles and jewel- Don’t Miss adult/student ¥45/25 There’s a growing number of qual- Top Sights Local Life ity, home-grown fashion designers lery. The boxes range from the tiny Hiking the Wall The Great Wall hsummer 6am-7pm, Shop Like a Beijinger in Beijing. The women behind Five (¥30), for storing rings or cufflinks, to The Badaling section of the Wall dates back to winter 7am-6pm Colours Earth (25th fl, Bldg 14, Jianwai the large (¥8000). It also repairs and the (1368–1644), but was heavily re- ϰϝ⦃Ё䏃 sells jewellery, mostly sourced from The most iconic monument in all China, the Great Soho, 39 Dongsanhuan Zhonglu Getting There stored between the 1950s and ’80s. This makes it 39োᓎ໪Soho14োὐ25ሖ; h10am-5pm; Tibet and . Wall (䭓ජ; Changcheng) stands as an awe-inspiring one of the better places to hike the Wall, because y Top Tips Shopping is the principal hobby of ⾔∈Ꮦഎ bGuomao) do hip tops, skirts and jack- J Bus 877, 919 and symbol of the grandeur of China’s past. There’s no what’s underfoot isn’t crumbling away; from f Every hostel and 1 Silk Market Ϫ䌌໽䰊 the locals. For a Beijinger, there’s ets with a traditional Chinese twist. 5 The Place 880 (¥12; 6am to way you can leave Beijing without having set foot the main entrance, you can walk east or west many hotels in Beijing A Beijing legend, the Silk Market (14 Beijing has gone mall-mad in recent 6.30pm) leave for Ba- ܿ䖒ኁ nothing better than a bargain, or ϰ໻ḹ䏃 ো The clothes all incorporate the elabo- on its ancient ramparts. Badaling ( ) is the for some distance before you hit the unrestored oՖ er day trips to Badal- Dongdaqiao Lu 14 ; h10am- years; it seems that a new one opens Explore daling from Desheng- the prospect of finding one, and rate embroidery unique to the Miao closest stretch of the wall to the capital and, despite ing; they’re often the 8.30pm; bYong’anli) is the perfect place sections. Bear in mind the Wall is steep, so wear every week. But we like The Place (9a men Gate Tower. the inevitable crowds, it is highly photogenic, with most convenient way the malls and markets in South to get into haggling mode. Staffed ethnic minority in southwest China. sensible shoes and take water with you. Chaoyang are packed at all hours. Guanghua Lu ܝढ䏃⬆ 9ো; h10am-10pm; À ne watchtowers and, best of all, the classic vista to visit. by a cunning crew of young women Most of their gear is sold abroad; you L Train Four morning They’re the perfect places to learn bYong’anli) for the spectacular and of the wall snaking o՗ across the hills into the far who will alternately flatter and cajole can pick it up far cheaper here. trains (75min) leave Watchtowers f Give the despicable how to shop like a Beijinger and to giant video screen that looks down on distance. you into purchasing their wares at from Beijing North The soldiers guarding what was then China’s Bear Park a very wide discover just how shopping savvy Xiao ’s Family you (an object of fascination for kids), inflated prices, the market is known 3 Station (࣫Ҁ࣫キ). frontier lived and worked in the impressive berth. you really are. ᇣ⥟ᑰ as well as for the decent mix of mid- for its high-quality clothing fakes, but Restaurant watchtowers (dilou) interspersed along the Wall Take a lunch break at this old Beijing range brands such as Zara and French here. They weren’t just defensive fortifications; f There’s a Bank of the silk is genuine and it’s also a good favourite. Xiao Wang’s (%6594 3602; 2 Connection that the locals love. a system of smoke signals, generated by burning China ATM near the west place to find cashmere. TYM ALTMAN/GETTYIMAGES © car park. Guanghua Dongli; ܝढϰ䞠 2ো; mains wolves’ dung, was used to transmit information 6 China World Shopping Mall ೑ #þ ¥30-50; h11am-10.30pm; bJintaixizhao) along the wall and back to Beijing itself. f Combine a trip here 4 e0 400 m 䌌ଚජ Beilu # 0 0.2 miles has been serving up its reasonably with a visit to the Ming priced medley of dishes (the Peking Packed with top-name brands, includ-

Beijing China Great Wall Museum Ё೑䭓ජम⠽佚 jie Tombs (p 109 ). n duck is especially good value) from ing Burberry, Marc Jacobs and Prada, Included in the ticket price is entrance to this JIÀNGUÓMÉNWÀI Na

e as well as boutiques and jewellery

i across China for almost 20 years at

EMBASSY AREA j g museum (h9am-4pm Tue-Sun), which offers a com- an stores, China World (1 Jianguomenwai n this three-storey venue. It’s down an prehensive history of the Wall from its origins 5 Take a Break Ritan o D #þ5 Dajie ᓎ೑䮼໪໻㸫 1ো; h10am-9.30pm; Dong'erjie i off Guanghua Lu. as an earthen embankment in the far-off Qin dy- u h is one of the more popular There are dozens of Rìtán h Jintaixizhao Guomao) nasty (221–206 BC), to the Ming-era battlements Park s #¦

restaurants here. Try iu 䞥ৄ㽓✻ 4 Shard Box Store ᜢᖋ䯕 malls in Beijing. There’s also an ice X you see today. It’s a good way to get a sense of Yonghe King (∌੠໻ Guandongdi Using porcelain fragments from Ming rink in the basement, so if you feel Guanghua Lu ܝढ䏃 just how astonishing and extensive a structure ⥟; mains ¥10-20; h10am- and vases that were like a skating break you know where

d)

u the Wall is. E l to go. 9pm; ) for Chinese g #ú3 destroyed during the Cultural Revolu- n Guanghua fast food: rice meals, o tion, this fascinating family-run store D Dongli

Winter Wall e

an Zhonglu n

i dumplings, noodles. j (4 Ritan Beilu ᮹യ࣫䏃 4ো; h9am-7pm;

jie a Xiushui Bei u

g t

If you’re in Beijing in the winter, then that’s by i

n

3rd Ring R R

The best things to o

qiao Lu

t

far the best time to visit Badaling. You’ll have the D

ϰϝ⦃Ё䏃

i

a Lu

u

place almost to yourself, and the snow that covers u h

(Eas h Xiush ui Nanjie s

ongsanh

u

i the ramparts makes the Wall even more pic- D

an

Dongda

X

turesque. The downside is that you will need Ji #þ6 w w to wrap up like an Inuit. Due to elevation and # Yong'anli #þ1 ∌ᅝ䞠 #¦ #¦ Jianguomenwai Dajie ᓎ೑䮼໪໻㸫 #þ Guomao see and do, A section of the Great Wall at Badaling 2 ೑䌌 neighbourhood by Top Sights Local Life neighbourhood Make the most The insider's city of your visit

114 Forbidden City & Dongcheng Hutong 115 122 Best Imperial Beijing Best Imperial Beijing 123 Best Walks 1 Hong Lou At the end, turn right 6 turn left at the west Head for the imperial then left under an arch Follow Beichang Jie gate of Forbidden City into Youqizuo Hutong. and follow the moat to Forbidden City hutong east of Jingshan past the now-closed Best the Meridian Gate. & Dongcheng Park (p 41 ), passing en Fuyou Temple and Imperial Beijing route the 1918 red-brick 4 Eastern Wall of opposite, at No 39, the

Beihai Park TAO IMAGES LIMITED/GETTY IMAGES © Hutong building Hong Lou. It entranceway to the dis- was once the library Now the hutong twists used Wanshou Xinglong Look around certain parts of Beijing, such as the 2 The Walk and arts department of and turns get fun. Turn Temple, which dates mall- and skyscraper-dominated CBD and San-

This walk (which also makes a great bike ride) ; Mao right, then left at the from the 1700s. Then litun, and it’s easy to forget the capital’s imperial AFP/GETTYIMAGES © takes you through some of Beijing’s oldest and Zedong used to work end, then right at the roots. But for all the changes wrought in the last

most historic hutong and reveals as much about here as a librarian in end beside No 46, then #¦ Di'anmen Dongdajie 60-odd years, modern-day Beijing is still very 㸫

Beihai North e much tied to old Peking: the city of emperors,

the capital as any museum. This was the heart of bear left, then right, i ഄᅝ䮼ϰ໻㸫 j

the days before he was ໻

࣫⍋࣫ a mandarins and concubines, and their courtyard ໪ imperial Beijing, as well as the former stamping running China. turn left at the end and D 0 400 m

The Best i e#

䮼 0 0.2 miles

ground of the young , so there’s plenty finally turn left onto g houses, hutong and palaces.

#æ wa 4 ᅝ Worth a

on Huanghuamen Jie (p103) n

to see. Gongjian Hutong – still t

ഄ e 2 Mao Zedong’s u #æ3 咘㢅䮼㸫

H Best Palaces & Trip m

with us? Soon after, n

Former Home n a

Start Hong Lou i Beginnings

a Once the royal j #æ Royal Residences ' 2

turn right into Gongjian g ruins and muse on how Dazhalan Xijie (p61 ) The

n yan Dajie Turn right into Shatan Di hunting grounds, o The Ming emperor Yongle turned Beijing into Forbidden City (p 24 ) Finish Meridian Gate 2 Hutong, which hugs G amazing this place must centre of old Peking’s Beijie then left into an imperial city, raising it from the rubble of the Park the huge grey-bricked Běihǎi Jingshan Houjie You can’t really miss this have looked. red-light district. Songzhuyuan Xixiang. Lake ቅৢ㸫 Beihe former Mongol capital in the early 15th century. (佭 ቅ݀ು; summer/ Length 2½ hours (1½ hours if riding); 5km eastern wall of Beihai ᱃ one, can you?

Bear right, then turn jie Under Yongle’s watch, the Forbidden City was Xiang (p61 ) winter ¥10/5; h6am- g

jie

Park (p 58). 㸫 n Summer Palace (p96 ) left into Sanyanjing built, along with the city walls, while the hutong Best Historic The fantastic courtyard 7.30pm; bXiyuan or 5 Take a Break ࣫ The Qing emperors’ ver- Hutong house here was once Hutong. Just before Ⓗ Islet n Bei were renovated. By the time the Ming dynasty fell sion of a holiday home, Yuanmingyuan Park, Stock up on dumplings, either boiled or steamed, 5 Forbidden City Jǐngshān ≭ Beijing’s smartest the end, turn right Dashizuo in 1644, Beijing was home to over 2000 temples Nanluogu Xiang (p42 ) then J331) is one of Jingshan Xijie Park on a huge scale. at Xiaochi (p 25 ). There are also good Moat #æ1 brothel. into Jiansuo Zuoxiang Hutong Shata Buzzing now with bars, soups and noodles here. ngshan Do and was one of the most important and influential the great escapes to find Mao Zedong’s You’ll eventually pop Ji 㸫 Lama Temple (p34 ) cafes and restaurants, Jiansuo Zuoxiang of Beijing ໻ cities in all Asia. The Manchu warriors who estab- for Beijingers. ᱃ቅࠡ㸫 out onto Jingshan Xijie. njie ieѨ ಯ Originally the home of a (p114 ) Mao Zedong lived former home at No 8. Jingshan Qia # Wusi Daj lished the subsequent Qing dynasty carried on the but 800 years of history It’s superb in the at Follow this road to the #æ5 Palace Mo prince who got promoted behind it. here before he became He lived here while North Complete Palace of development, building the inner walls that divided autumn, when the Gate to emperor. China’s chairman. working at the univer- west gate of Jingshan Peace and Longevity their imperial, or ‘Tartar’, city from the so-called Jie (p40 ) abundant maple sity library. Park, but turn right Fuyou (Treasure Gallery) Chinese city beyond it. Prince Gong’s Home of the Confucius leaves turn a flam- Temple Residence (p116 ) This and then go under the # Best Imperial e Temple and now a great ing red. Near the

# i j compound was so nice

3 Former Home of arch in the far end of a Hutong Evolution spot for a coffee. Temples north gate is the D

Wanshou Forbidden City i that the youngest son the car park, which z Imperial Eunuch Li 000000 i Hutong (p46 ) started to appear in Beijing in the Mao’er Hutong (p42 ) Temple of Heaven (p50 ) lovely Azure Clouds Xīnglong 000000 h of Emperor Qianlong takes you into Dashizuo c Lianyin Temple 000000 i (1271–1368), when the city was being Long favoured by senior Emperors came here Temple (¥10; h8am-

000000 e pinched it (after execut- B

Beic BEST VIEW STOCK/GETTY IMAGES © Hutong, a wiggly alley 000000 run by the Mongols; the word ‘hutong’ is believed The city’s At the end of the alley, 000000 ing the owner). officials; Wan Rong, the twice a year to pray for 5pm), one of the which wends its way to 000000 to come from an old Mongol term for a passageway. turn left, then second h 000000 last empress of China, their subjects. oldest shrines in Jingshan Qianjie. Once Jie ang 000000 Song Qingling Former right and head left 000000 They proliferated through the Ming and Qing dynas- grew up here. Confucius Temple (p40 ) the city. there, you’ll see the For- 000000 ties, until there were estimated to be 6000 of them Residence (p 116 ) The towards Huanghuamen West 000000 Zhonglouwan Hutong Where mandarins studied bidden City moat right 000000000000Palace father of Puyi, China’s last Jie. No 43 is the former Gate 000000000000 East # ajie in the capital. Those numbers have dropped dramat- (p40 ) Many imperial the classics. # 000000Museum Donghuamen D emperor, lived here first. in front of you. Golden 000000 Gate ically in recent years, as huge swathes of hutong land courtyard home of the 000000 ᱂⏵ᇎ㽓Ꮛ eunuchs retired around Wanshou Temple (p102 ) Stream 000000 has been demolished to make way for apartment Old Summer Palace imperial eunuch Li 000000#æ6 here. Favourite spot for an 000000 DŌNGCHÉNG (p103 ) The saddest im- Lianyin, a favourite of Meridian blocks, offices and roads. There are reckoned to be perial sight; wander the Dashilar (p60 ) Ancient imperial tea break. . Zhōngshān Park Gate somewhere between 1000 and 2000 left. highlights Forbidden City (p24) shopping street. 000 000 in handy lists Best Walks Beijing’s Best… to help you plan See the city on foot The best experiences

138 Survival Guide Essential Information 139 136 Arriving in Beijing 137

terminal 2, 6.35am to hotel written down in Chi- ¨ Trains run from 6am to Taxi ¨ Beijing’s buses (݀݅≑ ¨ Restaurants 10.30am- rates by as much as 50%. name, but decent rooms Ritz-Carlton Beijing, 11.10pm. Note that the nese to show the driver, as 11pm, tickets cost ¥2 for a y Best for... long jour- 䔺; gonggong qiche) are 10pm Mon-Sun Don’t be shy about asking around a cute courtyard. Financial Street (www subway service runs til very few speak English. single journey anywhere numerous and go every- for a discount. neys and late at night. Survival Beijing P-Loft Youth .ritzcarlton.com) Wonderful around 11pm. on the network. where. Tickets cost ¥1. service and luxurious, ¨ Taxis (ߎ⾳䔺; chu- Discounts Useful Websites Hostel ([email protected]) ¨ There are 10 diՖ erent From Beijing Train ¨ To recognise a subway ¨ Non-Chinese speakers spacious rooms. zuche) are everywhere, ¨ Children under a Guide Lonely Planet (www.lonely E՗ cient and amenable routes for the airport Station station (ഄ䪕キ; ditie can À nd it a challenge to but À nding one can be certain height (normally place that’s tucked away Courtyard 7 (www shuttle bus (ᴎഎᏈ຿). zhan) look for the subway get from A to B success- planet.com/china/beijing) ¨ International trains a problem during rush 120cm) get in free or for but still close to the .courtyard7.com) Immacu- Buses leave from all three symbol: a blue English fully. It’s best to have your Author recommendation from Mongolia, North hour, rainstorms and half price at sights, as sights. late rooms and a winning terminals and run 5am capital ‘D’ with a circle destination written down views and online booking. , Russia and Viet- between 8pm and 10pm, do seniors over the age hutong location. to midnight. Tickets cost around it. in Chinese characters to nam arrive at the Beijing when people are heading of 65. Book Your Stay Ctrip (www.ctrip.com) Best Midrange ¥16 one way. Line 1 runs show the bus conductor, Before You Go Opposite House (www Train Station (࣫Ҁキ), the home after dinner. y Top Tip During the Good for discount hotel The Orchid (www.the to the CBD and South who can tell you where to ¨ Produce a student card .theoppositehouse.com) Survival capital’s main terminus, Bicycle ¨ three major Chinese public reservations. orchidbeijing.com) Tasteful Flag fall is ¥10 for the Chaoyang. Take Line get oՖ . or an ISIC card (www Striking building and top- which is on of the y Best for... exploring holidays (p 141 ), hotel 3 for and À rst 3km. After that it’s .isiccard.com) and you Hostelbookers (www rooms at this peaceful the hutong and central ¨ Heavy tra՗ c means prices jump dramatically drawer trendy. subway. ¥2 per kilometre. Driv- may get into sights for .hostelbookers.com) Big courtyard hotel. Dongcheng North. Beijing. bus journeys are slow, When to Go and accommodation is ers also add a ¥3 fuel half price. hard to À nd. Book ahead. range of hostels and ¨ and they are always The Emperor (www.theem A taxi (using its meter) ¨ ⾳㞾 surcharge. Rates increase From Beijing West Renting a bike ( °C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm guesthouses. should cost ¥80 to ¥100 packed. ¨ Dongcheng North is the peror.com.cn) Pleasingly oՖ - Train Station 㸠䔺; zuzixingche) is a slightly at night. 40/104 12/300 from the airport to the Electricity 30/86 handiest area to stay in for China Homestay (www beat hotel slap next door great way to get around ¨ Few drivers speak Eng- city centre, including the ¨ 20/68 sights, but Xicheng and .chinahomestay.org) Local to the Forbidden City. Trains from tra՗ c-clogged Beijing, ¨ Electricity is 220V/50 10/50 8/200 ¥15 airport expressway lish; have the name and Arriving in arrive at the vast Beijing especially the hutong. Be Hz. Beijing plugs vary, so 0/32 North Chaoyang are also families who host guests. Hotel Kapok (www.hotel address of where you’re -10/14 toll; bank on it taking 40 West Train Station (࣫Ҁ 4/100 popular. aware that cars will not going written down in Chi- you’ll see up to four dif- -20/-4 kapok.com) Midrange cool minutes to one hour to get 㽓キ), which is on Line 9 Best Budget Beijing give way for bikes. nese characters. Always ferent sorts around town. -30/-22 ¨ For a hotel with real for designer types. into town. Ignore taxi touts -40/-40 0 of the subway. Essential Adaptors are available to Red Lantern House ¨ Most hostels rent bikes, remember to keep your J FDNOSAJJMAM Beijing atmosphere, go y Top Tip For the best and take an o՗ cial cab. West Yard (www.redlantern Bamboo Garden Hotel Guide typically for ¥30 a day hotel’s business card on buy in Beijing. for the growing coterie of way to get to your accom- Have the name of your Information (www.bbgh.com.cn) Elegant, you so you can get home courtyard hotels, mostly house.com) Charming modation, see p 17 . for a standard town bike. hushed and historic Bike Beijing (p 127 ) is a at the end of the night. located in traditional guesthouse in the middle Business Hours ¨ Winter (Nov–Mar) ¨ Summer (June–Aug) courtyard hotel. good place to rent better- hutong neighbourhoods. of hutong-land. ¨ Most Beijing taxi drivers y Top Tip Many mu- Below freezing tempera- Very hot and humid; From Beijing Capi- Travel Cards quality bikes and helmets. Park Plaza (www.parkplaza Getting are honest. If they refuse seums and sights stop tures and sometimes hotels are booked out ¨ Beijing has an increasing Qianmen Hostel (www tal International You can get a travel Many places around the .com/beijingcn) Good value, to use the meter (ᠧ㸼; selling tickets 30 minutes snow. Air pollution can and the main sights are number of chain hotels; .qianmenhostel.net) Herit- Airport card (Ѹ䗮ϔव䗮; lakes (p 64 ) rent friendly, comfortable and Around dabiao), get out and À nd before closing. be bad. Far fewer visitors packed. they are bland but cleaner age hostel and traveller- jiaotong yikatong) bikes for ¥10 an hour, a solid location. ¨ The Airport Express another one. in town, so sights are and more modern than friendly favourite. for the subway for ¥200 deposit. ¨ Exceptions to the fol- ¨ Autumn (Sep–Oct) the many old-school two- (ᴎഎᖿ䔼) links terminals Tips and tricks ¨ crowd-free. Subway Taxis can be hired for a ¥20 refundable lowing hours are noted in Clear skies; the best and three-star hotels. Beijing Downtown Best Top End 2 and 3 at the airport to y Best for... getting ¨ By the time you read out-of-town trips like the deposit. They won’t individual listings. ¨ Spring (Apr–May) weather of the year. Do- Backpackers (www.back DuGe (www.dugecourtyard Beijing’s subway system around the city quickly this, Beijing’s new bike- Great Wall (p 106 ), but ¨ Hostel staՖ will speak make your journey ¨ Bars and cafes 11am– The short spring is pleas- mestic visitors descend packingchina.com) Basic .com) Exquisite designer at Sanyuanqiao station and safely. sharing scheme should you will have to agree the best English and their any cheaper, but 2am Mon-Sun ant, but tourist numbers on the capital in the À rst but clean rooms in the courtyard hotel; only six () and Dongzhi- you avoid having to be in operation: 20,000 a price (but not pay) visitor information and ¨ Beijing’s subway sys- start to increase. week of October. heart of trendy Nanluogu rooms. men station (Lines 2 and queue for tickets. bikes available at 500 beforehand. ¨ Internet cafes 24hr tours are generally supe- tem is massive, modern, Xiang (p 42 ). 13). Tickets cost ¥25 one kiosks around town, with Mon-Sun rior to other hotels. St Regis (www.stregis.com And they do get you easy to use, e՗ cient, way; it’s a 30-minute a 60% discount a ¥200 deposit; À rst 30 Three-Legged Frog safe and ever-expanding. Bus ¨ O՗ ces, banks & gov- ¨ Outside of the peak /beijing) Sumptuous in ride into town. Frequent on all bus journeys minutes free, after that a Hostel (3legs@threelegged There are currently 15 y Best for... travelling to ernment departments 220V/50Hz tourist season, many every way and fantastic trains depart terminal 3 inside Beijing. bargain ¥1 per hour. for a seamless, lines, all numbered. places not on the subway. 9am-5pm or 6pm Mon-Fri hotels slash their listed froghostel.com) Crazy restaurants. from 6.21am to 10.51pm; hassle-free city Getting Around Essential Information experience Travel like a local Including where to stay

2-in-this-book-pk-bei3.indd 2 13/12/2012 9:56:46 AM Our selection of the city’s best places to Lonely Planet’s eat, drink and experience: Beijing 1 Sights Lonely Planet Pocket Guides are designed to get you 5 Eating straight to the heart of the city. Inside you’ll find all the 6 Drinking must-see sights, plus tips to make your visit to each one 3 Entertainment really memorable. We’ve split the city into easy-to-navigate 7 Shopping neighbourhood s and provided clear maps so you’ll find your way around with ease. Our These symbols give you the vital expert authors have searched information for each listing: out the best of the city: walks, food, nightlife and shopping, % Telephone Numbers c Family-Friendly to name a few. Because you h Opening Hours # Pet-Friendly want to explore, our ‘Local Life’ p Parking g Bus pages will take you to some n Nonsmoking f Ferry i Internet Access m Metro of the most exciting areas to W Wi-Fi Access b Subway experience the real Beijing . v Vegetarian Selection j Tram And of course you’ll find all E English-Languag Menu d Train the practical tips you need for a smooth trip: itineraries for short visits, how to get around, and how much to tip the guy who serves you a drink at the Find each listing quickly on maps end of a long day’s exploration. for each neighbourhood :

It’s your guarantee of a w w 000000 000000 00000052 Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South 000000 really great experience. 000000 000000 000000 A B C D 000000 Dōngdān Běijīng 000000 FORMER FOREIGN 000000 Park Train Station 000000LEGATION QUARTER ࣫Ҁ☿䔺キ Southea 000000 Dongjiaomin Xi 000000 ang Ming City Wall #£ Watchtow 0000001 ዛ᭛䮼 0000005 #ú 䮼ϰ໻㸫 Ruins Park 2 000000 ࠡ en Xidajie #¦ ##ææ 1 000000 Dongdajie Chongwenm Chongwen C 000000nmen hongwe men Dongdajie ዛ᭛䮼ϰ໻㸫 Qia n Beiya

e Don Zhuyin Xidamochang Ji gdamochang Jie

ngshik #ú Ji

3 e

Q

ewiD menwai

#ú i H g ie a Do 4 g Jie ngxinglong Jie ashi Daj ie ou Donghuashi Daj lon Dajie Qinian Xihu n Xixing

m #ú

#ú6 7 utong

e n

D Our Promise D o ajie Map p 52 , C2

ajie

n 7 g

e

e c 5 2 e Qia #¦ g e nei DajieD jie l Guangqumen u hikou Dongdajiee X ࠡ䮼໻㸫 us Ciqikoukoukou h ⼜ᑈ໻㸫⼜ᑈ໻⼜ mnDajie nmen Z Jie Jinyuchi i n ዛ ⺕఼ষ⺕఼ষষ g f ᭛ u ໻ Less touristytouristy than the ot D ongx 䮼 㸫 D ia osh a You can trust our travel infor- j i ໪ Jie ie

໻ CHÓNCHÓNGCHÓCCHCHÓNGWÉNHÓNGWHÓNGWÉNÓNGWÉNGWGWÉNÉNÉN # യ䏃യ䏃 㸫 options in theth area, Bian Tiantan Luu ໽യ䏃໽യ໽ uasasi NNorth Fahuas T FaFahuaasisi Jie Jiei i GGateGaat y ngwen #þ u Tianqiao 8 g u mation because Lonely Planet Temple of # a 3 E n $ heritage thatthat dates back Heaven Parkrkk X i l hang Jieu 000 N 0000 # Tiyuguan Lu andajie 0000 EastEasEaas #¦Tiantandongmennt ngm n 000 Gatea ofof the Qing eemperor Xia 0000 Tianta ໽യϰ䮼໽യ

000 ia a authors visit the places we # Longttaan Lu 啭╁䏃啭啭╁╁䏃╁䏃 West Gate Donglu nDn LóngtLóngtáóngngtátá PaP birds here arear roasted in

Yong

onglu

nglu

00 ggl di 00 geniDajie ngmennei 000000 write about, each and every 4 0000 ໽ stystylele – in a closedcl oven,

0000 യ 000000 000000 ϰ ewiD menwai

䏃 BěBěijīngB g AmusementAmAmusemAmusemmmente a hahalf-openlf-open oone where th Southuth GGatete n ParkPPaarkrk edition. We never accept # o g en Dongjieie ∌ᅮ䮼ϰ㸫∌ᅮ∌ᅮ䮼ϰ㸫 J Yongdingm ie Hucheng River ( Xihuashi City M u JiJ oat) Dongbinhe L n ttoo ccookook – anandd the meat i gt Zuo'anmmeen Xi t binhe Lu For reviews see Lu ai Lu i #ú freebies for positive coverage, 5 E Top Sights p50

᱃⋄䏃᱃⋄᱃ 7 tentender.der. ֓ᅰഞ⚸吁ᑫ֓ᅰ æ Sights p53 e# 0 55000 m ( ; % ú Eating p54 ⋄ 0 00.25 25 mileses

䏃 þ Shopping p55 fl, China New WWorld Shopping so you can rely on us to tell it wwenmenwaienmenwai DajieDaj ዛ᭛䮼໪ ଚഎѠᳳϝሖଚഎѠᳳϝሖ; roast duck like it is.

aj

2-in-this-book-pk-bei3.indd 3 13/12/2012 9:57:05 AM QuickStart Explore Guide 7 Beijing 21

Beijing Top Sights ...... 8 22 The Forbidden City & Beijing Local Life ...... 12 Dongcheng North Temple of Heaven Park & Beijing Day Planner ...... 14 48 Dongcheng South Need to Know ...... 16 Beijing Neighbourhoods ... 18 56 Beihai Park & Xicheng

70 North Chaoyang

84 South Chaoyang

The Summer Palace & 94 Haidian

Worth a Trip: The Great Wall ...... 106

3-contents-pk-bei3.indd 4 13/12/2012 12:38:51 PM TAO IMAGES LIMITED/GETTY IMAGES © 137 138 136 139 144 13/12/2012 12:38:57 PM Before You Go ...... You Before ...... Arriving in Beijing Getting ...... Around Essential ...... Information ...... Language Survival Guide 135 121 112 118 116 114 127 125 122 132 133 128 126 124 134 120 130

111

For For ...... Free For Kids...... For Tours ...... Tours ...... Food ...... Entertainment Modern ...... Architecture ...... Markets Shopping ...... & Nightlife Drinking Imperial Beijing ...... Museums & Galleries ...... & Galleries Museums Beijing’s Best Cycles Best Beijing’s ...... Ride Bike Houhai Lakes Best... Beijing’s ...... Temples ...... & Gardens Parks The Best of Best The Beijing Walks Best Beijing’s & ...... Quarter Legation Foreign Forbidden City & City Forbidden Dongcheng ...... Hutong 3-contents-pk-bei3.indd 5 4-quickstart-pk-bei3.indd 6 13/12/2012 10:38:44 AM 7 QuickStart Guide Beijing Top Sights ...... 8 Beijing Local Life ...... 12 Beijing Day Planner ...... 14 Need to Know ...... 16 Beijing Neighbourhoods ...... 18

Welcome to Beijing

Capital of the country everyone is talking about, Beijing seethes with a unique, fizzing energy that’s utterly infectious. The city is an extraordinary clash of the distant past and supercharged present, where imperial palaces and sublime temples co-exist with stunning new architecture and avant- garde art. Beijing is also a food and shopping heaven. What- ever your tastes, there’s something here for you.

National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA; p65), designed by architect Paul Andreu TAO IMAGES LIMITED/GETTY IMAGES ©

4-quickstart-pk-bei3.indd 7 13/12/2012 10:38:51 AM

Top View