BEIJING TRAVEL ADVICE: 3 Things We Wished We Knew

"Beijing Welcomes You."

I just came back from Beijing with Friend M about 2 weeks ago, and it was a rejuvenating trip. However, I wished I had done more research before going and hence the idea for writing this post. This is especially written for those who are planning or thinking of going to Beijing in the future.

1. CHINA CAN EVEN "FAKE" A GREAT WALL

We did not get a tour package to the Great Wall as we knew that there were lots of scams in China, and being the hippy youngsters who speak Chinese well, we wanted to try navigating the way ourselves.

On Baidu.com, they suggested we take a train to 积水潭 (JISHUITAN) station, and take a bus 877 from the North gate of 德胜门 (It's a bus interchange, and we didn't know till we were there). Sounds like an easy guide?

Great, so we walked in the right direction, and saw this signboard on our left:

877! Oh wait, why is there a Toilet sign?

Friend M went up to the sign and asked this guy with a lanyard on his neck, who looked like a bus driver from the bus interchange, whether this bus went to the Great Wall. He asked us to queue up, and told us that it would take 17 RMB and 3 hours to reach there. We were shocked, because we had thought it could be cheaper and faster. Friend M wanted to go to the Great Wall so badly, that we decided to queue up.

This "bus driver" pointed to a couple standing next to us and suggested that we share a car with them, which would take 1 hour to reach the Great Wall instead. But of course, it would cost more.

Immediately, my "red light alert" was on, because it sounds like a typical scam. I ignored his suggestion and went up to ask the couple whether they were going to take the car. That couple, who sounded like they were Chinese, said that they were afraid it was a scam.

After some time, Friend M saw many people walking further north, and got suspicious. Then suddenly, that couple ran away! I wasn't sure why they had to run though.

Friend M got super uneasy, and said we should walk down more to check it out. We left the queue, and met that couple running back, telling us that the REAL bus station was in front, and we would have to cross the road.

They said they didn't want to leave us with the "Black Bus" (which means scam bus) and came back for us. I was so touched that I could cry.

After we got up the bus, the bus guide told everyone that this was the only LEGIT way to the Great Wall Badaling section, which cost 6RMB by card / 12RMB by cash and would reach in 70 minutes if the traffic was clear.

OMG. We ALMOST got scammed, I thought.

On the way, the bus guide pointed to this stone bridge, and told us that if we had gone by the scam buses, we would be going on the road under this bridge, which is named as the 可怜人桥 (The Pathetic Guy's Bridge), because the scam buses would take you to another part of the Great Wall, not the famous Badaling section, but what they claimed was Badaling. They even created a very convincing banner there, so that you would believe them all the way and not call the police. And if you took a scam bus and went under that bridge, you would be the 可怜人 (the pathetic guy). According to the guide, more than 10,000 people get scammed each day. (And I'm sure that the authorities have been working hard to catch the culprits.)

So be careful boys and girls, and do your research well. We almost became two pathetic girls.

NOTE: The REAL, LEGIT bus stop is the one that you will have to walk across the bus interchange and cross the road to go to. So sorry that we forgot to take a photo of that station, but I found a photo of it (or something looking very like it) on people.cn:

Yes, the queue can be super long.

But we queued only for 5 minutes, which was really fast.

Anyway, feel free to leave a comment and we can provide you with more details :)

2. THE CATKINS (??!) SEASON

Everyone knows about the bad air quality in Beijing. Friend M checked the PSI when we touched down - it was about 160, which was already not too bad. Little did we know that, they didn't tell us about something else that could itch our noses.

It's the terrible CATKINS SEASON.

Credit

Catkins is this cotton-like fluff that flies everywhere in places like Beijing, Tianjin and Nanjing. Initially I thought that it looked really beautiful, just like snow! But after 5 minutes, my nose was really irritated by the fluff.

Masking up with Friend M.

If you intend to go Beijing, masks are really important. However, if you want to take nice photos, you can try braving the catkins, because taking photos with a mask is so ugly. (Refer to picture above)

Since we went in May, the amount of catkins flying around wasn't so bad, but if you are planning to go in March or April, get ready your N95. People there do use it as well!

3. DO NOT EXPECT GOOD MOOD EVERYDAY (with exceptions)

I am usually not easily annoyed, but I was really annoyed with what we experienced at Beijing's tourist sites.

Firstly, there were several, no, numerous, or rather, COUNTLESS Chinese trying to get you into their scam cars, I mean, tour packages, to other tourist sites like the Great Wall, 13 Ming Tombs, Tiananmen, etc.

They are EVERYWHERE. And they never give up.

Friend M and I were happily taking selfies of ourselves with Tiananmen, and this guy came up and kept asking "要去长城吗？” ("Do you want to go to the Great Wall?).

We said no and walked away.

Then, 4 to 5 others came up to ask us the same question while we were happily chatting. This same thing happened again and again and again when we went the Forbidden City, the Old Summer Palace, the Beijing Zoo, the Confucius Temple, etc, basically EVERYWHERE.

Honestly, I think I would be less annoyed if someone had warned me about it. Friend M was so chill about it, because she felt that it's not beyond her expectations.

Another thing I would like to talk about is SERVICE in Beijing

Honestly, I feel that there's no service in most tourist sites. Whenever Friend M or I am getting the tickets, the staff behind the glass window would throw the change and the tickets at us, expressionlessly.

Then I would point at the sign "Welcome to Beijing's XXX" and laughed at the irony.

To make myself feel better, I thought to myself: Maybe the Beijing people's lives were tough and perhaps this was the most polite way they could treat us. (I really meant it, no sarcasm.)

But, there's one particular exception.

Beijing's 海底捞 (Haidilao Steamboat) has the BEST service. We went to the branch at 王府井 (WANGFUJING) street. After all the bad service we have received during the trip, when the waitresses smiled at us, I was so touched that I could cry (again).

My favourite picture of the day.

What was good about their service:

1. They greeted us and smiled

2. Gave us a cloth to cover our bags

3. Gave us a plastic zip lock bag for our phones

4. A spectacle wipe for Friend M

5. A hair tie for Friend M who has mid-length hair

6. Drinks were NEVER empty for more than 5 minutes

7. Offered to cook for us

8. Gave us suggestions on how to cook the dishes best

9. Gave Friend M a ginger coke for FREE when I mentioned that she is down with flu

10. One staff member was assigned at the sink near the toilets to give out paper wipes and hold our bags/coats while we were washing our hands.

I have not tried the branch in Singapore, but we spent less than 200 RMB for 2 pax (Approx SGD$40+), and I heard this is way cheaper than in Singapore. Anyway we had it twice before we left and it's really worth it.

Just a small recommendation, their 馒头 which comes in a condensed milk sauce is REALLY GOOD. Another good dish would be their beef slices - so thin that with 7 dips in the boiling soup, the texture would be just right.

I am now drooling badly.


Review Summary:

Overall, Beijing is definitely a good place to get in touch with the Chinese history and culture. I love the Beijing胡同 (old streets;alleyway), and also enjoyed learning about the history of China's Qing dynasty when visiting the Forbidden City. However, I think the trip could be even more enjoyable if we were more prepared (See the 3 things mentioned above).

Affordability: ★★★★

Fun-factor: ★★★
Possibility of a re-visit: Nil.

Disclaimer: This is just a personal account of our experiences, and things might be different or have changed. The opinions expressed are also personal; you may hold a different view as well. Ultimately, do make your own judgement.   :)