I am working and visiting in Beijing for 2 months and have no idea which places I should go or the best way to get around.
So, my greatest fear is that I speak almost no Chinese except the basic hi, hello, goodbey, and thank you. I survived my first lone taxi experience yesterday by having my friend right down the destination and return address down for me to point to. I live on the outskirts of Beijing so I think the nearest public transportation is a train line. I really want to travel around Beijing but don't have a clue where to begin. Please give me some advice!
P.S. So far I have been to the Peking University campus. It was so cool to see my first public demonstration on campus. A woman was mad because she thought the elitist students at the University had forgotten their Maoist roots. I felt like I was in Harvard Square.
Reply to this I think that two things are key here; a good understanding of the local geography (i.e. a good map) and local expertise (i.e. befriend locals). Find one of the Beijing tourist information centres where you should be able to pick up maps hopefully printed in both Chinese and English. Otherwise you can try at the bookshops or newspaper stands. Travel agents and tourist information centres should also have lots of glossy brochures for you to browse. I am sure you can find students who would like to practice their English and would be happy to give you advice.
Speaking about getting around, taxi generally works by pointing at a map, the subway is efficient and simple to use if you happen to be near it. Public buses are more of a challenge with people crowding to get on and off, and you would do well to find out which bus to take in advance, as random people in the street sometimes simply ignore your questions. Check travel pages, webpages of museums and other destinations, they may provide detailed information on how to get there.
Oh, and skim through the Beijing blogs here on travelblog to maybe find something to catch your interest. I would recommend using the
top photo search instead of going through pages and pages of text.
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