Beijing was my first city in mainland China and I lived there for five years (after working in other cities/provinces in China for almost 3 years). I’ve been to 56 cities in China-more than any of my Chinese friends been to. I’ve traveled to these places in a budget and stayed in budget hostels (some are rickety and had bed bugs and rats on the door) and ate in budget restaurants, which included, budget fastfoods, too. I can’t even remember the names of these places anymore, but I used to have a map pasted on the my apartment wall where I circled every villages/countryside, cities and islands I’ve been to.
If you are a traveler in Beijing, forget all about your visual notion about old China. Beijing has changed a lot since I arrived in 2002 and left in April 2010. Don’t anymore worry about getting lost in the streets as the streets signs are written in the alphabet method and not anymore in Chinese characters. They replaced those old street signs to please the Olympic Team Committee before they hosted the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. And, of course, to make things easier for the budget and moneyed travelers / tourists.
The capital also has excellent subway system, however, you must avoid the peak hours as they are really so crowded. But, if you are up for the experience, go and ride on the subway but be careful of your belongings.
So, what are my Top 10 Things To Do in Beijing?
1.) GREAT WALL OF CHINA. For sure, this is the first image you see when asked about China. Therefore, this grand work architecture that runs from the East to the West of China is a must-see of all tourist destinations in the country.
2.) TIANANMEN SQUARE. This might be just a square, a concrete huge square with tourists taking pictures (with matching V-signage) with Chairman Mao’s portrait as the background, but this is the same place where the infamous 1989 protests happened and hundreds (or maybe thousands-who knows?) were arrested and gone.
3.) FORBIDDEN CITY. The grandeur of this palace amazed me big time. It has 9,999 rooms but they’re not all open to the public, of course. If you are a history buff, it will take you 5-6 hours going around.
4.) TEMPLE OF HEAVEN. When you buy the ticket at the entrance, ask for the free brochure and read it for a while so that you will appreciate it more when you’re inside. Take note of the architectural wisdom in building this structure. On a very clear day, this temple is very photogenic!
5.) SUMMER PALACE. This is the farthest tourist attraction in Beijing. This involves walking and climbing hills and of course, ancient relics, courtyard houses and boating in the lake, if you fancy it. Spending a day here is ideal.
6.) HUTONGS. Literally translated as “old village”, Beijing still has some courtyard houses of old yore for budget travelers to enjoy for free. The concentration of the hutongs are in Guloudajie where the area is UNESCO protected. Nanloguxiang Hutong is a good start to walk your way, then to Houhai and its surrounding areas. Feel old Beijing as you meet the old locals playing cards on the street or doing tai chi in the morning or even just sitting on their courtyard house doors.
7.) GUIJIE STREET. To the expats, this street is known as Ghost Street. It’s famous for it’s traditional Chinese restaurants adorned with red lanterns and security guards cum hawkers in their uniform. Visit this place at night for a wonderful experience as if it’s China you had in mind. This street is budget traveler-friendly but trying out new dishes is always fun with someone, isn’t it?
8.) OLYMPIC STADIUM. Even if you are an architecture lover, you’ll have fun visiting the structure that’s worth $423 million. The National Stadium is also called as the “Bird’s Nest”. While the National Aquatic Center where Michael Phelps harvested 8 gold medals in swimming, is called “The Water Cube.” I would recommend you to go at night to appreciate it’s beauty and grandeur.
9.) WANGFUJING STREET. Shopping is the main fare in this pedestrians only street. In one of the alleys in this street lies a vibrant, awesome stalls of Beijing street food, that’s open for business in late afternoon until 10:00 P.M. in summer.If you got the stomach to eat fried scorpions, turtles, snakes, grasshoppers, then, this is your place to devour all of them.
10.) SILK MARKET. Even if you are traveling on a budget, a trip isn’t complete without shopping. The Silk Market is your one-stop-shop for everything branded in the world of fashion-from bags to clothes to accessories. They’re not the genuine products but they’re Class-A.
That completes my Top Ten Things to See and Do in Beijing when you are on a limited time and budget. A week would be ideal to get to know the city while enjoying and getting to know the locals. As a rule of thumb, which I’m sure you already know, “Don’t see/do too much in such a short period of time.”
For more of my China entries, visit my BLOG: http://www.budgettravelmall.com