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Don't get quarantined in the Beijing Airport
To avoid being quarantined for seven days, make sure you don’t do anything that would make a stranger think you’re sick, like blowing your nose in public. The legacy of health officials’ mishandling of SARS in 2003—and fresh concern about influenz...
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Tourist resources for Beijing
The Web site for the Beijing tourism board, english.visitbeijing.com.cn, has comprehensive (if slightly outdated) information on the city’s major sights, neighborhoods, restaurants, hotels, and attractions. Another state-owned, Western-managed, an...
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Taxis in Beijing
Taxis, which are metered and cheap, are vital for getting around this spread-out city. You can hail taxis anywhere; the rates start at 10 yuan, with an additional 2 yuan (28 cents) per each additional kilometer. It is absolutely essential to have ...
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The Metro in Beijing
Nobody ever returned from Beijing wishing they’d ridden the subway. It costs only 2 yuan (about 28 cents U.S.), but some might think that’s a high price to pay for enduring the smelly, overcrowded cars. On the plus side, it’s safe and covers most ...
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Getting to Beijing by train
This is possible, although not recommended unless you fancy retracing Paul Theroux’s journey in Riding the Iron Rooster. The journey from Hong Kong takes up to 25 hours, and arrives at Beijing West Train Station, one of Beijing’s four train termin...
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Getting to Beijing by air
As the capital city of the world’s fastest developing and most populous nation, Beijing is serviced by daily flights from all over the globe. North American carriers include Northwest Airlines, United Airlines, Continental, and Air Canada; interna...
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When to go to Beijing
Since winters here are bone-chillingly cold, and summers are shirt-drenchingly hot, spring and fall—when the temperatures hover around 60-70 degrees F—are easily the best times to visit the city. Be aware, though: pollution can blanket city views ...
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The Great Wall from Beijing
Numerous stretches of the Great Wall are easily accessible from Beijing (ask your hotel to arrange a car or bus tour). But avoid the tourist trap of Badaling and head to the slightly less trammeled Mutianyu section, a 90-minute drive northeast of ...
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Getting around Beijing
Taxis are relatively cheap in Beijing. Unless you are fluent in Mandarin, have the address of your destination written out in Chinese. The subway is also easy to use but doesn't go out to Dashanzi.
Where to find Beijing's art scene
Just inside the Fifth Ring Road, the tourist-friendly "art district" Dashanzi is still the best place to see what Beijing artists are doing today.
Where to find state-issue souvenirs in China
China's heyday of state-issued propaganda is back, at the five-room Red Capital Residence hotel in Beijing where nostalgia-hunters can pick up the ultimate in retro-camp agitprop.
When to travel to Beijing
Spring or fall is best. Temperatures average 55 to 79 degrees in September and May, the month when the annual Dashanzi International Art Festival takes place.
Flying to Beijing, China
Beijing's Capital Airport has 98 international air routes linking the city to 39 countries. From the States, stopovers are typical, but United Airlines and Air China offer direct service from JFK, LAX, and San Francisco. Continental flies nonstop fro...
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