Area guides - City spotlight

eijing is one of those rare cities that offers pretty much everything a traveler might hope to gain out of an Asian adventure: majestic sights, fantastic shopping, countryside forays to the Great Wall, and a unique vibe that combines western expectations and the "Chinese way" better than any city on the mainland. That said, for teachers it can be grim: dense traffic jams, lower-than-average salaries, and typical contracts that don't include housing (which is expensive).

Orientation

Beijing is made of seven districts. Getting from one part of town to the other is a breeze -- if you stick to taxis. If you want to go cheap, the bus system is reliable, though somewhat puzzling to figure out, unless you speak Chinese.
During morning (7-10am) and evening (5-8pm) rush hours, traffic is heavy. If you accept a job in Beijing, make sure to find out how far your school is located from your apartment, and also the expected commuting time (going from one end of town to the other can take over two hours in peak times). 

Main areas

• Dongcheng District: the center of town, this is where China's leaders live – across the street from Tiananmen Square and Mao's tomb. Here, you’ll find massive buildings, immaculate gardens, stiff-backed soldiers, and tons of tourists.
• Chaoyang District: the diplomatic district, where most embassies in town are located. As such, it’s a very foreign-friendly place, with lots of upscale shopping malls, international hotels, and the notorious Sanlitun bar area.
• Chongweng District: the main reason folks come here is to check out the Temple of Heaven, and also a lively outdoor clothing & souvenir market (by the south exit of the temple’s surrounding park).
• Haidan District: there’s a slower pace and a more traditional vibe here. Also here is a funky student nightclub area; a bunch of parks, temples, and palaces (including the impressive Summer Palace); and Beijing’s largest electronics district.
• Xicheng District: home of the always-packed Xidan shopping street, and also a bunch of quirky hutong alleyways.

Weather

Frankly speaking, the weather here is very bad. During the spring, it is windy and dusty to the extent that you'll need something to protect your eyes from blowing debris. During the summer, the city is an oven, where punters bake in a thick smog of auto exhaust and charcoal. During the winter, it is unbearably cold, with frigid winds whipping in from the Mongolian plains.

People

Approximately 7.23 million people live in the city, 3 million of whom are temporary residents. These include business people, teachers and students.

Beijing's permanent residents are roughly 96% Han Chinese, and 4% ethnic minorities. Mandarin Chinese is the language spoken here. The local dialect is the standard form of Mandarin.

Shopping

While western-style shopping malls are all the rage, you’ll find much cheaper prices – and a wider variety of stuff – among open-air markets and street-side vendor areas.

• Central swank
• Knockoffs
• Touristy pap
• Mega-mall
• Electronics

   Wangfujing Dajie: just east of the Forbidden City, this pedestrian-only commercial avenue is lined with clothing outlets, souvenir shops, fast-food restaurants, and the city's two swankiest malls -- the Sun Dong An Plaza and Oriental Plaza (lots of diamonds and Gucci bags and whatnot).

Xizhi Men: this large white building (across from the Beijing Zoo) is filled with stalls hawking good quality knockoffs at reasonable prices. An added bonus here is the lack of frenzied salesmanship -- most vendors here seem more interested in slurping noodles than in pushing hard sells. Around the building several street food vendors selling good eats cheap.

Xidan: just west of Tiananmen Square, this retail district has several upscale malls, a few gritty budget ones, and all kinds of restaurants.

Golden Resources Mall: located near the West Fourth Ring Road in the Haidian District, this mall (the second largest in Asia) covers 680,000 square meters and has typical high-end generic stuff.

Zhong Guan Cun: located in the Haidian District, Beijing's electronics mecca has numerous malls'n stalls selling everything from computer parts to cell phones.

Haggling tips

• Start bargaining at 15% of the vendor's initial asking price. If you start off lower than that, the seller will probably just tell you to bugger off.
• After spending some time haggling, threaten to walk away. If there’s a chance of getting something close to your asking price, this is when the seller will make their final pitch.
• If you buy more then one of an item at a time, you should argue for a better deal than buying one at a time.

Sightseeing

Lesser sights

The following sights are nice and all, but in our opinion, there’s no real reason to go out of your way to see any of them other than sheer boredom. If you must, here's a quick rundown:

• Jingshan Park
• Yonghegong Temple
• Beijing Zoo
• Hutong Villages

This park was built around a hill formed from earth excavated from the Forbidden City’s moats. You can climb the hill using a stone staircase that rises past fruit trees to Wanchun Pavilion, the park’s highest point. From there, the views over the Forbidden City are the best you can get.

Location: Within walking distance of the Forbidden City’s North Gate.

Also known as Lama Temple or Palace of Peace, this temple is worth visiting only to check out the 18-meter statue of the Buddha, which was carved out of a single piece of sandalwood. It was built by Chinese emperors who harbored a deep fascination for the Tibetan (Tantric) version of Buddhism.

Location: Three blocks north of the Forbidden City, then two blocks east, just inside the 2nd Ring Road. Roughly a 15 RMB taxi ride from Tiananmen Square.

Most who visit this horrid dungeon will come away calling it one of the worst zoos on the planet. It is. However, the aquarium across the street is one of the largest in the world, and very impressive.

Also, right across the street is the massive Xizhi Men clothing market, which features an excellent selection of knockoffs at good prices, and also some of the best Chinese street food in town.

Location: In the Haidian District, between the 2nd and 3rd Ring Roads. (Roughly a 20 RMB taxi ride from Tiananmen Square).

These small lanes are densely packed with traditional Chinese houses, some dating back 500 years. While the majority of hutongs have been demolished to make space for modern buildings, a few strongholds remain, most within walking distance of Tiananmen Square.

Look out for rickshaw drivers, who trawl for tourists, in order to weave in and out of the narrow streets and give an up-close look at the homes.

Location: The best hutongs are directly to the east and west of the Forbidden City. Walk up and down either road and look for the rickshaw drivers.

Logistics

Getting in

Getting around

Cross-city travel is common, and typically uses one of the Ring Roads. From there, you'll only see massive city blocks that all look the same. Try to make mental notes of relevant landmarks to maintain your bearings.

• By taxi
• By subway
• By bus

Taxis start at 10 RMB, with an additional 2 RMB/ kilometer, while 5 minutes of waiting (during the inevitable traffic jam) idle costs 1 RMB. Outside of rush hours, an average trip through the city costs around 20-25 RMB, and a cross-town journey about 50 RMB (for example, from Tiananmen Square to the northern edge of the Fourth Ring Road).

All you need to remember is that most drivers do NOT speak any English at all. Make sure to have your destination written out in Chinese to circumvent this problem.

The subway is clean, modern, cheap, and easy to figure out. There are four lines in total. Click here to open up a map in a new window.

One downside to the experience is that stations do not have automated ticketing machines. Instead, you have to go up to a ticket booth and tell the clerk your destination. English is wonky ‘round these parts, so you might want to have your stop written down, just in case.

Fares start at 2 RMB and can go up to 5, depending on distance.

Beijing's local bus system is cheap and convenient, although it's a bit of an adventure for travelers who don’t speak Chinese — few lines broadcast stop names in English.

Fares start at 1 RMB. If you’re going a fair distance, expect to pay as much as 3 RMB. Bus lines are numbered from 1-999. Buses under 300 serve the city center, while those above 300 reach beyond the Third Ring Road. Buses in the 900s, meanwhile, connect Beijing with rural districts that are not considered part of Beijing proper.

Conclusion

Beijing is a great place to visit, but if you're planning on teaching in China, the high hours, low pay, and traffic nightmares make it a very poor choice.