Beijing March Weather, China Travel Tips and Things to Remember

I'm home-bound again waiting for take-off as I write this. I just spent almost a week in Beijing and it's weird to be connected again after having no access to Blogger, Gmail, Facebook and other sites that I don't really need to get around... This is part of my latest trip notes and things to remember list so that it's easier when I go back to China :) I hope it becomes useful to you too. 

Beijing '10 Day 15 - Going Home

July 19, 2010 (Monday)

Even though my dad’s friend advised against it, I took a HeiChe 黑车 (black car) to go straight to the airport for 100RMB. They are called such because they usually drive scary black cars. It is really useful to get a taxi driver’s calling card in case of emergency need for a car. In my case, everybody was worried that I could not get a cab because it was a very busy Monday morning. True enough, I could not get hold of one and I was referred to this HeiChe driver. Besides, I was unsure how far I could go on looking for one to take me to the Airport Bus with all my luggage that became 2 (plus backpack and laptop) and was much heavier than when I came here. There was no traffic as predicted and I eventually got there a little past 9 a.m. for my 12:55 p.m. flight. I really thought the check-in counters would be open but I had to wait. I went out again and went 1 floor down to eat a Zinger at KFC. The counters were opened at a little past 10 a.m. I bought a little can of Yunnan Pu’er Tea for my dad at Duty Free and I was set to go. I snoozed comfortably during the whole flight because the seats beside me were empty. PAL flights usually arrive earlier than estimates and I had no doubt about it. I was home in no time.

Welcome to my world!



Read more about Beijing:
Beijing '10 Day 1 - A Very Hot Welcome, Beijing in July
Beijing '10 Day 2 - At  HaiDian, Vegetarian Restaurant at WuDaoKou to Meet Up with an Old Friend
Beijing '10 Day 3 - Giving In to Korean Influence, Kimchi Rice, Kimbap and Koreanovela in Beijing!
Beijing '10 Day 4 - At The Golden Tripod & Lama Temple, Time Stops, Things Change and the World Goes On
Beijing '10 Day 5 - Taking On an Old Route, Food Delivery in Beijing
Beijing '10 Day 6 - Staying Awake on a Night Out
Beijing '10 Day 7 - The First Time’s the Charm
Beijing '10 Day 8 - Banking, Shopping & Commuting Tips
Beijing '10 Day 9 - In Time for the Lotus Season, the Festival at YuanMingYuan!
Beijing '10 Day 10 - Dumplings and Meatballs, YaShow Market & IKEA
Beijing '10 Day 11 - Trapped in the Rain, Eating Lamb Chuanr in Beijing!
Beijing '10 Day 12 - 798 Art District
Beijing '10 Day 13 - Tripping Through the Olympic Green, Bird's Nest & Forest Park
Beijing '10 Day 14 - Saying Goodbye With the Best Hutong Experience, SheShaHai, 100-Year Old Lamb Restaurant & NanLouGuXiang
Beijing '10 Day 15 - Going Home

Beijing '10 Day 14 - Saying Goodbye With the Best Hutong Experience, SheShaHai, 100-Year Old Lamb Restaurant & NanLouGuXiang

July 18, 2010 (Sunday)

My dad’s local friend was the same friend who took us a few years ago to YongHeGong (Lama Temple) 雍和宫. I have always met with him in every one of my travels in Beijing. This time around we agreed to meet in the WuDaoKou subway stop. He used to drive his tiny car a couple of years back but now he has switched to public transportation due to the heavy traffic and pollution. Even the special treatment for small cars like having access to certain roads did not attract him anymore to the prospect of having to wait for hours to get from place to place or looking everywhere for a parking spot. He said biking was also not a healthy and safe option for him because of the pollution and the diminishing bike space in the bike lanes. To take the subway though, you would have to follow a winding path of twist and turns up and down although it will get you places. He said I should visit again in the next few years because a few more subway stops will open (he was right). The bus was by far the cheapest but it cannot escape traffic, the heat and the huge number of people riding it. Finally, according to my experience, to walk was to torture your feet or to get some exercise and inhale smog.

We got off at JiuShuiTan 积水橝 to start with our Hai 海 Trips and took the exit nearest a famous restaurant. He told me that in the old days, it took around 1000RMB to eat in this restaurant and it was considered to be a rare affair. We took the narrow road at the side of the restaurant and a view of the lake QianHai 前海 and some boats greeted us. 

This was part of the lake that the emperors crossed to get to the Summer Palace. It was also the less traveled route that encompasses all of QianHai 前海, HouHai 后海 and BeiHai 北海, together they are also known as SheShaHai 什刹海.

Beijing '10 Day 13 - Tripping Through the Olympic Green, Bird's Nest & Forest Park

July 17, 2010 (Saturday)

The hottest and latest buzz about Beijing was the 2008 Olympics. I have been to the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube [H₂O³] during my last visits but I’ve never been to the Forest Park (SenLinGongYuan) 森林公园 along the Line 8 after the Olympic Green. Imagine a lush green forest in the middle of an overly polluted Beijing, what a breath of fresh air. I was out by mid-morning and ate a full lunch over at the No. 1 BLCU Cafeteria. For this meal, I spent only 4.75RMB in card money for rice with 2 viands. 

I also got an instant 30RMB (the deposit when you first purchased a card) when I gave up my extra cafeteria card. 

I decided that the best route to take was by subway so I won’t have to worry about the heat and traffic. Line 8 was probably the most well maintained and decorated of all the subway stations and even locals frequent these sites especially on weekends. 

Beijing '10 Day 12 - 798 Art District

July 16, 2010 (Friday)

My flight is 3 days away and my heart is restless. Soon I will embrace my other self – not the soul-searching one. I decided to go to the new 798 Art District 七九八（大山子）艺术区 to clear my head. I heard this place used to be a somewhat like an industrial or manufacturing area owned by the state and was transformed when young artists started renting the spaces. Now, it is full of art galleries, shops and you can see various modern and traditional artistic expressions at play such as painting, weaving, sculpting, photography and other handmade stuff.

Getting to 798 was pretty tiring from where I lived and I couldn’t find a subway stop near the area. The shortest route I found took 4 bus interchanges from ShiBanFang 石板房 to ChengFuLuKou Nan 成府路口南 to XueYuanQiaoDong 学院桥东 to DaShanZiQiao 大山子桥. When you go down the last stop, go right then take the first left without crossing the street. Go straight and you’ll find yourself slowly going to the right. After crossing the pedestrian, not the opposite side street, the 798 (QiJiuBa 七九八) Art District should be on your right and you’ll see a big red sign. 

Beijing '10 Day 11 - Trapped in the Rain, Eating Lamb Chuanr in Beijing!

July 15, 2010 (Thursday)

I was about to go out when I realized that it was raining outside. I put away my rubber shoes and changed to my slippers and short pants. I could only risk my feet being soaked in puddles for a little while so I decided to go home immediately after buying lunch.

Beijing '10 Day 10 - Dumplings and Meatballs, YaShow Market & IKEA

July 14, 2010 (Wednesday)

I was aiming to go to the Muslim restaurant in BLCU but I ended up eating at the old Hangzhou dumpling place behind the supermarket ChaoShiFa 超市发. For 4RMB, I got myself a full meal of 10 蒸饺 / ZhengJiao or steamed dumplings. It was a perfect meal with Chinese vinegar and chili. 

Beijing '10 Day 9 - In Time for the Lotus Season, the Festival at YuanMingYuan!

July 13, 2010 (Tuesday)

I was supposed to go originally to JiShuiTan 积水橝 and to Ikea to do some DVD and home shopping but was detoured when I found this 690 bus from ChengFuLuKouXi 成府路口西 in front of the school. This bus had some of the following stops – QianMe 前门, XiDan 西单, JiShuiTan 积水橝, WuDaoKou 五道口, YuanMingYuan 圆明园 and YiHeYuan 颐和园 – which made me not follow the original plan. What a darling little bus, having all the stops I wanted to go to and not that many people at that. Of course, I would still have to verify where the bus stops exactly to see if I would walk very far than to simply take a subway exit. You would have to swipe your card twice, one at the exit, because the fare was up to 2RMB in cash depending on the distance.

Once I had made my decision to go to JiShuiTan 积水橝, I realized that the bus was going in the opposite direction and was quickly approaching the other end. I had two options left – YuanMingYuan 圆明园 and YiHeYuan 颐和园. I chose the first because according to my friend, I was just in time for the Lotus Festival going on from July to August. For 10RMB, I entered the Old Summer Palace’s south gate 圆明园南门, which was directly in front of the bus stop.

Beijing '10 Day 8 - Banking, Shopping & Commuting

July 12, 2010 (Monday)

I was up by 9 a.m. to go out and resume my leisurely tour of the city. I went back to BLCU and circled the complex for some old and new stuff. The school was bare because the students were on a term break with the final exams just finished last week. I stopped at a stall for the good old BaoZi 包子 at 0.50RMB per piece. This used to be the staple breakfast for students bought and eaten quickly during breaks. The old ICBC bank was no longer inside the building and was situated just outside the building but as expected, the service was far better than the banks outside the school. I don’t know about the rates but the service was good due to the high foreigner rate of the students attending this school. Of course, you would still have to line up and show your passport for dollar exchange but everybody is treated equally – no numbers, no VIPs, no other lanes for withdrawing or foreign exchange. There was also an automatic passbook-updating machine now that was so cool.

Lunch was cheap and yummy over at the No. 2 Cafeteria. I decided to be a little healthier and order some HongShao RiBen DouFu 红烧 日本豆腐 (Japanese Tofu in HongShao Sauce) with rice and some NanGuaBing 南瓜饼 (Pumpkin Pies). 

Beijing '10 Day 7 - The First Time’s the Charm

July 11, 2010 (Sunday)

Under normal circumstances, I try to keep a low profile, causing less disturbance and inconvenience to my roommate but this time around, I woke up just in time at 2 p.m. for our late lunch. I ended up munching on a homemade Greek salad filled with stuff I don’t normally eat – cucumber, raw red onions, garlic, cherry tomatoes, black olives and feta cheese. The mix was surprisingly just right. I swear I tried though I couldn’t help but get myself a small second, third, fourth and fifth serving. The dressing was made from scratch and the salad was paired with crackers and Italian cheese. This may create an inclination towards the Greek salad from now on though I wonder if the future others can compare. I was the first one to dig in and the last one to leave the table. I was doubtful at first but I could in fact get full with this simple meal.

Beijing '10 Day 6 - Staying Awake on a Night Out

July 10, 2010 (Saturday)

It’s almost 4 a.m. and I guess adrenalin is keeping me awake. This morning my roommate invited me to a birthday celebration in a hotel buffet and to a night out in Beijing with friends. It’s a good thing that I lay around the house and watched online movies the whole day. Otherwise, I could not have made it until this late.

Beijing '10 Day 5 - Taking On an Old Route, Food Delivery in Beijing

July 9, 2010 (Friday)

I really had no plans to go out but I had to eat. Getting invited to a night out with friends was an even better excuse to get me going. I had to look nice after all but I didn’t bring anything to make myself presentable because I really didn’t expect to make any friends here. I came here clad with my commuting and walking-all-day clothes, slippers and rubber shoes.

Beijing '10 Day 4 - At The Golden Tripod & Lama Temple, Time Stops, Things Change and the World Goes On

July 8, 2010 (Thursday)

I went out in the afternoon with everything all planned out. I rode the bus and stopped at my newly found parallel street to QingHua University 清华大学 that would take me to the WuDaoKou area so that I could go first to my old bank. Thankfully, I did not have to go very far today to exchange my dollar for cash. Unfortunately though, I forgot my passport so I would have to come back another day. I would have to remember that.

My next destination – Subway Line 13 WuDaoKou Station.  Some subways still had bag scanners now like in WuDaoKou, which they set up for the Olympics so it is more secure I guess. The fare now was also cheaper at 2RMB no matter where you go, according to my friend. I believe it is the same rate whether by YiKaTong Card or a single-journey ticket. More than 5 subway lines opened for the Olympics in 2008. I was shocked when I went here 2 years ago only to find out that almost all of the places we wanted to go to back then were plotted out in the new lines. I did not have the chance to experience the new lines during that short 3 days. I was too used to getting around by bus or long-distance walking when I was a student here.

I planned the day in a way that I will get to the Lama Temple (YongHeGong) 雍和宫 after I stop by the Golden Tripod for the discounted dimsum I used to love. To get there though, I chose the long route all the way to DongZhiMen 东直门 via Line 13. Most of the scenes I saw through the window were undeveloped land and trees. I did not expect the travel time to be almost an hour long. It was a good escape and rest though from the uncooperative hot weather.

I decided to have a little snack first over at the Golden Tripod so I took Exit A. 

Beijing '10 Day 3 - Giving In to Korean Influence, Kimchi Rice, Kimbap and Koreanovela in Beijing!

July 7, 2010 (Wednesday)

I had been watching a Korean series at TuDou.com all day. I will probably be hooked until I finish the whole thing. I never thought of watching online through this website back home. Everything loads so fast. Needless to say, if I didn’t have to eat or if this apartment was not that far from civilization, I would not even think of getting up this bed or even brush my teeth for that matter.

After forcing myself to get ready to eat lunch, I decided to head the other way by bus. The LinDaBeiLou stop, although it had only one bus number 466, was nearer and would take me directly to the WuDaoKou area 五道口 instead of BLCU.  I went down DongShengYuan 东升园  stop, which was near the HuaQingJiaYuan 华清嘉园 apartments, my old living quarters. I walked back to the Korean Snack Place behind Tous Les Jour and ordered Kimchi rice 泡菜饭 for 12RMB.

Beijing '10 Day 2 - At HaiDian, Vegetarian Restaurant at WuDaoKou to Meet Up with an Old Friend

China: Beijing - HaiDian - WuDaoKou
July 6, 2010 (Tuesday)

It was time to put my discovery to the test and find a way back to my school. I took the 398 bus (fare:0.40RMB with my trusted YiKaTong一卡通) from the ShiBanFang 石板房 stop to ChengFuLuKouNan 成府路口南. I should have stopped one station before 学院路北口 that to get to my school’s east gate. While walking, I called my old friend and asked if he was available for an impromptu lunch. I walked all the way to the dormitories and found the ever-so-cheerful classmate I had over 3 years ago when I was studying in BLCU. We could have walked or rode the bus but we chose to ride the taxi to my favorite vegetarian restaurant due to the scorching heat. Besides, it will only cost 10RMB to deliver you to the doorstep.

The restaurant was still there after all these years and there were no vacancies even at around 1:00 p.m. Finally, we were served SuanMeiTang 酸梅汤 , the KungBao Shrimp Bits and the Veggies with Mushroom.

Beijing '10 Day 1 - A Very Hot Welcome, Beijing in July

July 5, 2010 (Monday)

I was up at 3:00 a.m. to double-check things. I was going on a 2-week adventure after all. Finally, after hours of waiting, I was off to Beijing, my first love, for my supposedly yearly pilgrimage.