Beijing - Pekin

Beijing
Map
Information
Country	China
Population	21 710 000
Area code	010
Postal Code	100000
website

Beijing (Chinese 北京, pinyin: Běijīng) - the capital and the second (after Shanghai) city in terms of population People's Republic of China, located in the northern part of the country.

Before you go

Formalities

Polish citizens must have a visa when crossing the border with the People's Republic of China. The visa is obtained after submitting a completed visa questionnaire at the Consular Department of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Warsaw or at the Consulate General in Gdańsk. Instructions on how to fill in are available on the consulate website. In the case of departure from the PRC to Hong Kong or Macao and return, a double or multiple visa is required.

Deadline

Summer in Beijing is hot, humid, with heavy rainfall (mostly in August). In January and February, the temperature drops below zero, often there are severe frosts. One should take into account the possibility of sand storms coming from the Gobi Desert. A serious problem is the occasional air pollution (smog), which limits visibility to several hundred meters and may last for several days. This is a serious problem for people with respiratory problems. May cause eye irritation. Currently, you can install an appropriate application on your phone that informs you about the degree of air pollution. The most convenient terms for a tourist are spring and autumn.

Cloth

In late spring, summer and early autumn, loose-fitting clothing made of natural raw materials is preferable. There are no cultural or religious restrictions on the form of dress.

Transport

By plane

Beijing has numerous air connections with European cities. Direct connection to Of Warsaw supports FLIGHT. On the other hand, it is more cost-effective and due to the shorter flight time a connection via Helsinki – Finnair. Promotions also offers Lufthansa by Frankfurt. The line has relatively many connections, not only with Beijing. Flights via are affordable Moscow - lines Aeroflot, also advantageous due to the short transfer times for flights from / to Warsaw. It is also worth paying attention to promotional flights with airlines Emirates and Qatar Airlines. However, the long flight time must be taken into account. Planes from Europe depart in the late afternoon or evening and land in Beijing in the morning or early morning of the next day.

By train

You can get to Beijing from Europe by rail in several ways, depending on the type of travel you take (speed, price, attractiveness). However, you should reckon with prices above 500 euros for the second class and more than 800 euros for the first one way with a direct connection.

Train No. 4: Moscow Yaroslavskaya - Beijing

Chinese train with a shorter route via Ulan Bator (Mongolia) departs every Tuesday from the Russian capital at 9:35 pm (Moscow time, 2h to Poland), and arrives in Beijing on Monday at 2:04 pm (local time, 7h to Poland in winter and 6h in summer); distance 7622 km.

Train no. 20 "Vostok": Moscow Jarosławska - Beijing

The Vostok, painted in the characteristic national colors of Russia, is one of the most famous trains in the world. Until recently, "firmiennj", now as an ordinary hurried one, bypasses Mongolia and reaches China via Manchuria. He leaves Moscow every Friday at 23:55 (Moscow time, 2h to Poland), and in Beijing it is the next Friday at 5:31 (local time, 7 hours to Poland in winter and 6 hours in summer); distance 8961 km.

Access by the above-mentioned trains is the fastest and most convenient, but also the most expensive. The variant of driving with changes is much cheaper, e.g .:

• Moscow – Irkutsk/He reads (train); Irkutsk / Reads - Zabaikalsk (train); Zabaikalsk - Manzhouli (bus); Manzhouli - Beijing (train),
• train nr 340/350: Moscow Jarosławska - Czyta /Blagoveshchensk (alternating daily),
• train No. 650 "Dauria": Chita - Zabaikalsk (daily).

There are four railway stations in Beijing:

• Central (Beijing Railway Station) - supports domestic lines to: Jinan, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Chengde, Yuanping in Shanxi province, Baotou in Inner Mongolia and international lines to: Pyongyang, Ulan Bator, Moscow.
• West Station - supports numerous connections in all directions, incl. to: Hongkong, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Xian, Zhengzhou, Chengdu, Changsha, Taiyuan, Xiamen, Guilin, Hohhot, Jinan, Urumqi, Kunming.
• South Station (South Station) - newly built, operates super-fast expressways on routes to: Tianjin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Fuzhou, Jinan, Qingdao, Harbin, Dalian, Jilin, Shijiazhuang, Qinhuangdao.
• North Station - mainly serves trains to Yanqing (with a stop at Badaling Great Wall) and to: Tsitsihar, Chifeng, Chengde, Baotou, Hohhot, Manzhouli.

By bus

There are several bus stations in Beijing, each of them serves a selected region of the country. The largest of them are:

• Dongzhimen - the largest station (located in the north-east, near the metro) - serves lines from Dongbei
• Beijiao (Deshengmen) - the northern railway station, serving the lines from Chengdu and Datong
• Haihutun - southern station, serves buses from Tianjin (Tianjin) and the southern city Hebei

In addition, you can get to Beijing by many private buses, which usually stop near one of the train stations.

Public transport

subway

The Beijing metro line has 17 lines and more are under construction. The stations are marked with blue Chinese and English lettering subway. The same applies to all information inscriptions. The information is clear and friendly. Tickets in the form of electronic cards can be purchased at ticket offices and vending machines. The ticket price is 2 yuan^{(as of: Sep 2013)}. At peak times, the metro is very crowded.

Taxis

Beijing taxis are usually Volkswagen Jetta (older) or Hyundai Elantra (newer). They are marked with a light brown stripe at the bottom of the body. It is recommended that, if possible, the taxi should be booked by the hotel or restaurant in order to avoid "fake taxis". It is also good to have a travel destination prepared in advance and written on a piece of paper. At hotel receptions, you can already come across such ready-made cards that allow you to return to the hotel.

When hailing a taxi on the street, make sure that the driver has turned on the meter or even pay attention to it. During the night hours (especially after the metro is closed), some taxi drivers offer courses at a highly inflated price - then you should go to another taxi, the driver of which will go according to the meter readings, or strongly negotiate the price - the original proposal at least twice (often more) overstated.

Bicycles

It is true that the times when it was the primary means of transport in Beijing are a thing of the past, but still a large part of the inhabitants use this means of transport. On the streets, not only in the city center, there are bicycle stations, unfortunately usually empty. However, you can also rent a bike in other ways. It is best to ask the reception of the hotel where we live for help. Those willing to move in this way, however, should pay attention to a completely different, from that found in Europe, driving culture, both for drivers and cyclists. Nevertheless, tourists can see the city on bicycles in the streets.

People planning a longer stay can buy a used bike. Here, prices start at 200 yuan. After your stay, you can give such a bike to someone, try to resell it or simply leave it on the street.

In each case, we recommend that you secure your bike against theft, as bike thefts are quite frequent.

Cars

Since the 2008 Olympics, foreigners have been able to rent passenger cars. GPS car navigation works well, unfortunately in Chinese. However, due to the complicated road system, very heavy car traffic and general parking problems, this way of moving around Beijing is not recommended.

Hotels offer car rental with a driver, here prices start from 1000 yuan, depending on the car model.

City buses

There are over 200 bus and trolleybus lines in Beijing. Tickets are very cheap, but traveling with them during rush hour is not comfortable. The 800 lines are an exception - they are more expensive, but air-conditioned and more comfortable. In city buses, pickpocketing is a scourge, it should be absolutely remembered.

Accommodation

The city has an extensive hotel network and there are no major problems with finding accommodation. Officially, foreigners can only stay in approved hotels. Their prices are at the level of hotels in Warsaw for a similar category. However, it is difficult to find a decent hotel room at less than 300-500 yuan per night.

People who speak Chinese (or rather Mandarin dialect) will have no problem finding accommodation at really attractive prices, not exceeding 200 yuan per room, or even 30 yuan per bed. However, these will be accommodation in facilities not on the official list.

Internet portals are helpful in finding a hotel.

Worth seeing

• Forbidden City - at least one day must be booked for sightseeing. In front of the entrance you can rent audio-guide, also available in Polish.
• Tian'anmen Square - in the northern part there is the entrance to the Forbidden City, on the west side is the Great Hall of the People, on the east side is the Chinese Revolution Museum. There is also a mausoleum in the square where Mao Zedong is buried.
• Temple of Heavenly Peace
• Summer Palace
• Beihai Park
• Zoo and oceanarium - giant pandas are the main attraction, but it should be remembered that on hot days they usually lie motionless in cages or on a small enclosure. There are several types of zoo tickets, depending on the attractions you want to see. The checkout staff speaks English. The Oceanarium is a new facility and therefore cheap (ticket over 100 yuan^{(as of: Sep 2011)}).
• Olympic venues
• Hutongs - former Beijing one-story residential districts, liquidated and replaced with modern blocks of flats. Fragments serving as tourist attractions, with shops and restaurants are left for the show.

Nearest neighborhood

• Chinese wall - is one of the most amazing structures on Earth and a must-see attraction. In the vicinity of Beijing, you can visit several of its sections:

• Badaling - the most popular, the most crowded, but also the least authentic. There are also the tombs of the 13 Ming Dynasty (Shisan Ling) emperors;
• Mutianyu - a two-kilometer stretch to the northeast of Beijing;
• Simatai - approx. 100 km from Beijing, connects to the Jingshanling fragment. Currently under renovation ^{(as of: Sep 2011)}
• Jingshanling - about 100 km from Beijing, it connects to the Simatai fragment. Recently renovated, which did not deprive it of its authenticity. You can go up and down by cable car, as well as climb up / down quite strenuous stairs (which is a bit of a challenge, especially on a hot day);
• Huanghua - eastern fragment of the wall.

Gastronomy

In recent years, Beijing has experienced an explosion in the number of larger and smaller eateries. Pekingese who, back in the 1970s, greeted each other with the words: "Did you eat anything today?" They rediscovered the joy of going to restaurants and visit them in large numbers. The taste of the dishes served is basically different from what the so-called Chinese restaurants in Poland.

Communication with the staff may be a problem for us. Knowledge of the English language is not common. The menu in many restaurants is written in Latin letters, but it is often a letter transcription of the Chinese name of the dish. Photographs often included in the menu may be helpful here. You can also see what others are eating and indicate to the waiter that you want the same. In self-service bars, we pay first and then collect the food. Food is eaten with chopsticks, but cutlery is available in larger restaurants. If someone has not mastered the art of using chopsticks, which is not that difficult, it is good to have disposable cutlery with you, just in case.

What to eat?

• Peking duck - the flagship dish of Peking cuisine. The ducks are baked in special ovens until golden brown, brought to the table and cut with the skin at the guests, with a knife held at the right angle. They are served with very thin wheat pancakes, sliced ​​leek and a special sauce. Place the duck on the cake, add the chopped leek and dip it in the sauce. The whole thing is wrapped up and consumed. These activities are carried out with the use of sticks, which is quite a challenge. In case of difficulties, you can ask for Western cutlery.
• Dumplings - Chinese cuisine offers dumplings and dumplings of various sizes, flavors, fillings and methods of preparation. The filling can be vegetable (often cabbage), mixed or meat. They can be steamed, boiled, boiled and then deep-fried and deep-fried. They are served in different ways.
• Steamed fish - fully cooked fish, which we "cut" with chopsticks and eat them while dipping in sauce.
• Pasta - it's best to choose the fried pasta with sauce, vegetables or meat.
• Rice - can be served plain, with vegetables or seafood, boiled or additionally fried.

The Chinese celebrate the food. Common meals consist of a variety of dishes served in the order of keeping the body's "warm" and "cold" balanced.

Restaurants and bars of all kinds serve hundreds of dishes at different prices, both from the regions of China and from around the world. There are also fast-food restaurants of major international chains, such as McDonald's, Subway, and KFC.

Shopping

The largest shopping districts are Wangfujing (popular Beijing department store is located there) and XidanParkson's building (east of Xidan) is considered the most luxurious. Popular goods are antiques, clothing at attractive prices (regularly bought by Russians) and books and materials for learning Chinese (you can buy a great multimedia course at large bookstores).

Parties

In 2008, Beijing hosted the XXIX Summer Olympics.

Science

In Beijing, as befits the capital, there are over a dozen universities, with the Peking University at the forefront, the oldest and most prestigious in the city.

contact

mobile network

Polish mobile phones work as long as you have a roaming service. The prices are prohibitive - about PLN 10 for a call to Poland and about PLN 5 for incoming calls and PLN 1.5 for outgoing text messages^{(as of: Sep 2013)}. During local calls, the operator may give us a "Chinese" telephone number. For longer stays, it is worth considering buying a Chinese SIM card in the pre-paid model, which can be easily purchased from local operators.

Internet

A specific feature of the Chinese Internet is its censorship. There is no greater logic in this, because, for example, the pages of the Polish-language Wikipedia work, and sometimes they do not. In China, with few exceptions, it is blocked, inter alia, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. There may also be problems with downloading e-mail via a web browser.

In hotel rooms there is usually a wired internet socket, and in hotel lobbies you can find WiFi. WiFi can also be found in premises, sometimes you need to download a login. Time for using the network is often limited (McDonalds - 30 minutes).

Security

Beijing is considered a safe city. However, such a large group of people creates dangers that are typical for tourists. These are primarily thefts made by pickpockets and extortions when exchanging money with street traders. It is also suggested to avoid payment by credit cards. It is best to leave your documents and cash in the hotel safe.

In addition, you should be careful with the purchases made, because even those not made at attractive low prices, may turn out to be fakes, i.e. copies, as the Pekingese say.

We can come across an offer to buy "copies" of well-known brands' products. However, it should be remembered that their import into the territory of the European Union is illegal.

Prostitution is illegal and officially fought. Nevertheless, it is a common phenomenon nowadays. Contacts of foreigners with prostitutes can have serious consequences, ranging from blackmail to court proceedings.

In Beijing (as well as other Chinese cities), beware of scammers who, under the guise of wanting to talk in English or take a free tour of the city, try to enlist a tourist for coffee, tea (or a brewing ceremony), beer or a meal. It is a popular form of cheating in which during a meal our interlocutor escapes (claiming that he has to go out, e.g. to the toilet or make a phone call), and instead of him, two broad-shouldered gentlemen appear with a bill for the equivalent of tea. 100 EUR. Fraudsters often speak English well and are very friendly - you should definitely deny any desire to spend time together. They also appear in Tian'anmen Square, accosting tourists, they can be found in shopping districts.

Disabled

The city is not disabled friendly. It is true that the sidewalks are lined with stripes with a different texture intended for the blind, but very often they are blocked with parking motorcycles, cars or stalls. In the center there is a lowering of curbs for people in wheelchairs. Newer metro stations are also adapted for people with physical disabilities. In historic buildings, as a rule, there are no facilities for the disabled. One should also remember about the Chinese tradition of high thresholds in private homes. Sometimes information appears in Braille, unfortunately we do not know what language.

Health

No specific vaccinations are required from tourists. Due to air pollution, allergy sufferers may experience increased symptoms of their ailments. Visitors are warned not to drink tap water without boiling it. Health care, both private and public, is paid. State hospitals have names in English (if any) hospitaland private clinic. For tourists from Poland, all health services are paid. Therefore, it is recommended to have insurance in this area, not only to provide first aid, but also to cover the costs of treatment. Persons using drugs prescribed by a doctor should obtain them in sufficient quantities for the duration of their stay, as they may have problems with purchasing them on the spot.

Polish diplomatic mission

Consular Section of the Polish Embassy in Beijing1, Ritan Lu, Jianguomenwai100600 Beijing, People's Republic of Chinatel: (86 10) 6532-12-35 ext. 101, 102, 103, 104, 108fax: (86 10) 6532-35-67 e-mail: [email protected]