Walk around and experience...
by whataboutbob
Walk around and experience Beijing and its people. As a westerner, coming to Asia for the first time was an incredible experience. The sites, sounds, tastes, and smells were all different that anything I had experienced before. Not being one for the packaged group tours, I got more enjoyment our of walking around and visiting that back streets in and around Beijing's center.
Chopsticks Etiquettes
by xuessium
Never ever stick your chopsticks straight up in your bowl of rice. Not only it's rude, chopsticks stuck straight up in a bowl of rice also resembles jossticks in an urn which is only meant for funerals. Never ever do this during a banquet or during a hosted meal.
Also, never use a chopstick to point at something, most least a person. Very rude.
Unrestored Great Wall at Jiakou, Huairou, Beijing
by towkay
This is one of the most secenic stretch of Great Wall around Beijing. This is the REAL deal, not some touristic Disney-style walls restored to please you.
Most outdoor-type Beijing folks heard about it, and most have seen a picture of it, cos it is known as the most photographed stretch of Great Wall in China.
However, getting there is difficult. Almost impossible without a car and an experienced guide. Most of the wall is in ruins, so the climb itself is extremely dangerous. A few lives were lost in the past few years.
But if you want to see the real thing, this is as real as it gets!
Famous shopping street
by muratkorman about Wangfujing Street
On Wangfujing Street, you can find shopping malls and shops all along the street. So you can find anything you look for on this street and around. However, don't expect low prices you can find in Silk Market. Various
English speaking Taxi driver
by jlanza29
On the 2nd night in Beijing we were standing at a que at the Grand Hyatt hotel waiting to get to our hotel, which was only about 3 miles away but we had done a great amount of walking, so we wanted to cab it, but several taxi's wouldn't take us because it was a short ride....but one cab driver did...and we were so glad we ended up with him.
His English name is David Yao and he speaks enough english to communicate with you and it help quit a bit, we ended up hiring him for the day to take us to Badaling section of the great wall, the Ming tombs and the Summer palace all for 400 RMB. He picked us up on time at our hotel drove us, waited as we saw the sites. He gave me his business card and wanted to make sure I let people know about his services...
His mobile number is : 86-10-136-8155-2975
He's email address is : Yaochunwei0608@yahoo.com.cn
I would highly recommend him to anyone, he was honest and well priced....
We also asked him to take us back to the airport and he charge us 90 RMB. And with the amount of traffic there is in Beijing it was well worth it.