Beijing Tourist Center
by John195123
If you need help or anything, you can go to the Beijing Tourist Center, pictured below. I'll try to get the address or at least the cross streets for you. They sell train tickets and may be able to help with other tickets. I didn't go inside, but I thought it could be useful.
do have a great time at the...
by london.gal
do have a great time at the Great Wall of China. If you want to look like a coooool female warrior in the army of Genghis Khan, pay a small sum to ride on a camel --- and then let your thoughts run wild and imagine that you were part of the all-important army of soldiers about to invade China!!!!!!!!!!! Others have horses to brag about. Ah, but you are unique -- you have a long suffering camel to take care of!!!!!!!!
Must Have's in Beijing
by claudia1975
-Comfi daypack for long city strolls
If you dont have good bags at home: in Beijing you can buy very good hard and soft suitcases for incredibly cheap prices if you bargain. Keeping in mind, that in most airlines you are limited to around 20-25 kg and that you might want to shop for clothes and souvenirs in China come with as empty bags as possible. Airlines are very strict and you will pay ridiculously high prices for every kilogramm extra you bring home. If you are tall and not super-slim then enough pants might be a good idea. I wear a German 38-40 (in Levis 30, 34) and found it hard to even fit in Chinese XL pants.
However, at the tourist markets like Hongqiao you get "western" sizes also -medicine against cold and flu
-medicine for all kinds of "female" problems
-any kind of special medicine you might need
- Beijing hotels can be very quiet, but if you are not lucky and have a room facing one of the main streets some ear plugs for the night might be nice - slide film and black and white film
- batteries for your camera
- enough memory cards for your digital camera if you don't bring a laptop to read out the data frequently - warm underwear for the colder season
- comfi shoes for a lot of asphalt-walking
- rain jacket or umbrella - maybe some pictures from your family, friends and hometown for Chinese friends
As a business present in delegations:
- food or liquor specialities from the area you live or work
- any products with your company symbol on it (if company big enough, e.g. Polo-shirts, jacket-pins, calender etc etc)
- wood crafts or arts from your home country
Location of Ming Tombs
by keeweechic
The Ming Tombs are located 50 km northwest of Beijing in amongst a cluster of hills fronted by a small plain. Here is where 13 emperors of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) were buried, and the area is known as the Ming Tombs.
Sex in Da City
by pgj579 about Houhai Lake Area
My friends and I really enjoyed the HouHai Lake area, much more so than Sanlitun area. HouHai was much more upscale, newer, and trendier, and more importantly had less of the streetside begging and solicitation that Sanlitun had. We really like the bar "Sex in Da City" - good atmosphere inside, rather modern, loud music, comfortable couches, and the best/strongest drinks of any of the bars we went to. I didn't notice a formal dress code, but the people seem to be young professional types