Related Beijing Favorites Tips

Favorite thing: Before I went to Beijing, I bought a map with street names, sights etc. written both in Chinese and in English.

If you are going to explore the city and visit some of the sights, it's important to have the name written in Chinese. Most people don't speak English at all.

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Favorite thing: the National Currency. the currency of the People's Republic of China. the latest series of Banknotes of the Renminbi are for ¥1, ¥5, ¥10, ¥20, ¥50 and ¥100. The Latest series uses the portrait of Mao Zedong on all banknotes. the coins are 1 and 5 jiao and 1 yuan. Yuan in Chinese literally means a "round object" or "round coin". During the Qing Dynasty, the yuan was a round and silver coin. they are widely available and a caveat, you cannot take out more than 1,000 yuan outside china and the yuan is not an exhangeable foreign currency in countries outside China! the current exchange rate is $ 1 to 6.85 Yuan.

Favorite thing: I have been to countries where shops provide costumes and produce nostalgic-looking photographs like it was taken decades ago. Beijing has, to my surprise, many costume shops in tourist spots which allow you to dress up like a majestic Chinese persona and have your photo taken and keep forever - all in a matter of 3 minutes. And the price - believe me - is very affordable.

Fondest memory: I have worn four costumes so I look like an Empress of 4 different dynasties (ha!). One of them shows the Great Wall behind me. They did not mount it - I was crazy enough to wear the costume, didn't mind the tourists around me, and had a photo taken at the Great Wall!

Favorite thing: The hutong hotels in Beijing can be lovely and if you have a favourite stick to it. But they can be changeable and hard to find. The best bet for hotels here (and elsewhere in China) are the Hanting Express or Home Inn chains (They must have a central website but I have not found it - I always book through local friends). They are great value, clean, well equipped (Chinese beds have hard mattresses and pillows, that is the way they like it, get used to it), friendly and all the ones I have used have a very good, Chinese, buffet breakfast. They can be very well located. It is unlikely that anyone will speak English but sign language of a local freind help here. They cater to Chinese business people and local tourists.

I attach a picture of the Hanting Express in the Ju-er Hutong - first class.

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Favorite thing: While Buying at a Supermarket, I was surprised to see Oishi Snacks on the aisles of the snack section! Oishi is a japanese word but it was used as a brand in the Philippines by Taipan Ben Chan, a second generation Fil-Chinese with roots in Fujian Province. Oishi is the Number one snack brand in the philippines and he then introduced in to China and other asian countries that nowadays it is one of the most popular snacks here in Beijing.

Note there are different flavors for the oishi brand here in china and in the philippines, for example the scallop flavored potato chips in not available in the philippines. A small pack of Oishi Snacks here costs 2 RMB while a bigger pack costs 3 RMB. Grab one now!

Fondest memory: Oishi Snacks, now becoming popular here

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Favorite thing: not all buildings in Beijing Provide smoking areas but most have especially in public areas and theaters wherein there is an isolated small room exclusively for smokers since there are many smokers of cigarettes and cigars in Beijing. Even Hotel Rooms provide inside areas for smoking beside smoking rooms so a smoker will feel at home here in beijing. However prices of cigarettes are pretty expensive here wherein a pack of cigarettes cost 15-20 RMB each.

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Favorite thing: they say that 20 years ago, beijing has hardly any high rise buildings but since the 1990's because of Premier Deng Xiaoping's economic revolution, growth rate of China is 10% or more each year that it preceded a construction boom in china, Beijing Included, that nowadays, what you see in beijing is the trappings of a Modern Megapolis with many high rises and the metroplitan traffic and off course, mass transportaion hubs. Beijing is Cathing up with the megapolis of the world in terms of population, growth rate and modernity. But undereath this is still a consevative people with asian values!

Fondest memory: wonderful skyline, a blend of the old and new

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Favorite thing: since beijing is getting to be congested, the trend there to to build large multi-storey condominiums that offer housing to people. Condominiums can be classified as public and private wherein the less wealthy are given condo units by the state wherein they pay minimal rates and the affluent buying private condominiums since land ownership is limited in china hence you see see that many hutongs were demolished and replaced by these high rises as living quarters for Beijing's 15 million plus burgeoning population.

for private condominiums, prices range from 6,000 RMB a square meter to 20,000 RMB a square meter to prime areas. Foreigners can own condos but never can own land here.

Fondest memory: many large multi-storey and beautiful condominiums!