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Beijing Tourist Traps

South Tian An Men Square - Beijing
South Tian An Men Square
by Laserone
Tips and photos of Beijing tourist attractions and tourist traps, posted by real travelers and Beijing locals.
Local Time 6:19 pm Saturday, July 26, 2008
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Beijing Tourist TrapsTips 21 - 30 of 204  
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Ming Tombs: Ming Tombs
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  • Updated By Lemonita on August 5, 2003
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  • Beijing Tourist Traps
    by Lemonita
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    From what I read on travel guides, I didn't plan to go visit the Ming Tombs, situated in the North West of Beijing. I still went to accompany a friend who wanted to go.
    It was like what I expected it to be : disapointing.

    Ming Tombs (Shisan Ling) is the place where 13 of the 16 Qing Emperors are buried. It's not easy to get there by public transport.

    The tombs are all spread out so you would save time if you hire a car. Discuss the price with the driver before getting on the car. If I remember it correctly, we paid around 40 RMB to visit the only 3 tombs (Zhao Ling, Ding Ling and Zhang Ling) that are open to the public and to get back to the bus station.

    Furthermore, the entrance to each tomb is very high, around 30/40 RMB. We were lucky that it was half price because of SARS.

    Zhang Ling is one of the biggest tomb and this is where we can go underground to see the the actual tomb of the Emperor who is buried here (sorry, I forgot his name !).

    If you go there, you can enjoy the mountains' landscape as it is rare to see mountains inside the city.

    There are also small museums (jewellery collection, clothes etc.) that make the visit more cultural and interesting.

    We didn't have time to see tombs other than the 3 open to the public. I heard that we can drive to the entrance of the other tombs and catch a glimpse of them. Since they haven't been renovated, they must have preserved their authenticity...

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    Mao's Mausoleum: Mao's Mausoleum
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  • By Lemonita on August 3, 2003
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    by Lemonita
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    Mao's Mausoleum (Mao Zhuxi Jinian Tang) is situated on Tiananmen Square, between Qianmen and the statue of the Revolution's Heroes.

    Personnally, I haven't been inside because I'm not interested in seeing a dead guy's corpse.

    Furthermore, my family has been part of a tour group and the visit to Mao was of course included. They can't bring in anything. Everything went really fast : when they entered the room where his body is shown, they cannot stop and have to keep on walking while watching. They have been in the room for no more than 1 minute.

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    Amusement Parks: Chinese Minorities Park
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  • By Lemonita on August 5, 2003
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    by Lemonita
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    The Chinese Minorities Park is dedicated to the different minorities in China, it's supposed to be a cultural park where you see how (kind of construction/house) and where (geographically) each minority lives.

    The Park is situated right next to the Olympic Center, south of the North Fourth Ring Road.

    It's very expensive to go there, there are two parks and it's about 45 RMB to visit each one of them.

    The first time I passed by, I thought that this park looked like some kind of Disney Park and I just went there out of curiosity and to accompany a friend. I thought that this is the kind of park that Chinese people really like.

    This is not the kind of park I like. I just have the impression everything is fake.
    But if you go there, it would surely give you an idea of all the minorities' and where they live in China. Houses, nature and famous scenic spots are rebuild here...

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    Taxis/Rickshaws: Going to the airport by taxi
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  • By Lemonita on July 29, 2003
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  • When you go to the airport by taxi, we have to go through the airport toll (10 RMB) and it is the passenger who has to pay for it. So, the taxi driver would just pay and then add 10 RMB to the taxi charge.

    BUT some dishonest taxi drivers would ask 20 RMB saying that they have to go back downtown. Argue with them !!! They should only get 10 RMB !!!

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    Taxis/Rickshaws: Taxi Scams in the Airport
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  • By bermanv on June 26, 2004
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  • When you head for the airport exit, it is likely that you'll be approached by pushy taxi drivers or dispatchers offering a ride to the city for ridiculous prices (350 yuan + ). They never forget to show some dirty paper which says "Beijing Capital Taxis" or something of the kind.

    Just skip them! There are shuttle buses to the city centre as cheap as 20 yuan (or less), and an official taxi will cost you about 70-100 RMB.

    Bargain down the price. Quite possible. Just know that the target is 70-100.

    But better continue to the exit.

    Official taxis, or the shuttle service.
    In the official taxis, don't forget to tell the driver to turn on the meter.

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    Taxis/Rickshaws: Non-regulated Taxis
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  • By emoja on March 21, 2005
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  • Taxis that do not have a sticker in the back window saying:

    1.20 or 1.60 or 2.00

    are NOT legitimate taxis. However, if you have an idea of how much it costs to get somewhere, negotiate with the driver BEFORE you get in the taxi. We negotiated with a non-regulated taxi driver and he took us back to our hotel from Summer Palace for LESS than what we paid to get there in a legitimate taxi.

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    Shopping: Silk Road Shopping--DEALS!!!!
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  • Updated By webula on January 29, 2005
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  • Silk Road Shopping area in Beijing is worth the trip if you make sure to bargain and watch what they put in your shopping bag. I wanted to buy a pashmina shawl and the lady tried to substitute the one I wanted with a cheaper model.

    Watch what you buy.

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    Badaling Great Wall: Surprise! We're stopping at the jade factory!!
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  • Updated By Confucius on May 4, 2007
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  • You might not be told that this stop's on the tour - Beijing
    You might not be told that
    this stop's on the tour
    by Confucius, 2 more photos
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    The Longdi Superior Jade Gallery is a tourist bus stop on the way to Badaling Great Wall. It was designed to feed tour groups in an attached restaurant and then hold them captive inside a sales exhibition warehouse after the set meal. Each table of the tourist restaurant has a bottle of China's strongest rice wine with rows of small "shot glass" sized cups enabling groups to drink simultaneously. The bus driver is held hostage in a separate cell so that the bus door can be locked, thus preventing tourists from boarding immediately after lunch.

    Visitors are marched like prisoners through a corridor past a glass enclosed workshop where Chinese artisans labor over jade handicrafts that they've been carving all day long. They then serve their brief sentence inside a massive gallery of merchandise featuring not only jade but also porcelain, carpets, and cloissonne.
    Closed circuit television cameras monitor prisoner activity so that a tourist who gives any merchandise a second look is quickly approached for immediate sales assistance. (All major credit cards accepted!)

    At least take a photo of the large jade ship inside the gallery. There are English signs telling you that such picture-taking is not allowed but this is a gift shop, not a Buddhist temple. (See my additional photo)

    The alternative is to visit a more remote section of the Great Wall, but this is not possible if you are travelling with a tour group. Almost all tour groups visit Badaling Great Wall instead of Mutianyu or Simatai, and so the arrangement with Longdi Jade Gallery is very convenient for tour companies who like the close proximity of the jade factory to Badaling because then they don't have to worry about where to eat lunch.

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    Tour Scams: Underground Palace - Avoid at All Costs!
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  • Updated By bermanv on June 26, 2004
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  • We took a tour bus to Badaling Great Wall and Ming Tombs; on its way back it stopped near the underground "palace" park. For some 60 yuan you get to for a couple of miles, then you are searched with metal detectors like in an airport, then you go down about 6 or 7 storey to see... nothing really! There are two or three halls with one or two (not so interesting) exhibits each. Then you go up.

    People who organized it - great sense of humor :-( .

    Pack some drinking water. But better don't go there.

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    Beijing International Airport
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  • By enzhu on November 9, 2004
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  • The food in International departure waiting area is extremely expensive. Two years ago, I had a lunch there, a liter beer and a dozen dumpling costed me 110. I think the price is about 10 times as the regular price in the city.

    Even you do forget eat before coming to airport, remember eat something before you pass the costom.

    Please feed yourself before you go to the airport, there are so many selections in the city.

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