Beijing Travel Answers

While at the Forbidden City, check out Tianamem Square. I would also suggest not doing the Ming Tombs - there really isn't anything worth seeing there. The buildings are there, but they have been stripped of anything worth seeing (check out the museums to see the contents?). As an alternative to the tombs, the Summer Palace is a good substitute.

Well, there are three or four Shangri-La hotels in Beijing; which one will you stay at? You probably won't want to venture too far with all the traffic and such. Your hotel can also give you some tips, the Shangri-La is good about that if you tell them what you're looking for. You should be able to get a taxi; the hotel staff can tell the driver where to take you, and they should turn on their meter (meter fall starts at 10rmb) Make sure to only use official taxi's which are easy to spot (taxi sign atop their car, two-tone color scheme). Bring one of the hotel cards with the name and address written in Chinese so that a taxi can bring you back to your hotel when you're finished. Also, since there are so many choices, can you say what you'd like most: shopping? historic sites? modern culture? architecture? With a whole day, maybe you can do several of them. You might also hook up with another traveler, and/or hire a local driver/guide to get the most out of your day, depending on what you want to do. Enjoy!

I agree, a stroll inside one of the hutongs would be enjoyable. One that's good is nanluoguxiang. You can read about it here: btmbeijing.com/contents/en/b...

Thanks for your replies. I'm staying at the Shangri-La at 29 Zizhuyuan Road Beijing 100089. How long would it take in a taxi to get to the Hutongs? I may be doing a rickshaw ride in this area also as part of the tour. Would it also be good to just stroll around on my free day? The alternative to this, on the tour, is the Summer Palace. What do you think? Some of these places are so busy that despite their beauty and interest you don't get a good feeling. I know, I know, I'm on a tour and that's the nature of the beast, but that's why Im wondering whether to just stroll around on this free day. Not interested in shopping, more historic sights. Thanks again.

Well, you are staying in western Beijing, and the hutong I mentioned is in the east-central part, near Beihai Park. You can probably get there by taxi in 45 minutes or less depending on the time of day and traffic (it's really hard to predict, so could take longer :(. A taxi driver told us the other day that during the holiday week, the crowds are primarily with tour groups, so the taxis aren't that busy. I don't know if Chinese tour groups are that interested in visiting hutongs-- maybe not which would be lucky for you if you went. The bigger sites will surely be more crowded, in any event. If you visit this hutong, there's a main road with lots of little shops and such, but you can also turn down some side alleys to see the more traditional life. I think it's rather pleasant, and you can always stop for tea or lunch along the way. There are probably lots of other choices, but my head is stuck on the hutong right now :) Your hotel concierge can give you good advice too, I bet. Have a great trip! Susan

The Summer Palace is a fantastic place. That said, I've not visited it on a terribly crowded day, as I'm sure it will be on the holidays. It will be swarming with people! But some people can go with the flow of it and still enjoy the whole experience. It's really up to you.

My picks would be Summer Palace, Old Summer Palace and Capital Museum.

Thanks to everyone for their replies. I'm still considering what to do but you have all been very helpful. Very much looking forward to seeing Beijing.