Beijing Travel Forum

I'm here with a 1 year multiple entry visa, which allows me to stay here up to 90 days, but I want to stay longer than the 90 days and I don't want to have to leave China to get an additional 90 days. I would like to leave on or about 8/1/08. Is there anyone that has encountered this situation? Were you able to have days extended without leaving China? Please advise..

So i'm all set, i have everything i need for a great trip to China in May. However, when i'm on the beijing leg of my trip, i was hoping to rent a condo (for 2-3 days..), or someplace that will provide me with a kitchen and cooking utensils. (pots and pans, etc..) I will have italian withdrawals, if i dont cook up some pasta. haha. so if anyone knows of, or would like to recommend a place i could stay at in beijing (the more centrally located the better as this is a vacation) thanks for any help!

Hi,

Can somebody recomand me any Japonese restaurant witch serve “eat all you can” sushi buffet in Beijing,

Thanks in advance.

Hi Friends,

I am a researcher travelling to Beijing to attend a conference. I do not have much time. I would like some assistance from friends to guide me to local tourist spots.

jane

Hi,

I am arriving beijing on 21 march and would like to get 2 hard sleepers tickets to xian on T41. How can i get tickets before i arrive, in case tickets are booked out when i go to the train station.

Also, are there overnight wo pu buses going to xian, in case i cant get train tickets, i will go by bus.

Thanks

Hello.
Can anybody advise, accompany or help us in Beijing? 3 travelers from Slovakia are visiting China, Mongolia and Russia this summer,in June - July.


Thanx

What's the best way to mangae a trip from Beijing to visit Datong and Pingyao. From there, we will be traveling to Xi'an.

Should we go to each city separately with accomodations in each city. Or should we base ourselves in Taiyuan?

Also, should we travel exclusively by train or is there better bus connections between the cities?

Thanks to all of you who have helped with earlier questions. Your advice has been more than helpful

hi,

we are going to beijing next week. We will like to get the beijing-xian night train on the day we arrive (about 4pm 21 march). Will it be possible to get the tickets or it will probably be full ?

Also, anyone knows the approximate cost of flights from beijing to xian ? i checked elong.com and there is little discount - 20%. or should i just buy a last minute at the airport when i arrive ?

And one last question - what about flights from beijing to shanghai for 30mar ? Again, when i checked its about Y570 + 150 tax ? is there any child fare ?

Many thanks !

I am desperately trying to purchase Berberine Hydrochloride which apparently is available cheaply everywhere in China but nowhere in the U.S.
It is an OTC herbal medicine for treating intestinal parasites and and other intestinal problems.
If you are coming to the San Francisco Area any time soon and are willing to bring over this medicine, I would be very grateful and of course repay you.
Please pm or e-mail:
alpinegroove (at) peacetour (dot) com
I hope you are out there.

Here is an image of what I am looking for:
http://www.pharmnet.com.cn/image/suppliers/product_cn/160456_1.jpg

It does not have to be by this manufacturer.

Can anyone advise the best places to see cherry blossoms in Beijing at the end of Mar ? I have heard of a place called Yuyuantang park - is this the right/best place ?

Can anyone suggest the pros and cons of the Beijing Ritz Carlton Downtown vs JW Marriott vs China World for a stay of about 10 days at the end of Mar ?

Has anyone shopped at Bobo's in the silk market? We have heard the shop referenced by several people and have yet to be able to locate it. Any help would be appreciated.

Hello

I'd like to know how easy it is get tickets for the Trans-Mongolian train from Beijing to Ulan Baatar?

There are 7 of us from England who are going to China & Mongolia in late June for 15 days.

We are on a bit of a tight schedule. We land in Beijing on Tuesday 24th June & were planning to go on the 7.40am train from Beijing to Ulan Baatar on the 25th. We have enquired with different agencies about a month ago & there was a price difference with everyone but CITS seemed the most reliable & they guaranteed they would get the tickets 1 month in advance.... We were planning to come back from UB on Monday 30th & have booked flights back to Beijing & have also booked hotels in UB & organised a Ger trip...

Yesterday, we had an e-mail saying that they (CITS) now can't guarantee the 7 1st class train tickets & the train authorities this summer are only releasing tickets the day before travel... Obviously this has f*cked up our travel plans & itinary

Does anybody know if anyone can guarantee these tickets, or how hard is it to get hold of them a day before travel? Is it worth risking waiting till we get to Beijing & try ourselves for tickets, knowing that if we can't we have wasted a lot of money on flights back from UB & hotels etc etc...

Any help regarding this would be gratefully appreciated... We are getting desperate now to find a reputable agent to secure our tickets for this train...

We can't believe the logic in selling the tickets only a day in advance, surely other tourists who have made plans to go on one of the great train journeys in the world would be put out.... It seems the Chinese authorities really arn't helping tourism in anyway by doing this, in their Olympic year you would think the would be doing opposite

Regards

VillaYoofYoofYoof

I want to go to Mutianyu on Sunday March 16 with my friend. Other than hiring a private car, what is the best way to get there and back?

I am travelling to Beijing later this week and I was after purchasing a copy set of golf clubs. Does anyone know where I can buy them from? And in what area of Beijing.

Hi, I'm heading down to Beijing next week with my family and we'll most probably be staying at the NobleTimes Hotel (not Novotel hotel), is this hotel alright? It's some tour promotion and this was the hotel allocated to us.

How's the weather there like now? What clothings should I bring over?
Any nice shopping areas (for the ladies?)
Any good eating spots? Preferably chinese food?

Thanks for helping!

Has anyone recently came back from China that has problem exchanging US dollars to Chinese Yuan? My friends were in China in January and reported they had such a difficult time exchanging money at their hotel and banks. They had to take the taxi to the airport to exchange their US dollars to Yuan. I am just wondering if the drop in value of the dollar has anything to do with the exchange problem. I'll be leaving for China soon and I want to know rather I should change the dollar to another currency first or should I just do all my exchanges at the airport on arrival. I had never encounter this before and just want to know if anyone has any problem in exchanging money. Thanks so much in advance.

Visiting Beijing March 20-25, first time to China and have few questions. I booked a budget hotel (Far East Hotel: www.fareastyh.com) via web.

We are three people, shall I accept Hotel offer for 180 RMB Arrival pickup OR take a shuttle (which No???) to main station and then take local taxi?

Does the hotel (hostel) has self kitchen? I couldn't get a a clear answer so far? I need kitchen due to my vegetarian eating habits.

Is the tab water in Hostel/Hotel/China drinkable?

How far is Silk Market from Far East Hotel and how to go?

Sorry for lots of Qs and Many thanks for answers in advance :)
Regards

Hi!
Please, could one tell me how long it takes from Beijing airport to Tiananmen? I'm gonna go to Tiananmen around 1.30 PM and go back to the airport around 5.30. PM. Is there a big traffic jam in that period? Thanks!

I'll be visiting Beijing in end May with my family.My children would like to buy some olympic souvenirs.Where can we buy cheap olympic souvenirs? We would like to buy some jasmine tea leaves too.Should we buy in Beijing or is it cheaper to buy in Shanghai or Hangzhou?
As i would be bringing my 18mth baby along, i would need to use a pram. Is it convenient to use a pram in places like forbbidden city?

Thanks.

Hi,
I'll be in Beijing a few days in April for meetings and workshops. We often end up needing office and art supplies, no matter how well-planned our packing is beforehand. Does anyone know where one can buy this type of material in Beijing around the Tiananmen area (Raffles Hotel, Beijing Hotel, Grand Beijing Hotel)?

Thanks!
G

Hi!

I'm gonna be in Beijing during the olympics and I've started to do some research.

I've understood that not many Beijingers speak any english and that it's recommended to bring along chinese addresses to the places you want to visit to show the taxi driver. I found a guide book for the classic tourist places but nothing about good shopping places. I've tride to find it on the internet with little success. Does anyone know of a good website or a good book with chinese character addresses to the major markets for printing?

Thanks!
/Johny E

Hello,
I have two questions about shopping.

1.Is it possible to have someone with good handwriting write a personal message in calligraphy and get it made as a wall scroll? If so, where would be the best place to find it, and how much should I expect to pay??

2. I ate these dried fruits (apricots maybe?) in Harbin called Gan Cao Xing. I wanted to buy some for souvenirs then and there, but my friend insisted they would be everywhere in China. Two weeks and four cities later I can't find them anywhere! Do they exist in Beijing for the last leg of my trip??

Thanks!

hi!i'm planning a trip to Hong kong later this month and was thinking of taking a train from Shenzhen to Beijing.how long will the trip take & how much is it gonna cost me in US currency(one way)?which is the most affordable&clean hostel to stay in thats near the sights?and pls. can anyone tell me if it's still snowing in Beijing?im not used to snow since i come from the Phils. so don't want it to be a shock to my system..;) and is the situation more stable now given the power failure 'coz of the bad weather recently? thnks a bunch!

Hi everyone. We had booked a private car to the Mutianyu Great Wall for the day. Is there any interesting thing to do or must see on the way there from Beijing? We're planning to stop at a couple of hot springs, too. Has anyone been to any that you can recommend? Thanks in advance.

Does anyone know about the new airport in Datong? Is it easy to do an overnight in Datong, see the sights (like the Hanging Monastery) and fly back to Beijing the next day? I am looking to go outside of Beijing for a day, since I saw the major sights the first time I was there and I know there are other old cities to see.

I was introduced to the idea of staying with the locals by a member here and would just like to share my trip with anyone who might head to Beijing soon. I was a little concerned about the whole homestay concept I mean not being able to have my own privacy and I was worried if two weeks was too long for me to handle. But it all turned out excellently. My host family was indeed a very responsible one and what they planned out with me before my trip was thoroughly delivered. All the places I wanted to see, I was taken to and all the chinese things I wanted to know of, I learned. It was homestay and doing tourist things for me at the same time. So, I would highly suggest anyone seeking the same experience to do a homestay too. Work it out with your host about things you'd like to do and see and you might just be amazed at what you get. Good luck!

Looking for information on this trip. Has anyone taken it? Do you have a travel company you would recommend?

Has anyone been to any of these places? Would it be possible to do it all in 1 day from Beijing? Should we went a private minivan since we have 5 ppl? Or should we take public transportation? If anyone wants to come on this trip with us, we'll be in Beijing March 23-31. We can book a private tour...the more people, the more money saved. Email me if you would like to go together.

I will be traveling from Los Angeles to Beijing and then Taipei this summer (specifically, LA to Beijing in mid-June, Beijing-Taipei in August and Taipei-LA at the end of August.)

If I were to stay on one airline for the whole trip, what would be the most convenient/feasible (feasible = not connecting through Sydney or something absurd like that) one? Cost is a factor but because part of the ticket is being paid for, I am not too overly concerned with finding the absolute cheapest fare.

Thanks!