{"id":218,"date":"2014-07-27T17:30:55","date_gmt":"2014-07-27T09:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gautamkhattak.wordpress.com\/?page_id=218"},"modified":"2015-08-07T11:58:23","modified_gmt":"2015-08-07T03:58:23","slug":"asia-china-beijing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/asia-general-synopsis\/asia-china-beijing\/","title":{"rendered":"China &#8211; Beijing"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Beijing, China <\/strong>by Gautam Khattak<\/p>\n<p><strong>Last updated:<\/strong> February 18, 2013<\/p>\n<p><strong>Disclaimer:<\/strong> These are notes I\u2019ve written or gathered from various sources. I have not experienced all things in this document nor is it intended to be a definitive guide.<\/p>\n<p><strong>General Tips<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Currency:<\/strong> The currency in China is the RMB (or Chinese Yuan, CNY).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Conversion Tool: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?source=ig&amp;hl=en&amp;rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS341&amp;q=100USD+to+RMB&amp;btnG=Google+Search&amp;safe=active\">https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?source=ig&amp;hl=en&amp;rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS341&amp;q=100USD+to+RMB&amp;btnG=Google+Search&amp;safe=active<\/a> (Update for current rates)<\/p>\n<p>$100 USD = 631.74 RMB<\/p>\n<p>$1 USD = 6.32 RMB<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.xe.com\/ucc\/convert.cgi?Amount=100&amp;From=HKD&amp;To=USD\">http:\/\/www.xe.com\/ucc\/convert.cgi?Amount=100&amp;From=HKD&amp;To=USD<\/a><\/p>\n<p>100 RMB = $15.83 USD<\/p>\n<p>1 RMB = $0.16 USD<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tipping:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>No need to tip<\/p>\n<p>Be wary of \u201cfriendly\u201d locals near Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. One scam is that he\/she want to practice his\/her English with you. Eventually, he\/she may invite you for a drink \u2013 tea, coffee, alcohol \u2013 at a nearby place. Unknowingly to you, the person and shop owner are working together on the scam. After several drinks, you will receive a bill for an outrageously high amount and have no choice but to pay (Same holds true for Shanghai).<\/p>\n<p>Another scam, particularly popular with taxi drivers, is note switching. How it works is that when you pay your fare, the taxi driver will claim your note is counterfeit and give it back to you. However, without you watching him since you are in the backseat, he has pocketed your legit note and swapped it for a counterfeit one. In turn, you end up giving him another note until the fare is settled. This may continue several times until he is satisfied.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Transportation<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>An airport express train is available from Dongzhimen station, where you can interconnect to the subway network. The subway is very easy to navigate and covers most of the city. Public buses are available. The city is quite spread out so walking is limited to within districts. Cycling seems okay since most sites of interest are concentrated around the Forbidden City. Taxis are plentiful and inexpensive but traffic can be bad.<\/p>\n<p>In China, if you use a taxi, make sure that the drivers turn the meter on. This doesn\u2019t seem to be a problem in Beijing but just be weary of it. If you don&#8217;t, they may charge you their own prices. Also, carry small denomination bills, because you may be handed fake money if you try to get change.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tourist Destinations<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Tiananmen Square <\/strong>&#8211; The world\u2019s largest public square. Not much to do but people-watch. Be careful of scams.<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Subway: Tiananmen Xi, Tiananmen Dong, Qianmen<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chairman Mao Memorial Hall<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8:30a-11:30a, admission free<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Subway: Tiananmen Xi, Tiananmen Dong, Qianmen<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gate of Heavenly Peace &#8211; <\/strong>This is the building with Mao\u2019s portrait hanging on the front. It is also the lead into the south entrance of the Forbidden City and has a great view of Tiananmen Square.<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8:30a-4:30p, admission \u00a515<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Subway: Tiananmen Xi, Tiananmen Dong<\/p>\n<p><strong>Forbidden City<\/strong> (Zi3jin4 Cheng2)<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8:30a-4p, admission \u00a540 or \u00a560<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Subway: Tiananmen Xi, Tiananmen Dong<\/p>\n<p>Impressively large but also feels quite empty because there are few decorations or gardens. I recommend a tour or audio guide to learn the history; otherwise you might be disappointed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Workers Cultural Palace<\/strong> (Lao2dong4 Ren2min2 Wen2hua4 Gong1) &#8211; Emperor\u2019s temple just outside of the Forbidden City<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 6:30a-7:30p, admission \u00a52<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Subway: Tiananmen Dong<\/p>\n<p><strong>Jingshan Park<\/strong> (Jing3shan1 Gong1yuan2)<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 6a-9:30p, admission \u00a52<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Subway: Tiananmen Xi, then bus 5<\/p>\n<p>Great view of the Forbidden City. Highly recommended if it is a clear day.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Drum Tower &amp; Drum Bell<\/strong> (Gu3lou2)<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9a-4:30p, admission \u00a520<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Bus: 5, 58, or 107 to Gulou stop<\/p>\n<p>Views of the Caochang Hutong rooftops.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hutongs<\/strong> (Hu2tong4) &#8211; These are the old walled neighborhoods of narrow alleyways and courtyards that used to be common in Beijing. There are several to visit, the <strong>Caochang Hutong<\/strong>, which is a 5-10min drive north of the Forbidden City. It\u2019s an interesting way to see the traditional way of life and the atmosphere feels worlds away from the city.<\/p>\n<p>GK Edtiorial: I don\u2019t know if I did the Caochang one. ours was 180RMB and was located @ 58 Zhonglouwan, East District<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lama Temple<\/strong> (Yonghe Gong ) (Yong1he2 Gong1) &#8211; Renowned Tibetan temple<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9a-4p, admission \u00a525, audioguide \u00a520<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Subway: Yonghegong<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.yonghegong.cn\/\">www.yonghegong.cn<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Summer Palace<\/strong> (Yi2he2 Yuan2) &#8211; Very large and impressive royal palace overlooking Kunming Lake. I recommend a tour or audio guide to learn the history<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8:30a-5p, admission \u00a530 or \u00a550, audio guide \u00a530<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Subway: Beigongmen, Xiyuan<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Great Wall (<\/strong>Mutianyu): Mu4tian2yu4<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 6:30a-6p, admission \u00a535 (cable car, 8:30a-4:30p, \u00a550)<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dong1zhi2men2 bus station (Chang2tu2 Qi4che1zhan4)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bus 916 or 980 to Huai2rou2 (\u00a58), then minibus (\u00a525)<\/li>\n<li>Travel time 100mins<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Mutianyu section is less touristy and a nicely restored part of the Great Wall known for its guard towers. Hiking along the wall can be strenuous since the area is very hilly. Take a chair lift up (like skiing) and then there is a toboggan ride to descend from the wall which is fun.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Great Wall<\/strong>: Si1ma3tai2 &#8211; Rugged part of the Great Wall with steep ascents that require climbing.<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8a-5p, admission \u00a530<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dong1zhi2men2 bus station (Chang2tu2 Qi4che1zhan4)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bus 980 to Mi4yun2 (\u00a510), then minibus or taxi (\u00a5120)<\/li>\n<li>Minibus to Mi4yun2 (\u00a510) \u2013 75mins, then minibus or taxi (\u00a5120)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Beijing National Stadium<\/strong> (Bird\u2019s Nest) <strong>&amp; Aquatics Center<\/strong> (Water Cube) &#8211; Used for the 2008 Summer Olympics, they are now open to the public for tours.<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Subway: Olympic Sports Center, Olympic Green<\/p>\n<p>GK Editorial: We didn\u2019t actually go to them but just stopped on the highway nearby to get a view of them. Might be worth checking out if you are into building architecture.<\/p>\n<p><strong>798 Art District<\/strong> \u00a0&#8211; Located near the airport. 798 has dozens of art galleries all in one large area. Can spend several hours here (if you like art!) Check out Plastered8 for cool t-shirts<\/p>\n<p><strong>CCTV Headquarters<\/strong> &#8211; Cool building architecture in the CBD. Not sure if you can take a tour inside.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lodging<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Orchid <\/strong>&#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theorchidbeijing.com\/\">http:\/\/www.theorchidbeijing.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>GK Editorial: Friend stayed here and highly recommends it . Great location, traditional courtyard building but modern inside with good heating. Also has a good dumpling place (Mr Shi\u2019s) over the road which is great for a hangover.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Park Plaza Beijing Wangfujing <\/strong>(GK \u2013 I stayed here)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>7 Jinbao St Dongcheng Dist.<\/li>\n<li>4 stars<\/li>\n<li>$121 \/ night<\/li>\n<li>Has bar, restaurant, coffee shop, car service<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Holiday Inn Express Beijing Wangjing.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>No.6 building, No. 6 yard,<\/li>\n<li>Fu Tong East Street, Wangjing,<\/li>\n<li>Chaoyang District,<\/li>\n<li>100102 Beijing, PR China<\/li>\n<li>+86 10 5926 9688<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Crowne Plaza Wangfujing\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>48 Wangfujing Avenue, Beijing,<\/li>\n<li>4.5 stars<\/li>\n<li>$140 \/ night<\/li>\n<li>Has bar, restaurant, coffee shop, car service<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Hotel Kapok<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>16 Donghuamen Street, Beijing<\/li>\n<li>4*<\/li>\n<li>$135 \/ night<\/li>\n<li>Has bar, restaurant<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Grand Hotel Beijing<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>No 35 East Chang An Avenue, Beijing,<\/li>\n<li>5 stars (this is debatable)<\/li>\n<li>$168 \/ night<\/li>\n<li>Has bar, restaurant, car service<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Red Wall Garden<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>No.41 Shijia Hutong Dongcheng District<\/li>\n<li>3.5 stars<\/li>\n<li>$138 \/ night<\/li>\n<li>Has bar, restaurant, car service, free breakfast, in-room refrigerators<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Dining &amp; Nightlife<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Wangfujing Snack Street<\/strong> \u2013 Right near downtown\u2019s shopping area this food market has some good dumplings and some other \u2018interesting\u2019 treats (bugs, scorpions, snakes on sticks)<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Subway: Wangfujing<\/p>\n<p><strong>Donghuamen Night Market<\/strong> &#8211; Street food market geared for tourists rather than locals, which means higher prices.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant<\/strong> &#8211; When in Beijing, you must have Peking duck. This place is famous with tourists but maybe not necessarily with foodies. Prices are reasonable. The duck is good but not necessarily the best. You can book a private, nicer table in a more formal room or a simple table in essentially a large dining hall.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dong Lai Shun <\/strong>\u2013 Decent Hot Pot\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Chain<\/p>\n<p><strong>Da Zhai Men<\/strong> \u2013 This place does this show during dinner.\u00a0Fairly corny from what I\u2019m told and be prepared to listen to that high pitched screechy Beijing opera singing, but the customer in the pot is fun! Sit near the front.<\/p>\n<p>Nightlife is low-key, less pretentious, and less expensive than Shanghai or Hong Kong. There are the usual variety of places \u2013 bars, clubs, and cafes. I didn\u2019t really go out much so the following locations are from a friend\u2019s synopsis:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Xiu<\/strong> &#8211; Upscale rooftop restaurant\/bar in the CBD with different themed areas, small dance floor, and outdoor patio. Music is loud but there are quieter sections to talk.<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Subway: Guomao<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mix<\/strong> &#8211; Nightclub near the Beijing Workers\u2019 Stadium. The crowd is both locals and foreigners while the music is mostly hip-hop or top 40 pop. There are several dance floors and lounge areas. Mixed drinks were ~\u00a550.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sanlitun Bar Street<\/strong> &#8211; Area in the Chaoyang District with lots of bars. Down some of the smaller streets near the high-end shopping mall, there are decent bars\/clubs where you can get \u00a510 beers. The nightclub area is a 5min taxi ride away.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Houhai Beiyan\/Nanyan<\/strong> &#8211; Area around Houhai Lake with lots of bars and cafes. Didn\u2019t come here at night but seems like a chill spot to relax.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tour Guide Info<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Tours By Lee &#8211; <\/strong>(GK Editorial: She was awesome, prices should be the same as with Catherine)<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/angelleetourinchina.blogspot.com\/\">http:\/\/angelleetourinchina.blogspot.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Phone numbers: <\/strong>1352277915, 13120442661, 18600297591<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>(angellee1979@gmail.com, angellee1005 @hotmail.com, angelleexin@yahoo.com)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tours By Catherine Lu <\/strong>(catherine_1130@hotmail.com)<strong>:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>(GK Editorial: We attempted Catherine but was actually busy so we went with her friend Lee (above))<\/p>\n<p>Cost:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>600 CNY ($96) per day for tour guide (8 to 9 hours) w\/o entrance into sites<\/li>\n<li>700 CNY (113 US dollars)\/day for renting a car and driver around the city<\/li>\n<li>900 CNY (145 US dollars)\/day for renting a car and driver to the wall (Mutianyu section).<\/li>\n<li>Total: 2,800 CNY ($405)<\/li>\n<li>Reviews from TripAdvisor: \u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.tripadvisor.com\/Attraction_Review-g294212-d1799850-Reviews-Beijing_Private_Guide_Catherine_Lu-Beijing.html\">http:\/\/www.tripadvisor.com\/Attraction_Review-g294212-d1799850-Reviews-Beijing_Private_Guide_Catherine_Lu-Beijing.html<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Tours By Jessie <\/strong>(toursbyjessie@gmail.com):<\/p>\n<p>Cost:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>500 RMB ($79) per day for tour guide w\/o entrance into sites<\/li>\n<li>800 RMB ($127) per day (about 8 hours) for renting a car and driver on the day to the great wall<\/li>\n<li>700 RMB ($111) per day(about 8 hours) for renting a car and driver in the city.<\/li>\n<li>Total: 2,500 RMB ($396)<\/li>\n<li>Reviews from TripAdvisor: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.tripadvisor.com\/Attraction_Review-g294212-d2145605-Reviews-Beijing_Private_Tours_By_Jessie-Beijing.html\">http:\/\/www.tripadvisor.com\/Attraction_Review-g294212-d2145605-Reviews-Beijing_Private_Tours_By_Jessie-Beijing.html<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Tours by Zhenxin<\/strong> (Mobile: 13910393383 Email: \u00a0 fuwudeniu@sohu.com)<\/p>\n<p>Note: No tour guide, just a car and driver<\/p>\n<p>Day 1: 1300 RMB ($206)<\/p>\n<p>Day 2: 1100 RMG ($175)<\/p>\n<p>Total: 2400 CNY ($381)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Shopping<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Wangfujing Dajie<\/strong> &#8211; Busy shopping district near the Forbidden City. The Nike Beijing store is located here.<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Subway: Wangfujing<\/p>\n<p>Markets \u2013 Rule of thumb is to respond with 30% of the offer price and never ever start meeting them part way.\u00a0Show them the cash, walk away, and they will drop their price so fast you won\u2019t realize you still overpaid J<\/p>\n<p><strong>Shows<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Red Theatre<\/strong> \u2013 Chun Yi The Legend of Kung Fu<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>44 Xingfu Avenue Chongwen District<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gfcq.cn\/\">www.gfcq.cn<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>GK Editorial: Fun little show about the history of Kung Fu\u2026some cool fight sequences<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chaoyang Theater<\/strong> (Chao2yang2 Ju4chang3) &#8211; Chinese acrobats show.<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Starts 7:30p, admission from \u00a580<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tianqiao Acrobats Theatre <\/strong>(Tian1qiao2 Za2ji4 Ju4chang3)<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Show 7:15p-8:45p, admission \u00a5100-\u00a5200<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tiandi Theatre<\/strong> (Tian1di4 Ju4chang3) &#8211; Chinese acrobats show<\/p>\n<p>o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Starts 7:15p, admission \u00a5100-\u00a5300<\/p>\n<p><strong>Itinerary<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Day 1 (Half day):<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>798 Art District<\/li>\n<li>Wangfujing Dajie<\/li>\n<li>Wangfujing Snack Street<\/li>\n<li>Peking Duck Dinner<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Day 2 (Inside Beijing):<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Tiananmen Square<\/li>\n<li>Gate of Heavenly Peace<\/li>\n<li>Forbidden City (Zi3jin4 Cheng2)<\/li>\n<li>Hutong Tour<\/li>\n<li>Lama Temple<\/li>\n<li>Kung Fu Show<\/li>\n<li>Went out around Sanlitun Bar Street<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Day 3 (The Great Wall:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Went to Great Wall Mutianyu<\/li>\n<li>Summer Palace<\/li>\n<li>Olympic Stadium (Water Cube and Bird\u2019s Nest)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Helpful Links<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_219\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/abandoned-great-wall-of-china-nature-overtaking-growing-over.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-219\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-219\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/abandoned-great-wall-of-china-nature-overtaking-growing-over.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"The Great Wall (not my photo)\" width=\"300\" height=\"195\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/abandoned-great-wall-of-china-nature-overtaking-growing-over.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/abandoned-great-wall-of-china-nature-overtaking-growing-over-300x195.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-219\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Great Wall (not my photo)<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_220\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/chairlift.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-220\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-220\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/chairlift.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"Ride up to the Great Wall\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/chairlift.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/chairlift-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-220\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ride up to the Great Wall<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_221\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/dumpling.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-221\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-221\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/dumpling.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"Beijing Dumplings\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/dumpling.jpg 556w, https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/dumpling-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-221\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Beijing Dumplings<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_222\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/forbiddencity.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-222\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-222\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/forbiddencity.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"The Forbidden City\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/forbiddencity.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/forbiddencity-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-222\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Forbidden City<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_224\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/greatwall2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-224\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-224\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/greatwall2.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"The Great Wall\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/greatwall2.jpg 556w, https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/greatwall2-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-224\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Great Wall<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_225\" style=\"width: 235px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/hutongcenter.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-225\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-225\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/hutongcenter.jpg?w=225\" alt=\"Center of the Hutong\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/hutongcenter.jpg 576w, https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/hutongcenter-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-225\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Center of the Hutong<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_226\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/kungfushow.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-226\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-226\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/kungfushow.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"Kung Fu Show @ The Red Theatre\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/kungfushow.jpg 556w, https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/kungfushow-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-226\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kung Fu Show @ The Red Theatre<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_227\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/mutianyu.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-227\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-227\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/mutianyu.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"The Great Wall - Mutianyu\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/mutianyu.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/mutianyu-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-227\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Great Wall &#8211; Mutianyu<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_228\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/pangu-7-star-hotel.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-228\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-228\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/pangu-7-star-hotel.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"Pangu 7 Star Hotel\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/pangu-7-star-hotel.jpg 556w, https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/pangu-7-star-hotel-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-228\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pangu 7 Star Hotel<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_229\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/summer-palace.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-229\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-229\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/summer-palace.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"The Summer Palace\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/summer-palace.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/summer-palace-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-229\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Summer Palace<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_230\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/summerpalace.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-230\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-230\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/summerpalace.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"The Summer Palace Blooms\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/summerpalace.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/summerpalace-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-230\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Summer Palace Blooms<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_231\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/summerpalace2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-231\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-231\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/summerpalace2.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"Summer Palace Lake\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/summerpalace2.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/summerpalace2-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-231\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Summer Palace Lake<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_232\" style=\"width: 235px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/wangfujing.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-232\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-232\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/wangfujing.jpg?w=225\" alt=\"Wang Fu Jing Food Street\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/wangfujing.jpg 576w, https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/wangfujing-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-232\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wang Fu Jing Food Street<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Beijing, China by Gautam Khattak Last updated: February 18, 2013 Disclaimer: These are notes I\u2019ve written or gathered from various sources. I have not experienced all things in this document nor is it intended to be a definitive guide. General Tips Currency: The currency in China is the RMB (or Chinese Yuan, CNY). Conversion Tool: [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":219,"parent":86,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-218","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/218","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=218"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/218\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":716,"href":"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/218\/revisions\/716"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/86"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/219"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}