Beijing Tourism Offices Provide Helpful Info

Branches Located Throughout City to Help Answer Visitors’ Questions

Mar 6, 2009 Cheryl Probst

The Beijing Tourism Administration has offices throughout the Beijing area to help tourists with their questions. Most branches have one person who speaks good English.

Unlike visitors on group tours, independent travelers to Beijing don’t always have access to someone who can answer their questions about Beijing. Hotel front desk staff can be helpful, though in the smaller hotels, the staff’s English skills may be limited to checking guests in and out. What’s a traveler to do? Turn to a Beijing Tourism Administration (BJTA) office, of course.

Offices Located All Around Beijing

Offices are located throughout the Municipality of Beijing. Many are concentrated in central Beijing near the most frequently visited sites, but some are located in the outlying districts. There a person can get brochures on things to do, maps and directions for getting around and restaurant recommendations. In short, the office is there to help travelers in any way possible.

The offices will have at least one person who speaks fluent English all the time. Some of the staff are volunteers recruited for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but who decided to stick around post-Olympics because they enjoyed the work.

Offices Open Near Major Attractions

Offices which are located near major tourist attractions in Beijing include:

Aquarium: No. 18 Gaoliangqiao Xiejie; tel: 62176655-6778. This is near the Beijing Aquarium which is located in the northwest corner of the Beijing Zoo
Beihai: No. 1 Wenjing Street; tel: 64032726, R. This office is located near the south entrance to Beihai Park, one of Beijing’s most popular parks.
Shichahai: No 9 Dianmen West; tel: 64036835. This is located across the street from the north entrance to Beihai Park, and on the banks of Qianhai Lake. This office is very useful for travelers who want to tour the lakes and hutongs that remain in Beijing.
Chaoyang: No. 11-2 Gongti North Road; tel: 64176627, 64172754. This is near Workers Stadium and the Sanlitun bar district which is popular with expats living in Beijing.
Haidian: No. 40 Zhong Guan Cun St.; tel: 82622895. The Summer Palace is located in the Haidian District, also known as Beijing’s Silicon Valley. The district also is home to two major universities in Beijing: Peking University and Tsinghua University.
Fengtai: Wanping City; tel: 83895715. Wanping is the site of the Marco Polo Bridge, site of the first battle in which Japan invaded Beijing. The Memorial to the War of Resistance Against Japan, as World War II is known in China, is located at Wanping.
Beijing Railway Station: No. 16 Laoqianju Hutong; tel: 65284848.

BJTA Has Other Offices

The Beijing Tourism Administration also maintains offices at, among other places, Huairou, the closest city to the Great Wall at Mutianyu, and Miyun, site of Miyun Reservoir which provides Beijing with drinking water. The reservoir makes a great spot to have a picnic and participate in water activities.

The Beijing Tourism Administration’s main office is located at 28 Jianguomenwai St.; tel: 65158844.

Offices are open daily, usually at 8:30 a.m. Closing times vary with season and location.

The copyright of the article Beijing Tourism Offices Provide Helpful Info in S Asia/China Travel is owned by Cheryl Probst. Permission to republish Beijing Tourism Offices Provide Helpful Info in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Forbidden City in Beijing