  |
|
|
|
Getting around Beijing, ChinaHow to use the subway, bus, or get to and from the airportThe Chinese capital of Beijing is fascinating to visit but getting around can be difficult without the right information. Here's a quick guide.
Beijing is a popular tourist destination with many interesting sights to see such as the Great Wall, The Forbidden City, The Summer Palace and Tiananmen Square. But if you aren’t part of a tour group which will ferry you from place to place it can be a little hard to understand the public transportation system. Some signs have English translations such as in the subway, but most of the time you will see only Chinese characters. To and from Capital Airport:Getting cash at the airport is easy, just use one of the bank ATM’s in the hall before the exit doors. Taxi: Depending on where you are going it will be around 100 RMB (about $15) to the city center, just make sure the meter is running. Most cab drivers will not speak English, so it’s best to write down your destination in Chinese characters to show him. Bus: buy your ticket from the counter just outside the airport exit for 16 RMB ($3). Wait for the next bus, but prepared to shove your way on. There are a few different bus lines; line 1 is usually the one to the city center. Once on the bus they will take your ticket. Get off at the train station which is a central location and walk over to the subway to get to your destination. Duration is about two hours depending on traffic. Using the subway:The subway is clean, efficient and easy to use to get to popular destinations such as Tiananmen Square and The Forbidden City (Qianmen stop) or the different train stations. It costs 3 RMB (.50 cents) per ride. Buy your ticket from the ticket counter; most people don’t wait in line so it’s best to just shove your way in otherwise you’ll be standing there for a while. There are no automatic ticket machines. Once you bought the ticket give it to the ticket taker before you go down the stairs to the subway. Once on the platforms there are easy to read subway maps in English. Make sure you stand on the correct side otherwise you could be going in the wrong direction. On the subway train there will be an announcement of the next train station, or if you can’t understand it, you’ll see signs when the train pulls into the station. Using the bus:To get to the Summer Palace or the Great Wall at Badaling you’ll need to take a public bus. Buses are trickier than the subway because you’ll have to buy your ticket on board from the ticket seller, and you’ll have to figure out where to get off. Have a map or a piece of paper with Chinese characters of your destination and show that to the ticket seller. She’ll hold up her hands with the amount of the ticket if you look confused or if she doesn’t then just give her a 10 RMB note and get the change back. For the Summer Palace take bus 726 or 826 from Qianmen for 5 RMB (.75 cents). For Badaling, take the bus from the Deshengmen Gate subway stop, cost 10 RMB ($1.50). For more on China:
The copyright of the article Getting around Beijing, China in China Travel is owned by Lisa Schroeder. Permission to republish Getting around Beijing, China in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|
|
|
