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Beijing - A Large City
A modern city is appeared in Beijing, by the time its downtown is extended into larger and larger, includes its well-known mass of traditional sights, modern architectures, Olympic stadiums and the worst traffic in China.
There are 5 Ring Roads surround the Forbidden City: 2nd - 6th Ring Road. The length of each is: 2nd Rd-28.3km; 3rd Rd-51km; 4th Rd-65km; 5th Rd-98.6km; 6th Rd-190km( not finished yet). But where is the 1st Rd
The No.1 Road in Beijing named Chang An Street, which is become from 5km a several hundreds of years ago into 42km yet. It started from Sh Jing Shan District, outside the Western 5th Rd and ended at Dong Zhou District, outside the Eastern 5th Rd, goes on straight line and passes through the heart of city - Tiananmen Square, and is maximum 100m wide.
It's approximate 150kms from the 2nd Rd to the entry of Jinshanling Great Wall, but not as Lonely Planet said 110km. Normally, it takes you at least 5hrs for driving(round way), and 4hrs for walking on the wall from Jinshanling to Simatai.
 Staying Some independent travellers are used to make hotel reservations through Internet. According to the advice in the tour guides they mostly book a hotel in the center of downtown, such as the Tiananmen area or the area close to the Beijing Railway Station. However, if you want to see more of Beijing then the city centre alone, please be aware of heavy traffic in and around the city centre. Grabbing a cab for a ride in the city centre are hard to get: let alone the constant traffic jam, there are many traffic restrictions like one way lines, no left turns for several blocks, no parking zones etc etc. So, if you don't want into be travelling and out downtown all day, I'd like to give you this advice: stay in the Northeast Part of Beijing , best between the Second and Third Ring Road . This should get you at least half an hour or more additional sleep every morning. The best way to tour around downtown is by bicycle, especially when you'd like to look around in the famous Hutong area .
For business travellers, Kempinski Hotel, Holiday Inn Lidou, China Trade Centre Hotel, CTS Hotel are your best chose; for family trip or budget trip, Super 8 Hotel - Tuan Jie Hu (booked by me with the rate 268RMB/night/room), Zhaolong Youth Hostel, are perfect; for me and my partners, we do live in the neighbourhood to these hotels, so we can be at your service quite quickly.
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1) Great Wall
There are few sections of the Great Wall should be visited: Simatai,Mutianyu, Badaling, Jiankou, etc. For most of independent travelers likely visit Simatai(one full day) or Mutianyu since Badaling is always quite crowded, and Jiankou is might be dangerous.
2) Forbidden City
It was built from 1406 to 1420 by million labourers, the largest imperial palace architecture of the world, where 24 Chinese emperors ruled China for 500 years.
3) Tiananmen Square
The largest square of the world and is the soul of China. It was the riotous scene of exultation at the launch of the Cultural Revolution in 1966(Unfortunately, I was born 2 years later).
There are Qianmen Gate(the main entry to the old city), the National History Museum("History is written by winner"--one of my client told me), the Great People's Hall(you might visit it, if there is no officials); Tiananmen Gate(where you pass through into the Forbidden City) on the each direction of the square. Marcellina is located at the centre of the square, of course.
4) Temple of Heaven
I t was built during the same time as Forbidden City, when Beijing was designated capital, where emperors conducted the most significant ceremonies and rites of the year.
A couple of Dutch customers got a fake 50RMB return charge, while they bought a T-shirt
in Temple of Heaven, and the pedlar wanted to change his another fake 100RMB note with some pretext.
5) Summer Palace
t is the largest imperial garden of the world, consisting of temples, pavilions, and halls set in a park around the vast lake. A quite beautiful place for stay in summer, sure for emperors only.
6) Lama Temple
 For every foreign travelers includes the most of Chinese, Tibet and Lama Buddhism are mysterious. Lama Temple(Yonghegong) is the largest Lama Buddhism temple in north China, outside Tibet. I'd like to give you some advice about tour in Tibet, since I visited there in 1997. Of course it's free.
7) Ming Tomb & Sacred Way
Actually, for most of young travellers, it's a little bit boring, because there are 3 coffins only, in the huge underground palace, and the admission is cost similar to the Forbidden City.
8) Hutong
A mesh of narrow lanes that thread across the city, disappearing but famous and atmospheric 700 year old alleys and courtyards. "Hutong" is come from Mongolian pronunciation since Yuan Dynasty was erected by Mongolian, earlier than Ming Dynasty, and as capital was called "Dadu" but not Beijing during Yuan Dynasty.
9) Peking Opera or Acrobatics
Peking Opera was come from a regional form opera called Hui Ju(Anhui province), reached its apex during the Qing Dynasty. There are two theaters show Peking Opera or acrobatics every evening, but need making reservation since a lot of group travelers.
10) Liulichang Antique Street or Antique Market
You might learn more about China history or China culture through visiting the Antique Street or the Antique Market(weekend). If you have never been come inside any courtyard, there is a royal one, where was used by tailoring the royal furniture special in Ming and Qing Dynasty, called Yu Long Fang can be visited(free).
11) Fake Market(Silk Market & Pearl Market)
For all types of garment or replica designer brands and tailors shopping, the Silk Market is a good choice; the Pearl Market is a good buy for luggage, shoes, jewellery, jade, of course, pearls, but the most important for you, is know how to budget.
12) Olympic Stadiums and 798
For photographers and architects, modern architectures and Art District - 798 are the most welcomed, includes galleries, new CCTV, Bird Nest, Commune by the Great Wall, SOHO, Beijing Planning Exhibition, etc. Normally, it takes you 2 days for visiting all of them.
Quote & Route
(8-10 hrs service RMB, beginning 1st May 2008)
| Vechile Model |
Sights |
| Downtown |
Mutianyu & downtown |
Simatai |
airport |
| Santana(1-4ps) |
500RMB |
700RMB |
800RMB |
200RMB |
| Jetta(1-4ps) |
500RMB |
700RMB |
800RMB |
200RMB |
| Citroen(1-4ps) |
500RMB |
700RMB |
800RMB |
200RMB |
| Van(5-10ps) |
700RMB |
900RMB |
1100RMB |
250RMB |
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Our Taxi Price is approximately 80% of regular public taxi fares, and we offer a fixed price. We offer One Full Day service, 10 hours per day is no problem.
Unlike many others, our drivers do not take commission from anyone, and we never push. We have no hidden agenda whatsoever. The prices shown are in RMB, include all toll fares,
parking, mineral water, and our help with everything, even using our mobile phone with the local phone card.
Payment after our service is finished. We have cars and a minivan, well maintained and clean, we are really helpful. And last but not least: our Taxi Price is Nice.
Making Reservation:
Since Private Taxi Beijing is welcomed by more and more foreigners, so, your reservation is as earlier as better. Please email and let me know your itinerary, your arrival time and flight/train No., your members, and the phone No. of your hotel/hostel. I'm sure you'll get my quote and your perfect routes, within the same day.
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