Beijing

Beijing (Beijing) city is the capital of China and has a dense population. The city is divided into two parts as old and new Beijing, and it is a city where wealth and poverty continue to live together in a cosmopolitan structure. The first thing that stands out in the city is the large number of very high skyscrapers and the incredible presence of luxury cars in front of our eyes. However, it is another interesting feature that many authentic buildings and temples are intertwined, especially in the side streets. Beijing airport has a large capacity, long runways and very wide taxiways, and the passenger and cargo capacity is quite high. The fact that the Olympics were held in China contributed positively to the increase in this capacity.

As I mentioned in our Shanghai article; While people who work everywhere with many different purposes and uniforms offer you a different atmosphere, unfortunately they may not show a very respectful approach. Their high-pitched speaking style and aggressive approach will immediately grab your attention. You can often come across this environment while shopping in the city.

The city of Beijing does not have an extensive rail system and subway infrastructure like the city of Shanghai. For this reason, the taxi option will often become mandatory for transportation from the airport to the hotel and the city center. Although taxi fares are not very high and are reasonable, the most important problem is that they can agree with taxi drivers. You can communicate in English with very few taxi drivers. For this reason, my advice is to print the names and addresses of the places you will go at the hotel you are staying in on a paper in their own language and give them to the driver. If you are returning to the hotel, having the hotel card with you will make your job even easier. It is extremely difficult to find a taxi, especially in rainy weather, as in many big cities.

In general, the majority of hotels are in the outer peripheries of the city centre. For this reason, the shuttle services of some hotels to the city center are another option. They usually reach the city center by stopping by the shopping centers they have contracted with. Most of them are only one way and you will have to make an effort to return.

In Beijing, you will often come across special shops where tea rituals are held on the top floors of shopping malls. You can try all kinds of tea (black, white, green) free of charge on large wooden tables in the middle of these shops. They present the products they have prepared in very small cups as if they were washing the tea. I highly recommend you try this.

Bargaining is also a very common method here, but the rates are a little more reasonable here. So it would be logical to offer one-fifth of the quoted figure. Since the number of tourists coming to this city is not like Shanghai, the rates vary slightly. As I said for Shanghai, never pronounce the last digit in your head to the opposite side. Otherwise, if the result of the bargain comes there and you make an offer under the number you pronounce, the environment may evolve into a situation as if it were a verbal argument. In general, the shopping tips in the other article also apply here. Uzbek cuisine has a wider network in this city and you can find it on almost every street corner.

When it comes to this city, there are three points that should be visited in particular. One of them is the "Forbidden City" and it will impress you when you enter it. The region where important traces of Chinese history are exhibited; It is the place where the Chinese Kings reside, and it is called by this name because entrances were not allowed in time except for certain people. It has many wooden structures built for the use of kings, and it is an area where very strict controls were made in order to ensure the safety of the kings. In general, dragon figures symbolizing their power are waiting for you on and in front of wooden structures.

Another important point is “Tienanmen Square”, where the famous protests took place in 1989. This area, which is a very large square, is heavily visited by tourists. Pedestrians can easily walk around the square, which is closed to car traffic, except for the entrance roads at the corners. It is recommended to visit this square, which is the entrance to the Forbidden City at the northern entrance, during the summer period. Traveling in this region in cold and rainy weather may be uncomfortable because it is spread over a very large area.

Another important point to visit in this city is of course the famous "Great Wall of China". It is possible to reach this area with a car journey of about 30-40 minutes from the city center. Visiting this place with sports shoes and comfortable clothes will increase your pleasure. Because a very intense activation awaits you. When you add photos and selfies to this, at least 3-4 hours of activity will involve you. When I learned why they built these high walls out of fear of the Turks while visiting these places, I was heartbroken.

I must admit that it was somewhat enjoyable. I recommend you the daily tour options that cover these three points that I mentioned in most of the hotels you stay in. The prices of such tours include a private car, guide and all-day tour, transferring detailed information to us and lunch for about 20 dollars per person. Since lunches are generally Chinese style, they may not suit our tastes from time to time. For this purpose, having snacks and water with you will prevent your life of trouble.

I wish you pleasant travels in this geography, which has quite different historical and cultural characteristics.