Fun things to do in Beijing?

[grawrt]

Thanks everyone! I checked out Qianmen and Dashilar today. Interestinggg. But I got lost.. a lot. Is there such a thing as a map?

I found the strangest thing called 毛猴 (Hairy monkey?) They're so weird but I couldn't resist buying one. The shopkeeper explained a bit but at first I'm like "... chinese medicine... monkey.. huhhh? so you eat it?" I just got back home and looked it up and I think I get it more. Still creepy but I know somebody who would like it

Also found modern hotel (马迭尔) of all places. Haha. Really brought me back to Harbin.

@hedwards~ Yes I have a copy. I'll try and find it later and give it a listen to see if it works. It's been so long I don't really remember. If it works you can have it since I have another one (my mom came with me)

 

I think I'm gonna check out the next three hutongs tomorrow but given the fact that I get lost so much I might end up just at one place. I think I'll save the hongloumeng trip for when I get back in the spring. I'm planning on going to badachu on Friday but it really depends on the weather and pollution.

 

One last thought~ This is my first time taking the subway since the price change.......... and it's awesome! There's so much less people, I don't feel upset paying more. Besides, It's still cheaper than riding the train back home.

 

Thanks everyone for the suggestions ^__^

[hedwards]

Thanks grawrt, I probably don't need a copy in the literal sense, something along the lines of a parity file to correct the errors would probably be more than sufficient.

[edelweis]

there's been a subway price change in Beijing? what's the new fare?

 

edit: also we want a picture of your 毛猴.

[Geiko]

 

 

On December 28, 2014, the Beijing Subway switched from a fixed-fare to a distance-based fare schedule for all lines except the Airport Express.^[7] Fares starts at ¥3 for a trip up to 6 km in distance, with ¥1 added for the next 6 km, for every 10 km thereafter until the total distance reaches 32 km, and for every 20 km beyond the first 32 km.^[7] For example, a 40 km trip would cost ¥7. The Airport Express cost ¥25 per ride.

 

(From Wikipedia)

[PeterInBeijing]

I'm going to revive this post.

Just came to Beijing for 12 days and had started out on a 7 day tour in Beijing.

 

Dazhalan, like Huina mentioned, is by far the place I liked most.  It's got a Chinese traditional feel to the street meanwhile an actual place to shop.  Don't be fooled though, cause it was built 10 years ago - which is a good thing.  I do prefer a newly built Chinese styled shopping streets over really old ones.

We went to too many Dynasties Palaces.  Those are the most boring times of the tour.  I don't really care how Kings used to live.  Reminds me how inefficient its economy must have been to be so unnecessarily luxurious (ie. stones are carried from hundreds of miles away just to be placed inside the palace for some artificial meanings for the Queen).  And then I hear whispers of the people in the tour saying the King is quite the player.  That's a fairly accurate depiction of what it really is.  

 

 

I do like Great Wall of China - it was a nice experience except for the steep slope part of it where you can possibly roll down like a log and it wouldn't stop for the 2 minute fall.  Meanwhile, everyone hopelessly yells and some quick enough to take their phone out and video tape the action by the 30th seconds of the fall where it then gets uploaded to whichever Chinese video sites and gets viewed by millions of people including yourself 3 months later after waking up in a hospital bed.

 

 

[Shelley]

. stones are carried from hundreds of miles away

 

Reminds me of the pyramids, Stonehenge and many of the great cathedrals of Europe. It just seems to be one of those things people like to do. I think also quite a lot of stone and bricks for the great wall were carried a fair distance.

 

I am glad that you are enjoying your tour of Beijing for the the most part