Rent Serviced Apartments in Beijing

Facts about Beijing City

There are many known and unknown facts about Beijing. Some of them are listed here.

• Beijing is one of the oldest cities in the world. It was previously known as Peking.
• There are so many historical sites in Beijing. You can see the great wall and the Forbidden City near here. 
• A very old history dates back to about 3000 years in Peking regarding various rulers that ruled from this city. There were multiple kingdoms that ruled from Peking. That’s the reason why the city has so many historical monuments. 
• Beijing’s long historical past has left behind many historical and cultural heritages. There are seven world heritage sites of UNESCO here. These are the great wall, the Forbidden City, the temple of heaven, the summer palace, and the Grand Canal. 
• The Great Wall is famous all over the world as the longest and the biggest. 
• There is one largest palace known as Forbidden City. This imperial palace is the best preserved also. 
• The temple of heaven is considered one of the holiest of China.

 

Cost of Living in Beijing

You may be wondering whether it is expensive living in Beijing. The city is relatively expensive. Shanghai is more expensive to live in. Shanghai is more expensive because of the foreigners living there. Guilin is less expensive than Beijing. You will find public transport cheaper. If you want to save much on living in Beijing, it is advisable that you live outside of the ring roads. You should take public transport instead of driving. You can travel on foot also to save on transport. If you wish to be in the middle of activities of the city, try living near one of the ring roads. You should share your apartment so that you save some money on living.

• The estimated average monthly expenses for a family of four staying in rented accommodation would be around 188,037.9¥
• The estimated average monthly expenses for a single person staying on rent will be approximate 50,816.66¥
• Traveling expenses using local transport will be around 5.00¥ for a one-way ticket

Tips for Visiting Beijing City

• You should head for the hutongs if you wish to feel the city. Hutongs are the alleyways that define the city. 
• If you stay in Hutong, you can meet with the locals and find comfortable and economical accommodation. 
• You will find the secluded Baochao quite exciting because of its quiet and its number of restaurants, cafes, and shops. The place is within walking distance from the Drum tower which has historical importance. You will get plenty of street food in this area. 
• You may walk down to Houhai Lake. From here, you can watch the city moving on along its lanes.

Things to Do in Beijing

Riding cable cars is something you will definitely enjoy here. You should take the cable car. You can reach Mutianyu and take a stroll out there. It is a place popular among the commoners and tourists. You will find the great wall very amusing. It is open through the night. You will like the lighting in the area. The area feels romantic and quite pleasant. You may go hiking at Jinshanling Great Wall. It is considered very good for hiking. This place is good for photography. You may give free reign to the spirit of adventure bubbling within yourself. You should visit Jiankou which is quite precipitous. It is a part of the Great Wall.

Q1. What are popular things to do in Beijing? 

Beijing is close to top touring attractions. You can’t resist the temptation to go and see Tiananmen Square. It has the forbidden city and the national museum. You can find other monuments too. You can visit Beihai Park and the Summer Palace. These have lush green spaces. You can take a tour of Dashanzi Art District where you will be greeted by the souvenir vendors and art galleries. Finally, you can finish your sightseeing by visiting the Great Wall.

Q2. What are some free things to do in Beijing? 

You can do the free things in Beijing by visiting the museums. You may like to take a stroll at 798 Art Zone. You can learn Taichi and also how to fly kites in the parks. You might spend some time in Tiananmen Square. If you like, you can visit the malls and do some window shopping. One can discover Hunting Treasures at Panjiayuan Antique Market.

Q3. Does Beijing have many romantic attractions? 

You can see CCTV Tower and from there you can visit The Great Wall. These are some of the romantic attractions of Beijing. Happy Valley will welcome you with its picturesque warmth and romance in the air. Shichachai Area is regularly visited by individuals looking for romantic attractions. You may enjoy Maple Drive-in Cinema. There is one Fragrant Hills park you may like.

Q4. What are family-friendly things to do in Beijing? 

There are quite a few family-friendly things to do here. You can begin with the Great Wall of China. Take a tour of Forbidden City. Tiananmen Square is another piece of attraction liked by families for its historical importance. One can do boating, ice skating, and flying kites.

Q5. What are unusual things to do in Beijing? 

You should visit Chairman Mao. You may like to watch a kung fu show at Red Theater. You may like tai chi at the Temple of Heaven. You must enjoy yourself at the Olympic Swimming Pool. You should eat creepy crawlies at Snack Street.

Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Beijing

Tourists like the Palace Museum and Forbidden city. The Great Wall of China must be on your itinerary. Tiananmen Square is a must-visit for you. It is one of the largest city squares in the world. It is known as the centre of communist China. The place has historical importance.

UNESCO heritage Sites:

• The Great Wall of China (Mutianyu is a fairly less-crowded section and Badaling is the most popular one)

• The Ming Tombs

• The Grand Canal

• The Temple of Heaven

• Peking Man Site

• The Forbidden City

• The Summer Palace

Sites of Worship:

• Lama Temple

• Temple of Agriculture or Xiannongtan

• Ox Street or Niujie Mosque

• Shichahai or the 10 Temple Lake (For old Beijing charm and a moment of peace; it is a lovely black lake). Some remaining temples here include Guangji Temple, Guangfu Guan, and Huoshen Temple.

Museums Sites:

• Capital Museum

• The National Museum of China

• Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum

• Paleozoological Museum of China

Places to Eat in Beijing

Peking Duck Restaurant at Dadong is well-known here. it is quite popular among visitors from foreign countries. You can devour many other delicacies here besides Duck. You can enjoy western dishes here.

Popular categories:

• Quanjude (Most popular for the iconic Peking Duck)

• Choy’s Seafood Restaurant (Traditional Chinese seafood)

• Jin Ding Xuan Restaurant (Since 1998) (for Cantonese cuisine)

• King’s Joy Beijing (For vegetarians)

• Dali Courtyard (For a romantic cosy meal)

• Kiev (For Ukrainian cuisine and great 6 pm concerts)

• Fangshan Restaurant (Imperial Court-style setup and cuisine from the Qing Dynasty)

• Destination Club (LGBT hub, art, food, and more).

Locally Loved

• Spring Trees 

• Baron Rozi Xinjiang (Lamb delicacies)

• Jindingxuan (For affordable dimsums)

Bar streets

• Sanlitun bar street (Posh)

• Nanluoguxiang Hutong (Modern version)

• Workers' Stadium

• Houhai Bar street

Food Streets

• Fucheng Street (Upscale)
• Niujie (or Ox Street) Muslim Street
• Qianmen Street (Most popular)

Tourist-friendly

• Nice Rice

• Mr. Shi’s

• Xian Lao Man

Street food in Beijing

Fried insects are available in some special shops on the streets. You can enjoy kebabs here made of meat. You will find here fried dumplings, boiled dumplings, stinky tofu, steamed buns, and Tanghulu.

Food Streets

• Wangfujing Snack Street is the most popular one among tourists and a bit of souvenir shopping can be done too.

• Donghuamen Night Market has a crazy variety of Chinese snack stalls serving snakes to scorpions and whatnot.

• Guijie Street or Ghost Street is famous for spicy Beijing snacks. It is open round the clock and crawfish is a speciality here. 

Dishes

• Roast Duck Wrap/ Taco/ Puff
• Barbecued Squid
• Kung Pao Chicken
• Jianbing (a speciality breakfast crepe)
• Dumplings
• Handmade Tofu Dishes
• Cold Sesame Noodles
• Zhajiangmian Noodles and Luzhu Bowl (An elaborate noodle dish served with secret soybean paste and a bowl full of pork organs and intestines in broth).
• Miancha Bowls (Creamy sesame porridge)
• Red Bean Cake (Instagram-worthy snack served shaped in alphabets)
• Pork Dishes (fried in ball shapes or served in sweet sauces)
• Douzhi (Stinky fermented bean soup, some love it while some hate it but it is another speciality here.)

Desserts

•  Bīngtánghúlu: It is a glossy red candy-like ball that is made with sugar syrup dipped fruits and is iconic to Beijing.

• Àiwōwo: White coconut-covered rice balls with a sweet filling of hawthorn, dates, or bean paste.
• Wāndòu huáng: This is a sweet delicacy made from split peas mashed and pureed to melt in the mouth.

• Lǘ dǎgǔn or rolling donkeys: Sticky rice covered in soybean flour.

Tip: Do try the Beijing yoghurt to wash the street food down. 

Shopping in Beijing

There is a famous Wangfujing Shopping street. It is one of the oldest shopping streets in Beijing. You will come across so many big shopping malls here.

• The Place (Lavish mall vibe)

• Panjiayuan Flea Market (For authentic Chinese antiques, affordable)

• Yandai Xiejie Street (For art galleries, antique shopping, and cafes)

• Nanluoguxiang Hutong (Affordable but has variety; for bars, handicrafts, and clothing)

• XiuShui Street or Silk Market (Most popular)

• Xidan Commercial Street (For shopping malls)

Antique Shopping

• Liulichang Street (For old books and paintings)

• Panjiayuan Street (For huge statues and furniture)

• The whopping 5.8 acres of the Beijing Curio City has over 500 antique stores. It is the largest among the Asian trading centres of antique. Film fests and exhibitions are other prime attractions here.

Transportation in Beijing

You should walk around Beijing on foot. You can also take the subway. Beijing is one of the most populous cities in the world. Its roads are clogged with traffic, so it is not comfortable travelling in cars or public transport. You might get stranded at any junction.

The subway network of Beijing is the longest and the busiest across the globe (2016). It is quick, efficient, and cheap. If opting for an authentic local experience, go for the subway any day. It is intricately connected to most parts of the city.

Buses are a great option as well as far as affordability is concerned. Rickshaws are a must-try in the hutong alleys. Not many know that bicycles are one of the most popular preferences here. A good chunk of the outdoor area is dedicated to bicycle stands.

Bullet trains are a great means for intercity travels to Hong Kong, Shanghai, and more. One must anyway experience bullet trains when in China. The Tianjin Cruise Port is just 200 km away for a memorable cruise experience in the country. There is a special subway line called The Airport Express for movement from the airport but most serviced apartments provide that facility anyway.

As far as air travel is concerned, Beijing is home to 2 huge airports and a new 3rd one. While Beijing Capital International Airport is the largest in the country, Nanyuan Airport and Daxing International Airport are the other less popular additions.

Weather in Beijing

Here, there are long summers that are humid and warm. The winters are freezing. Winters are also dry and not overcast.

The temperature typically varies from 17°F to 88°F and is rarely below 10°F or above 96°F. So, the best times of year to visit Beijing for warm-weather activities are from mid-May to late June and from mid-August to late September.

Being the capital of extreme weather conditions, the city is most pleasant between March to May and August to November. Both summers and winters being bitter, the spring and autumn seasons are most loved by visitors here.

The air quality is comparatively much better during these months. The temperatures during the spring season range from 14-20 °C. The Autumn period witnesses the range of 15-25 °C. 

With so much to experience and explore, Beijing deserves a closer look as a passionate local which can only be possible if one spends a few weeks or months in this historic capital of China.