Horse Horse &Tiger Tiger

Travel in Beijing is a nightmare if you don’t speak Chinese, unless you have a big budget and don’t mind being ripped off.

[But do not take it for granted that in China town of your city you can learn Chinese. In many cases you will find out what you learned actually is Cantonese, which is a very different southern dialect while people here speak Mandarin Chinese.]

Landing off in Beijing airport is the start of it. Signage is so badly organized that they are confusing instead of helpful.

Since you are not going to the airport everyday let’s turn to daily travel.

For most travelers there are four choices available.

1. Subway (light rail)

  There are no free maps or print-out in the subway. No timetable neither. But the subway comes every 3-4 minutes so quite convenient. The only thing for you to do is to find out your stops and remember the name.

  Also the signage is not designed considerately. Easily you exit the wrong way. But there is always a ticket staff there for you to enquire from. Of course you have to speak Chinese.

  Bike/pet is not allowed in the subway.

  Do not try to catch subway during rush hours. Never. It is not an advice it is a warning from experience. If you catch a train at 7 am-9am and 4.30 pm-6 pm you wish you are in a sardine can instead of subway. You have to pray God for get on. No need politeness, no need manner, no need private space you will be rolled into the car with flood of commuters even if you don’t want, sometimes. Make sure you are close enough to the gate one stop before yours. Otherwise you won’t have time to get off.

  Other hours the subway is quite alright.

  There is no around-clock subway. Most of them stop at around 11pm. Some are earlier. Keep an eye on the bill board inside the car to find it out.

2. Taxi

  Taxi is the easiest way to get you to your destination. If you don’t speak English better have the destination’s address written down in Chinese. Most of the drivers don’t speak English. But they are smart enough to figure it out if you are going to some very well known or regular visiting spots for foreigners, like pubs.

  Sometimes especially at night taxi drivers can turn a bit wild. They could refuse to put on meters and ask for money they think reasonable whereas you think totally opposite. Or they can take you round after round on the 3^rd ring before they get bored and send you straight to your place. My colleagues spent RMB50 from Train Station to the office which cost me RMB16.

  Don’t expect the taxi driver will return your belongings if unfortunately you leave them in the taxi. Maybe 1 in 1000000000000 you will get your stuff back. So always ask for receipt when you pay the fare.

  Traffic in Beijng is notoriously poor so sometimes a RMB20 distance could possibly cost you RMB 60. In this case nothing is wrong with the driver. Money is not the point. If you miss your favorite game that will be really disappointing.

3. Bus

Bus is very cheap. But they are not designed for you if you can’t read or speak Chinese. If you do keep asking the conductor or driver because what you find on Internet is so inaccurate, out-of-dated and misleading that you might end up somewhere you don’t know.

4. Car rental

Car rental is not very popular in Beijing. But I believe if you search you still can find some business. China adopts right-handed system. So you are from commonwealth and get used to left-handed side driving. You are strongly dissuaded to drive.

I am not worrying too much on this point because I am pretty sure that anybody, once see how Chinese drivers run on the road will definitely give up the idea of driving, even if from India.

Also finding a parking bay in this city is a pain in the ass. It is a lot harder than finding a seat in rush-hour subway.

Map is very badly printed that all the streets names crammed together or secondary roads not shown. Don’t expect you can find a place without asking passengers, in Chinese please.

5. Bike

Bike used to be the most popular travel tool in Beijing. But not nowadays simply because people who have to use bike as daily commuting tools are pushed to the outskirt of the city by the rocket high house price.

Bikes for rental are put to the street. But I never tried. They look so fragile that I might break it during the riding.  

There should be some strong bikes somewhere. You just need to dig them out.

6. Walk

Walk is not too bad. But there are still problems.

First, sometimes you won’t find pedestrian pavement. So you have to fight with the bikers for the road.

Second, crossing street at traffic light intersection is dangerous! Remember my words. I always cross road whenever I am with a bunch of people. That’s the Gold role. Don’t think you are safe when the pedestrian light turns green in front of you. I nearly ended up myself with this assumption. Here vehicles can turn right regardless of the traffic light. Also there is no arrow light to assist the signal lights. So whenever a car wants to turn right it can do it. Give way to passing pedestrians? Never heard of it here? If someone does, the car held up by it will horn the pedestrians to deaf. So for the sake of my ears keep going. I will take care of myself.

Also, you have no choice but inhale the emission, accept the noises. Watch out! Don’t step on spitting. They are everywhere, like landmines in Kosovo. Sometimes they are so freshly made that they could miss you just an inch.

If you can walk back home after the Olympic Games, if it can be held on time, Congratulations! That means you have supersensitive response system. You have sharp eyes, good hearings, and long legs and a swift body. China trip pays off itself.

1. Money

  You can see the familiar Visa or Master Card icons on the entrance of many shopping centers, pubs and restaurants.

  However when you plug the plastic card out of your wallet you will be informed cash please! The excuses could be system maintenance, system upgrade or foreign credit unacceptable. Total Crap!

  The reason is that the merchants don’t want to pay the 4% commission. At least now it happened to me everywhere. I have never got a chance to use my Visa card since I came one month ago.

  Travel check for alternatives? Well if you are patient enough because among so many bank offices around town only Bank of China deals with foreign currencies. First of all you have to find one. Then make sure the clerk sitting behind the glass wall has seen your note before otherwise all she can do is to call her boss and takes more than 30 minutes to describe the situation. If you are lucky enough to get the recognition stage passed then you just wait for them to photocopy your passport and any other documents they believe necessary to prove that you are not a forger.

Remember you should still feel lucky if the whole thing takes you only 40 minutes or so. Usually there will be at least 10 people waiting in front of you to open a fund account or transfer money from their stock account, or pay their phone bills.

Nearly forget, the exchange rate you get is lower than the one you find on Internet. You know you are in China so you have to follow the Chinese exchange rate. Otherwise there is no where else you can go. Wait a second the dodge scalpers strolling around Bank of China will be a little bit more generous than the bank. But you have to make sure you have such a sharp sight that you can identify every fake note you are given.

Last but not the least, make 100% sure that you keep some of your own currency. When they are exchanged into RMB you will never ever have chance to see them converted back again, unless you are important enough to get the Central Bank’s approval. If you never heard about Foreign Currency Regulation you did not do your homework for China. Patch up a bit.

I am sure you don’t need me to remind you of the pocket lifter. Actually here in Beijing the situation is a lot better now. I used to have 5 mobile phones stolen on bus/subway within 1 year. You can call police but don’t expect too much. Blame yourself for carelessness.

Want to know how Chinese people protect their cash when they travel? Special knickers with pocket at bottom, I could recommend brand, for free. The only drawback is that you have to go to toilet to get the money out. Tip: always take taxi, avoid walking long distance. No one will feel comfortable with a pile of notes between legs.