Trip IdeasFodor's Beijing, 2nd Edition
Free shipping with any guidebook purchase
About This Book
Fodor’s. For Choice Travel Experiences.
Fodor’s helps you unleash the possibilities of travel by providing the insightful tools you need to experience the trips you want. Although you’re at the helm, Fodor’s offers the assurance of our expertise, the guarantee of selectivity, and the choice details that truly define a destination. It’s like having a friend in Beijing!
•Updated frequently, Fodor’s Beijing provides the most accurate and up-to-date information available in a guidebook.
•Fodor’s Beijing features options for a variety of budgets, interests, and tastes, so you make the choices to plan your trip of a lifetime.
•If it’s not worth your time, it’s not in this book. Fodor’s discriminating ratings, including our top tier Fodor’s Choice designations, ensure that you’ll know about the most interesting and enjoyable places in Beijing.
•Experience Beijing like a local! Fodor’s Beijing includes unique photo-features that impart the city’s culture, covering bustling markets, weird and wonderful operas, the vast Forbidden City, memorable Great Wall trips, and much more!
•Indispensable, customized trip planning tools include “Top Reasons to Go,” “Word of Mouth” advice from other travelers, and tips to help save money, bypass lines, and avoid common travel pitfalls.
•Our crisp, clean maps have even more depth and detail. A pullout city and four-color transit maps make it easier than ever to sail in, out, and around town.
Visit Fodors.com for more ideas and information, travel deals, vacation planning tips, reviews and to exchange travel advice with other travelers.
Fodor’s helps you unleash the possibilities of travel by providing the insightful tools you need to experience the trips you want. Although you’re at the helm, Fodor’s offers the assurance of our expertise, the guarantee of selectivity, and the choice details that truly define a destination. It’s like having a friend in Beijing!
•Updated frequently, Fodor’s Beijing provides the most accurate and up-to-date information available in a guidebook.
•Fodor’s Beijing features options for a variety of budgets, interests, and tastes, so you make the choices to plan your trip of a lifetime.
•If it’s not worth your time, it’s not in this book. Fodor’s discriminating ratings, including our top tier Fodor’s Choice designations, ensure that you’ll know about the most interesting and enjoyable places in Beijing.
•Experience Beijing like a local! Fodor’s Beijing includes unique photo-features that impart the city’s culture, covering bustling markets, weird and wonderful operas, the vast Forbidden City, memorable Great Wall trips, and much more!
•Indispensable, customized trip planning tools include “Top Reasons to Go,” “Word of Mouth” advice from other travelers, and tips to help save money, bypass lines, and avoid common travel pitfalls.
•Our crisp, clean maps have even more depth and detail. A pullout city and four-color transit maps make it easier than ever to sail in, out, and around town.
Visit Fodors.com for more ideas and information, travel deals, vacation planning tips, reviews and to exchange travel advice with other travelers.
Table of Contents
About This Book ............ 6
Chapter 1: Experience Beijing ............ 7
Experience Beijing Planner ............ 8
What’s Where ............ 10
Top Beijing Attractions ............ 12
Sightseeing Tours ............ 14
Great Itineraries ............ 16
Museums & Monuments ............ 18
Getting Outside: Parks & Lakes ............ 20
Discover the Hutong ............ 21
Beijing Then & Now ............ 22
2008: Olympic Change ............ 24
Beijing Today ............ 26
With Kids ............ 28
Free (or Almost Free) ............ 29
Fabulous Festivals ............ 36
Chapter 2: Neighborhoods ............ 39
Dongcheng District ............ 44
Xicheng District ............ 48
Southern Districts: Chongwen & Xuanwu ............ 52
Chaoyang District ............ 56
Haidian District ............ 60
Chapter 3: Historical Sights ............ 67
Historical Sights Planner ............ 68
More Historical Sights ............ 90
Chapter 4: Where to Eat ............ 103
Where to Eat Planner ............ 104
Best Bets for Beijing Dining ............ 106
Dongcheng District ............ 107
Xicheng District ............ 123
Southern Districts: Chongwen & Xuanwu ............ 126
Chaoyang District ............ 127
Haidian District ............ 136
Chapter 5: Where to Stay ............ 141
Where to Stay Planner ............ 142
Best Best for Beijing Lodging ............ 144
Dongcheng District ............ 148
Xicheng District ............ 155
Chongwen & Xuanwu ............ 156
Chaoyang District ............ 158
Haidian District ............ 165
Beijing Airport Area ............ 166
Chapter 6: Shopping ............ 171
Shopping Planner ............ 172
Chapter 7: Arts & Nightlife ............ 193
Arts & Nightlife Planner ............ 194
The Arts ............ 196
Nightlife ............ 208
Chapter 8: Best Side Trips ............ 215
Best Side Trips Planner ............ 216
Thirteen Ming Tombs ............ 218
Fahai Temple ............ 219
Jietai Temple ............ 232
Marco Polo Bridge ............ 233
Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site ............ 234
Yunju Temple ............ 235
Eastern Qing Tombs ............ 235
Understanding Beijing ............ 239
Chinese Vocabulary ............ 240
Travel Smart Beijing ............ 242
Getting Here & Around ............ 243
Essentials ............ 250
Index ............ 265
About Our Writers ............ 272
FEATURES
Experience Beijing
21st Century China ............ 30
Historical Sights
The Forbidden City ............ 74
The Age of Empires ............ 93
Where to Eat
A Culinary Tour of China ............ 113
Shopping
Markets: A Guide to Buying Silk,
Pearls & Pottery ............ 185
Arts & Nightlife
Beijing Opera ............ 202
Best Side Trips
The Great Wall ............ 223
Maps
Beijing ............ 42-43
Dongcheng District ............ 46
Xicheng District ............ 50
Chongwen and Xuanwu Districts ............ 54
Chaoyang District ............ 58
Haidian District ............ 62
Dining Overview Map ............ 108
Where to Eat in Beijing ............ 110-111
Where to Stay in Beijing ............ 146-147
Shopping in Beijing ............ 176-177
Beijing Nightlife ............ 198-199
Side Trips from Beijing ............ 220-221
Chapter 1: Experience Beijing ............ 7
Experience Beijing Planner ............ 8
What’s Where ............ 10
Top Beijing Attractions ............ 12
Sightseeing Tours ............ 14
Great Itineraries ............ 16
Museums & Monuments ............ 18
Getting Outside: Parks & Lakes ............ 20
Discover the Hutong ............ 21
Beijing Then & Now ............ 22
2008: Olympic Change ............ 24
Beijing Today ............ 26
With Kids ............ 28
Free (or Almost Free) ............ 29
Fabulous Festivals ............ 36
Chapter 2: Neighborhoods ............ 39
Dongcheng District ............ 44
Xicheng District ............ 48
Southern Districts: Chongwen & Xuanwu ............ 52
Chaoyang District ............ 56
Haidian District ............ 60
Chapter 3: Historical Sights ............ 67
Historical Sights Planner ............ 68
More Historical Sights ............ 90
Chapter 4: Where to Eat ............ 103
Where to Eat Planner ............ 104
Best Bets for Beijing Dining ............ 106
Dongcheng District ............ 107
Xicheng District ............ 123
Southern Districts: Chongwen & Xuanwu ............ 126
Chaoyang District ............ 127
Haidian District ............ 136
Chapter 5: Where to Stay ............ 141
Where to Stay Planner ............ 142
Best Best for Beijing Lodging ............ 144
Dongcheng District ............ 148
Xicheng District ............ 155
Chongwen & Xuanwu ............ 156
Chaoyang District ............ 158
Haidian District ............ 165
Beijing Airport Area ............ 166
Chapter 6: Shopping ............ 171
Shopping Planner ............ 172
Chapter 7: Arts & Nightlife ............ 193
Arts & Nightlife Planner ............ 194
The Arts ............ 196
Nightlife ............ 208
Chapter 8: Best Side Trips ............ 215
Best Side Trips Planner ............ 216
Thirteen Ming Tombs ............ 218
Fahai Temple ............ 219
Jietai Temple ............ 232
Marco Polo Bridge ............ 233
Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site ............ 234
Yunju Temple ............ 235
Eastern Qing Tombs ............ 235
Understanding Beijing ............ 239
Chinese Vocabulary ............ 240
Travel Smart Beijing ............ 242
Getting Here & Around ............ 243
Essentials ............ 250
Index ............ 265
About Our Writers ............ 272
FEATURES
Experience Beijing
21st Century China ............ 30
Historical Sights
The Forbidden City ............ 74
The Age of Empires ............ 93
Where to Eat
A Culinary Tour of China ............ 113
Shopping
Markets: A Guide to Buying Silk,
Pearls & Pottery ............ 185
Arts & Nightlife
Beijing Opera ............ 202
Best Side Trips
The Great Wall ............ 223
Maps
Beijing ............ 42-43
Dongcheng District ............ 46
Xicheng District ............ 50
Chongwen and Xuanwu Districts ............ 54
Chaoyang District ............ 58
Haidian District ............ 62
Dining Overview Map ............ 108
Where to Eat in Beijing ............ 110-111
Where to Stay in Beijing ............ 146-147
Shopping in Beijing ............ 176-177
Beijing Nightlife ............ 198-199
Side Trips from Beijing ............ 220-221
Check hotel rates and airfares around the world