My husband and I are planning to make a trip to Beijing this summer. My travel book notes that a subway extension running through the Dongcheng area (directly between the Xidan and Jianguomen stops - I think) is 'due to open in the near future.' Could someone tell me if that subway has opened yet? This information would be helpful for us deciding what area of the city we would like to stay in, since we would like to have easy access to the subway. Thanks for your help!

Unfortunately, I don't know anything about whether or not the new line is open in BJ. <BR> <BR>However, I can tell you that in BJ, taxis are plentiful and cheap. The only problem w. relying on them is that traffic can be pretty bad. <BR> <BR>Hopefully someone more familiar w. BJ can help w. your question. It would also be helpful to know: <BR> <BR>1. Are the signs in the subway in Chinese and Pinyin? Are the announcements in both languages? <BR> <BR>2. Is the subway system extensive in BJ? Are the stops likely to be helpful to tourists? In SH, there are only 2 subway lines, bisecting the city E/W and N/S, so they're not very helpful for most tourists' needs. <BR> <BR>

I too am not sure about the subway. However, duh Andrea is correct, taxis, buses, etc. are cheap and you should not worry about transportation when selecting a place to stay. <BR> <BR>I do know that the subway stops are announced in Chinese and English. What people do not realize sometimes when traveling to China is: Don't even think about driving there, take subways or buses if you read/speak the language, and all modes of transportation are so inexpensive that transportation should not enter into an equation regarding where to stay. <BR>

Hey, whaddaya mean, "Duh Andrea"???

Andrea and Michael - Thank you for your helpful advice. I can get really fixated on irrelevant details during the planning stage (such as the subway thing). A reality check is most welcome! Reminding me that the taxis are cheap puts in all back into perspective. <BR> <BR>Thanks!