This message was inadvertantly posted inside another post on a different topic, so I'm reposting here:<BR><BR>Author: Sigrid ([email protected]) <BR>Date: 04/02/2001, 02:37 pm ET<BR><BR>My boyfriend and I are traveling to Beijing middle of June. We are big travelers but this is our first time in Asia. We are looking for overall advice as to places to eat and shop as well as overall advice on transportation and must-knows. Thanks so much to all who reply to this message<BR><BR>

When you go out, take a business card with the name of your hotel in Chinese, so you can show the taxi drivers where you are staying.

Beijing is huge, so be sure to get good advice from your hotel staff. The subway system is not really developed for sightseeing so you will most likely have to use taxi's. Give yourself plenty of travel time as traffic can be horrible. Good luck.

Latest money change information in Beijing:<BR><BR>Cash(1 USD): 8.06~8.07 RMB<BR>Tr. Checks : 8.26~8.27 RMB with 3% service charge<BR>ATM card : 8.20RMB<BR>Cash in black Market: 8.44~8.45 RMB<BR><BR>If you don't want to deal with black<BR>market dealers, then ATM card is your <BR>best bet. You can use your forsign bank<BR>issued cards in Beijing(there are quite<BR>a few machines at the airport), but outside Beijing, you are at the mercy of<BR>the machines. So if you plan to visit <BR>other places besides Beijing and perhaps<BR>Shanghai, you need to have USD cash or <BR>traveller's checks.

I assume you're going to visit the Great Wall (I mean, when in Beijing...). My suggestion is to avoid the too-popular Badaling section (where most tours go) and instead opt for Mutiyanu. The drive is a little further than Badaling, but the smaller crowds are worth it. We were just there in late March (on a weekday) and I counted maybe 20 other people. The wall is truly amazing at Mutiyanu and you can see it wander off 10s of miles into the distance. <BR> <BR>Some tours go to Mutiyanu, but you can also arrange for a private driver. I think all hotels have a tour desk and you can work the details out from there. <BR> <BR>As far as eating goes, I didn't have a bad meal while in Beijing, however some restaurants were off the beaten path and if I hadn't been with a Mandarin-speaker, I would have never been able to find my way around the menu. Did try the "world's most famous" Beijing Duck restaurant (the name escapes me, but everyone knows where it is)--the duck was okay, but I was disappointed that most of the bird gets sent back to the kitchen (since Beijing Duck is really about the skin). <BR> <BR>Shopping: Silk Alley is fun for knock-offs and cheap souvenirs (although surprisingly the tourist-intended Beijing Friendship Store has some good deals on silk bags and small items). There are also some little street kiosks around Wangfujing (near the Peace Hotel) that sell good souvenirs (including vintage copies the Mao's Little Red Book). <BR> <BR>For anyone who hasn't been there in ten years (or ever), modern Beijing might be a bit of a surprise. The city center is very much a westernized place, with crowded streets, tall buildings and symbols of consumerism everywhere. You have to see the portrait of Mao over the Tiananmen Gate (between Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City) to get a glimpse of "old" Beijing.

This message is for Michael who wrote a post. I want to know more about the Great Wall. Is it steep and are there hand rails and also are the steps narrow or perhaps wide? I will be on a tour there in about 5 weeks. I am getting excited. It has been planned for a long time and WOW it is finally getting close. I am in my late 50's but concerned about the steep climb and possibly nothing to hold onto. Please let me know what info you can regarding the wall. Thank you so much.

Lizz: I went to the Great Wall a couple of years ago. Yes, the steps are real steep and uneven. But there are hand rails. I found going down even more difficult than going up. But you MUST do it. Just go as far as you can. I do not think that you might be obliged to go to a certain point. Be sure to wear flat and real good and comfortable shoes. It's impressive, really!

Lizz-you will enjoy the experience at the Great Wall. I would suggest you take some bottled water along and we took our lunch. Plan on spending some time there without having to hurry. You can do as much or little walking as you want.