Just to update everyone....We went to the north gate only to find that it is now exclusively an exit! Our taxi had already driven away, and we were approached by numerous pedi-cabs, which we initially rejected, but then, when they said it would cost just 3 Yuan to get to the south gate we figured we'd give it a try. We were taken for quite a ride... in more ways than one. He stopped considerable short of the south gate (turned out to be a 15 minute walk) and demanded 300 Yuan, showing us an "official" laminated price list. I argued that he had told us 3. He argued back vehemently, and I just gave him the smallest bill I had, which was a 10, and we turned and walked away.

This was the first time anyone has tried to rip us off our entire trip, unless you count starting prices in the markets.

Once we got inside the Forbidden City, we followed kja's advice and made our way to the northern "private quarters" via side routes, avoiding the hordes of tourists flowing through the center of the site. There were surprising sections of tranquility and interesting artifacts and architecture.

Leaving through the north gate, we climbed coal hill for the barely-visible-through-the-smog view of the Forbidden City.

A great visit despite the closed north gate and pedi-cab attempted rip-off.

OOPS. Sorry about that. I guess it shows we need to check for changes anywhere.

I'm sorry to hear that the north side no longer has an entrance. But I'm glad you enjoyed some of the quieter parts of the Forbidden City. I found the contrasts between those more private sections and the utterly imposing buildings of state to be fascinating.

And to give credit where credit is due, I was just following the advice of others when I plotted my route through the Forbidden City.

Kja - I seemed to remember that you purchased "Beijing Eats" when you visited Beijing. Was it helpful and if so, where did you purchase it? I read a Fodors review that recommended it and when I checked Amazon the price was over $5,000.00 - I'm sure that's a misprint - but not sure if I should pursue this. Thanks!

Good memory, dgunbug! I did, indeed, purchase "Beijing Eats." I have to admit that I did not find it that helpful, perhaps because (a) I had done enough research in advance to have targeted some restaurants and (b) I had several nights in Beijing when I had just barely enough time to grab something convenient. As I recall, I only really used it for 1 of my 6 dinners I had in Beijing - and I might not have used it that night if I hadn't planned my evening around the effort to find the book. (I did consult it for another dinner, but the restaurant I selected in Beijing for hotpot was already on my radar for other reasons). I didn't use this book anywhere outside of Beijing.

If it helps, I bought my copy while in Beijing at the Wangfujing Foreign Language Bookstore. The site I used to find a store was:

http://www.immersionguides.com/order/21/Beijing-Eats

There's an Amazon listing for $5K? I'd be willing to sell it to you for $4,999 ... or even $4,000 .... or, since you've been such a helpful fellow Fodorite, maybe even $1,000! So let me take what I just said back. It was, without doubt, the single most valuable source I've used ever, for any trip, any where in the world! :-) :-) :-)

I think that $5,000 for the Beijing eats is a pretty good deal. After all they do fly you to Beijing to try out their recommendations, right?

I'm afraid the memory is not what it used to be, so I've been re-reading reports in preparation of my trip - kja - you are indeed a grand pal. Send me the book and I'll send you my check! I knew I could count on your offer.

Neopatrick - the book comes with the flight and all the food you can eat.

The problem about books that suggest places to eat is that they are outdated as soon as printed. In Beijing and most places in China, eating places come and go. I find that even rankings on tourists websites totally useless. Generally tourists lack perspective on a city as they are only there for a few days. THey rarely stray far from their hotel or tourist attractions. Just think of the most touristy place where you live and is that where the best dining experiences are? Probably not. While I am a destination expert for Beijing on TripAdvisor, I find their restaurant rankings mostly laughable. Better rely on some expat websites or specialized food websites if you are to depend on the internet.

Dear Kja, you gave me a recommendation to visit Datong caves earlier. I'm back from China and just want to write - Thank you, enjoyed them a lot!

Yulia

Vizho - Hope you are planning to write a report. We are leaving for China on October 8 and plan to do Datong too. Would love to hear about your experience in China before we leave. I know that doesn't give you a lot of time, but would appreciate any info that may be helpful.

Thanks so much, vizho, for letting me know that you enjoyed the Yungang Caves - amazing, aren't they? Did you make it to any of Datong's other treasures?

dgunbug - So your long-awaited and planned trip is nearly upon you - enjoy! Do let us all know how it goes.

I loved reading your report. What a great travel person you are! and a great walker. You seem to have skipped lunch most days and only ate rice once. Did you lose weight, or is that your regular pattern? Are your photos available online?
You make me wish to go back to China. We went on the only tour we have ever taken and did not see enough of "traditional" China.

Thanks so much, Elainee! I feel very fortunate to be able to travel. And I do love to walk, especially as a way to get to know a place a bit.

You are correct - I skipped lunch every day but one and ate rice (which is apparently not part of most northern Chinese cuisines) only once. In my day-to-day life, I eat very little for breakfast or lunch, so this was not a bit change for me. As I recall, I lost a few pounds - not much - while in China, even though I ate VERY well and had beer with dinner most nights. All that walking made up for it! I've lost a little bit of weight on every trip I've taken except a trip last year to France, where I let my love of cheese get away with me. My work is sedentary, so the extra activity I engage in while traveling generally more than makes up for sampling local cuisines.

Sorry, but my photos are not on-line.

If you hope to return to China one day, then I hope you can - happy travels wherever you go!

Oops, just realized that I ate rice twice on this month-long trip. D:<

Hello kja,

I just read your amazing China itinerary beginning to end, and was incredibly inspired! My husband and I have traveled extensively throughout Europe, many times, and never as part of a group, since I was born there and had family in Prague and friends in many countries to visit with. Now we are planning our first trip to China. We thought we would have to take a tour, since it is a part of the world completely foreign to us, but you actually made me believe that making the trip independently is possible. Couple of questions: Do those small hotels around the country accept credit cards, or did you carry cash with you? Did you pay in dollars or in Chinese Yuan? Are there ATMs in the smaller towns? We plan on traveling in October 2013, and are only starting our research now. Any input or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks so much, Janah! There are quite a few of us here at Fodor's who have traveled to China independently (many of whom helped inspire me), so I'm sure you'll find a lot of support here if you want.

> Do those small hotels around the country accept credit cards, or did you carry cash with you? Did you pay in dollars or in Chinese Yuan? Are there ATMs in the smaller towns?

As I recall, some hotels took credit cards and some did not. I always made sure I had enough yuan to cover all of my expenses for a day or two just in case. (I kept the extra in a hidden passport pouch - probably unnecessary, but it made me feel more confident!) Whenever I paid in cash, I paid in yuan only, which I got from ATMs. As I understand it, not every ATM will take every card, but you should be able to check with your bank to get a sense of where suitable ATMs are. My card-issuer is part of the Cirrus network, and that was widely available almost everywhere. I think I remember reading about some places where it might be a bit difficult to find suitable ATMs - perhaps Wutai Shan? So I made sure I stocked up on yuan when I could. Since I was planning on ending my trip in Beijing, I knew I'd end in a place where (a) I could use yuan if I had over-estimated how much I would need and (b) easily find suitable ATMs.

Sorry my memory about these details is so sketchy, but hope they prove of use nonetheless!

Oh, and I had completely forgotten until now, but a number of hotels required a substantial cash deposit before checking in, sometimes substantially higher than the room rate. Yuan only.

jan---does the holiday inn in your town accept yuan? of course not, why would you expect a chinese hotel to accept your home currency?? think about it..

i would never assume to find an ATM in a small town in china... city yes, but not a town..

I have never been in a town in China, even a rather small one, that did not have ATMs.

> rhkkmk

I don’t remember any where in China where payment in US dollars was a stated option. But when I was in the Yucatan in 2008, I was surprised to find that many hotels, restaurants, and shops accepted either US dollars or Mexican pesos. In 2009, I found that several places in Bosnia & Herzegovina accepted payment in euro rather than convertible marks and some places in Croatia accepted either euro or kuna. And I was in Russia many, many years ago, during the days of a black currency market; some merchants, taxi drivers, etc., asked me to pay in dollars rather than rubles. (I declined.) So I guess one can’t necessarily assume that payment in the currency of the land is always the only option.