Beijing 2015: Introduction (Travelling to China - Planning Your Holiday with Travel Tips and Advice to China)

Hey guys! So it is finally time to begin on my Beijing 2015 series. Back in 2015 (jeez I make it sound like that was decades ago), I was still studying in Murdoch University in Australia. Term holidays were thus in June-July and November-February. The insatiable wanderlust in me thus prompted me to text my mum over Whatsapp in May and ask

"Mummy do you want to go to Beijing for a holiday with me in July?"

It has always been on the top of my bucket list to see the Forbidden City of Beijing since I am a sucker for Chinese Imperial history. Thankfully, Mummy said yes, even though she went to Beijing about 20 years ago.

FIRST THING TO DO: 

Book your flight to Beijing. 

I searched Skyscanner for cheap flights straightaway. The cheapest flights at the time were from Malaysian Airlines going from Singapore -> Kuala Lumpur -> Beijing but they were probably crazily cheap because that was the same flight MH370 after that fateful accident.

The next cheapest was to fly Air China with direct flights from Singapore to Beijing. I bought the tickets at about SGD385 per person with food and in-flight entertainment included (tax inclusive).

Flight Timing Singapore to Beijing: 00:15 - 06:10
Flight Timing Beijing to Singapore: 15:35 - 21:40

Slightly odd timing flying from Singapore to Beijing, but it was the cheaper and only flight that day.

Important Tips for Travellers

• Check your baggage allowance with your respective airline. Air China has a baggage allowance of 23kg per luggage (but I would advice for you to call in and double check just in case).
• Those of you with portable chargers: bring along portable chargers with very low capacity. China is very strict regarding portable charger capacities when leaving their country. Going into Beijing, my portable charger was allowed through, but not when I was coming back from Beijing to Singapore. On a side note, does anyone know where we are supposed to store our portable chargers on flights? I have an equal number of people telling me checked baggage, as those telling me carry-on.

Overall Verdict

Caught me by absolute surprise but I was very pleased with everything. The plane was very clean, the staff very friendly and pleasant, the space and leg room in economy was more than enough, the food was just spot-on delicious and the other passengers very quiet and considerate.  

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

SECOND THING TO DO:

Book your accommodation - or rather, narrow down your accommodation choices based on their proximity to places/locations that you plan to visit.

I used a variety of booking websites to source for various accommodation locations in Beijing such as Agoda and Booking.com where I could filter down choices by price, location and their distance away from tourist attractions or certain cities.

I also have a pesky habit of checking the official website of the hotels that I have chosen or would consider just to ensure that I am not paying more with these booking websites, and that I am getting a discounted price for hotels through these websites.
(This is the case if you are going to Taiwan, where the hotel's official price may be less than the price you are quoted on these booking websites because accommodation  options are widespread in Taiwan).

Before you click "Book Now", be sure to do the necessary research on reviews of that chosen hotel, be they on the booking sites or through travel bloggers. I find travel bloggers (non-sponsored posts) are the most honest because most of them are seasoned travellers and have a certain expectation and set standard of cleanliness/service/facilities provided. If you are looking at travel forums with feedback on the hotel or accommodation chosen, trust the feedback from travellers that hail from your country because generally you would have about the same expectations as these people. If you are a clean freak and very picky about cleanliness in your accommodation, trust the worst possible feedback because it is best to assume the worst. 

I narrowed down my choices to be hotels within the Xidan area (most of the tourist attractions and is also a subway transfer station) and eventually settled for Hotel Grand Mercure Beijing Central because it is a 5 minute walk from Xidan Station and Xuanwumen Station (two different subway lines expands your travelling options and routes - convenience check!). Hotel Grand Mercure Beijing Central is also conveniently located near an airport bus stop - which means that if you take an airport bus heading towards Xidan, you only have to take a three minute walk to this hotel. I managed to locate quite a few shopping areas that are close to this hotel too, but AN UPDATE FOR YOU, when I was on holiday there, the underground mall stall owners told us that they were shutting down in a week's time and the space was going to be converted into a massive car park.
(Some factors to consider when selecting an accommodation of choice)

Photo from travelpod.com

The room is extremely spacious and comfortable. Though I have no photos of the bathroom, you can be assured from a hygiene nazi like me that the toilet is spacious, extremely clean and very modern looking.

For a total of 5 nights with no breakfast included, we paid SGD637.05 (USD472.60) for a twin room which I feel is a pretty amazing deal considering its central location, high service standards, extremely comfortable rooms and cleanliness.


Important Tips for Travellers

• In China or Asia, smoking rooms or levels are a norm. Request a non-smoking floor or room if you don't want to be breathing in any second smoke while booking your hotel room. Try not to wait till you are physically there, because if they do not have spare rooms on the non-smoking floor, you won't have a choice.
• The standard of hotels in China are the highest and one of the most affordable I've experienced so far. Don't attempt to save money (a few dollars) by staying in a desolate, shabby room, when for $10 more you can afford the 5-6 star hotel rooms. DO YOUR RESEARCH I always say. There is nothing worse than coming back to your crappy room with minimal security and safety. Those extra dollars will make your holiday experience a whole lot more enjoyable.
• Be aware of whether your hotel booking comes with or without complimentary breakfast, WIFI, and/or toiletries so that you can make any necessary preparations of what you'll need to bring along.
• Check if there are any airport buses/transport headed to your chosen accommodation or the possible ones you are considering. This will ease your burden budget-wise (since they are relatively affordable) and from your fear of being cheated by cunning cab drivers (because I had a bad experience with my family 11 years ago in a different city in China where we were told to get off a cab and into another cab in the middle of an expressway and had no idea what was going on).

Overall Verdict

Extremely pleased with the space, cleanliness and service for the affordable price. Mummy and I had more than enough space in the hotel to dump our shopping, go out and come back multiple times with more shopping loots, then take some time to pack up slowly. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

THIRD THING TO DO:

Make a list of the places you want to visit at your destination and take note of their address and details (E.g. Opening Hours/Days, Admission Prices, Any restrictions or regulations about entering the venue)

By take note, I do mean type it, or write it down and PRINT THAT OUT. Travelling in a foreign country can be particularly tricky especially if you have not visited that country before, have serious language barriers and have a poor sense of direction.

When I travel anywhere, I make it a point to print out a whole itinerary of my plans there complete with addresses, opening hours, admission prices, any tips or feedback regarding that tourist attraction or restaurant that I may have seen on the blogs of other travellers and a general skeleton of what my outlined day-to-day activities are. I organised these venues based on their proximity/travel times/opening hours from or to each other to make that day as convenient as possible. This is NOT TO SAY that the plan has to be followed through word-for-word, down to the very minute. It merely acts as a guide for when you may get lost, or need some guidance on what to do. It also helps when you are asking for directions. 

If you do not speak Mandarin or even read Mandarin, I would recommend that you print out the addresses in both English and Mandarin. It is very likely that you will need to ask for directions, and it would be much easier for a local to help you out if they could read what that address or Chinese Name of that place was.

Important Tips for Travellers

• Don't attempt to be cocky while travelling. You may have analysed the maps and studied them for decades, memorising how to get to your destination even with your eyes closed. I guarantee there's a 90% chance that the directions have changed, roads have been altered, new buildings have been erected or there is a new way to get there. Google Maps also tends to not be fully updated. Bring along addresses and ask for help if necessary. Being lost is not ideal on a holiday.
• Don't be a rude and ungrateful tourist. Not all locals will know the destination to where you are headed, so don't show some crappy attitude if someone is unable to help you because they don't know where that place is. You probably wouldn't know how to get to some of the tourist attractions in your country anyway, so lighten up and be nice. As a tourist, you need to be friendly and understanding, while also respectful of others and their culture.
• Don't be a rude tourist ungrateful PART II. Don't go to another country and yell out with great confidence that your country is way better and this country sucks and their history/culture/behaviour/mannerisms are weird and strange. DUDEEEE you are a tourist. Unless you want to get beaten up in public by nationalistic locals in whichever country you may be in, be respectful. We travel to learn, to explore, to experience the new. Why fly to another country to experience something that you already know and are so familiar with? The country has been functioning just fine without your sarcastic comments anyway. So learn to accept it, or get the hell out of there.

Some popular tourist spots and locations in Beijing:

• Olympic Sports Centre 
• Bianyifang Peking Duck Restaurant
• Tiananmen Square
• The Forbidden City
• Old Summer Palace
• Summer Palace
• Temple of Heaven
• Silk Street
• Qianmen Shopping Area
• Quanjude (Peking Duck)

The famous Bird's Nest or Olympic Centre which is now a tourist attraction.

The very beautiful and grand Temple of Heaven where the emperor of China used to travel to once a year to make offerings to the heavens, since the Emperor was considered appointed into his role by the heavens because he was worthy.

Yuan Ming Yuan - The Old Summer Palace. You would know this place if you've seen Jackie Chan's movie CZ12 or Chinese Zodiac 12. The bronze animal heads they were trying to get back were the ones from this Old Summer Palace.

With the very adorable Quan Ju De Duck statue at Qianmen while we were queuing and waiting for our turn to have this delicious peking duck.

A very friendly crepe seller in Qianmen whose food was delicious and hospitality welcoming.

Daytime view of the Bird's Nest.

Bing Tang Hu Lu or Candied Haw. A very traditional Chinese snack.

The swimming centre along the Olympic Sports Walk.

A very talented and skilled street side malt candy maker in Qianmen who uses the heat of his hand and your breath to shape malt candy into very beautiful animals.

Crazy queues outside Quan Ju De in Qianmen - one of the most famous Peking Duck restaurants in China.

Peking Duck from Bian Yi Fang - another famous Peking Duck Restaurant.

Fascinated with the beautiful traditional architecture that is preserved in Qianmen.

Last but not least, the famed Forbidden City. Home of many emperors and power struggles. Those tiles on the floor you see which have been subject to serious wear and tear have been around since the beginning. Since the eunuchs, maids and servants used to run around on it.

SOME OTHER TIPS FOR TRAVEL TO CHINA

1. Remember that social media is banned in China. Don't go there and end up sulking or crying because you can't upload your snapchat/instagram photo and ruining your holiday. Just enjoy the experience of being there.
2. Make the necessary plans for your WIFI/Connectivity needs. There are some affordable SIM cards that you can purchase at the airport, or you can rent WIFI ports from your home country. Having data plans or WIFI on the go is quite useful when navigating around China. Yes Google Maps works great in China.
3. Budget Wisely. Depending on what your planned activities are (sightseeing/shopping/eating), try to get a rough estimate of how much cash you would need. Since most of the activities I planned were for sightseeing, it was relatively easy to budget how much cash we would need to bring over since admission prices (if any) were available online.
4. Language Barriers. Not everyone there can speak English fluently, so try to be understanding and hopefully pick up a few basic Mandarin words and phrases which can be helpful. Most signs, receipts and menus are in Mandarin as well.
5. Get familiar with transport you will use. Be it the subway, airport bus or buses on the roads, try to prep yourself as much as you can before you are actually there. Take note of where to board and alight, the name of the place and landmarks around your destination to ensure you do not miss your stop.
6. Be prepared for massive traffic jams during the morning rush hour. This is especially so if you take the buses or airport buses. When the flight my mum and I took arrived in Beijing at 6.10am, we were out of the airport by 7am or so. The airport bus information guide on the website said that it would take us an hour or less to reach the stop nearest our hotel. We ended up being stuck in a massive traffic jam for almost 3-4 hours. Thank goodness it was our first day there so I planned for our schedule that day to be relatively light and flexible.
7. Respect their rules and elders. The people in China actually follow their own country legislations relatively closely, and have great respect and consideration to their elderly. So since you are a traveller there, follow their practices because *insert cliche statement about being in Rome and doing as the romans do*
8. The number 4 is taboo because in Mandarin and Cantonese because it has the same sound as "death". This is why you will never see the number 4 in lifts or buildings. Some buildings will even skip having the fouth floor all together and call it the fifth floor instead.
9. When eating with chopsticks, don't stick them into your rice. Place them lying down on the table or across the mouth of the bowl. This is because standing chopsticks in rice looks similar to the offerings given to dead ancestors where two joss sticks are placed standing in a bowl of rice. Be respectful to others.
10. The air can be relatively smoggy and polluted due to their heavy industrialisation. This is why you will see locals wearing masks and walking around (not everyone is ill). If you have a sensitive nose or respiratory system, have asthma or even sensitive skin, remember to pack or plan to buy masks for your breathing, and wet wipes to keep your skin clean by wiping of the dust.
11. Summer is insanely hot and winter is insanely cold. Just be prepared, clothes-wise for when you travel there. Mum and I were sweating it out in July that we always seemed to be buying bottled drinks.
12. Convenience stores are almost impossible to find. I'd even go a step further to say that they do not or rarely exist. We could never find them. Not even supermarkets. At most you would have a small food stall run by a nice old lady or couple selling street snacks and cold drinks.
13. Don't be too alarmed or taken aback when you hear how loudly some local people speak. They are a passionate lot, and they believe that volume speaks a thousand words. Thus, they may seem very aggressive and agitated sometimes (whether they are or not), but understand that this is just the way they express themselves.This doesn't mean that they are wrong.
    My mum was unfortunately pulled into such an incident. She was buying a bottled drink from a roadside stall owner and was waiting for her change. She was standing next to these glass/porcelain milk bottles of sort when a young man with his wife and baby knocked over one of those bottles with his pouch. The stall owner insisted that he pay, but he tried to push the blame to my mum. The stall owner then defended my mum and said she saw with her own eyes that his pouch was the one who knocked it over. If my mum was standing at the side, she couldn't possibly have knocked it over. Of course, this bubbled up into an intense screaming match, but the stall owner was protecting my mum with such fervour so who was I to stop her.
14. Relax and have fun. This is a holiday after all, and you are there to unwind and/or explore new environments and encounter other cultures and heritage. Don't be an uptight, overly cheapo or RUDE tourist (can't emphasise that enough) and try to take everything as a learning experience. I had a great time there.

If you have any more questions or queries, don't hesitate to leave a comment below or ask me a question on Facebook. I'm even open to helping you out with some Mandarin phrases and words to ease your travelling experience.

This is the link to my planned itinerary to Beijing which you are free to download and keep for your own use. Please, however, do not try to pass it off as your own.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9_cHcmEYu0Vc04ycjJzTE1GZzQ/view?usp=sharing


Till then,

Fly Safe and Eat Happy,
V