Autumn (September to early November) is the optimal season to visit Běijīng as the weather is gorgeous and fewer tourists are in town. Local Beijingers describe this short season of clear skies and breezy days as tiāngāo qìshuǎng (literally ‘the sky is high and the air is fresh’). In winter, it’s glacial outside (dipping as low as -20°C) and the northern winds cut like a knife through bean curd.
Arid spring is OK, apart from the awesome sand clouds that sweep in from Inner Mongolia and the static electricity that discharges everywhere. Spring also sees the snowlike liǔxù(willow catkins) wafting through the air and collecting in drifts. From May onwards the mercury can surge well over 30°C. Běijīng simmers under a scorching sun in summer (reaching over 40°C), which also sees heavy rainstorms late in the season. Maybe surprisingly, this is also considered the peak season.
As the nation's capital, getting to Beijing is straightforward. Rail and air connections link the capital to virtually every point in China, and fleets of buses head to abundant destinations from Beijing. Using Beijing as a starting point to explore the rest of the land makes perfect sense. A rechargeable transport card (jiāotōng kǎ ) for the underground, buses and taxis is available from subway stations and kiosks.
Beijing’s Capital Airport is 27km from the centre of town or about 30 minutes to one hour by car depending on traffic. The newly opened Airport Line light-rail link (Y25, first/last train to airport 6.30am/10.30pm, first/last train from airport 6.30am/11.05pm) runs every 15 minutes, connecting Capital Airport with Line 2 of the underground system at Dongzhimen.
Numerous buses also run to and from the airport. Almost any bus that gets you into town will probably do; then you can hop in a taxi and speed to a hotel or link up with the underground system. Several express bus routes (6459 4375 or 6459 4376) run regularly to Beijing every 10 to 15 minutes during operating hours. A bus also runs from Nanyuan Airport – Beijing’s other airport – to the Aviation Building in Xidan, coinciding with departures and arrivals.
Many top-end hotels run shuttle buses from the airport to their hotels.
A taxi (using its meter) should cost about Y85 from the airport to the city centre, including the Y15 airport expressway toll. Join the taxi ranks and ignore approaches from drivers. When you get into the taxi, make sure the driver uses the meter. It is also useful to have the name of your hotel written down in Chinese to show the driver.
Beijing – affectionately called Peking by diplomats, nostalgic journalists and wistful academics – seems to have presided over China since time immemorial. In fact, Beijing (Northern Capital) – positioned outside the central heartland of Chinese civilization – emerged as a cultural and political force that would shape the destiny of China only with the 13th-century Mongol occupation of China.
The past quarter of a century has transformed Beijing into a modern city, with skyscrapers, slick shopping malls and freeways. The once flat skyline is now crenellated with vast apartment blocks and office buildings. Recent years have also seen a convincing beautification of Beijing to a greener, cleaner and more pleasant place.
Beijing has always been an interesting place to visit and in the past few years it has become even more attractive. To get a feeling for Chinese history and culture, I suggest visiting the Forbidden City, the ruins at Yuan Ming Yuan, and the Badaling Great Wall. To experience the new Beijing, you should visit some of the magnificent structures built for the 2008 Olympics.
- Forbidden City Follow in the footsteps of eunuchs and emperors roaming the Forbidden City
- Hútòng Hire a bike and whizz through Beijing’s Hútòng, the city’s delightful alleyways
- Great Wall Walk along the Great Wall, the dividing line between China and the barbarian hordes
- Summer Palace Put aside a day to amble around the huge Summer Palace
- Temple of Heaven Fathom the cosmic harmonies of the Temple of Heaven