Beijing Travel Blog

Beijing is an amazing city. It was a planned city, which means roads run north and south, east and west. It means there is logic in the layout. There are assending ring roads out from the Forbidden City, which is the center of the entire massive area of Beijing. These ring roads offer conveniant travel...

Visiting the Great Wall of China is a traveler’s dream come true. You have the unbelievable honor of walking on one of the wonders of the world, a monument to human achievement and a testament to the will of humanity. Sections of the 3,800-mile wall — designed to protect the Empire from invading...

The destruction and demolition of China’s hutong communities is a complex cultural travesty. There is, however, time left to see these amazing holdovers from ancient times before they disappear forever. A hutong is a large community of traditional Chinese courtyard homes. Since the end of the...

Following up on an early post about Beijing’s outrageous traffic, new details have emerged about the city’s plans to ease congestion. In addition to the other ideas proposed by the Beijing government to regulate the traffic in Beijing, the latest idea involves drilling out underground tunnels...

In recent years, Beijing’s traffic situation has gotten out of control. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that the government finally stepped in and took action. Most major Chinese cities have a lottery system so that not everyone can just buy a car and start congesting the city arteries. Beijing...

Beijing’s History: A Quick Note on Etymology There is a great deal in a name. From its inception, the city has undergone changes that would rival most surviving cities. Its name has changed multiple times, it has been the capital and it has been less important, it was the seat of all power and...

Entering a new city without any bearings can be hard. If you’re like me then you need to have a general understanding of the city’s layout, design and what districts hold things that appeal to you. Luckily Beijing is a pre-planned city, which means it is logically organized so that transportation...

With the hype pre-Olympics about pollution in China and the dangers with food, air and living conditions, many westerners began to fear visiting the Middle Kingdom. Yet the country has the largest population of any nation and hosted the Olympics and World Expo within two years of each other in two major...

Knowing where to go and what to buy in Beijing is information not easily come by. Your hotels are likely to point you towards the cheesy and cliché items at the in-house gift shop or to the tourist-packed, overpriced and under-delivered markets near Sanlitun. Avoid the crowds and get better souvenirs...

Many of the embassies located in Beijing are in the Sanlitun area. With great access to Sanlitun Village, shopping, eating and drinking, this is the ideal place to be. If you find yourself in an emergency and need to reach your embassy, contact them by phone rather than showing up at their doorstep as...