Beijing Travel Blog

Traffic around Dongsishitiao is about to get even worse than normal! The police have been checking all cars (not taxis or buses) at that busy intersection with the second ring road, often closing the left lanes in order to facilitate their search. We applaud the police for this initiative, the Dongsishitiao...

Okay, so Beijing is part of China and China may be part of the third world, but that doesn’t mean it is a scary, dangerous or even unclean place. In fact, what many people think of as China is an outdated, antiquated and even underrated view of what modern China is. Modern Chinese live in sky scrapers,...

Yes, the Great Wall and the Forbidden Temple are spectacular. But there is so much to see in Beijing that is off the main tourist circuit, and is just as exciting! Hop on the back of a rickshaw and head out to explore. One of the most exciting art scenes in Asia is developing in the Dashanzi art district,...

1. Small courtyard residences called hutongs used to be the common style of residence in Beijing. Many have since disappeared, but you can still get the feel for the old city at The Courtyard, and the food is a creative and refined take on Asian-European fusion. 2. One Chinese specialty that you can’t...

Gearing up for a night out in Beijing? You’re in luck: the scene here has really jump-started in the last decade or two, and there’s enough variety for everyone to find something that suits their fancy. 1. Karaoke may be for the drunk and silly in the U.S., but don’t jump to the conclusion...

With cultures as different as Chinese and Western cultures are, it’s inevitable that traveling from one place to the other will result in a no-no of some kind. China is particularly difficult because the Chinese derive meaning from just about anything, from the pronunciation of a word to the color...

There is something mysterious and dangerous about the idea of Communist military forces. From the Iron Curtain in Russia to the huge upheavals in China throughout the 20th century, military conflict has defined the region and its ideologies. Thankfully those days are over, and instead of running away...

Once in a while there is nothing better than forgetting about that all important diet or wondering about where your next salad will come from and just going all-out for a buffet. Whilst buffets are found all over the world – certainly Europe and the US are no strangers to the ‘all-you-can-eat’...