THE GREAT WALL

When you think of China and Beijing you undoubtedly think of the Great Wall. Now let me tell you this wall is truly amazing. Just think…built on top of mountains starting in the 700 BCs and spanning over 13,000 miles, according to a survey done in 2012, this is one of the wonders of the world and rightly so. There are several different sections of the wall near Beijing that you can visit and each have their differences. Sections of the wall vary from restored to untouched and “wild”. Badaling is the most well known and closest to Beijing. There are direct buses to this section making it the busiest for sure. With this being said, I don’t really recommend going to this section unless you want to join thousands of other tour groups and tourists.

The next more well-known section is Mutianyu. This is a little further and takes a couple of transfers to reach by bus but is still doable. This section is mostly restored as well and has cable cars and lifts to get up as well as a toboggan for your way down if desired. This is more popular among foreign tourists but is not as busy. In addition to these two areas, there are still more within a day trip from Beijing but would require you driving or hiring personal car to get to.

Take a tour

Another option, which I did, was to join the group with Leo Hostel to a more secluded section. You do not have to stay here to go with them. The cost is 300rmb and included lunch and transfer for the day as well as cost to get to the wall. We went just a bit past the busy Badaling area to the end of Badalang and the start of Juyonguan. While mostly restored, it also had areas where it was crumbling down and more “wild”. When we were there maybe 10 other people were on the wall as well as our group of 8. Who doesn’t love having a piece of the Great Wall to themselves?! As a side note, you are hiking steep areas and stairs and are up in the mountains. This is no cake walk and depending on when you are going can be quite cold. Also, when I was there the end of March it started to snow on the wall while we were hiking…brrr! 

Time needed: 1 day Cost: around 50 yuan if you take bus to Badalang then entrance fee, allot extra if taking cable cars or tour

FORBIDDEN CITY

Number two on the main attractions to visit in Beijing is the Forbidden City. Dating back to the Ming dynasty this fortress is truly amazing to walk through. Be prepared for the typical hoards of tourists and tour groups as well as a lot of walking. There are several areas to walk through and around, ending in the gardens. You cannot backtrack so be prepared to walk all the way around the outside to get back to the front or plan to end at the far north end. If you walk back around you will get to see the surrounding moat which you do not see from inside. 

Time needed: 2-3 hours Cost: 30 yuan, 10 yuan additional for other buildings on site

WALK AROUND TIANANMEN SQUARE

Tianenman square is located just south of the Forbidden City and is several blocks. This area is controversial to the Chinese as this is where the “Tianenman Square Massacre” occurred which they are forbidden to talk about. This occurred when there were protests for several weeks which eventually led to the military coming in and opening fire on thousands of its citizens. They were protesting the communist government and is a part of their history which they do not speak of. The square has the Tianenman Tower, Monument to the People’s Heroes, and Great Hall of People to name a few. 

Time needed: 2-3 hours more if you are visiting the museums Cost: 15 yuan to climb the tower

TEMPLE OF HEAVEN AND PARKS

One of my favorite places when visiting Beijing was the Temple of Heaven and the park that surrounds it. The park opens a couple of hours before the actual temple and other buildings and I highly recommend heading there early to walk around and watch the locals. There are many groups of locals doing everything from Thai chi, practicing with swords, and calligraphy. This immaculate park has perfectly rowed trees and paths, great for some downtime and relaxation. The temple of heaven opens at 8 and is located centrally. Don’t let the map fool you, this is actually a huge park and you should allot several hours to adequately take it in. As well as the main temple there is a smaller temple and “white mound” centrally and other building scattered throughout. This was a place I was able to arrive at when it opened and had the place near to myself for photos. 

Time needed: 4-5 hours Cost: 35 yuan to the park and 3 main buildings

HAGGLE AT THE MARKETS

If you like shopping and bargaining for your price Beijing is the place for you! With the famous Pearl and Silk markets there is truly shopping for everyone. both of these markets are 4-5 stories of goods ranging from jewelry, clothes, electronics, toys, etc. You will see a lot of knock-off items so watch out, but there are also authentic pieces here as well. Watch for fake pearls or other items and be aware of what you are buying. Jade, for example, should scratch a mirror without blemishing the jade. Pearls also have ways to tell their authenticity. A lot of the range in prices will not always be due to them being fake but rather be for lesser quality items. The jade, for example, has colors that are not as “desired” and therefore much cheaper.

Panjiayuan

There is also the Panjiayuan market which has more jewelry, beads, paintings, etc. There is also a back street in the Panjiayuan market which has Chinese antiques and is super fun to walk through! The main thing to keep in mind at all these places is the prices are nearly always negotiable. There will be a few shops that say no negotiating but as a whole this is common practice. They start high, you start low and meet in the middle. Don’t be afraid to walk away they will always offer less. Also, be prepared to be grabbed and pulled in all directions to buy things. Several times women grabbed me and pulled me into their shops “to look”. They then never shut up about you having to buy this or that. You just need to stand your ground and be firm with them and they will let up. 

Time needed: 5-6 hours if haggling and going to all three markets

SUMMER PALACE

The summer palace is located a bit outside of Beijing but easily accessed by metro. It was previously an imperial garden and is landscaped with lakes, gardens and palaces. It is currently the largest and most well preserved royal park. Give yourself several hours to visit as this is a vast area of parks and palaces that you will want to take your time walking around and through. As most are outdoors save this for a nice day!

Time needed: 3-4 hours Cost: 45 yuan

THE OLYMPIC PARK

While I didn’t feel the need to visit the Olympic park on my visit if you have more time and are looking for additional things to see and do I would say this is a major attraction. So much money is spent on Olympic venues and every country is trying to make a statement when building theirs so they are usually very unique. In Beijing, for example, you will see the “birds nest” which is part of the Olympic park.

Time needed: 3-4 hours Cost: up to 220 yuan if you go into all of the arenas

WALK ALONG THE OLD MING WALL

Found East of the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square is the largest preserved section of the Old City Wall from the Ming Dynasty.  The wall itself is fun to see along with the well-manicured park built around it. With great walking paths and beautiful flowering trees to take in during the spring this is a place to enjoy the old and new of the city as well as getting outside. 

Time needed: 1 hour Cost: free

Before you go: check out my post on 10 things to do before you travel abroad here.