A332 Běijīng Zoo, Wèigōngcūn, Renmin Daxue, Zhongguāncūn, Hǎidiàn, Běijīng University, Summer Palace
These double-decker routes may also be useful:
A2 Qiánmén, north on Dongdan Beidajie, Dongsi Nandajie, Dongsi Beidajie, Lama Temple, Zhōnghuá Mínzú Yuán (Ethnic Minorities Park), Asian Games Village
A3 Jijia Miao (the southwest extremity of the 3rd Ring Rd), Grand View Garden, Lèyóu Hotel, Jìnguāng New World Hotel, Tuánjiēhú Park, Agricultural Exhibition Center, Lufthansa Center
A4 Běijīng Zoo, Exhibition Center, 2nd Ring Rd, Holiday Inn Downtown, Yuètán Park, Fuxingmen Dajie flyover, Qianmen Xidajie, Qiánmén
Car & Motorcycle
China does not recognise the International Driving Permit, but it is relatively straightforward to obtain a temporary driving licence that allows you to drive in Běijīng and the surrounding area. The Vehicle Administration Office at Terminal 3 at Běijīng Capital International Airport issues temporary licences, and you can also rent cars at Terminal 3 and other locations around town from Hertz.
A separate licence is needed to drive a motorbike and it is generally not possible to rent motorbikes in Běijīng as the capital, like many Chinese cities, has restrictions on where motorbikes can be driven. No licence is required to drive a scooter, or electric bike, but they are not normally available for hire. Given the relatively low cost of hiring a car with a driver, or a taxi for the day, few visitors self-drive.
Car Hire
Miles Meng (137 1786 1403; www.beijingenglishdriver.com) Friendly, reliable, English-speaking driver. See his website for prices.
Mr Sun (孙先生; Sūn Xiānsheng; 136 5109 3753) Only speaks Chinese but is dependable and can find other drivers if he’s busy. Round trips to the Great Wall from ¥600.
Hertz (赫兹; Hèzī; 400 888 1336; www.hertz.cn; 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm Saturday and Sunday) Has an office at Terminal 3 of Běijīng airport, as well as at 10 other locations around town. Self-drive hire cars (自驾; zìjià) from ¥279 per day. Car with driver (代驾; dàijià) from ¥1100 per day.
Taxi
Taxis (出租车; chūzūchē) are everywhere, although finding one can be a problem during rush hour, rainstorms and between 8pm and 10pm – prime time for people heading home after eating out.
Flag fall is ¥13, and lasts for 3km. After that it’s ¥2 per kilometre. Rates increase slightly at night.
It's rare for drivers to speak any English, so it’s important to have the name and address of where you want to go written down in Chinese characters. Remember to keep your hotel’s business card on you so you can get home at the end of the night.
Most Běijīng taxi drivers are honest and use the meter (打表; dǎ biǎo). If they refuse, get out and find another cab. The exception is for long, out-of-town trips to, say, the Great Wall, where prices are agreed (but not paid for) beforehand.
Train (Subway)
Massive and getting bigger every year, with another 12 lines set to be in operation by 2021, the Běijīng subway system (地铁; Dìtiě www.bjsubway.com; per trip ¥3-8; h6am-11pm) is modern, safe, cheap and easy to use. It does get crowded, though. Fares are ¥3 to ¥8, depending on how far you are travelling. Get hold of a travel card (refundable deposit ¥20) if you don’t want to queue for tickets each time you travel. The travel card also gets you a 50% discount on all bus journeys within the municipality of Běijīng.
To recognise a subway station (地铁站; dì tiě zhàn), look for the subway symbol, which is a blue English capital ‘D’ with a circle around it.
The Metroman smartphone app reveals the Běijīng subway map in all its ever-expanding glory, with stations listed in both English and Chinese.
Around Běijīng
The Great Wall 长城
For trips to the Great Wall from Beijing, see The Great Wall chapter.
Ming Tombs 十三陵
The Ming Tombs (十三陵; Shísān Líng %010 6076 1643; Changchi Lu, Chāngpíng; 昌平区昌赤路 per site ¥20-60, through ticket Nov-Mar ¥100, Apr-Oct ¥135; h8am-5.30pm; g872, bMing Tombs) are the final resting place of 13 of the 16 Ming emperors (the first Ming emperor, Hongwu, is buried in Nánjīng, which means ‘Southern Capital’ and was the first capital of the Ming dynasty). Billed with the Great Wall as Běijīng’s winning double act, the imperial graveyard can be a dormant and lifeless spectacle, unless you pack a penchant for ceremonial tomb architecture or Ming imperial genealogy.
The Ming Tombs follow a standard imperial layout. In each tomb the plan consists of a main gate (líng mén), leading to the first of a series of courtyards and the main hall (棱恩殿; líng’ēn diàn). Beyond this lie gates or archways leading to the Soul Tower (Míng Lóu), behind which rises the burial mound (tumulus). Three tombs have been opened to the public: Cháng Líng, Dìng Líng and Zhāo Líng. The road leading up to the tombs is a 7km stretch called the Spirit Way (神道; Shéndào Apr-Oct ¥30, Nov-Mar ¥20; g872). Commencing with a triumphal arch, the path enters the Great Palace Gate (大宫门; Dàgōng Mén GOOGLE MAP ), where officials once had to dismount, and passes a giant bìxì (mythical tortoiselike dragon), which bears the largest stele (碑亭; Bēi Tíng GOOGLE MAP ; included in Ming Tombs through ticket; c) in China. A guard of 12 sets of stone animals and officials ensues.
1Sights
Cháng LíngTOMB
(长陵 GOOGLE MAP ; ¥45 Apr-Oct/¥30 Nov-Mar, audio guide ¥50; g872)
The resting place of the first of the 13 emperors to be buried at the Ming Tombs, Cháng Líng contains the body of Emperor Yongle (1402–24), his wife and 16 concubines. It's the largest, most impressive and most important of the tombs. Like all the tombs it follows a standard imperial layout, with a main gate (祾恩门; líng’ēn mén) leading to the first of a series of courtyards and the main hall (棱恩殿; líng’ēn diàn).
Beyond this lie gates leading to the Soul Tower (明楼; Míng Lóu), behind which rises the burial mound surrounded by a fortified wall (宝成; bǎo chéng). Seated upon a three-tiered marble terrace, the standout structure in this complex is the Hall of Eminent Favours (灵恩殿; Líng’ēn Diàn), containing a recent statue of Yongle, various artefacts excavated from Dìng Líng, and a breathtaking interior with vast nánmù (cedar wood) columns. As with all three tombs here, you can climb the Soul Tower at the back of the complex for fine views of the surrounding hills.
Dìng LíngTOMB
(定陵 GOOGLE MAP ; Apr-Oct ¥60, Nov-Mar ¥40, audio guide ¥50)
Dìng Líng, the resting place of Emperor Wanli (1572–1620) and his wife and concubines, is at first sight less impressive than Cháng Líng because many of the halls and gateways have been destroyed. Many of the priceless artefacts were ruined after being left in a huge, unsealed storage room that leaked water. What treasures that were left – including the bodies of Emperor Wanli and his entourage – were looted and burned by Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution.
But this is the only tomb where you can climb down into the vast burial chambers. Learn from signs dotted around the tomb how archaeologists found their way in, à la Indiana Jones, by following instructions they discovered on a carved tablet.
The small Museum of the Ming Tombs (明十三陵博物馆; Míng Shísānlíng Bówùguǎn GOOGLE MAP ; admission with Dìng Líng ticket), just inside the complex, contains a few precious remaining artefacts, plus replicas of destroyed originals.
Zhāo LíngTOMB
(昭陵 GOOGLE MAP ; Apr-Oct ¥30, Nov-Mar ¥20)
Zhāo Líng is the smallest of the main three Ming Tombs, and many of its buildings are recent rebuilds. It’s much less visited than the others, though, so is more peaceful, and the fortified wall (宝成; bǎo chéng) surrounding the burial mound is unusual in both its size and form. The tomb, which is the resting place of Emperor Longqing (1537–72), is at the end of the small village of Zhāolíng (昭陵村; Zhāolíng Cūn).
4Sleeping & Eating
There are no hotels or guesthouses in Cháng Líng, Dìng L�
�ng or Zhāo Líng, but you're only a bus ride or a (long) subway trip from central Běijīng, where there are sleeping options galore.
For a major attraction, there are surprisingly few eating options in and around the Ming Tombs. Both Dìng Líng and Cháng Líng have a sole restaurant close to their respective ticket offices, and they are your best bet. There are also snack stands at Cháng Líng and you can pick up basic food supplies at a couple of shops in the village of Zhāo Líng.
Nóngjiāfàn KuàicānCHINESE$
(农家饭快餐 GOOGLE MAP ; mains ¥18-68; h8.30am-5.30pm)
Nóngjiāfàn Kuàicān is a small restaurant in the car park at Dìng Líng (no English sign or menu). Dishes include xīhóngshì jīdàn miàn (西红柿鸡蛋面; egg and tomato noodles; ¥18), zhájiàng miàn (炸酱面; Běijīng-style pork noodles; ¥20), huíguō ròu (回锅肉; spicy cured pork; ¥32), gōngbào jīdīng (宫爆鸡丁; spicy chicken with peanuts; ¥24) and yúxiāng ròusī (鱼香肉丝; sweet and spicy shredded pork; ¥24).
Míng Cháng Líng RestaurantCHINESE$
(明长陵餐厅; Míng Cháng Líng Cāntīng GOOGLE MAP ; Cháng Líng Ming Tomb; dishes from ¥18; h8.30am-4.30pm)
Simple but clean restaurant, with an English menu, just beside the Cháng Líng ticket office.
8Getting There & Away
The Ming Tombs are now on the subway, although the station is almost at the end of the Chángpíng Line – a long haul from central Běijīng – and is inconveniently located 3km from the entrance to the Spirit Way, requiring you either to take a taxi (¥13) there, or a bus (¥2) and then walk another 1km.
If you're catching the bus, take exit C out of the station, turn right and then turn right again at Nanjian Lu; the bus stop for the 昌53 is around 100m ahead on the right. The 昌 character stands for Cháng, as in Chángpíng. Get off at Jiàntǒu Lùkǒu (涧头路口), walk ahead for 200m and then turn left at Changchi Lu; the entrance to the Spirit Way is 10 minutes ahead.
A more direct way to get there is on bus 872 (¥9, one hour, 7.10am to 7.10pm) from the north side of Déshèngmén Gateway. It passes all the sights, apart from Zhāo Líng, before terminating at Cháng Líng. Last bus back is at 6pm.
8Getting Around
It’s easy to bus-hop around the Ming Tombs. Get off the 872 at Dà Gōng Mén bus stop (大宫门 GOOGLE MAP ), and walk through the triple-arched Great Palace Gate (大宫门) that leads to the Spirit Way. After walking the length of Spirit Way, catch bus 67 from Hú Zhuāng bus stop (胡庄 GOOGLE MAP ) – the first bus stop on your right – to its terminus ( GOOGLE MAP ) at Zhāo Líng (¥2); walk straight through the village to find the tomb. Then, coming back the way you came, catch another 67 (¥2), or walk (1.5km; left at the end of the road, then left again) to Dìng Líng, from where you can catch bus 314 to Cháng Líng (¥2).
Chuāndǐxià 爨底下
%010 / Pop 93
Nestled in a valley 90km west of Běijīng and overlooked by towering peaks, the Ming dynasty village of Chuāndǐxià (爨底下; entrance ¥35) is a gorgeous cluster of historic courtyard homes with old-world charm. The backdrop is lovely: terraced orchards and fields with ancient houses and alleyways rising up the hillside and temples in the surrounding area. Two hours is more than enough to wander around the village because it’s not big, but staying the night allows you to soak up its historic charms without the distraction of all those day trippers.
1Sights
The main attractions in Chuāndǐxià are the courtyard homes and the cobbled steps and alleyways that link them up. Great fun can be had just wandering the village and poking your head into whichever ancient doorways take your fancy. Most of the homes date from the Qing dynasty, although a few remain from Ming times. Many have been turned into small restaurants or guesthouses, meaning you can eat, drink tea or even stay the night in a 500-year-old Chinese courtyard.
Chuāndǐxià is also a museum of Maoist slogans, especially up the incline among the better-preserved houses. Look for the very clear, red-painted slogan just past the Landlord’s Courtyard (the village’s principal courtyard), which reads: 用毛泽东思想武装我们的头脑 (yòng Máozédōng sīxiǎng wǔzhuāng wǒmen de tóunǎo; use Mao Zedong thought to arm our minds).
4Sleeping & Eating
More than half the houses in Chuāndǐxià are now guesthouses, so finding a place to sleep isn't a problem (although very few stay open in winter, when the mercury plummets). All the inns can be identified by English signs, even if their owners rarely speak any English. All serve meals too.
Signs are clearly labelled in English, so places are easy to spot. Your best bet is to simply wander round and find what best suits you. Most restaurants have English menus. Specialities here include walnuts, apricots and roast leg of lamb.
Gǔchéngbǎo InnINN$
(古城堡客栈, Gǔchéngbǎo Kèzhàn %136 9135 9255; Mon-Thu r ¥120, Fri-Sun ¥180, without bathroom ¥100; mains ¥20-60; hclosed Nov-Mar; W)
This 400-year-old building is perched high above much of the village and enjoys fine views from its terrace restaurant. Rooms are in the back courtyard and are basic but charming. Each room has a traditional stone kàng bed, which sleeps up to four people and can be fire-heated in winter.
The shared bathroom has no shower, but one new room comes with a small shower room and lovely views. Gǔchéngbǎo Inn is in the top left-hand corner of the village as you look up from just past the right-hand bend in the road.
Cuànyùn InnCHINESE$$
(爨韵客栈, Cuànyùn Kèzhàn 23 Chuāndǐxià Village, 爨低下村23号 mains ¥20-60; h6.30am-8.30pm, closed Nov-Mar; W)
The best place to sample roast leg of lamb (烤羊腿, kǎo yáng tuǐ; ¥200). On the right of the main road as you enter the village. It has a photo menu.
8Getting There & Away
Bus 892 leaves frequently from a bus stop 400m west of Píngguǒyuán subway station (use exit D and turn right; the bus stop is just past the first big set of traffic lights under the highway) and goes to Zhāitáng (斋堂; ¥15, two hours, 6.30am to 5.50pm), from where you’ll have to take a taxi (¥20) for the last 6km to Chuāndǐxià. There's one direct bus to Chuāndǐxià which leaves Píngguǒyuán at 7am. The direct bus back to Píngguǒyuán leaves Chuāndǐxià at 6.50am. There are also two buses from Chuāndǐxià to Zhāitáng (¥2, 9.30am and 3.30pm). The last bus from Zhāitáng back to Píngguǒyuán leaves at 5pm. If you miss that, it's around ¥200 for a taxi.
Wǎnpíng Town 宛平城
%010 / Pop 51,346
The star attraction here is the famous 900-year-old Marco Polo Bridge (卢沟桥; Lúgōu Qiáo), but the unexpected bonus is the chance to see, at one end of the bridge, the enormous, war-torn, Ming dynasty walls of the once heavily guarded Wǎnpíng Town (宛平城; Wǎnpíng Chéng). Then there's also the well-presented, if clumsily named, Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
1Sights
Marco Polo BridgeBRIDGE
(卢沟桥, Lúgōu Qiáo ¥20; h7am-8pm Apr-Oct, to 6pm Nov-Mar; bChangchunjie then bus 662)
Described by the great traveller himself, this 266m-long, multiarched granite bridge is the oldest bridge in Běijīng and is decorated beautifully with 485 individually carved stone lions, each one different. Dating from 1189, although widened in 1969, it spans the Yǒngdìng River, and was once the main route into the city from the southwest.
Despite the praises of Marco Polo, the bridge wouldn’t have have rated more than a footnote in Chinese history were it not for the famed Marco Polo Bridge Incident, which ignited a full-scale war with Japan. On 7 July 1937, Japanese troops illegally occupied a railway junction outside Wǎnpíng. Japanese and Chinese soldiers started shooting, and that gave Japan enough of an excuse to attack and occupy Běijīng.
Wǎnpíng Old TownWALLS
(宛平城, Wǎnpíng Chéng bDawayao or Changchunjie, then bus 662)F
An astonishing sight, given that you are still within the confines of Běijīng’s 5th Ring Rd, this double-g
ated, Ming dynasty walled town is still lived in today. Although few of its original buildings still stand (residents live in newish brick bungalows these days), its 2km-long, 6m-high, battle-scarred town walls date from 1640.
You can’t walk on the walls, but you can walk around them or inside; enter via the West Gate, which is beside Marco Polo Bridge, or the East Gate, at the other end of the town’s only proper road. On the outside of the southern wall, you can see scars from the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in the form of huge bullet holes.
Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese AggressionMUSEUM
(中国人民抗日战争纪念馆, Zhōngguó Rénmín Kàng Rì Zhànzhēng Jìniànguǎn %010 6377 7088; Chengnei Jie, 城内街 entry with passport free, audio guide ¥120; h9am-4.30pm Tue-Sun; bDawayao)F
This modern museum, on the north side of the main road in Wǎnpíng Town, is dedicated to the July 7th Incident (as it’s called here) and the ensuing war with Japan. It's obviously biased but some thought has gone into the presentation and there are tons of exhibits and good English captions.
4Sleeping & Eating
There are no hotels or hostels within Wǎnpíng Town, but you're just a subway ride away from central Běijīng, where there are endless sleeping options.
There are a handful of restaurants on Chengnei Jie, the main road, just inside the east gate, and a few more just outside it.
Chuān Xiāng Chuān Qíng ShífǔSICHUAN$$
Lonely Planet China Page 19
