Beijing Brief Introduction

As capital of the People's Republic of China, Beijing serves as the nation's centre of politics, culture, international exchange and scientific innovation.

With a history of over 3000 years and a capital history of more than 850 years (serving as the capital city of five ancient dynasties), Beijing is a famous historical and cultural city in the world and one of the four ancient Chinese capitals. As early as 700,000 years ago, primitive communities, as evidenced by the unearthed relics of "Peking man", had appeared at the Zhoukoudian Area of Beijing. The first documented name of Beijing was "Ji".

Few cities in the world have served for so long as the political headquarters and cultural centre of an area as immense as China. Encyclopedia Britannica describes Beijing as one of the greatest cities in the world, and asserted: "The city has been an integral part of China’s history over the past eight centuries, and nearly every major building of any age in Beijing has at least some national historical significance." Numerous historical sites such as the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, the Old Summer Palace, and Beihai Park all add glamour to the city.

The vast urban area with both ancient appeal and modern prosperity, the broad plain spanning to the southeast, and Taihang Mountain and Yanshan Mountain lying magnificently in the northwest all endowed Beijing with unique charm. The relics of ancient gardens, temples and royal palaces have injected profound cultural connotation in the city; the steep cliffs, deep valleys, beautiful springs and waterfalls have covered a mysterious veil over its outskirts; the busy pedestrian streets and numerous business districts have provided vigour of life to this ancient city.

Today, Beijing has already developed into a modern international metropolis: the Financial Street has long been a veritable financial management centre of China, and the Central Business District is a symbol of Beijing's opening up and its economic strength. In addition, the National Theatre for Performing Arts, Terminal 3 of the Beijing Capital International Airport, the CCTV Headquarters Building, the "Bird's Nest", the "Water Cube", and a number of other buildings have also become the modern symbols of Beijing. Walking through hutongs in Beijing, you may find people of all races from around the world. With its brand-new image with both ancient and stylish features, Beijing is embracing more than 147 million visitors every year.

Public Transport in Beijing

Public Buses

City bus in Beijing is the most widely used and affordable among all means of public transportation, although it can be very crowded and may meet a traffic jam. The automatic station reporter will announce the stations both in Chinese and English.All routes are charged by distance. 

Passengers should insert the exact amount of bus fare to the coin box on the downtown lines. If paying with Transportation Smart Card on these buses, they need to swipe it when getting on. Do swipe the card again if there is a card reader at the door for disembarking so that the bus fare can be deducted.

The Subway

Beijing subway is the fastest transportation in downtown and it is a good way to avoid frequent traffic jams. Presently there are 22 subway lines plus two airport express line in operation. The price is charged according to the distance.

A Transportation Smart Card can be used for paying. The stops are announced in both Chinese and English. Passengers can query the subway staff to avoid going in the wrong direction and wasting time.

Taxis

Travelling by taxi in Beijing is a breeze because there are plenty of cabs in operation. During off peak hours, that is, but very hard in rush hours periods 07:00 – 09:00 & 17:00 – 20:00 due to heavy demand and terrible traffic jam. Beijing taxis are available day and night, and each car holds normally four adult passengers.

Flag-down Rate: CNY13 for the first 3km (2mi)

How to Hail a Taxi in Beijing

Hail a Taxi by Hand Signal

Stand by roadside or at a designated taxi stand in Beijing and wave down a cab. Avoid intersections; otherwise, the driver won’t stop. Do not do it at the Ring Roads, urban expressways, and highways.

Taxi Despatch Number: +86 010 – 96103

Dial the number to call an official taxi.

Online Car-Hailing Apps

Didi, Uber, UCAR Inc., and Shouyue Limousine & Chauffeur

Payment: Wechat, Alipay, UnionPay, Paypal……