|
Beijing Travel Tips
 |
Spring and autumn in Beijing are relatively short while winter is quite long. In autumn, the sky is clear and the air is crisp, and the temperature is neither too hot nor too cold, thus it is the best season in Beijing. The fabulous time to travel in Beijing may be May, September and the first three weeks in October. But it is not that other seasons are not suitable for travelling in Beijing.
|
|
|
In fact, this capital city has its own charm in winter. You can go skiing on Beihai Lake, appreciate the beautiful snowscape on Xishan Mountain, or enjoy the steaming hot muttons. These activities are all the delights that can be found in winter. Although winter lasts long in Beijing, it is warm inside buildings since the heating system is very effective. But you’d better put on your thick coats or down jackets when going out.
When you visit tourist attractions, it’s better to take drink water with you, for the price of water sold in many famous places is quite high. And if you want to buy some local specialties, don't go to peddlers around the Railway Station or some small hotels.
Most local snacks in Beijing have their unique flavours, such as fried rolls, bean juice, tofu, meat pies and fried tripes, some of which may not have been tried by many locals. So if you taste them all, it would really be something. There are many old and famous stores in Beijing. Some of the assistants there serve customers in old fashioned and very passionate way, calling with typical Beijing accent, while others behave quite differently. In spite of their appearing indifference, they are actually warm-hearted. Beijing people are mostly reserved, seldom revealing their feelings in public, and for some of them, behaving too passionate is neither natural nor professional. If you dine in certain long-established restaurants in places like Qianmen, take your order as you like. Don’t be surprised and unsatisfied that the assistants do not clear up the tables promptly, nor would they provide customerized service. This way of receiving customers is passed down from old generations, showing the idleness of Beijing folks. Beijing delicacies can be found and bought in many places, including streets and even high-end restaurants. Snacks at Huguosi Temple and Jiumen Gate are cheap and famous.
You can have a taste of very typical old Beijing snacks at temple and flower fairs when Spring Festival comes. There are also some seasonal delicacies. For example, you can try round sweet dumplings at Lantern Festival and Zongzi during Dragon Boat Festival.
|