[CHINA] Being Google’less in Beijing

There are few cities that evoke reactions like Beijing. A friend of mine humorously describes it as the “most Chinese place on Earth”, whatever that means. For many, the mere idea of Beijing symbolizes much more than just a city, but a vast jigsaw piece of human history. From the vantage point of other Asian countries, including coastal Chinese people themselves, Beijing is unabashedly referred to as “the mainland”. It is where the world’s most massive skyscrapers, portraits of Mao Zedong, Temple of Heaven, and the infamous Tiananmen Square photograph all come alive. Obviously, it also possesses the only wall in the world referred to as “Great”. Even when smug outsiders conjure images of air pollution, squat toilets, internet censorship, and the practice of “Beijing’ers” spitting, smoking indoors, and eating insects, it remains a city that demands respect.

Though millions of people visit every year, despite the relative difficulty of obtaining a tourist-visa, Beijing does not seem particularly concerned to pander to tourists. Unless you arrive with an exorbitant amount of (Chinese RMB) cash, as well as a good grasp of speaking Mandarin and reading simplified-Chinese, you are on your own. I have never seen a “tourist help station” there, nor do I think that many of the busy, long-commuting Beijing’ers seem eager to practice their English and answer tourist questions. Rather, you might find them staring at you —especially if you have a foreign-looking face.

Ultimately, it is a city that emphasizes the necessity of planning —and being prepared. Here are some tips and recommended activities for Beijing newbies:

Tip #1: Download WeChat (and all other necessary apps before arriving)

It is true that foreign debit and credit cards are almost useless. That said, for all of Beijing’s hype of being a “cash-only” society, it is sometimes difficult to avoid using WeChat to make simple purchases.

What is WeChat you ask?

It is a social media app (similar to WhatsApp) that can be described as Asia’s Facebook. Unlike Facebook and many other apps, WeChat is not banned by the Chinese government. Therefore, it is particularly popular in China. Try to activate WeChat’s Prepay feature to transfer some money from your credit card, and avoid standing in long-winding “cash-only” lines. That said, it might not be possible, as a foreigner —but, in China, most “rules” are subject to change.

In any case, WeChat is a must if you need to communicate with your Airnb host or travelling companions. As mentioned, in China there is no Google (including Google Map, Gmail, etc.), Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, and many other sites. You may be surprised to see how dependent you are with Facebook’s Instant Messenger, WhatsApp, etc (I also had trouble using Line messenger). As a substitute for Google, locals use Baidu —but it is entirely in Chinese.

Furthermore, it is recommended that you purchase a private VPN to surf the web. In my experience, free VPNs (such as TunnelBear) are ineffective. Here is a link to an inexpensive one.

Tip #2: Carry Your Passport Everywhere

I was taken off-guard by the necessity of carrying a passport, even when going for casual strolls outside. Tourist attractions, such as the Forbidden Palace, often request to see it at the entrance. At other times, however, a local policeman may unexpectedly demand to see it and verify your visa. Thankfully, I did not learn what would have happened if I did not have it! There are also stories of policemen randomly asking foreigners for urine drug-tests, too. You have been warned. Ultimately, it is a valuable exercise in cultural understanding to remember that many individual liberties, taken for granted in the “West”, are not universal.

Tip #3: Purchase a Transportation Card —and brace yourself!

Buying a Transportation Card is not essential unless you plan on spending lots of money on taxis, and energy on negotiating with taxi-drivers. There is a $100 RMB (approximately $10 CAD) retrievable deposit to acquire this card, and you can top-up the balance from the machines located inside the train stations.

You will quickly notice the “airport-like” security at each train station. You will need to put your bag through an X-ray and allow some 20-year old guard to swipe a metal-detector wand across your body.

When taking the train, prepare to do a lot of zigzagging across the map. Virtually everywhere you go requires at least one transfer on a different train. Many times you will need to take three train transfers. Luckily the trains provide English instructions.

Tip #4: Bring lotion (and any other particular toiletries)

Beijing is dry. Unless you are already used to it, you may find your skin getting itchy and ashy, in a matter of days. Hydrate and lube!

Lastly, do not expect to find the foreign toiletries (toothpaste, deodorant, etc.) in Beijing. Bring all your needed toiletries with you. Literally. Bring toilet paper with you in your day-bag. Do not expect public washrooms to provide it. Avoid having disaster pants.

Tip #5: Buy an Air Pollution Mask

Having an air pollution mask is highly recommended, although Beijing’s air pollution is not as bad as many people say. For instance, during a week in early April, we experienced a single 3-4 hour timespan that it was especially noticeable. The outdoor air literally resembled the living-room of a chain smoker. Fortunately, that bout only lasted for a single morning, and the rest of the week was no different than any other big city. In any case, wear a mask and/or do not do any extensive exercise outdoors on that bad days!

What to Do

NO.1 – Great Wall of China (Mutianyu)

Time investment: 1-day

There are many different areas that you can access the Great Wall, but in Beijing there are three. We chose the Mutianyu gate for two reasons. First, it allegedly has smaller crowds. Secondly, there is an inexpensive gondola that takes visitors to the top (and back down), which allowed us to be lazy and have lots of time to take Selfies.

Depending on traffic, it can take anywhere from 1.5-3 hours to arrive at the town of Mutianyu from Beijing. Besides Mutianyu town itself, once you take the gondola ride up to the wall, the only washrooms are in the gondola area, where the price of coffee quadruples in price, and where snacks could be bought if you want to remortgage your house.

All in all, the Great Wall is obviously a fantastic way to spend a day.

NO.2 – Visit the Forbidden Palace near Tiananmen Square

Time investment: 1-3 hours

Here is an excellent photography activity. On the map, this area is the distinct rectangle at the centre of Beijing. You will quickly notice that it is also surrounded by moat-water on all sides except the south —which is Tiananmen square.

Inside, the walls and walkways of the Palace are all marked by 90-degree angles, making it very difficult to get lost. Similarly, most of the roads and train-lines outside the Palace, throughout the Beijing city area, are also built along these North-East-South-West cardinal lines, which personifies the principles of Chinese Feng Shui.

It is particularly worthwhile to visit The Forbidden Palace earlier, rather than later, as it constitutes a good “landmark” from many other areas in Beijing. Give yourself lots of time to meander outside the Palace walls as well —called “Old Beijing”. Here, you will find an abundance of stores, restaurants, and souvenir shops. Take note of the narrow alleys, where you peer down even narrower gateways into residential quarters. It gives an interesting peek into how ancient Beijing looked like.

NO.3 – Take a Boat Ride at the Summer Palace

Time investment: 3-hour walk around the lake (ferry optional)

Visiting the Summer Palace is probably the perfect thing to do if you need some quiet, nature-time outside, or if the air pollution gets gross. You can easily spend 3-4 hours taking a picturesque walk around a beautiful lake —or cut it short by taking an inexpensive ferry-ride across the lake. Keep your eyes out for the giant Marble Boat and the absurdly vertical bridge (photo below). It is also worthwhile, taking the stairs up to the temple(?) to enjoy the panoramic view of the “park”.

NO.4 – Temple of Heaven

Time investment: 15 min-2 hours

What you see is what it is: a historic architectural site, worth its gold in Selfies. It also happens to be surrounded by lovely walkways through a Cedar forest. Of course, there will always be swarms of other tourists.

NO.5 – See the Singing Grasshoppers

Price: FREE TO VISIT
Time investment: 1-2 hours
Directions:

If you want to retreat from the tourist crowd, we recommend you check out an interesting Chinese pet-store market. It specializes in selling “singing grasshoppers”, which you will instantly hear the moment you open the door and gaze down the narrow hallways of this endless underground mall. Although there are other interesting items to buy, the vast majority of shops consist of small, cute mammals, including lizards, kittens, and almost everything in between.

NO.6 – Eat a Tarantula at a Night Market and Go Shopping (Wangfujing Street)

Price: FREE TO VISIT
Time investment: 15 min-1 day
Directions:

During the day, this is where you can indulge in endless window-shopping, dining, and snacking. At night, this is also where the heavy crowds meander its Night Market on any given evening. Simply said, it is worth seeing for yourself

NO.7 – Watch Traditional China Entertainment (Kung Fu, Spinning Plates, etc.)

Time investment: 2-3 hours, depending upon daily schedule
Directions:

No trip to Beijing would be complete without seeing some traditional arts: Kung Fu, Chinese Hand-Shadow Puppet, a magic show, Plate Spinning, cheesy Chinese comedy, a Face-Changing dance, and Opera singing.

While you watch, you will be served hot tea and light snacks. Evidently, this establishment has been opened since 1839, and has been frequented by many celebrities and world figures, including George Bush Sr.—but don’t let that dissuade you.

NO.8 – Eat the Famous Roasted Duck

Time investment: 1-2 hours

This is the thing-you-have-to-try in Beijing: Roasted Peking Duck. There will be a profusion of restaurants advertising the entrée. That said, we do not recommend purchasing the vacuum-sealed tourist bags of roasted duck, that you see sold everywhere. Roasted Peking duck must be eaten warm and fresh. See the video below for eating instructions.