Beijing

The city has a wide array of shopping options, from handicrafts and souvenirs to big brands, you name it. One great thing about Beijing is that it has adopted the tax refund policy, meaning there are stores throughout the city where you can get a 9% tax refund on your expenditure. Xidan Commercial Street is one place where you'll find tons of shopping options, with a wide variety of shopping malls and markets. Other places to shop include the Panjiayuan Flea Market for antiques, and Qianment Street for it's various shops.

Beijing is a global city and as such has a pretty good nightlife. Houhai neighbourhood within Shichahai has many pubs and is a very lively place to be at night. There are plenty clubs to choose from all over Beijing otherwise as well, such as Tang Club, Babyface, Dada Beijing, and Vics Club among a ton of others!

Beijing has a long and vast history. The region has been inhabited since early ancient period. The city served as a major battle frontier for most of the kingdoms during the early imperial period, and also as a secondary capital. It became the capital for the first time under the Yuan's, more specifically the region just north of modern Beijing today. The first time the city was fully given the status of the capital was under the Ming Dynasty's Yonghle Emperor, when the Forbidden City was completed in 1420. Once the Mings were removed, the Qing declared Beijing as the sole capital of China and heavily developed the city. This order changed after the second Opium War, when the British and French invaded the city, and although they didn't gain direct control, they were able to found a permanent presence in the country. Then with the onset of the 20th century, a successful revolution saw the Qing Dynasty fall, and the Republic of China was established. Nanjing was again made capital after the President, Yuan Shikai, died. 20 years later during the Sino-Japanese war, Beijing was conquered by Japan, and a puppet government ruled the city for the next 12 years. The Chinese Civil War ended in 1949, with the People's Liberation Army taking back control of the city and the country. People's Republic of China was founded on 1st October of the same year. The major change came in the fortune of the city when the Chinese government created special economic zones, which were opened for international trade, and named Beijing one of these in 1978. Since then, Beijing and China have grown exponentially, becoming the globally influential powers which we see today.

The Chinese culture developed a bit differently from the west. You might feel at first that Chinese people are rude but that is not so. That is just their tone and way of talking. When you're meeting someone for the first time, a light handshake shall suffice. If you're invited to someone's house, it is considered polite to bring a gift. However, do not gift clocks or pears, since they are related to death and separation. 4 is considered to be an unlucky number, and 8 is the opposite. Don't worry about pushing and shoving, it is every day for them. Tipping is not considered important in China. In some situations you might be asked for a tip by taxi drivers, this again is up to you. Keep such tips to a small amount. For porters and housekeep simple tips of RMB 5 - 10 are more than enough.

Buddhism is the largest religion in Beijing, along with the non-organised and traditional Taoism and Confucianism.

Daily expenses in Beijing are not excessively expensive. On a low budget, you can even cover the city in around RMB 150 - 200. A mid range budget will lie in the region of RMB 300 - 800. While a high-end budget with expenses at fancy places can be expected to go anywhere higher than RMB 1000.

Currency exchange is not problematic in Beijing. You can change money at banks, using traveller cheques, or even at hotels. This can be done immediately at the airport as soon as you land as well.

The top places near to Beijing are Macau which is 1987 km from Beijing, Shanghai which is located 1067 km from Beijing, Xian which is located 905 km from Beijing, Shenzhen which is located 1943 km from Beijing, Guangzhou which is located 1889 km from Beijing

The top things to do in Beijing are Great Wall of China, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Beihai Park, Tiananmen Square, Summer Palace. You can see all the places to visit in Beijing here

In Beijing you will find cuisines from all over the world, given the international standards of the city. Tons and tons of fast food joints, including all major food joints, plenty of restaurants of various global cuisines ranging from Italian to continental, and of course, traditional Chinese food. In the local cuisine, duck dishes are fairly popular, such as the roast duck. Also, try the local favourite Mongolian hotpot. And it goes without saying, definitely give the local variations of dumplings a try.
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Beijing in autumn is delightful. The temperatures become pleasant after a hot summer and it's much easier to roam about the city during this time. There is plenty of sunshine during this time as well, and the red leaves around the city and itês many gardens become quite a sight.
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