While Shanghai and Hong Kong predominate in the business field, Peking is well recognized as the political, educational and cultural centre of the Country, with a jurisdiction over 18 districts and counties.  To get around this metropolis you could find useful these brief suggestions on public transports once you land there. 

Public Bus and trolley Bus : you want to bear in mind some numbers.  Buses Nos.  1-200 and trolley buses run in the town ( one yuan per person ) ; buses Nos.  201-212 run at night ; buses Nos.  300-599 go to the suburbs, charging according to the distance covered.  Air conditioned buses beginning with n.  Eight are charged according to the distance covered.  They customarily run thru the busy streets.  Buses starting with n.  6 go to the home areas and so on.  ( for details see bjbus.com ). 

Beijing Capital international airport ( 010 645 63 604 ) is one of China’s major gateways.  It is twenty-eight km from the town centre, about 40 minutes’ ride by car.  Taxi costs roughly a hundred yuan. 

There are 4 railways stations in the town : Beijing Railway Station ( ph.  5101 ninety nine ninety nine ), Beijing West ( the largest ; ph : 5182 6253 ), South ( ph : 63030031 ) and North train line stations.  Passengers may buy train tickets from the ticket offices ten days ahead or book by telephone ( ph.  010- 51827188 from 9am-9pm every day ) or net ( 036.com.cn ) five to 11 days ahead. 

There are three different types of taxi charges ( 1.2, 1.6, and two yuan per kilometer ) and they are terribly handy to explore the town.  ( Call the taxi centre : 010- 683 73399 )

tube : four lines criss-cross the city of Beijing.  Line one, Line two, Line thirteen and Batong line.  The latter two are city rails.  They run from 5am till approximately 10 or 11 in the night.  Train entrances feature a gray cement structure with a designated lamp box.  An one-way ticket is about 3-5 yuan. 

Bikes and bikes!  As always we can’t avoid mentioning a healthy, ecological, convenient, cheap, safe and fun method of travel transportation and recreation!  The bike!  China really is the ‘Bicycle Kingdom’, manufacturing and using more bikes than any other nation in the world.  Cycling in China is a kind of life-style for the Chinese folks.  Do not forget that in the traffic and in the narrow alleys of the Hutongs bikes are the best means to explore the town and is a super-individual way of transport by your own pace!  Try companies like The bicycle kingdom to lease your own bike. 

Also, to avoid long nerve wracking researches on where to go and what to do, here we have highlighted for you some of the central Beijing districts divided by main interest.  Haidian District is home of China’s Silicon Valley -Zhongguancun- and 39 schools including Beijing, Tsinghua and Renmin colleges, so fundamentally good for shopping feaver.  Xuanwu District is a good area for everything related to standard drugs whilst the Chaoyang District is the 798 Art District and flea market district.  Dongcheng District is an area where many nice backpackers youth hotels are found.  Just to mention some names : the 9 dragons youth hostel, Beijing town Central youth hostel, the courtyard Hotel, Beijing harbor hotel hostel, the story youth hostel, the Beijing New Dragon Hostel. 

Xicheng District hosts some public parks as the Beihai park, Jingshan Park, Yuetan Park and the Beijing Zoo.  In the area the famous Zhongnanhai and the popular Houhai bar.  If you like this ‘green’ area, we also suggest a very pleasant boutique worth hotel nested in an hold traditional hutong called the Spring Garden yard Hotel.  A hotel in a Chinese standard, deluxe yard, comprises an autumn and a spring garden offering a completely unique cultural connotation.  Actually, each of the rooms introduces you to the life of different distinguished emperors in Chinese history and the dynasties that they lived in.  In the multifunction hall, there are approximately one hundred pictures with English translations showing Beijing ( Peking ) past.  These include places of interest, culture, faith, and everyday life in the city.  There’s also a staff member available to answer questions and explain the eight hundred years of Beijing history ). 

Other central location districts are : Fengtai District ; Shijingshan District ; Chongwen District.

Do you enjoy reading this? If yes, you may also visit famouswonders.com to read more about some of the best places to visit in the world and have a look at Sanjiang Bridges China.