China

[mazo]

Hi guys just a quick question i am of to Beijing this week and i want to know how much i should take to spend. I have booked my hotel plane ect allready so i was just wanting to know how much i should take for sightseeing shoping and eating. And does anyone know if the weekend market in Beijing is open at this time of year and of any other good places to shop for trinkets thanks for any help

[Rinrada]

Obviously an individual thing...what you wanna do etc but on our last 3 day trip to Shanghai in October ..didnt take any dosh....ATMs (N/W flex a/c) everywhere....

Alway carry some TC just in case of an emergency but never needed to use them in over ..wot about 10 years now...but of course ..you never know....

We flew TG from Suwanna R/t and I booked a hotel on the internet so only money we needed was for food/beer/restaurants,High Speed train tickets...(430klms/hour...great) and going up the towers.....

O and the 50 kilos of white powder stuff K wife brought back........Pearl Make-up..seems its a quarter of the price in Bangkok...all that way for bags of face powder J.C..anyway at least she flogged it to all her mates in no time....

Sorry dont know about Peking....

[LaoPo]

Hi guys just a quick question i am of to Beijing this week and i want to know how much i should take to spend. I have booked my hotel plane ect allready so i was just wanting to know how much i should take for sightseeing shoping and eating. And does anyone know if the weekend market in Beijing is open at this time of year and of any other good places to shop for trinkets thanks for any help

In China/Beijing nothing ever closes.... why on earth would they close ?

This is a very informative link where you can find almost everything you need to know and find:

http://www.thebeijingguide.com/panjia_market/index.html

Good luck and enjoy your trip !

LaoPo

[mazo]

Hi guys just a quick question i am of to Beijing this week and i want to know how much i should take to spend. I have booked my hotel plane ect allready so i was just wanting to know how much i should take for sightseeing shoping and eating. And does anyone know if the weekend market in Beijing is open at this time of year and of any other good places to shop for trinkets thanks for any help

In China/Beijing nothing ever closes.... why on earth would they close ?

This is a very informative link where you can find almost everything you need to know and find:

http://www.thebeijingguide.com/panjia_market/index.html

Good luck and enjoy your trip !

LaoPo

Thanks for the replys i just thought it may be closed because its winter time there now. I still would like to know how much i am looking at spending there if anyone has been or just come back thanks

[onebir]

Thanks for the replys i just thought it may be closed because its winter time there now. I still would like to know how much i am looking at spending there if anyone has been or just come back thanks

I lived in Beijing for about 6m recently, but didn't do huge amounts of shopping.

You can get a simple meal from RMB5 upwards (1GBP = RMB15.3, 1USD= RMB7.8). RMB15 in a non-tourist, simple but nice place. RMB20ish for Chinese/Japanese fast food in malls Local beer in restaurants is about RMB2, as are shot glasses of baijui (distilled spirits). In bars it's RMB15 upwards - 25+ for foreign brands. Lots of foreigner frequented bars in Sanlitun (about 10 mins east of Dongzhimen metro) and Wudakou area (hadian district - has own metro, more for students). Huge concentration of reasonable restaurants on Dongzhimennei da jie (immediately west of Dongzhimen metro)

There's plenty of shopping on Wangfujing (locals & foreigners), & more foreigner orientated at Xiushui market (near Jianguomen Wai metro) and YaXiu Market (Gonrentiyuguan beilu, taxi from Chaoyangmen metro), LaofanJie & Yabaolu (all Russian! near Chaoyangmen metro) . Fake t-shirts about RMB30, shoes RMB80 - but it might be hard to get these prices if you don't speak Chinese. Bargain hard, but try to be good humoured - you might be talking to some of my friends! To be honest, from what I hear it's a bit more expensive than Bkk, but you might get different stuff (ie i got a rather nice Tibetan singing bowl for RMB75 in Yaxiu, 4th floor.)

Taxis start at RMB10 for 1st 2km (?), then 2RMB/km (slightly more after 11). Metro is 3RMB unless you go to the sticks, but limited (2 underground lines, 1 overground to Wudaokou - separate ticket needed for this.) Last trains are early (11ish)

Get the airport bus & save yourself at least 60RMB (more if you get ripped off - I know someone who paid RMB380 for the RMB80-90 journey). To get the bus make sure you have name & address of the hotel in Chinese & show it at the ticket desk outside the arrivals lounge - they'll get you on the right bus. The buses are frequent & go to/close to most of the major hotels, and if your hotel's not on the route, a taxi will be <RMB10 if you get off at the right stop (show the hotel name to the driver - they're usually quite conscientious). Taxis hailed on the street seem pretty reliable - just check the meter's on.

Museums & sites are 20RMB- 50RMB for big ones (like forbidden city)

If you have time, &/more specific questions search/post www.chinese-forums.com or thorn tree.

[joinme2leave]

RMB15-25 for a beer in Bejing?

that sounds great to me if it was true.

Shanghai is far more expensive. I wished I could have got a TsingTao (chinese brand) for less than RMB50.

As about food .... onebir's excellent explanations might help BUT ONLY if you really like CHINESE food.

Again compared with Shanghai ... a medium tasty medium size Pizza in Shanghai - not available under RMB100.

Taxis can be really cheap but be aware of rip-offs at tourist spots.

Mazo: Looking forward to read your travel report. Enjoy China! It's a fantastic country.

[onebir]

RMB15-25 for a beer in Bejing?

that sounds great to me if it was true.

It's true! But some places are far more expensive. Qingdao (=TsingTao) and Yanjing are supposed to be best Chinese beer brands (not much of a drinker, but they taste ok to me)

As about food .... onebir's excellent explanations might help BUT ONLY if you really like CHINESE food.

Again compared with Shanghai ... a medium tasty medium size Pizza in Shanghai - not available under RMB100.

Do some people not like Chinese food??? Never thought of that Western food is more expensive, but I don't think it's all quite that expensive (except in places like Hard Rock Cafe). I had Indian, Malay & Israeli meals for around RMB50-60.

Taxis can be really cheap but be aware of rip-offs at tourist spots.

Never experienced that myself. But I've heard of some drivers taking people on long detours (happened to someone I know - while she was with a chinese friend). And some just don't know the way around. I told one driver I needed to go to Beihai Park (biggest park in Beijing, right next to Forbidden City) and he'd never heard of it, cos he'd only been in Beijing a few weeks...

Edited January 23, 2007 by onebir

[Rinrada]

Qingdao (=TsingTao).....tried it in Shangers but ended up on Tiger and Heinekin....

Also just try and get PEKING Duck there..its almost impossible..in fact all the places -(ranahans)we tried never hear of it........

"You wantee dukkee OK ...but why from Beg-king..this Shanghai?"