beijing [2]
Wed, 08 Nov 2006 16:18:16 -0600 | Beijing Visitor Olympics 2008
Beijing has some excellent cheap eats to be found on its streets.
Most Beijingers frequently grab something from a street stall, whether it be the ubiquitous breakfasts youtiao (a deep-fried stick of dough) and zhou (rice congee or porridge) washed down with a cup of douzhi (bean curd milk) or another type of snack such as kao yang rou chuan (a roasted lamb kebab).
Other common foods found on street stalls include mala tang (spicy noodle soups), hongshu (baked sweet potatoes) and rou jiamo (braised pork in a baked bun). More exotic fare may include some varieties of insect including white scorpions, cicadas and centipedes.
The most famous place for tourists to sample Beijing street food is Donghuamen Night Market, near Wangfujing Dajie opposite the Xin Dong An Plaza, where prices at its multitude of food stalls are much higher than just off the street anywhere else in the city. The nearest subway station is Wangfujing on the East-West Line.
On the whole most street food in Beijing is safe to eat, but those with weak stomachs may prefer to eat elsewhere.
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Wed, 01 Nov 2006 16:41:22 -0600 | Beijing Visitor Olympics 2008
Thousands of mostly older people begin their day with a session of taichi (taijiquan) in Beijing's parks and other open spaces.
taijiquan - which can translate as "boundless fist" or "supreme ultimate fist" is a soft-style martial art, with obscure historical roots, which became more formalized and widely practicised in 19th century China.
The poses in taichi would seem to be based on the natural and graceful movements of animals and birds and the practice of this martial art aims to promote the circulation of "chi" energy around the body, improve concentration, balance and calm the mind for meditation and reflection.
As a means of defence, taichi emphasizes re-directing violent blows aimed at the practitioner.
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Sun, 24 Sep 2006 16:47:44 -0500 | Beijing Visitor Olympics 2008
Holiday Inn Beijing
No. 98, Beilishilu, Xichengqu, 100037 Beijing
The 343-room Holiday Inn Beijing makes for a good base for any visit to Beijing.
Located near to Beijing's financial district it is especially convenient if you have business in the city.
The hotel is just 3 minutes' walk from the nearest subway station, Fuchengmen Station on the Circle Line, and not far from Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City by car.
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Sat, 23 Sep 2006 15:04:51 -0500 | Beijing Visitor Olympics 2008
The Workers Stadium (Gongren Tiyuguan) in Beijing will be one of the venues for the Olympic soccer tournament in 2008. The 72,000 capacity stadium which is set in a park is the home ground of Beijing's Guoan, who play their home games here or at the smaller 33,000 capacity Beijing Fengtai Stadium on Sundays. There are rumours the team may move to the new National Stadium after the Olympics.
Guoan, sponsored by Hyundai, are a solid China Super League outfit and rank with Shanghai's Shenhua and Dalian's Shide as one of China's top teams.
The multi-purpose stadium was the main stadium for the 1990 Asian Games.
The nearest subway station to the Workers Stadium is Dongsishitiao on the Circle Line - not far from the Sanlitun entertainment area.
Beijing UNESCO World Heritage sites
Mon, 18 Sep 2006 02:53:06 -0500 | Beijing Visitor Olympics 2008
Beijing UNESCO World Heritage sites
Temple of Heaven
The Ming dynasty Temple of Heaven has become almost an icon of Beijing and is a must-see on any visit to the city. Founded in the early fifteenth century, the Temple of Heaven (Tiantan), is a complex of cult buildings set in a large park. It was here that the Emperor performed important rituals throughout the year. The design of the buildings had a lasting influence on religious architecture throughout Asia.
Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang
The Forbidden City and the Imperial Palace in Shenyang have been listed together as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The palace in Shenyang is a smaller version of the Beijing palace and was constructed between 1625-26 and 1783.
The Summer Palace and Imperial Garden
The Summer Palace (Yiheyuan) dates from the mid-eighteenth century and was built as a summer retreat from the Forbidden City. It was destroyed by Western forces in 1860 but restored in 1886 and again after 1949. The palace complex consists of a number of residences and temples.
The Great Wall
The Great Wall is the world's largest military structure and was constructed from the second century BC to the seventeenth century AD. Over 600km of the wall dating from the Ming Dynasty are accessible to the north of Beijing.
Parts of the wall such as the 18km-long Juyongguan Pass section are just over 50km north of Beijing.
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Sun, 17 Sep 2006 09:28:50 -0500 | Beijing Visitor Olympics 2008
Because of Beijing?s congestion problems, the subway is often the quickest way to get around. It?s cheap, but extremely crowded during the rush hour. It?s also a great place to person-watch.
Beijing currently has three and a bit subway lines. Line 1 runs East-West, through (among other stops) Dongdan, Xidan, Wangfujing and Tiananmen. At Jianguomen and Fuxingmen it intersects Line 2, which is a circle line encompassing Central Beijing. The third line is known as line 13, and travels a long path around the northern suburbs. The ?bit? is the Batong line, which extends Line 1 further East. Journeys on lines 1, 2 and 13 currently cost 3RMB, but this can be expected to rocket in coming years.
Massive extensions are planned to the underground system before the 2008 Olympic Games. There'll be at least four new underground lines, and an extension linking the airport to Dongzhimen. The planned extensions will include two more lines through the centre of Beijing, and better access to the suburbs.
In Chinese, subway/underground is ?D
Fri, 12 Jan 2007 16:55:25 +0800 | Letters from China
The emblem of Beijing Olympics was egao to be a public toilet sign by Chinese netizen. Professor Xia Xueluan of Peking University told the reporter of the Legal Evening Post that the spoof was a sacrilege to Chinese culture and...
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