大山字
The modern art hub of Beijing is situated in 798 factory area just a stones throw from DongZhiMen.
Many small galleries are located here with a variety of modern painting and sculpture. There is also some graffitti on
the wall. SOme of the galleries are sleek, some are run down.
I saw some porcelain feet which were painted traditional chinese style. some paintings of people in which the canvas looked like it was covered in plastic. there were paintings of modern chinese people and some of mao and they kinda looked like tied died faces - or mayble speckled light. what else - statues. some pink ink paintings of cute old style chinese people. and one blue ink painting which reminded me of the blue ink on china porcelain. then orangey, pinky + black traditional chinese ink paintings (with modern soft touch) of people in India.
followed some arrows to 'beijing art scene' down an alley way, round a corner, through the door of what looks like an abandoned building, cracked windows, spiral stair case, chipped white paint, worn stairs and up to the gallery floor. giant statues - can't describe. will post link. of the area.
In the past I have been to the national art gallery and stuff and always been really disapointed. Where is the art that I see in the bookshops in Newtown? Maybe Shanghai?
here is a link.......
http://www.798space.com/index_en.asp
Liulichang is near Hepingmen station. (exit near the beijing duck restaurant and head south) it sells a lot of caligraphy and caligraphy brushes etc. it is old and cool. around Hepingmen used to be the old red light district. you feel like you have stepped back in time!!!
Beijing in a nutshell.........................
Now firstly you should visit Beijing at least once in your life...... Why?
the history, the beauty, its friendly and its cheap. (at the moment)
THE BEST PLACES IN BEIJING
THE FORBIDDEN CITY
90 yuan ($15)
The Forbidden City is the most amazing thing I have ever seen. You can spend half a day there. There are 999 temples. It is so grand. There are massive courtyards. Beautiful red doors. Intricitley carved marble and stone. There is so much history place. Stories of Emperors, Empresses and Concubines. - the emperors garden at the back is really cool!
You can get headphones which tell you about it. This is in an American accent. The first time I went I just wanted to experience it directly without talking. I am glad I did that. The second time I went with the headphones.
(don't go on a public holiday!) It is directly opposite Tianamen Square - So see both on the same day.
THE SUMMER PALACE
?? 40 yuan ??
This is where the Emperor went in Summer (maybe I should go there today). Kunming Lake is the highlight. There are great views from on top of a big rock. It is hard to find the exit. say to people "chu kou zai nar?" Just always carry a Chinese dictionary with you and point at word because people prob won't understand you.
HOU HAI
Old beautiful, lake, old buildings, interesting shops, over priced but cosy looking tea houses and bars. plenty of restaurants. easiest access from Guloujie subway. turn right, down main street, prob need a cab to get there. I love it there.
798 art district
there is already a blog on this
National Museum
Is worth it. lots of great stuff on minority cultures. plus wax museum which was cool
BEI HAI PARK
Frozen lake, romantic in winter. chilled out picnic hang out with boating in Summer. I love Bei Hai.
TIANAMEN
Is awesome. great place to take pics.
ARCHITECTURE MUSEUM
Is cool because there is this mini to scale replication of Beijing before they got rid of the city walls. it is excellent. the rest is a bit boring.
LAMA TEMPLE
near YeHeGong station
Is great. lots of Buddhists bringing incense sticks. so its not just a tourist attraction. amazing massive statues of buddha. where I look up and i am about as tall as his toe (if I remember correctly) - great statues.
BEIJING Z00
I like it. others say its depressing. i think the grounds are beautiful. only 20 yuan.
XIANG SHAN PARK
worth the bus ride. go to the 500 golden arahats temple. (enlightened monks). take the cable car. or climb the hill. stand on top, look at the view, go to the botanical gardens. see the reclinding buddha. you might need more than one trip, or get there early. try and go on the weekend. cable car 60y rtn weekday. 100y rtn wkend, entry park 10y, entrry to buddha stuff is 40y. catch 360 from xizhimen takes about 1 hour to get there. It is not a must see.
SHOPPING
Qianmen
Shopping Street - it is great. bustling atmosphere. interesting things. also very old part of Beijing. The oldest pharmacy in China. Catch a train to Qianmen then Qianmen DaJie (away from Tianamen) then turn right.
LiuLiChang
Is a market street near to Hepingmen station. Exit near the roast duck restaurant. Walk South down NanXinHua. You will see on both sides of NanXinHua alot of caligraphy shops on the corner on your left and right. You can buy caligraphy, art, sculptures, jade, buddha stuff, posters --- remember 120yuan ($20) is a lot of money here. Only spend $100 if it is something valuable. really valuable.
Bargaining ------ If someone says Something is 100 yuan you will generally end up getting it for about 40 yuan ok. tips
* Don't look enthusiastic
* Screw up your face
* Don't ever choose one. You might just enquire "how much are those tshirts" they will say "which colour do you like, which size do you like??" this is a sales technique to see how serious you are.
* walking out can lower the price
* don't feel guilty " in you money- that is not very much" you had to pay like 2000 to fly to China.
* People say everything "hand made"
* Buy if it is reasonable. If you say "i will go away and think about it" and then come back its a death wish, really, they will give you a really high price
* buying for others it is easier to bargain down a price because you are less attached to something particular
*pretend yuan are dollars
* don't tell the shop assistants that "I arrived in Beijing yesterday" say "I have been here for 3 months"
* look at many things. I usually see exactly what I want when I walk in the door but ignore that thing adn look at others because i dont want them to know that i think its special.
* let them do the work. they 80, say i want to 40. they so no, no, just say 40. let them come down to you. they will say 70, 60, 50, ok 48.
I make the mistake of feeling guiltly. after they say 70 I say 45, then they think "ah she really wants it, she is willing to come up a bit, i can make her come up more"
so when they say "you give me a price, you give me a price" say "No you give me a price"
Okay sometime I ignore the above rules. Sometimes you want to just go out and enjoy buying something. Sometimes you just don't have much money so that is when I "play the game" of bargaining. Sometimes I just don't want all the deceit etc. So I avoid shopping or just think, stuff it, i don't care how much it costs.
A good way to get cheap stuff is to tell them how much you paid for other stuff. These earings cost only 10 yuan! how can those cost 80????
If you can speak Chinese it helps because it gives the impression you aint fresh off the plane and ready to be duped.
Remember if you get ripped off ring the police. or just pull out a mobile phone. I think people will be worried. Also check all your money. there is fake money going around. Hold your money to the light. check for the waterprint . also look at the black line in the centre of the note. this should be visible when held up to the light. then when you block the light the line disapears.
you need to know how to say
Duo Shao Qian? (dwo shao chian) (how much?)
Tai gui le (tie gway ler) (too expensive)
xie xie (share share) (thank you)
ting bu dong i don't understand
Bargaining is not hard, you will get used to it. it is just about what is fair.
Aliens Market, Choyangmen (not far from the station)
XiDan Markets , XiDan (not far from station)
Shouxi Markets ?????? ( Sanlitun)
When to go?
It depends.
Winter ---- sometimes snows (which make beautiful photos), less crowds, cheaper prices, atmospheric-romantic
Spring ---- cherry blossoms, blue skies, relaxed atmosphere, more crowds, sand storms
Summer--- 35 degrees, beautiful dry heat, sand storms. -- July and August are school holidays eeeek crowds!
Dont Go ----
(jan or feb)
during Chinese New Year. Well Beijing is dead quiet and cheap during Chinese new year. So good. But everyone returns to their home town, so outside beijign is probably crowded. it might be hard to get transport. also if you are in Beijing the constant sound of fireworks and drumming can start to get annoying after a few days.
during the may holiday --- Beijing is packed during this time. i went to inner mongolia which had very few people
Where to stay?
Stay at the Far East Internation Hotel
A 2 star hotel in the Hutong. But it is modern and clean. Or you can stay in the traditional courtyard dorm.
I looooove this hotel and the hutong. It is in a really old place in Beijing. It is really real there. Like - fruit stalls, old people, dogs, rickshaws, bikes, mah jong. it is like the less western side of China. i love it.
or
Hou Hai
beautiful area near a lake, very old chinese looking
Don't Stay.............
Choyangmen or Wanfujing
This is where all the tourist are. I think all the five star hotels are in the worst parts of Beijing. The modern parts. The parts near to McDonalds etc. Yeah stay here if you have come to China to nightclub, party and buy overpriced souveneirs. If you need to go to Star Bucks everyday stay here.
I like Wanfujing but I wouldnt want to live there. and apparently if you look there are some old parts.
I wouldn't mind living in Choyangmen - if I was living in BJ for a long time. At least I would be able to find "english speaking yoga" etc and other things to keep me sane. but as a tourist - there is not point coming to beijing and staying in choyangment. but then again - it is very central.
OVERATED PLACES OF BEIJING
The Great Wall
Im not a big fan, its just a wall (oh oh I feel like I have commited a sin saying that)
The Temple of Heaven
Probably good if you have never seen any other temples in China. Worth a look in.
National Art Gallery
Some of it is good. but disapointing. Go to 798 da shanzi instead.
oh the top floor of the national art gallery is ok
Beijing City Wall (what is left of it)
Isn't much but worth for the significance of what it once was
CONFUCIOUS TEMPLE
boring. but it was under construction. no actually it had its surprises and was amazing space to move around.
COW STREET MOSQUE
i can never find it but when i did it was shut for the day
ST JOSEPHS CHURCH
I wouldnt go out of my way to see it . but its in wanfujing so you will prob walk past it
ooooooooooooooooo
PLACES I RECOMMEND
THE FORBIDDEN CITY
THE SUMMER PALACE
HOU HAI
798 art district
National Museum
BEI HAI PARK
TIANAMEN
ARCHITECTURE MUSEUM
LAMA TEMPLE
BEIJING Z00
XIANG SHAN PARK
MUST SEE
The summer palace
Forbidden City
Tianamen
Hutongs
** thoroughly recommend HouHai almost a must see
MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN ORDER
1. The Hutongs
2. The Forbidden City
3. The Summer Palace
4. The National Museum
5. Bei Hai Park
6. Hou Hai
7. Tianamen
8. The Lama Temple
9. Xiang Shan (the arhats temple)
OVERATED PLACES OF BEIJING
The Great Wall
The Temple of Heaven
National Art Gallery
Beijing City Wall (what is left of it)
CONFUCIOUS TEMPLE
COW STREET MOSQUE
ST JOSEPHS CHURCH
SHOPPING
Qianmen
LiuLiChang
Aliens Market, Choyangmen (not far from the station)
XiDan Markets , XiDan (not far from station)
Shouxi Markets ?????? ( Sanlitun)
BEST: qianamen, liuli chang, shouxi markets, xizhimen (opposite the zoo)
fashion: xizhimen opp zoo - best cheapest fashion
shouxi - best expensive fashion
culture: liulichang
souveneirs: qianmen, wanfujing
FOOD
Muslim Chinese Food
Baozi (dumplings) only 4 yuan near the temple of heaven, 18y at wanfujing
Dongzhimen Nei Street (ghost street)
Wudaokou has some good food places
I dont like beijing duck, its too oily.
ice tea with lemon
yanjing beer
ice block are really nice, magnum he he
dove chocolate, only real chocolate - milk, white, dark, small bar 6 yuan
orange juice etc is like cordial --- yuck
the milk tastes like powdered milk -- yum
potatoe chips are yum
don't expect to see any cheese in a hurry
dried fruits and many things seem totally tasteless
oranges are really expensive
a way to avoid food poisoning is only to eat steaming hot food
oh and beware of feet and internal organs of animals in your food.
food is low in fat. seriously i look physically every week.
my clothes are falling off.
McDonalds is on practically every corner.
Everything has less sugar in it. I couldn't drink sprite in australia without getting a sugar headache here it doesnt happen.
Food is very boney
0000000000000
Things I don't see in China that I will like when I see it in Australia
(especially carpet, i like sitting on carpet and on grass)
* carpet
* bath tubs
* fly spray
* real orange juice
* decent oranges
* people who get out of your way
* the beach + pools
* foot paths and street lighting
* cleaner streets etc - so my clothes, feet and bags don't turn grey
* little green crossings where the traffic actually stops
* easy to find - deodorant,
* conditioner (hair)
* more than 2 bookshop with English books
* inexpensive paper, books, blue tak, lipstick and cinema prices
* a comfortable seat on the bus
* grass that you are allowed to walk on/sit on
* fixed prices
* being able to hear about things word of mouth (festivals etc)
* word of mouth gossip and news. (i don't overhear anyones conversation at work or on the bus)
* public transport that runs all night
* my friends! my family! my workmates! my aquaintances! Australians!
*English, yes definitely English everywhere!! MY GOSH, I will be able to communicate with most people. amazing.
* Western toilets with toilet paper and soap!
* Comfortable beds
* Chinese people who are living in Australia - i can meet up with more, we have more in common now with language and experiences of places
* lessy obviously really really poor people and really really rich people
Things that I will miss when I leave Beijing
* reliable, fast, frequent public transport
* there is always people around so i feel safe
* great food
* great service (no enthusiastic) but always plenty of waitresses, shop assistants etc to help you
* meeting people from all over the world (can do in Sydney)
* being a foreigner, being exotic, being seen as different
* the culture and history (something about the moderness of opera house, bridge makes me want to cry)
* my friends and people i will be so far away
* interesting things, bikes, shops, etc
* boating
* the cold weather in winter ---- having real seasons
* practising mandarin and constant learning and challenge
Things I will be happy to leave behind in Beijing..................
* really hard beds
* train/bus seats which are hard and no leg room
* lack of soap in some public toilets
* lack of napkins in many restaurants
* animal internal organs in my soup and meals
* communication break downs
* missing my friends
* fear of not knowing stuff and having to trust people because you i can't communicate
* people walking into me or nearly running me over with their bike
* showers which don't have wall (the shower head juts out of the bathroom wall - water goes all over the toilet and entire floor)
* bargaining and getting ripped off
Things that I don't really like about Australia................
* its kinda sad that Australia is so modern
* Australian culture isn't that interesting
* Australia is so far from other countries
* the food is very fattening
* i don't like knives and forks
* western countries seem to have a greater gender role differences, i don't like the macho culture
* its kinda oppressive some of the European values, some peoples interpretation of Christian values is unkind I think
* Australian politics
thats about it, i really quite like both Australia and Beijing..
Both good. But I prefer to live in Australia because that is where my roots are. because the people I know.
Also the language thing is hard.
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