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| Beijing
Tours - Excursions |
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Bus
Tours
China
International Travel Service (tel: (10) 6601-1122 or 8292) and
the China Travel
Service (tel: (10) 6462-2288) both provide full-day city tours
with complimentary pick-ups from many hotels. The Forbidden
City and Temple of Heaven excursion lasts
approximately eight hours and costs US$31 with lunch included offered
by China Travel Service (Mon, Wed and Fri) or U$44 with China International
Travel Service (Tues, Thur, Sat and Sun), although this includes
the Summer Palace as well.
Half Day Excursions
Tour
of hutongs
These are ancient housing areas where small single-storey
dwellings situated around courtyards form a maze of narrow streets.
The best way to explore hutongs is to walk or by rickshaw. Bringing
an English-speaking guide will allow you to to talk to the locals
and possibly even see their homes. China
Travel Service (tel: (10) 6462-2288) and China
International Travel Service (tel: (10) 6601-1122 or 8292) book
1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hour rickshaw tours with an English-speaking
guide for US$22 per person.<
Whole
Day Excursions
Great Wall and Ming Tombs
The Great Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, covers
thousands of miles, the closest section to Beijing is at Badaling.
The wall stretches between watchtowers and is sufficiently wide
for five horsemen. Badaling Great Wall (tel: (10)
6912-1483) is open daily (09:00-16:30) and admission is RMB35.
The Ming Tombs can be reached by the Spirit Way,
which is guarded by large statues of men and animals. All the tombs
are open daily (times vary for each tomb but are usually 08:00-17:30)
and admission is RMB30 for most tombs, except Ding Ling
(RMB35) and the Spirit Way (RMB20). Thirteen of
the Ming emperors are buried around the valley but only one of the
original underground burial chambers – at the Ding
Ling tomb (tel: (10) 6076-1424) – is open to the
public. The best way to go is by taxi or take a coach tour with
China Travel Service
(tel: (10) 6462-2288) or China
International Travel Service (tel: (10) 6601-1122 or 8292).
Fragrant Hills
Located approximately 28km (18 miles) northwest of Beijing and best
reached by taxi, the Fragrant Hills (tel: (10)
6259-1155) are thickly wooded with pine trees and were once a favourite
hunting ground for emperors. Pagodas, temples
and pavilions are dotted around the park, which
is open daily 06:00-18:00 and costs RMB5 to enter. The summit of
the highest peak is easily reached by a chair lift (RMB40 one way;
RMB70 return).
Summer Palace
The Summer Palace (tel: (10) 6288-1144) situated
in the northwestern suburbs, was a retreat for the royal court to
escape from the heat of the city and is now a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. The former imperial residences are situated
on the shores of Kunming Lake, which contains small
islands, ornamental bridges and a marble boat that used to be a
teahouse. The Summer Palace is easily reached by taxi. In summer,
it is open daily 0630-1800 and admission costs RMB20; in the low
season, it is open daily 07:00-17:30 but the entrance rises to RMB30. |
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