If there's one thing that remains constant in Beijing, it's that nothing ever remains the same. Returning visitors cry, "Where am I? And what have you done with the real Beijing?" Blame the imminent Olympics for the current accelerated rate of change, and go as soon as you can.
Getting Around Beijing
Perhaps a better indicator of the state of the economy than unverifiable figures provided by the government, the toll on the Airport Expressway has fallen from 15 Yen ($1.90) to 10 Yen ($1.25) because it was too expensive (according to taxi drivers). The Fourth Ring Road is complete, and taxi drivers taking you to hotels along Dong Chang'an Jie and Jianguo Men Nei/Wai Dajie will now wisely take it south from the Airport Expressway. But don't use it to drive around the city -- it runs closer in on the east and west sides than it does on the north or south. An even further-flung Fifth Ring Road is under construction.
The metro system has the new light-rail Line 13, which makes a northern arc from Xi Zhi Men to Dong Zhi Men and provides an alternative method of reaching the Summer Palace (with a short taxi ride) and some other rural sights. Fares have risen to 3 Yen (35¢) on the original two lines, and a ticket, huancheng piao, allowing you to start from or switch to Line 13, is 5 Yen (65¢). Proper machine-readable tickets are on their way, after which it will cost 2 Yen (25¢) for the first three stops on any line, and 1 Yen (10¢) for every three stops after that. Vast new rail/metro/light-rail/bus interchanges are under construction at Dong Zhi Men and Xi Zhi Men.
On the frontiers of hygiene, the nightmarish, old public toilets are closing for good, at least in downtown areas, and are to be replaced by new or portable units with flush or chemical appliances.
Where To Stay
Competition is heating up in the five-star market with the arrival of several familiar names from the West, and more of the top-rank Asian brands. Grand Hyatt Beijing nabbed Beijing's best address, in the vast Oriental Plaza complex at the junction of Wangfujing and Dong Chang'an Jie (tel. 86/10/8518-1234; www.beijing.grand.hyatt.com). Hyatt's top brand, Park Hyatt, is also on the way. The Marco Polo in Xi Dan (tel. 86/10/6603-6688;www.marcopolohotels.com/beijing) is as comfortable as any other five-star, and as well-placed for public transport, shopping, and major sights. Its intimate, beautifully designed public spaces make it the nearest thing to a boutique hotel in Beijing, although it remains largely undiscovered. Renaissance Beijing, just off the northeast Third Ring Road, Air China PlazaNo.36, Xiao Yun Lu, Chaoyang District (tel. 86/10/6468-9999; www.marriott.com) and handy for the Airport Expressway, offers small-scale elegance. Guests flying out on Air China can use the lobby check-in.
China World Hotel, No. 1 Jian Guo Men Wai Avenue (tel. 86/10/6505-2266; www.shangri-la.com) has just had a substantial top-to-bottom refurbishment. Several Chinese-run hotels, including the Kunlun and Prime, not included in this volume, have had such lavish revamps that they might make the next edition. The Palace Hotel has had a major refurbishment and in September 2003 rebranded itself The Peninsula Palace Beijing, 8 Goldfish Lane, Wangfujing (tel. 86/10/8516-2888; www.peninsula.com) finally revealing its connections to famous properties in Hong Kong, Bangkok, New York, and elsewhere.
Converted hutong courtyards (siheyuan) are the most interesting mid-range options. The latest addition, Hejing Fu Binguan, is the former residence of a Qianlong emperor's daughter in Dong Cheng.
Budget options in Beijing were once restricted to a cluster of dire hotels on the South Third Ring Road. The arrival of Youth Hostel International has changed that. Simple but clean lodgings are now ubiquitous. The best choices are Far East Youth Hostel, 90 Tieshu Xiejie (tel. 86/0/13801358094) and Feiying Binguan in the south, as well as the brand-new Gongti Youth Hostel in Chaoyang, No.9 Tai, Workers' Stadium (tel. 86/10/65524800). Several of the old imperial-era brothels in the hutong south of Qian Men have been reinvented as hotels, and you may feel more of a frisson staying here than in the average budget digs. Shanxi Xiang Di'er Binguan and Qian Men Changgong Jiudian are the best of them.
Where to Dine
The latest trend in Beijing dining is minority fare from the south and southwest, as represented in the hip new Anyuan No. 5. Rare mushrooms from minority-dominated Yunnan Province are the most fashionable ingredient, particularly at hotpot restaurants like Taipo Tianfu Shanzhen and Bai Shi Ji Huoguo. But the best representatives of the minority craze are a pair of Hakka restaurants -- Old Character Hakka and Han Kejia -- both owned by the same artist-entrepreneur and both justifiably packed nearly every night. As with nightlife, the center of gravity in Beijing dining has finally begun to shift away from the tired neon of Chaoyang's embassy areas. The focus now is on the Back Lakes area (Shicha Hai), where stylish decor accompanies -- and frequently overshadows -- the food. Kong Yiji Jiulou, a restaurant devoted to the celebration of Chinese writer Li Xun, serves some fine dishes in the delicate Huaiyang style of Lu's hometown, Shaoxing.
The beloved string of 24-hour restaurants known as Ghost Street has largely been reduced to bite-size pieces by the wrecking ball, although a few establishments on its western end still survive. Starbucks has continued its inevitable expansion, including a controversial move to the very center of the Forbidden City. Despite the competition from cafes and bars, traditional teahouses have staged something of a comeback; the new Teahouse of Family Fu, in a quiet corner of the Back Lakes, is the most welcoming and offers occasional lectures and other cultural events.
Exploring Beijing
Several major sites have introduced seasonal pricing with higher prices from April 1 to October 31 and lower prices from November 1 to March 31.
Some newly renovated sections of the Forbidden City formerly closed to the public are due to open in 2004. These include the Wuying Dian (Hall of Valiance and Heroism) and the Cining Huayuan (Garden of Love and Tranquility) in the western section of the palace. Further sections will open by 2006. Those few ancestral tablets that survived the Cultural Revolution will be on show in Lidai Diwang Miao (Temple for Emperors of Past Dynasties), which will reopen to the public after decades in October 2004. A fragment of Beijing's original rammed-earth Yuan City Wall is also due to open soon. We've uncovered a eunuch cemetery, the Tianyi Mu, in the far west of town, and a eunuch museum is due to open near the Summer Palace, at the Lima Guandi Miao.
In the name of the Olympics, the automobile, or just naked greed, the destruction of the city's charming hutong has been continuing apace. See what you can, because it probably won't be there next time you visit.
Beijing Strolls
The Back Lakes area (Shicha Hai), composed of three idyllic lakes, has long been the most pleasant spot for a stroll in Beijing. Now (for better or for worse), it rivals Sanlitun in its range of cafes, bars, restaurants, and teahouses. The popularity of this area means these hutong are likely to escape the wrecker's hammer. Pass up the pedicab tour, start early on a weekday, and explore the area on your own feet.
Shopping
The future of Beijing's largest but money-losing Friendship Store, 17 Jianguomenwai Dajie (tel. 0/10/6512-4488) looks doubtful, although one announcement of its demise has already proven premature. The current favorite for fake and knockoff designer-label clothing, footwear, and luggage is the recently opened Sanlitun Yaxiu Fuzhuang Shichang, located in the old Kylin Plaza building. You'll also find appealing gifts and souvenirs, competent tailors, and even a manicurist there. The antiques and "antique" furniture outlets of Gaobeidian and the tea vendors of Malian Dao represent a return to the fine tradition of merchant streets specializing in a single commodity.
Beijing After Dark
Locals and some visitors now buy tickets to Beijing performances online at www.webtix.com.cn; ticket delivery to your hotel is included.
Despite government attempts to nudge nightlife in the direction of Chaoyang Park, where it is less likely to disturb residents, Beijing's bars and clubs have instead proliferated all over the city. The greatest explosion has again been in and around the Back Lakes, where bright green beer signs and the thump of dance music increasingly confuse the senses, otherwise lulled into vulnerability by the pleasant scenery and lack of traffic. Once the center of fashionable gyration, dance club Vogue has closed down, but it has a potential replacement in a new club connected to Back Lakes restaurant Nuage, likely to open in late 2003. DJ-driven party spots Club FM and The Club @ Sanlitun fill the vacuum in the meantime. ClubFootball, next to the Red House, is the city's newest and most authentic sports bar, with cheap beer, good chili, and a relaxed crowd. Finally, Taiwanese import Cash Box provides Beijing with the truly classy karaoke joint it's always lacked.