The first-time visitor may feel that all of Beijing is closed for renovations. According to a BBC report, half of the world's steel, and one-third of the world's concrete are currently being poured into the biggest urban facelift the world has ever seen.
Rising oil prices have induced an increase in the surcharge levied on air tickets to ¥60 ($7.50) per flight on top of the existing airport tax of ¥50 ($6). And as of May 7, 2006, the per kilometer rate for Beijing's taxi fleet increased from ¥1.60 (20¢) to ¥2 (25¢). While this means that your average trip will go up in price, there is one benefit. Currently, for "one-way" trips over 15km a 50% surcharge applies once the 15km limit is exceeded; with the price hike, this surcharge will now only be applied to trips of over 30km.
There is a new 2am curfew on certain varieties of nighttime entertainment, namely karaoke bars and dance clubs.
Getting There
The Airport Expressway now links up with the Second Ring Road. While those headed toward the Third and Fourth Ring Roads will now drive out of their way up the Second Ring Road just to get on the swiftly-moving expressway to make their connections, that doesn't mean that the situation on the Second, Third or Fourth Ring Roads has improved any -- Beijing's rush hour now lasts all day and much of the night.
Beijing South Railway Station is closed for renovations. When it reopens in 2007 it will be the terminus for a new high-speed rail link from Shanghai, as well as trains from Tianjin.
Where to Stay
The delightful Lusong Yuan Binguan continues to add courtyards, and may soon be as large as the original Qing dynasty residence. For the next few months, however, construction noise may disrupt your visit.
Those who like their accommodation cheap will be delighted to find that four Super 8 hotels have opened. The most conveniently-located are both near Wangfujing, one behind Dong Tang (St. Joseph's Cathedral), and a slightly cheaper one to the north in Dongsi Wu Tiao (www.super8.com.cn).
Guyun Youth Hostel (tel. 010/6403-7702) just opened at Jiu Gulou Dajie 51, right across the road from our favorite Malaysian restaurant, Cafe Sambal. Walk 5 minutes south from Gulou Dajie metro stop (exit B).
Where to Dine
As usual, there's no shortage of turnover on Beijing's dining scene: The Riverside Cafe, once our favorite for weekend breakfast is no more, as is the original branch of Be There Or Be Square (Bu Jian Bu San), although one branch of this once all-powerful Hong Kong restaurant chain struggles on in Xi Dan.
We've uncovered a better breakfast option on the quieter north end of the Sanlitun Bar Street, right across from Unicef. The best deal at Sparrow's Cafe (tel. 010/6413-0345) is the ¥40 ($5) set breakfast, with fresh-squeezed orange juice, eggs, properly crispy bacon, a fresh-baked croissant or the best English muffin in the city, and your choice of coffee. Try the house special of churros con chocolate: made-to-order deep-fried dough dusted in sugar and served with a cup of fragrant hot chocolate, made from real, honest-to-goodness chocolate.
The latest government-planned bar and restaurant strip, Lucky Street, hopes to pick up on the increased traffic from the American Embassy when it moves north sometime in 2007. In the meantime, it remains mostly empty, but there are a few places of note. Jack's Steakhouse (tel. 010/5867-0227), an Australian venture, offers prime cuts of beef to the knife-and-fork set. Café Constance (tel. 010/5867-0201) is a terrific German bakery which offers the best whole-grain breads, German cakes, and tempting bars and cookies in Beijing. Nashville Bar and Restaurant (tel. 010/5867-0298) has relocated here from the long-demolished Sanlitun South Bar Street, and offers live music and large portions worth a trip.
Located on the top floor of the 3.3 Shopping Center in Sanlitun , Mughal's (tel. 010/5136-5575) offers Pakistani and Xinjiang cuisine that Native Pakistanis swear is authentic. There are more options for the carnivores than the vegetarians, but the Palak Paneer is incredibly creamy, and the tandoor mixed platter, with chicken, mutton, beef and prawns, will make everyone happy. Xinjiang dancers perform nightly, but the noise level can be a touch too high: sit at the far end of the room, away from the stage. Dinner for two around ¥160 ($20).
Bellagio's (tel. 010/8451-9988), our favorite Taiwanese restaurant, recently sprouted a new branch in Yayun Cun, just to the west of Dongbei Hu, while our pick for the best Sichuan cuisine, Mala Youhuo, has opened a branch in Chaoyang (tel. 010/8460-8451) at Dong Zhi Men Wai Dajie 46, on the third floor of Tianheng Dasha.
Attractions
The Forbidden City and Beihai Gongyuan remain largely under scaffolding. One structure that has reopened ahead of schedule is the iconic Qinian Dian (Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests) inside the Temple of Heaven (Tiantan Gongyuan).
A brand-new Painting Study Center in the northeast corner of the Forbidden City which plans to showcase some of the works from the Museum's extensive collection. To find this unmarked building: from the Starbucks, walk directly north, and turn into the second gate on your right. Walk down the alley until you see a white marble Western-style building through the doorway on the left and turn in.
The brand-new Capital Museum (Shoudu Bowuguan) is a modern museum, with modern architecture, and a stunning design and includes permanent exhibitions on Peking opera, hutong life, folk arts and crafts, and a complete exhibition of Beijing's history. Captions are all in English and Chinese, except for special exhibitions. At the moment, the museum is host to the only PRC stop for a traveling exhibition from the British Museum's permanent collection. If you only have one museum stop to make in Beijing, this should be it -- especially if it is your first time in the city. The Museum is at Fuxing Men Wai 16, at the corner of Baiyun Lu on the south side of the street, open 9am to 5pm (www.capitalmuseum.org.cn).
Shopping
There are a few gems to be found in 3.3 Shopping Center for ladies. A branch of the lingerie chain Yafeer is on the first floor, while poking around the upper floors yields such gems as Mongolian, Nepalese, Yunnanese, Tibetan clothing, as well as a few shoe stores which stock Western sizes. Avoid the overpriced tailors on the 5th floor. The shopping center also hosts a cafe, a branch of Baskin Robbins, and hidden on the 5th floor is Mughal's. The Center is located on Sanlitun North Bar Street, making it easy to shop 'til you drop and then head out Tongli Studios (directly behind) for a drink. Be sure to bargain, but expect to pay higher prices here as there are very, very few knockoffs to be found.
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