I think the Hilton Wangfujing is in a more interesting neighborhood than the first hotel you mentioned in your itinerary. You're walking distance to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, and Wangfujing is a bustling neighborhood filled with hundreds of stores and restaurants. Walk further east, past the 2nd ring road, and there's some high-end hotels and eventually you get to the Temple of the Sun.
There is just *so much* to see in Beijing. And I'm getting hungry just thinking of the amazing food.
I think your basic itinerary that you posted above looks fine -- you're going to see a lot of the "greatest hits" of tourist China, which is great. I think it's worth finding some really good guidebooks and digging into the neighborhood stories close where you'll be staying. I don't think you'll need to spend a lot of time on the metro - though that's fine - as quick cab rides or even walks are going to take you to a lot of places.
I'll stress again how much there is to see in different neighborhoods. There are so many layers to the history in Beijing -- the ancient city; the early days of communism; the neighborhoods and department stores the Soviets helped build; the growth of modern neighborhoods, stores and offices as China modernized; and then the crazy, modern, vibrant life that's emerged in recent years. When I lived there I found it *so* interesting to look up basic historical events of the 60s, 70s or 80s, and then track down the neighborhood where things happened -- once you understand what you're looking at, it's an endlessly fascinating place to visit.
There is just *so much* to see in Beijing. And I'm getting hungry just thinking of the amazing food.
I think your basic itinerary that you posted above looks fine -- you're going to see a lot of the "greatest hits" of tourist China, which is great. I think it's worth finding some really good guidebooks and digging into the neighborhood stories close where you'll be staying. I don't think you'll need to spend a lot of time on the metro - though that's fine - as quick cab rides or even walks are going to take you to a lot of places.
I'll stress again how much there is to see in different neighborhoods. There are so many layers to the history in Beijing -- the ancient city; the early days of communism; the neighborhoods and department stores the Soviets helped build; the growth of modern neighborhoods, stores and offices as China modernized; and then the crazy, modern, vibrant life that's emerged in recent years. When I lived there I found it *so* interesting to look up basic historical events of the 60s, 70s or 80s, and then track down the neighborhood where things happened -- once you understand what you're looking at, it's an endlessly fascinating place to visit.
Statistics: Posted by Lookingforanswers — Mon Jan 22, 2024 11:15 pm — Replies 59 — Views 3099