Print
Email
Bookmark & shareWhere the mojo of MTV and mobile phones has eclipsed the magic of Mao.
If your visions of Beijing are centred around pods of Maoist revolutionaries in buttoned-down tunics performing exercise in Tiananmen Square, put them to rest: this city has embarked on a new millennium rollercoaster and it's taking the rest of China with it.
Beijing's youth is more interested in MTV than Mao; rhetorical slogans from the Cultural Revolution have given way to butchered English splashed across designer-copy T-shirts, and expats, tourists, foreign investors and a mobile phone-toting hip-oisie are mixing it up with the bureaucrats.
Travel Warning: Post-Olympic Games Security
The Olympic Games finished on August 24 but visitors to China should still expect tight security procedures not only in Beijing, but across the country. Travellers should make sure they have the correct visa requirements - issuing procedures recently changed due to the Olympics. Security at airports, on subways, and at popular tourist sites is likely to remain tight until the post-Olympic celebrations begin to settle. Travellers would be wise to avoid any large demonstrations.
An American tourist was killed in a knife attack in central Beijing on the opening day of the Olympic Games. A second tourist was injured in the attack at the Drum Tower monument, 5km (3mi) from the main Olympic stadium.
severity: High-level alert
Fast Facts
Population
13,000,000
Currency
Name: Yuan Renminbi
Code: CNY
Symbol: Y
Electrical Plugs
220V 50Hz
Languages Spoken
Official: Mandarin
Time Zones
GMT/UTC +8 (Standard Time)
Country Dialing Code
+86
Weights & Measures
Metric
Beijing - Free Guidebook Chapter
Download the free Getting Started chapter or buy individual chapters from our Beijing guide, in our online Shop.
› Go to the Beijing download page.
Related Travel Stories
-
Beijing's art scene
article by George Dunford, July 2008
Is the fabled Factory 798 a success story or a sell-out, and what's the next big thing? Read the full article ›
Tags: Art, Architecture & Design • Beijing
-
Teaching English in Beijing
article by Daniel McCrohan, January 2008
Want to catch the Olympics but jittery about costs? Teaching could give you extra cash and a new angle on the city. Read the full article ›
Tags: Working Holidays • Beijing
-
There Goes The Neighbourhood - Beijing
podcast by Daisy Harper, November 2006
The courtyards and alleyways of Beijing's hutongs are vanishing under the developer's dozer. Read the full article ›
Tags: Beijing
BLUELISTS blu,list to recommend a travel experience
-
How to get the BEST deal in a China market
— 11 Dec 07 -
Best travel sites in Beijing
— 06 Oct 07 -
Best of Beijing
— 20 Mar 07 -
Best City Views
— 21 Nov 06
Advertisement
Book Your Trip
Hotels & Hostels
Booking hotels is simple with Lonely Planet. See our reviewed and recommended hotels in one place and book online. Browse hotels ›
Lonely Planet Newsletters
Updates, offers and inspiration - straight to your inbox.
Subscribe now ›
Disclaimer: We've tried to make the information on this web site as accurate as possible, but it is provided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information. You should verify critical information (like visas, health and safety, customs and transportation) with the relevant authorities before you travel.
