Overview
** BEIJING, CHINA TOURS **
Read travel tips for Beijing from our amazing community of BLACK AND BROWN TRAVELERS that will help you find some of the best places to visit in Beijing.Our variety of travel tips will definitely help you plan your next trip. Our tips range from best places to visit in Beijing, affordability, nightlife, local food, where to stay and even what it is like Traveling While Black. Lastly, we are working diligently to create a comprehensive city guide for Beijing Tours . Stay tuned! But in the meantime, scroll down to read tips below!
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I traveled to China solo right before the pandemic in January of 2020. Literally was one of the worst trips I’ve ever been on in my life. I would never want to go back honestly. I didn’t like the food at all. The language barrier was horrible. Since their internet is controlled you have to use a VPN, but the service out there in general is so bad. Their not polite, very rude and they know nothing about personal space. I had a break down at the mall and was almost stranded. Because I couldn’t connect to the Wi-Fi because you had to have a china number. So I couldn’t call a ride and nobody spoke English. It was a very bad solo experience. I would definitely suggest having a translator. I end up having one for two days which was the end of my trip. They don’t speak the best English but it’s the best you will get.
First, if you’re debating on traveling to Beijing, I ask you to open your mind past what others have told you, what you’ve seen/heard on socials and in the media, rid your mind of allat. Alright great now lets get into my 3rd favorite destination in the world!!
In this review you’ll find:
-My experience as a Black woman living in China
-Perks you could get being Black in China >>> and perks of knowing the language 中文 (Mandarin）
-How to find more Black travelers in China and more!
-Let’s be real, go in with an open mind and your life may just change for the better!
-Try these things!
-PS, words that sounds like the n word in Mandarin are actually 那个 (na/nei ge-that)， 你一个 (ni yi ge)
I lived in China for about a year after graduating high school early (I was 17-18). I have been learning Mandarin since I was about 11 and would say I was intermediate when I arrived in Beijing and fluent when I left! Having some knowledge of the language definitely helps you get around and talk to people because mainly, they are interested in YOU and that is a common misconception that a lot of Black travelers have. Yes, people took pictures of me without my consent, yes people would touch my braids in fascination, a 5 year old even tried to rub the color off my skin when I went to the countryside to visit my host family. But people did the same thing to my friend from Amsterdam that had blonde hair and blue eyes. So before that makes you cross China off your list, know that it happens to many, if not most, people that look like they are not from China! Also, China is so much more than the people, who are honestly amazing and inviting from what I have found. There is so much beauty, rich history, culture, FOOD!!!, and things to do.
Now onto Beijing, I lived directly in the city and took the metro daily to get everywhere. It is CHEAP! Convenient, CLEAN, and safe. I HAD SO MANY AMAZING EXPERIENCES SOLELY BECAUSE I AM BLACK!!!!!!! I got into the nightclubs, which are absolutely bomb by the way, for FREE.99 (Check out Sanlitun (三里屯)
Many of the promoters are Black or going to university from some country in Africa, mine was from Nigeria, and that should tell you everything you need to know. Also, because I speak Mandarin, people were constantly inviting me for dinner with their families, trying to get to know me, showing me new places, etc. It was such a beautiful experience!
You may not see many Black people but when you do it will most likely be in touristy areas or frequented areas such as the mall. However, there are Facebook groups you can join to find more people or check the hashtag, #blackinchina. I highly recommend learning some Mandarin, if possible, because it will allow you to feel more secure, navigating different spaces will be easier, and people will be SOOOOOO impressed let me tell ya.
But I’m not going to lie to you, being Black in China can break or make you. If you go in with annoyance for the stares, thinking the stares are the same stares (of disgust sometimes) you get in America, annoyance with people taking pictures of you, or if you don’t like close proximity to others (Beijing is a huge city and it’s crowded sometimes), Beijing may not be for you. But if you embrace the pictures, get in with some and let them show their appreciation, go in looking to meet new people and try new things, you will meet some amazing people and leave with changed perspectives and maybe, a new top favorite destination!
If you are worried about trying new food and the… ahem… consequences, bring along some Pepto Bismol or ask your doctor to prescribe you some Azithromycin before you travel. If you get the chance, try going to a local park around 6-8pm to find locals dancing, getting active, and doing communal activities after dinner! Visit some local hutongs, Siheyuan for example, and see the beauty! See the sunrise at the Great Wall and basque in the beauty (if you’re scared of heights you might want to sit this one out). Check out TaiKooLi for everything nightlife, entertainment, foreigners! Also, the street food is the one of the best things about eating so make sure to try it!
If you hear something that sounds like the n word, it is most likely NOT :) In Mandarin, na ge or nei ge actually means that or that one. Do not be alarmed! If you hear 黑 (hei-black) or 黑人(hei ren-Black person) though, that may be in reference to you but it may just be because of the shock of actually SEEING you.
I visited Beijing in 2019. I had a 13 hour layover in route to another destination. I decided to do a layover tour to the Great Wall of China. The Great Wall was beautiful and my friend and I created beautiful memories. However, the constant stares and sneaky photos from the Chinese can be a bit annoying. But don’t let that stop you from visiting the Great Wall of China.
There are lot of think to do in Beijing. But before left put a list of what you really want to do because it’s if of city where you can’t plans something the D Day. Lot of plans need a reservation.
For the famous place you can book the tour directly from your hotel or hostel. Don’t forget to buy or download a VPN before Landing to CHINA. some website INTERNET AND SOCIAL NETWORK are locked.
There is plenty to do in Beijing but I will admit I was completely scared to try the food since it’s not the “Chinese food” we’re used to in the states. It was very affordable, I stayed in an extremely nice serviced apartment that was inexpensive. I would recommend that if you plan on visiting the Great Wall DO NOT visit the Mutianyu section. I felt so claustrophobic because there were hundreds of people all making their way up. Personal space is not a thing and neither is covering your mouth to cough or sneeze. Even though I was wearing a mask, I ended up turning around before reaching the top. Getting around the city is relatively easy and as expected there are parts that are more modern, more historical, and there are parts that look a little rundown. Only once did I notice someone blatantly take a picture of me in the subway but since I had been living in Korea, I learned to tune out the stares by the time I visited China.
Here are some sites that are worth checking out in Beijing:
Forbidden City (or also called the Palace Museum). This is wherethe imperial family used to live back in the days. You will want to get there in early in the morning because it is huge (also they stop selling tickets at about 4pm)! You’ll spend a full day there easily. Inside they have portable English Audio recording (need to spend extra $ for it), but it is totally worth it because it guides
you and explains the history to you as you walk through the palace.
Tiananmen Square (it can be found at the same place as the Forbidden City). This has political importance as all the parliament/politics happen in those buildings. Once you are in front of the Forbidden City, you can see the square. About 20 mins worth of site seeing.
The Great Wall – Badaling segment (this is the section most accessible from Beijing and is paved out for tourism). This is about 1hour outside of Beijing via car, but definitely worth checking out. It has carts to carry you up to the Wall (you’ll have to buy a ticket),
then once you are up on the Great Wall you can walk downward. Go there early, because the carts stop functioning by 4 – 5pm. You can also
spend about 1 day there. Bring a jacket, it is really windy once you get up there. Also you have to buy a ticket to just visit the Great Wall.
Of all the places I’ve been Beijing is the only place I could see myself living. I absolutely loved the vibe there. There is so much history in Beijing. We visited the Great Wall, the bird’s nest, the emperors tomb, the forbidden city, and Tiananmen square. Getting around by public transportation was easy and we also walked a lot and felt safe. We partied in an area I believe called sulomit and I had a time. The bad thing is that everyone chain smokes everywhere!! Also be prepared to bargain for everything. NEVER pay the first 3 prices they tell you. I did not care for the Chinese food everything had pork in it. There are alot of expats so it is fairly easy to find American food and KFC chicken wings are the best I’ve had. I also took the bullet train to Shanghai.
Part of a cultural experience is trying out the food. Food you would probably never otherwise, food that you only get in that country and with that said, this is where I had my best food experience. I tried everything; from the scorpions, snakes, and the seafood. All cooked with special ingredients.
Throughout that week we tried amazing ice cream flavours from black beans to peas and other veggies. Uuh it was actually very yum. I would have never thought.
I must say I also tried their famous meat……
Tip: always try the local markets for authentic food
Beijing was a layover in route my my recent trip to Thailand. We had approximately 12hours in Beijing and decided to do an 8 hour tour while there. Great tours can be found on Tours by Locals. I actually thing it was pretty expensive but I did it anyway. The tour guide sent a map of where she’d be at a specific time.
Please be sure to ask questions and read signs for yourself. We were set back two hours after not understanding the directions of an airport worker on how to get out of the airport. Additionally we were told we needed a visa to leave. There we joined a long line where we waited for almost an hour to find out we DID NOT NEED A VISA ??♀️.
Moreover, we weren’t able to connect to WiFi and was unable to communicate with our tour guide via WhatsApp. I was able to ask someone who barely speak English to dial her number to update her on our late start.
Finally we got out of the airport, it was cold and very rainy. Traffic was extremely thick, they drive recklessly and it took 2 hours to get us to the first attraction.
Out of three attractions we were only able to visit one which was the Great Wall of China. We spent at least 2.5 hours there. It was a beautiful experience and I’d recommend it to anyone traveling to Beijing.
Our tour guide took us for lunch at one of her favorite restaurants where we tried a popular dish “hot pot”.. it came in very handy because of the weather and was rather tasty.
After lunch we made our way bk to airport which took an additional 2 hours because of traffic.
Please be sure to visit my Ig page @Dachea.elle for pics and snippets of my trip to Beijing China
Just went to China ?? had an amazing experience. Lots of history, of course we hiked the Great Wall of China. China has the best authentic food and duck. The people were friendly and went out the way to translate and accommodate us.
I recently visited Beijing to see old schoolmates (Chinese). Honestly, they helped me the most. I currently live in Korea. Chinese websites aren’t as English friendly but if you can overcome that then you will have a great time.
I really enjoyed the local foods. People were super welcoming. I heard people would ask to take pictures of you in China a long time ago and I thought it was an old thing but FOR SURE soon as I arrived people were asking to take pictures with me.
The people speak English well enough to help you.
I solo traveled as a black girl and I felt fine, BUT I still made sure I was aware of my surroundings because China is known for kidnapping women for brides.
I had to take the subway everywhere and used my friend’s roommates subway card. If you don’t have that you can temporarily purchase one for 5 yuan each ride. My friend also told me that popular apps to use is AlliPay and WeChat. They rarely use any type of debit card. Since I only stayed for a week I didn’t see the point in downloading an Alipay or WeChat to pay for things. I would use ICBC bank to withdraw cash from my American debit card.
When I wanted to book. train ticket, my friends had to book it for me because they didn’t have an English version to the website to book trains tickets or book taxi. My friend suggested that it was actually safer to take the train than a taxi alone because you can’t always trust taxi drivers. That was the big difficulty being in China, applications aren’t English friendly. Other than that I had a great time seeing The Great Wall of China, The Summer Palace, and Forbidden City.
I would say the pro’s out weight the con’s.
Also, if it helps I went in the first week of July, the weather was hot and I needed an umbrella to block out sun rays.
Traveling in China can somehow be challenging; Many Chinese people have never seen black people in their entire life; you will definitely attract attention, many will try to take pictures of you or with you, some may even point at you ostentatiously;
Beijing is as traditional and very modern city at the same time, highly recommended for those who are fond of Chinese history while witnessing exponential growth of Chinese economy.
Traveling in Beijing while black is defenerikt an experience. Know that people will take pictures and videos of you without even asking, some will also stare at you for a couple of minutes or follow you. It’s not rude for them it’s just that there not used to see black people so I will call that ignorance but living it and experience it was really exhausting.
Despite this, Beijing is an amazing city with so many beautiful places to see.
First you have to take a day to go visit the Great Wall of China, there is different part to visit, badalinf is the closet but the more croweded one. You’ll be able to find some organized tour around 300yuan but you can also go by yourself which will be cheaper. That’s what I did, I went the Mutianyu part and I was almost by myself there. To get there you have to take the 916 express bus to the terminus, and when you get to the terminus there plenty of cab who will offer you to take you to the wall. You have to negotiate the price. The bus + the cab cost me 54 yuan, the entrance of the wall was 40 yuan but I think I had a discount because I’m a student, but it’s still gonna be cheaper that the organized tour and you’ll be able to stay as long as you want. If you can i recommend you to go visit the Great Wall of China during the week, it will be less crowded than during the weekend.
Most of the attraction in Beijing you will have to pay, it’s around 40yuan each, but if you’re a student take your student card and show them you’ll have 50% off. I learned that at the end of my stay :(. And also for every visit you’ll do always have your passport with you because it’ll be your ticket. They asked your passport everywhere.
For the other things to do in Beijing I recommend you to spend at least half or your day at the Summer Palace, same for Temple of Heaven.
For the forbidden city I went early in the morning to go see the flag ceremony on Tiananmen Square, like I was there at 6am. Don’t bother doing it, it was crowded full of Chinese tourists plus it only lasted 2min. I still recommend you to be at the entrance of the Forbbiden Cory around 7:30 maximum because it’s full of people and it’s closes at 4pm so if you want to have the chance to go visit get there early and wait in line to get your ticket. When you’re done visit the forbidden city go straight to the Jingshan park it’s 2 yuan but you’ll be able to have a beautiful view of the Forbbiden city if you go all the way up. Also be careful when you exit the Forbbiden City some guy who speak really good English will tell you about a Tea Ceremony and if you want to join. Don’t go it’s a trap you’ll be ending having to pay a lot of money.
Indeed, Chinese people don’t speak English always have a trash for so when you see someone speaking really good English it’s weird.
If you like street art I recommend you to stop by 798 art disctrict, you’ll be able to see some nice exhibition or just walk through the neighborhood and enjoy the art shop and street art.
Hutong’s street are famous in Beijing it’s the small old street it’s authentic and nice to walk in it, begin some doors you’ll be able to find some nice and authentic restaurant so don’t hesitate to ask.
Oh and don’t forget to eat some Roasted Duck the speciality there. Get one in a restaurant and you’ll have the pleasure to see the chef come to you and cut in in front of you, it’s is something to experience when being in Beijing.
Also if you like to go out I recommend you to go around Ghost Street, that where my hotel was and it’s full of bars and restaurants you’ll have plenty of choice.
Beijing is a city to experience, it can be weird and quiet an experience but to educated Chinese with black people we have to continue visit this country because it’s really beautiful and worth it. I don’t regret it at all so go for it and enjoy.
So we’ve all heard about the stories about being Black in China. For starters, there is complexity and fluidity to everything, and everyone’s experiences are different but still valid.
My experience in Beijing was a mix between being surprised at how little attention people paid to me and being shocked at how much of a spectacle I was. So as you can imagine, it was an interesting mix.
Beijing is a huge city, so like most big cities, people don’t pay that much attention to you, black or not. They’ve seen all kinds of people and things. However, it is in the tourist areas where the spectating occurs. Many of the tourists live in more remote areas and have never seen black people in the flesh before. When I was at the Forbidden City and Summer Palace, a lot of people stopped and stared; pointed fingers; smiled or laughed at me with their travel companions. Many people asked to take a photo with me. I declined every request because I’m not a museum item. I’m sure even more people snuck photos of me but I was already feeling self-conscious and wasn’t paying enough attention to my surroundings to notice.
Obviously, all of it made me feel very uncomfortable. It made my time in these places less enjoyable because of this discomfort. But hey, that’s what travel is about: the discomfort with getting outside of your comfort zone.
I don’t want this to deter anyone from visiting cities in China. It’s truly a phenomenal country with a lot to see and experience. Beijing itself is phenomenal, with a plethora of sights, foods, museums, and nightlife.
The Forbidden City is a must (despite how touristy it is) because it’s so beautiful. The Summer Palace was nice too, even though I wasn’t as impressed with it. And the Great Wall is AMAZING. Definitely a must-see. I went to the section called Jouyyonguan, which is known for its hills and inclines. It’s also less touristy than Badaling.
My wife and I have been in China for 9 days. We’ve visit Beijing, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Shanghai. In Beijing the forbidden city, the Square and the Great Wall are a must things to do. The night life you have to visit a club called Mixy. The food isn’t great but manageable. If you don’t like the authentic Chinese food, they have American fast food restaurants.
Beijing overall has many things to offer such as the Great Wall, forbidden city , or just people watching at the square. I will warn you tho that there is no diversity in this place and people do not believe in personal space. Also, the Beijing people will randomly take pictures of you or ask for a picture. I believe it’s to show their friends I saw a black person. There is lots of pollution in the air so you’re going to be spitting and coughing a lot .
Overall if you’re going for a couple of days it’s a great trip. Longer then 3 days then it starts getting annoying with the lack of manners some of the people have.
Make sure you get some duck while, you’re here!!! If you never had it before, you should try it and if you like it, you’re going to love it! Oh! And make sure you get massages while you’re there.
Beijing is what they call a tier 1 city in China. This is the capital city and it is always bustling and there are tonnes of people. One of the nicest things about China is that everyone here is so friendly and ever willing to help.
We visited Beijing in early December which is in the middle of winter. Temperatures in Beijing can drop to minus 12 degrees Celsius and as it is dry city, the air is extremely dry and this makes day time touring a bit of a mission. Nevertheless, most apartments or accommodation in Beijing has wall heating panels which ensures that the rooms remain warm.
Travelling through Beijing doesn’t necessarily require you to book a tour. For tourist attractions within the city you can take the metro, as this is cheap and easily accessible.
*THINGS TO DO*
1. Great Wall of China – you can;t go to Beijing and not visit The Great Wall. I would advise visiting Mutianyu rather than Badaling as this side of the wall is less crowded and the scenery is quite phenomenal. Entrance to wall is only RMB 45 . There is also a cable car up to the wall if you aren’t too keen to walk it. It’s about 3’000 steps from the base to the first watch tower but it really is worth the experience. However, if you do decide on the cable car it is better to buy a return ticket as this is much cheaper. We took a Didi from our hotel to the wall which only cost about RMB260 which was way cheaper than any listed tour price I saw. The only issue is that Didis are a bit scarce in the afternoon so you may have to wait a bit when you are trying to get a return cab. I would advise allocating an entire day to this amazing piece of history. the views are spectacular and you really don’t want to rush your time there.
2. Tiannamen Square – the Square itself is huge and there is a lot of walking that will be done. I really advise comfortable shoes. The square is accessible by metro lines. Carry your passport as you will have to show it at the security check. If you are an early riser then I would advise getting to the square around 5am to see the soldiers raise the flags. Be careful when trying to take pictures with/of the soldiers, sometimes it is allowed and other times stricter officials refuse.
3. Forbidden city/ Palace Museum is located within the square. It is huge and each section tells a different story. It will probably take about half the day if you want to truly visit each palace and admire the beauty. Once again, a lot of walking is involved – so brace yourself.
4. Summer Palace is one of the most beautiful round palaces. There are quite a few other places which are all within the same vicinity so you will also have o do quite a bit of walking. However, the architecture and beautiful pictures truly make it worth it.
I would advise allocating a full day for the Great Wall and you can squeeze Forbidden City and Summer Palace into one day.
You can’t visit Beijing and not have Peking Duck ! There are many places which serve the duck. So I would advise checking out the area around.
In general China is quite safe so you can walk around at night and explore everything that the city has to offer. This is probably the best way to truly experience China. you may find some hidden gems.
Beijing!!!! I like this city for the people that are in it. And there are tons of people. I can say that there locals are respectable and have a sense of honor to them more than most European countries. If you are black they flock to you to take a picture like your a Rock Star or Athlete so you will find out fast if you have patience to be famous and deal with public. The only negative thing is that some of the people are “habitual nose pickers!”So keep your hands clean. the Air is thick and dusty so I believe now SARS was a fraud lol. But aye who am I. If you can withstand the flight the people of China are good for negros to see a different culture.
I visited Beijing in during their national holiday on Oct 1. I was a little nervous at first because I was told that the crowds would be massive, however, it wasn’t too bad. I stayed at the World China Hotel which is located in the middle of the city. It was very close to everything. There is actually a mall attached to it and also a subway. You didn’t have to leave the building to shop or eat at nice restaurants. I visited the great wall of china which is about 2 hours away. The silk factory is actually walking distance from the hotel. That is a nice spot to get custom suits and other great items for a great deal. During my visit in Beijing, I also stayed at the The Emperor Hotel which was a small boutique hotel very close to Forbidden City. This was my favorite hotel probably because the rooftop pool and bar was amazing. The breakfast was excellent at the hotel and it was definitely one of best smaller hotels I’ve stayed in. Before visiting China, make sure to download google translator (if you don’t know the language) and also know the currency.
I did a layover tour to see the Mutianyu section of The Great Wall. There was a scenic ride from the airport, passing numerous fruit farms. I enjoyed learning some history and the scenery. There is a cable car that takes you to the top and an option to take a toboggan back down. It was raining when I went, so I was unable to take the toboggan. Other Asian visitors were friendly and asked to have a photo with me. There were vendors selling things and snacks. I wished that I bought souvenirs from them, since I didn’t see any in the airport. There is also a Chinese restaurant and Subway on site. Be sure to try the watermelon shake.
I traveled from JFK- Beijing, China from June 20, 2018. I will be in China until the 10 August 2018 for a short training course on Civil Aviation Safety Procedures sponsored by the Chinese Government who coverage airfare and hotel accommodations.
I was issued a Chinese training visa, cost also absorbed by the Chinese government.
My 13 hour flight did not seem that long, Air China has an amazing inflight service and entertainment, uploaded with some of the latest movies and series. The food on board is pretty tasteful and you are served unlimited wine in economy.
I’m staying at the Huanghe Jingdu Hotel which is all inclusive in Central Beijing. On a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being the lowest, food and rooms were probably 2, service from hotel staff being 4. Because we are in central Beijing getting around is extremely easy and cheap! I am only 4 stops by bus from China’s famous Temple of Heaven and Pearl Market (across from each other) Transport whether subway or by bus is extremely cheap, 4RMB and 2RMB respectively, less than 1USD. I am 15 minutes from must sees such as: Tiananmen Square which a symbol of the Chinese Workers Revolution, the Forbidden City, home to several Chinese Emperors, Wanfunjing Food Street where you can try exotic foods such as scorpion, as well as China’s Great Offices of State- the People’s Parliament and different government ministries.
Please note you must have your passport to enter Tiananmen Square and the National Museum, if you forget your passport though no worries, ask kindly and staff will consult with their supervisors and they’ll let you in (assuming the supervisor is having a good day).
Getting around Beijing
Getting around Beijing is pretty easy, everything is in Chinese and English, including subway or bus stops. For the bus you need to know your bus number and your stop. For the subway you need to know your line numbers, transfer and or final stop.
One disappointment is that subway and buses stop running at 11pm.
Free WiFi is everywhere but you must have WECHAT in order to sign in. If you get lost or need to ask a question, try finding a young person, most of whom know basic or good English.
Shopping and Clubbing
China has a lot of western stores such as H&M, Zara, Forever 21 and many others, I have compared prices between China and the US and it works out so much more cheaper to shop in the US.
Nightlife in China is amazing
Sulitun is a millennial clubbing district with hippy chic restaurants. You can club or bar hop since everything is in walking distance. Clubs usually have western DJ’s from the US or Europe, playing a good mix of techno, party music, dancehall, reggae, lationo music, soca, pop and R&B. Absolutely worth clubbing at MIX, highly recommended. Salitun also has a lot of people from the Foreigners especially students.
Beware of the metered Taxi that run after 11pm. They are known for driving foreigners around to run-up the meter so you can pay more.
It is estimated that 56% of males smoke and 3% of women. There are smokers of virtually every corner in China, for a smoker you will be in paradise for none smokers it’s annoying.
The summers are extremely hot and humid, I highly recommend you take your mask, sunshine, umbrella and hats. You will also have to get use to coughing, and people spitting everywhere including on the subway or inside the mall on the floor.
This is my second trip to China and this time is even more amazing than the first time. Beijing is a mega city worthy exploring. It’s skyscraplers aren’t as condensed like those in Manhattan, they are scattered all over the city.
Chinese are very friendly, if you’re a black person in China you are like a celebrity…well some black people, they weren’t interested in taking pictures with some of my colleagues. I have grown sick of the hotel food I have resorted to McDonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut and Starbucks…PS I don’t eat fast food in my usual life. Perhaps most annoying, Chinese people believe ice isn’t good for ones body. It is extremely hard to find ice, much less ice water. For them room temperature water should be semi-hot.
I was in Beijing for a long layover. This was in May of 2018. I went to the Forbidden City. It was amazing! It was easy to get to from the airport. I took the train into the city. The titles of the stations are in English and Chinese. It was super easy to hop on the train, I only had to make one transfer and then I was there. Just remember to bring your Passport as you need it to get in. I was able to go inside the Palace Museum entrance and see a small piece of the city for free. The ticket was 30 Yuan, which is around $5. I was amazed at how big this place was. There were so many palaces to look at and explore. The history that they were able to preserve is astounding. I’m still amazed it still stands today in excellent condition. I only was able to spend about 2 hours there but well worth it!
Traveling to China was quite the experience. I traveled by way of Air China Airlines. The flight from Los Angeles was a 12 hour flight. I traveled to Beijing at the beginning of May, during this time the weather was extremely warm, about 85 degrees. I am in a doctorate program at Pepperdine University and as part of our global leadership course; a requirement was to attend this trip to China. Beijing was out of 5 places that we visited while in China. I stayed in Beijing for 2 days. Our travel and hotel stay was reserved and booked through my school. Beijing is extremely beautiful with deep culture and history. The air quality is quite poor, a facemask is imperative. Please make sure you follow the advice of authorities at all times. At times of high pollution, reduce exposure as much as practically possible do reduce the risk of potential health problems. Consider using a respirator (N95 mask) while outdoors.
We visited the Forbidden City, which is the former Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty. It is now a museum and it is beautiful. The next stop was the Great Wall of China. The wall is a substantial size and there were two options to getting on top of the wall. One way to reach the top is to climb and it is quite the hike. Another way to reach the top is by using the cable car that is available. It was a very wonderful feeling to climb to the top of the wall and reach its highest point of the watchtowers! This was a very amazing experience.
After climbing the wall, we were taken to a nearby retreat called Brickyard. The owners and the chef for a tour greeted us. The food was amazing and the staff was delightful. The ambiance is astounding and there is a great visual of the Great Wall behind the facility. In walking down the hill, there are many souvenir shops located around to possibly purchase for family and friends.
I loved Beijing! But China is not very easy for people who so not speak Chinese. It is very hard to communicate with others in China unless they are trying to sell something to you. And being black in China is weird because everyone stares at you and wants to take your picture. There are definitely alot to see; the great wall, temple of heaven, forbidden city and many more. The train system is easy to use and it is in English. But you will need a translator sometimes to move around. Make sure you take your studeng ID along to get discounts.
It was a very bad experience. Not only is the city very polluted but the inhabitants are not hospitable. we do not understand the directions in Chinese so we ask many questions to passersby but unfortunately he does not speak English more they do not want to talk with strangers in the street. I am very surprised to see some comments saying that in Beinjing they were very welcome as black. Yet my husband and I were both Mixed and we felt that our skin color was not appreciated. I will never come back to pekin!
I was in Beijing, China for a year and a half on business. The best places to stay are in hostels. You meet guests from all over the world, the staff are always helpful, all the information about the city is found in there and their prices are affordable. I stayed at two different hostels before I found my own apartment. Wada International Hostel and Happy Dragon Backpackers Hostel. Great places to stay. These two hostels are walking distance from the train station. The train stations that they’re near have connecting lines. Two different lines meet at one station. This is convenient for when you want to go to certain locations in Beijing and can save you travel time. You can choose the fastest route to your destination with the convenience of two lines at one station. Two is better than one. :) Once you arrive in Beijing make sure you get a train card which will allow you to travel everywhere faster and cheaper. You load money on the card and can use it at the train stations and on buses. 100 rmb ($20) is a good amount to start with and can last you a week. Beijing has a rich history, touring the city is an adventure, the food is delicious, nightlife is good and if you’re into basketball Dongdan is the place to play.
SHANGHAI, CHINA REVIEW!!!!!!! So I couldn’t find an option for Shanghai, China but I gotta tell y’all about it. ITS LIT. I was there for a month and living on $50 a week. The pollution is BAD. But the people are so sweet, the food is amazing and there’s things to do everywhere. I ate things like chicken heart, chicken feet etc. I also shopped my little butt off. Had to leave tons of clothes behind because of the amount of stuff I brought. I didn’t mind because the people there are pretty poor and appreciate anything American. Definetly take the subway, visit the Pearl Market, the Silk Garden and on Yangchang Rd, there is a “cafeteria” that has the best soup dumplings Shanghai has to offer. It’s located right by Shanghai university which is where I stayed. The clubs are poppin and you can wear whatever you want. From Ugg’s to stilettos. You don’t need to know the language because the Chinese speak money (just always have a calculator handy and maybe a note pad). All in all China is dope. Definetly go visit and watch your world views change!
Exploring and experiencing the Great Wall of China was the highlight of my vacation. I was not impressed with the food while in China. A lot of things just didn’t seem right with me so I stuck with eating packaged noodles… no fun in that. I also went to the Jade factory where they make jade and that was pretty interesting. China was good but I have no real desire to return anytime soon.
Mainland China is not the business. I spent a couple of days in Beijing and maybe I just had a bad experience but I will not be going back! This is the one place where using hand signals and pointing to maps or pictures do not work when you are trying to explain something to a local. I did meet one friendly student who kind of adopted me into his family for the day (I know you are now probably thinking why I am so negative lol). However, later on in my stay I got into a heated argument with my driver who was taking me to the Great Wall. Let’s just say it got bad…
The beauty of traveling is that we can all have different experiences but for me, mine was not the greatest in Mainland China. My advice, go to Beijing for the Great Wall, get some Peking Duck and then keep it moving.
China
Traveling to a foreign country is nothing new to me, but traveling to China was a completely different ball game. I have always been a huge fan of Chinese culture and after being there for two weeks, China became my overall favorite destination. From staying in five of the most advanced hotels, I have ever seen, to having the freshest food I have ever tasted China is dope!
You can find some incredible deals out there for a trip to china without breaking the bank, please remember you do need to purchase a visa to enter this country so plan ahead. Some deals are as low as for $700 for flight, accommodations and tours all included, as well as soon meals. An added benefit is that an English-speaking interpreter/tour guide at the airport (which you will most definitely need to maneuver) meets you at the airport. She then drives you around to the different tours and landmarks. Traffic in Beijing is horrible but it is an entertaining ride to say the least. The tour will almost always include a trip to the Great Wall, the site at first is a lot to take in because it is so massive but once you settle in it is truly amazing. Walking up and down this world wonder is special yet exhausting (bring lots of water). China has tea for literally everything so if you are into drinking tea like me make sure you buy as much as possible. It is very cheap and it is worth it. The food is different and some of it is even alive so go in with an open mindset. One of our most humbling experiences was venturing off and trying to order food, literally could not eat at a restaurant that did not have pictures and even then, it was hard to truly know what you were ordering. During this trip we also visited Shanghai which was jaw dropping the cities architecture is like none you have ever seen and getting around with their subway trains was an adventure in and of its self.
The Great Wall is a challenge but well worth it. The people are so friendly and LOVE black people (especially if you have braids or some hairstyle they aren’t use to seeing). You have to check out the forbidden city and Tiananmen Square!
My friends and I intentionally purchased our tickets to Thailand with a layover in Beijing to visit The Great Wall. Who doesn’t want to visit one of the seven wonders of the world! We got a tour guide who picked us up and gave us informative information regarding the Great Wall. It was amazing! Best part of my trip thus far.
Try the scorpion there actually no bad. Don’t go if your afraid to step outside of your comfort zone and expect to be stared at your entire trip. There are very few black people so expect to take a lot of pictures with the locals. We constantly approached and asked if we were rappers. Just go with it and make someone’s day and take a picture with them. At one point I was tossed a baby for a picture so be aware at all times lol. Make sure you go to the great wall and take in what a task that was to complete. We went to get some pics for my clothing line Drunk tourist clothing. Check out my website http://www.drunktouristclothing.com to see some pictures and cop some gear. Anyway I def recommend everyone goes at least once. It’s amazing