For Far East intrigue, try Beijing

Western visitors drawn to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing will discover there is a lot more to experience than the Games.

By Carlo Wolff, Special to the Times
Published January 13, 2008

BEIJING

With a population of 1.3-billion and 171 cities of 1-million-plus, the scale of China is hard to grasp. City traffic? A new dimension. While those storied bicycles seem mostly used by older folks, younger Chinese love their wheels and, as China's middle class explodes, the car has become a key status symbol.

The population of this somewhat formal city is at least 12-million; some peg it at 16-million. Shanghai is bigger still, at15-million (or maybe more); Chongqing in Sichuan province, which is slightly smaller than Maine, is 30-million-plus.

But this year, all eyes will be on Beijing, the country's capital and host of the Summer Olympics. China is spending $40-million to modernize the ancient city for the 500,000 visitors it expects. (An estimated 4-billion people may watch the Games on TV.) And the government is making good on its promise for no Athens-like last-minute scramble. All but one of the 37 competition venues were expected to be completed by this month, ahead of schedule. The Olympics begin Aug. 8.

When you arrive at Beijing Capital International Airport, swap dollars for yuan, or renminbi, at the ATM. You'll get about seven RMB to the dollar, though Chinese currency has been rising as of late.

Fascinating though it is, Beijing is not an easy city for travelers, especially those who don't speak Chinese. There are about 50 dialects, with Mandarin dominant, and unlike some other big cities around the world, you'll be hard-pressed to find a cab driver who speaks or reads English.

Fortunately, I had a guide when I was there recently on a business trip for Lodging Hospitality, a magazine focused on the hotel trade.

I got around as a passenger in a Buick minivan (Buick, Audi and VW, along with Hyundai taxis, are major brands in this car-crazy city). Anne Tan of the Wyndham Hotel Group arranged the trip for me and my traveling companion. We stayed at the Days Inn Forbidden City (about $50 a night), a modest hotel in one of the highest-profile tourist areas.

Communication is key

The sky was blue on only one day of our stay; otherwise, it was metallic gray, the air acrid and oddly salty, thanks to the pollution. A frequent, symbolic sight: a small truck, its flatbed bearing pallets loaded with cylinders of coal for home heating. There is some concern that the heavy, yellow air that hangs over the city could postpone some of the Games' endurance events.

After we settled into our rooms but still buzzing from jet lag, we went for a walk. Our first stop: Dick Duke, a sweater store specializing in cashmere, around the corner from the hotel. A group of construction workers was hanging by the bus stop, apparently done with its shift. Construction in Beijing goes on 24/7, with cranes everywhere and buildings marked by bamboo scaffolding.

Neither of us could communicate with store employees, and Dick Duke didn't take Visa or MasterCard. After a few minutes, the store window was filled with the faces of construction men gawking at us. I felt like an animal at the zoo. Both of us were taller, fairer and dressed differently from most Chinese. We eventually returned to the store, dragging Anne along to help us negotiate.

Back on the street, we entered the Forbidden City gardens and shortly fell in with two young women who asked us in passable English if we'd like to sample some tea. Despite our apprehensions, we agreed, following "Angela" and "Mary" to a nearby teahouse where a traditionally attired woman served us sips of about a dozen varieties.

Angela and Mary said they were students merely interested in making strangers feel at home. They did - until the bill came: 1,245 yuan (nearly $180), stiff for the equivalent of four cups of tea. We balked, eventually forking over some 700 yuan, all the cash we had on us. Beware of "students" when you visit Beijing. Also, women should keep their pocketbooks close, men their wallet pockets buttoned.

Culture and commerce

After our "student encounter," our Beijing stay was without incident. We spent most of the second day touring the Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City, built in the early 15th century for the Ming Dynasty. Aided by Angela Wu Qing, a chatty expert on city landmarks, we wound our way through the area. We gawked at the seemingly endless spectacle of musicians playing indigenous string instruments; demonstrations of tai chi; karaoke; banner aerobics; kite flying; revolutionary songs; opera; flute lessons; middle-aged men huddled over Chinese chess; card-playing; and always, always crowds.

At the junction of the Temple and the Forbidden City we had very good espresso and cappuccino and bought Chairman Mao watches for 8 RMB (about $1.10).

Because the number nine has heavenly connotations in Chinese cosmology - pronunciation of the word "nine" is similar to that of "forever" - Angela constantly reminded us of its symbolic presence in architecture, such as nine layers of stone, nine concentric circles in a courtyard. She also pointed out cloud symbolism, emphasizing that the emperor, who kept hundreds of concubines in separate quarters from his family, was the son of heaven. We also walked Tiananmen Square, and in the Temple of Heaven area, witnessed and even participated in activities like banner twirling. These were open to anyone and refreshingly commerce-free.

Dinner at the well-known, trendy DaDong Roast Duck Restaurant included its signature, and exceptional, Peking duck plus jellyfish (an acquired taste: burgundy-glistening/rubbery/briny), abalone in broth with bamboo shoots, and a dessert of black sesame paste and peanuts. Our meal was nothing like the fare prepared at Chinese-American restaurants back home.

Shopping on the sly

The next day, we drove by the Olympics site, glimpsed the stunning National Stadium nicknamed the "Birds' Nest," which from the side looks like an undulant ball of rubber bands, and the nearby Yingdong Natatorium, where water polo games will be played. From there we climbed a portion of the Great Wall, north of the city.

A visit to a hutong, one of several older, low-rise residential areas in Beijing, gave us a glimpse into Old China. These alleylike neighborhoods feature all manner of minor retail shops, including open-air markets. The small residential structures are in sharp contrast to the huge, multistory apartment buildings that fill modern Beijing.

That evening, we paid a visit to the Silk Street Pearl Market, a five-story cornucopia of counterfeit where my traveling companion purchased a smashing fake Wenger suiter to carry my suits in. The place was great fun; everything it carries is bootleg. In China, kingdom of the knockoff, the notion of intellectual property carries scant weight. I bargained the 1,200 RMB Wenger down to 180 (about $26) and haggled six "Zegna" ties for 130 RMB (about $18.50). Then we went to a hot pot restaurant, the Haidilao Chafing Dish, and ate seriously spicy food including beef, squid, fish balls, bean curd, shiitake mushrooms, tofu, lotus root, Chinese ramen/pulled noodles and spinach. The evening ended at a Liangzi Foot Massage Center, part of a nationwide chain. My abiding image is of two pretty, uniformed Chinese women massaging my feet so deeply into my pressure points I hurdled pain, happily reaching somnolent bliss.

At the end of our visit, we returned to that Dick Duke store where, with the help of Anne Tan, we purchased several sweaters. In the evening, we repaired to another hutong, where, after our driver finally figured out the way in, we dined at the Red Capital Club, an eatery that compresses Mao's Cultural Revolution into a fashion statement palatable to tourists. The food was fine and the wait staff, clearly picked for their looks and attired in unrealistically close-fitting faux Red Army uniforms, was efficient. An opportunistic attempt to blend cultures and romanticize a period most notable for its deprivations, the Red Capital Club struck a curious, unsettling note.

Information from Times wires was used in this report. Carlo Wolff is features editor of "Lodging Hospitality" and author of "Cleveland Rock & Roll Memories" (Gray & Co., 2006). He also writes book reviews for various newspapers including the St. Petersburg Times.

IF YOU GO

Visiting Beijing

Beijing is a world city on its way to worldly. Don't miss its evolution. Visit it with an open mind, courage and curiosity.

Here are two tips from Anne Tan of the Wyndham Hotel Group:

- "The hotel concierge is always your best bet. Stay in well-known brands, and most of the staff will speak English. Prepare by writing down in English the places you want to visit, then get the concierge to write them in Chinese. Book a car, and make sure the driver knows your exact itinerary - it's inexpensive and you always get to your destination on time.

- Use specialist agents who can put you in touch with local operators who can help plan your itinerary. Use public transportation only when you have plenty of time to spare and love crowds!

Paul Mooney, a writer who has worked with Frommer's guide books and National Geographic and has lived in Beijing for 13 years, said that a tourist hotline (local phone: 01065130828) is available 24/7 to assist with hiring guides. To hire a car and driver in the city will cost about RMB 400 ($55) a day. If you go to the Great Wall, it's about RMB 800 ($110).

The Olympics sites are spread around the city, but the subway will stop at them all - a new line just opened that goes to the National Stadium.

For information about package for the Olympics, go to www.sportstraveler.net or www.roadtrips.com.

[Last modified January 9, 2008, 18:13:57]