Week in Beijing

pclancy

Spending a week in Bejing to see a mate whos teaching over there at the end of October. A lot of people are saying im mad to be going for a week only but ive only 6 days left off this year in work so feck it and have just got out of 5 years of debt so Im gonna do it!

Anyhoo, does anyone have any tips about how to get the most out of the 7 days? I wanna get the cultural/tourist stuff into me but would like to check out the nightlife, live music scene if possible and any off the beaten track stuff. Any tips anyone?

Also is electronic stuff going to be mega cheap or is that a myth? Wouldnt mind picking up a nice digital camera and memory cards for my phone and synths etc.

Imposter

I didn't find the electronics cheap at all. Around the same price I would say but then you have no guarantee or anything like that. Don't buy electronics with brands you've never heard of because they are thrown together so quickly that what may look quite good on the outside rarely lives up to that on the inside.

As for things to do the great wall obviously has to be on the list. I went to Simatai which is a bit further to Badaling where most the tourists go. Simatai was a long hike (something like 12km up and down mountains and steps) but well worth it and few enough people too which was great.

Summer palace is also quite nice. Hard to appreciate it properly though due to the pollution/smog that envelops Beijing.

Tiannimen/Forbidden city is also well worth a look. Generally crowded though.
Some of the markets are interesting and pay about 10% of what people initially ask for in the markets.

Sanlitun is the main nightlife street. I found Browns super but it's very western (and expensive).

Glowing

I also second the Jinshanling to Simatai hike on the Great Wall. A much less visited, less renovated section of the wall (i.e. no composite bricks!) - and a much more genuine experience! It wasn't that difficult a hike and was a fantastic day out. You can book this tour through most guesthouses.