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Beijing Destination GuideEntertainmentBeijing Opera:
Much of Beijing Opera is carried out in an archaic stage dialect quite different from modern Standard Mandarin and from the Beijing dialect; this makes the dialogue somewhat hard to understand, and the problem is compounded if one is not familiar with Chinese. As a result, modern theatres often have electronic titles in Chinese and English. For those wanting to explore the fascinating world of Beijing Opera, the Liyuan Theatre in Qianmen Hotel, 175 Yong'an Lu (00 86 10 6301 6688), is a great place to start. The nightly performances have English subtitles.
Shopping:
It starts from Wangfujing Nankou, where the Oriental Plaza and the Beijing Hotel are located. It then heads north, passing the Wangfujing Xinhua Bookstore, the Beijing Department Store as well as the Beijing Foreign Languages Bookstore before terminating at the Sun Dong An Plaza. Prior to the late 1990s trolleybuses, buses, and other traffic ran through the street, making it rather congested. Modifications in 1999 and 2000 made much of Wangfujing Street car-free (aside from the occasional tour trolley). Now through traffic detours to the east of the street. Wangfujing is served by the Beijing subway networks, just one stop away from Tiananmen Square to the west. Line 1 has a station at the southern end of the street, which bears the same name. Bargaining:It's a good idea to have an idea of the value of the items you may interested in purchasing, as haggling is way of life, especially in the markets. Bear in mind that initial prices will be heavily marked up over the general acceptable price. Keeping a cheerful countenance and not revealing your bottom price too early can be helpful in securing a good deal from the seller. The word 'cheaper' should be used frequently, and be prepared to walk away if you are not making ground. The seller may well call you back if he is ready to agree near your price. The true clothing market where the Chinese buy, is located in Xizhi Men, next to the Zoo. In front of the Zoo there is a new huge building, which is just another big market, but behind it, there is the wholesale market, with the best prices, almost no need to bargain, and a lot of genuine clothing items. For the more technologically-oriented tourist, Zhong Guan Cun is a must. Located a couple miles from Tsinghua University, this area is dubbed "Silicon Valley of China." Sells everything from speakers to computer parts at an astonishingly low price. There are many salesmen who will try to make you go take a look at their shop, it is best to avoid them. If one looks around at the small shops inside the large malls, they may find a box filled with pirated CDs and DVDs, usually selling at 5 to 10 Yuan. Don't have too high an expectation of the quality, though, many of them are 'gun versions' filmed in the cinema with a camcorder. If you really want to buy it, look for (yingwen) which means English language.
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Beijing Opera, or Peking Opera (Jingju), is well-known throughout the national capital. Commonly lauded as one of the highest achievements of Chinese culture, Beijing Opera is performed through a combination of song, spoken dialogue, and codified action sequences, such as gestures, movement, fighting and acrobatics.
Wangfujing street in Beijing is the Chinese capital's most famous street for shopping. Much of the road is sealed off-limits to cars and other motor vehicles, and it is not rare to see the entire street full of people, turned into one of China´s most attractive and modern boulevards. The street name has its origins in the Wang Family's estate, whose well was deemed to be a national landmark and can still be seen while traversing the shop-lined streets.
The National Museum of China flanks the eastern side of Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. 
Nightlife in Beijing is varied. Most clubs are situated in the area around Sanlitun or in the region near the Workers Stadium, especially to the north and to the west. New clubs opened on Gongrentiyuchang West Road. |