Posts Tagged ‘China’

The biggest factor in your calculations on when to visit Beijing should be the movement of domestic tourists, who during the longer public holidays take to the road in tens or even hundreds of millions, filling transportation, booking out hotels, and turning even the quieter tourist sights into litter-strewn bedlam. Peak Travel Seasons Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) -- Like many Chinese festivals, this one operates on ... Full story

American Express -- Beijing: Room 2313-14, China World Tower 1, China World Trade Center; tel. 010/6505-2639. After hours: U.S. hot line tel. 001336/668-6809. Emergency card replacement: 00852/1220-62796. Stolen traveler's checks: 010800/744-0106 (toll-free). Area Codes -- In mainland China, area codes begin with a zero, which must be dropped when calling China from abroad. The whole area code can be dropped when calling another number in the ... Full story

The Wall's most easily visited sections are Ba Da Ling and Juyong Guan, while Mutianyu, Jin Shan Ling, and the vertiginous Simatai require a full day's outing. Appealing options for overnight stays are The Red Capital Ranch at Mutianyu and the more basic Simatai YHA. On the Wild Wall -- Travelers with time and the inclination to explore beyond the typical tourist haunts are strongly encouraged ... Full story

Even after you dispense with the myths that it is a single continuous structure and that it can be seen from space (it can't, any more than a fishing line can be seen from the other side of a river), China's best-known attraction is still mind-boggling. The world's largest historical site is referred to in Mandarin as Wanli Changcheng ("10,000-Li Long Wall" or simply "Very ... Full story