Getting Around Beijing

Arrival

Most international flights arrive at Terminal 3 (T3) of Beijing Capital International Airport. Advertised as the world’s most advanced airport building when it opened in 2008, T3 nearly doubled the airport’s processing capacity, to 60 million passengers. A light rail links the airport and the Dongzimen transportation hub, which connects to subway lines 2 and 13. The journey takes around 20 minutes and costs RMB25. There’s also an airport bus that leaves from the arrivals level of each of the terminals. It’s a bit cheaper but takes anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours, depending on traffic. The buses have more luggage room. Taxis line up in well-marked ranks outside each of the terminals. A taxi into the city should cost RMB70-120, including RMB10 for the toll. Do not accept a ride from an unmarked taxi, and insist that the driver use the meter.

Orientation

For the first few weeks – even months – it’s a good idea to carry a street and subway map around. Beijing is one of the world’s largest urban areas, and it can take over 90 minutes to get from one end of the city to the other. Morning and evening rush-hour traffic is characterised by dense, aggressive traffic and frequent gridlock. This used to be the city of bicycles, but cars are now the favoured mode of transportation, which is taking its toll on the streets and thoroughfares.

Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City lie at the geographic centre of Beijing, with Xi Chang’an Jie to the west and Dong Chang’an Jie to the east. As you travel out from the centre, you pass five Ring Roads. The two innermost are the Second and Third Ring Roads (the counting starts at two), inside which you will find what is considered downtown Beijing and most of the city’s major attractions and entertainment. During daily rush hours, traffic on these roads is at a standstill. The Fourth Ring road is also usually in a state of gridlock from 7 to 9:30am, and 4:30 to 7pm. The Fifth Ring Road, 10 km from the city centre, is usually less congested. It has been nicknamed Olympic Avenue because it passes by most of the 2008 Olympic venues. The Sixth Ring Road, which belts around the city almost 20 km from Tiananmen Square, is useful if you live in Shunyi or are travelling to or from the airport.

Taxis

Taxis are generally a cheap and efficient way to get around Beijing, traffic permitting. There are approximately 60,000 taxis operating in the city, belonging to at least 20 privately owned companies. It’s easy to flag one down on most busy streets, unless it’s raining, in which case be prepared to wait for the weather to clear, or head to the nearest subway stop. Most of the drivers are friendly and know the city well, although being as specific as possible with directions will speed up your journey and make it cheaper. Taxi fares start at RMB10 for the first three kilometres, and RMB2 for each additional kilometre. An additional RMB1 is added for taxi fares over RMB10 due to the increasing price of petrol. Fares increase slightly after 11pm. Tipping is not expected. Most drivers speak limited or no English, so you should be able to show them your destination in Chinese or point to a map. The driver will supply you with a receipt (fapiao), which shows the taxi number and the company telephone number – very useful information if you leave something in the cab.

There are drawbacks to using taxis. They are not as safe as they could be, since seatbelts are almost never available in the back, and some drivers are unnecessarily aggressive in dangerous traffic. At times, drivers can seem harsh and rude; but you should avoid conflict. These people aren’t paid very well and have to stomach Beijing traffic day in and day out. Disagreements can quickly escalate. It’s not worth having a dispute with a taxi driver for the sake of a few RMB.

Subway

This is the fastest way to travel across the city. Trains are almost always on time, and at busy stations in the central areas they come by every three to five minutes. This is generally a nice way to travel. The trains are clean, quiet and safe. Tickets cost only RMB2 to go anywhere in the city. If you buy a single journey ticket at one of the automated machines or from a uniformed vendor, keep it. You need it to pass through the exit gate. Unlike on buses, signs and maps are clear and in English, making the train system easy to navigate. Alternatively, buy an IC card, commonly referred to locally as an yikatong (‘one card pass’). Cards can be purchased and refilled at most central subway stations, at Beijing Municipal Administration and Communications Card centres, China CITIC and Agricultural Bank branches and post offices. Using the card will save you plenty of time and 60 percent of the regular fare. The cards can also be used to pay for taxis, so they can become invaluable whilst travelling around Beijing. The one drawback to subway travel is congestion – crowds are almost unbearable during the daily rush hours. Trains run from 6am to 10:30pm.

There are currently subway lines snaking across and around the city. Expansion has been very rapid: four new lines have been opened since 2007, and new lines are planned to extend out to the Summer Palace and pass through Beijing Railway Station, horizontally across the city along Ping’an Dajie, and out to Xiangshan and the Ming Tombs scenic area. All these new lines are scheduled to open by 2015, and are expected to gradually reduce highway congestion and overcrowding on existing subway lines.

Buses

There are nearly 800 bus routes, taking you to every corner of Beijing. The rides are cheap: standard fare is RMB1, though some air-conditioned buses will bust your budget at RMB2 (less with an IC card). However, prepare to hit a major language and navigation barrier. Unlike on the subway, maps are not easy to read and do not provide an English translation. The buses are often crowded and struggle through traffic during rush hour. For information on bus routes, go towww.bjbus.com. On the whole, this is not a recommended mode of transportation for a newcomer, but you may discover a convenient route as you become more familiar with the city and learn some Chinese.

Walking

Beijing is not pedestrian-friendly. Besides the harsh weather in summer and winter, the inner-city roads are very wide and contain dividing barriers. Distances within the city are enormous, rendering foot travel as a means of getting from point A to point B unrealistic. Take great care when crossing the streets, as turning vehicles rarely respect stoplights when they make right turns, and Chinese drivers almost never respect the rights of pedestrians. During rush hour, cyclists and scooters will use sidewalks to bypass gridlocked intersections. Use underpasses and crosswalks, being sure to watch out for traffic marshals, as they occasionally ticket jaywalkers. If you are going from one address to another in the city centre, walking through hutongs or along one of the parks is a very pleasant experience.