[1967 R50/2]

Lived in Beijing for 3 years:

1. For the wall, go to Mutianyu or hike from Jinshanling to Simitai, rather than the tourist trap of Badaling. Go early in the day.

2. To get a good pic of Forbidden City, go up Coal Hill, which is immediately north of it. You look down on the entire affair. Go early in the day to all attractions: Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, etc.

3. The line for Mao's tomb looks long, but it moves VERY quick. If you can skip anything, you can skip this. Mao is not much to look at. Other items worth seeing: Of course Temple of Heaven and the Lama Temple.

4. Take the subway. It's cheap. Don't do too much in one day.

5. See the acrobats Third Ring Road east. Touristy but incredible. Olympic gymnasts look like chumps after this show.

7. If jet lag has you awake early, you can see the raising of the flag at Tianamen. It happens at sunrise any day. Calendar is online.


Eating:

1. Go to Da Dong. Bar none the best Peking Duck and possibly the best service you will ever have. Quan Ju De is a close second.

2. Go for Hot Pot at Hai Di Lao. There are several locations in Beijing.

3. If you want to hang and drink beer, Sanlitun bar street, Ho Hai or Nan Luo Gu Xiang
Shopping:

4. If you are jonesing for something "American" go to Let's Burger in Sanlitun. Their burgers are better than most burgers you would get in the US. Otherwise, avoid western food.

5. Try anything from Xinjiang, particularly Da Pan Ji (big plate of chicken) or Nan Chao Ruo (Stir Fried Naan Bread and Lamb)

6. If jet lag has you awake late, go to Ghost Street. It's a solid kilometer of restaurants, many open all night. The "Ghosts" are the late night patrons.

Shopping,will depend on what you want.

1.If you want "antiques" go to the Panjiayuan market on the weekends. Very little is genuinely antique, but much of the stuff is very neat. Negotiate hard.

2. If you want clothes, Yashow in Sanlitun has a vast selection of cheap touristy clothes and on the top level you can get custom made suits and shirts.

3. Little known secret, if you are into mechanical watches or tube stereos, China is the place to be. Most Swiss movements are made in China. Tianjin Seagull makes a huge chunk of the world's mechanical movements. Beijing Watch makes watches that are more expensive than some houses. Just saying'. Google for more info.

Shanghai:

1.Take the tourist tunnel under the river from the Bund to Pudong if open. it is cheap…and pretty campy, psychedelic.

2. If you want to go up one of the tower's in Shanghai, go up the Jinmao tower, NOT the Oriental pearl. The lines at the pearl are long, the Jinmao, they are shorter , plus you the oriental pearl is actually in the photo.

That is all I have to say.