Chinese Language Blog

What could you accomplish with a full 24 hours in Beijing? Probably a lot more than you think! In this video, I take you on a whirlwind tour of the Chinese capital, hitting plenty of the famous sights, enjoying tons of local food, living like a local in some of the parks, and partying like a rock star with one crazy night full of music, drinks, and people.

VOTE FOR THIS VIDEO BY SHARING IT ON YOUR FACEBOOK, TWEETING IT, OR USING STUMBLE UPON, PINTEREST, OR GOOGLE +!!

While that may seem impossible to achieve in one day, I assure you it is very doable. You just need to have the motivation, the energy, the know-how, plenty of coffee during the day and some stronger stuff at night. Of course, an afternoon nap (午睡 – wǔ shuì) was crucial to the success of this day, and that’s a common habit among locals anyways!

If you enjoyed this video, PLEASE help me out and take a minute to cast a vote for it. Here’s how to do it:

1. First, click this link. That takes you to my entry.
2. There’s a green box next to the video that says “Vote for this entry.”
3. Click any one of the five social media options to cast your vote – SHARE it on Facebook, TWEET it, STUMBLE UPON it, PIN it, or add it to Google +. Simply watching the video on YouTube or LIKING it on Facebook is not enough!
4. If you have a website and you want to help out even more, you can post this code to your site for a cool interactive “vote for me” box. (<a href=”http://www.mydestination.com/users/sashabeijing/bbb” ><img src=”http://cdnstatic-2.mydestination.com/Images/bbb/badge.png” width=”150px” height=”150px” alt=”Vote for me”></a>) It will look like this…

“Hi everyone, my name’s Sasha and my destination is Beijing. Today I’m going to show you just how much you can do with 24 hours in Beijing. This is the heart of China. The place where Mao Zedong established the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

After the flag raising, take a stroll along Qianmen Street. it’s 8 o’clock. I’m cold and hungry. It’s time for some Beijing breakfast. Enjoy a classic Chinese breakfast of steamed stuffed buns, porridge, and soybean milk.

Next, head to the Forbidden City. This massive complex served as the imperial palace for Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Just north of the Forbidden City, you’ll find Jingshan Park. For just 2 RMB, you can enjoy morning exercises in the park and head to the top for stunning views of the city.

To get around Beijing you’ll want one of these cards. It’s good for the buses, subways, and most taxis.

A visit to the Drum and Bell Towers gives you a panoramic view of old Beijing neighborhoods, and you can also catch a drum show.

In between the towers, you’ll find Sculpting in Time, a great place for a coffee.

Well it’s 12:30. You know what that means – time for lunch!

Pack in with the lunch crowd and munch on shredded potatoes, cucumbers, and wonton soup.

It’s 1:30 now and we’re here at Shichahai, a series of three man made lakes in the city center. It’s a great place to walk around anytime of year. You can also rent a bike. Cruise through Beijing’s traditional alleyways.

It’s 5 o’clock and we’re getting the party started early at one of Beijing’s very own microbreweries. At Slow Boat, you can order a flight to sample their many craft beers.

For dinner, head to Ghost Street, where you can warm up with a Chinese favorite and a great dining experience – hot pot.

Kick off your night with a stroll along NLGX, a hip area full of shops, street vendors, snacks, and bars. Drop in Salud to sample one of their creative shandies or a glass of mulled wine, while you listen to Spanish music.

Turn it up to 11 at Temple, one of Beijing’s most popular bars with live music every weekend.

Down the street, you’ll find 4corners, a creative space that focuses on food, drinks, art, and people.

After midnight, the place to be is Sanlitun, where crowds gather to share two of the finer things in life, street beers and street food.

Take a quick rest in one of Beijing’s countless net bars, and then get crazy in Dada with an all night drum and bass party.

Well it’s almost 5 AM and a dim sum breakfast is the perfect way to end the day. This popular Cantonese joint is open 24 hours.

Finally, stroll around Ditan Park and reflect on your awesome day.”

September is here, which means the summer holiday (暑假 - shǔ jià) has come to an end, and children all around the world are going back to school. Luckily for Chinese students, there’s another holiday coming up in just a few short weeks. As a matter of fact, this year there are TWO holidays back to back – Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节 – zhōng qiū jié) and National Holiday (国庆节 – guó qìng jié). As such, many people in China are already planning a vacation (假期 – jià qī) for the holiday week. Some will return to hometowns to visit family, some will head for the sun and fun of places like Hainan (海南 – hǎi nán) and Xiamen (厦门 - xià mén), and others will get out of dodge and escape the madness of traveling in China during a big holiday by heading abroad. I fall into the latter category, as I’m planning a trip to Bali (巴厘岛 - bā lí dǎo) to visit a friend, relax on the beach, and do some hiking/water sports. Talking about vacations is one of the most fun things to do when learning a language, so here are some important words and phrases related to planning vacations in Chinese:

Transportation:

You're bound to encounter Chinglish on your China travels.

• buy a ______ ticket (买______票 – mǎi _____ piào)

1. airplane (飞机 - fēi jī)
2. train (火车 – huǒ chē)
3. bus (公共汽车 – gōng gòng qì chē)

• rent a car (租车 – zū chē)

Accommodation:

• hotel (旅馆 – lǚ guǎn; 饭店 – fàn diàn; 酒店 – jiǔ diàn)
• guesthouse (宾馆 – bīn guǎn)
• youth hostel (青年旅舍 – qīng nián lǚ shě)

A laid-back hostel in Hangzhou.

• book a room (预订房间 – yù dìng fáng jiān)
• single room (单间 – dān jiān)
• double room (双人间 – shuāng rén jiān)
• deluxe room (豪华房间 – háo huá fáng jiān)

• Do you have _______? (你们有_____吗？- nǐ men yǒu _____ ma?)

1. a free room (空房 -  kòng fáng)
2. 24-hour hot water (24小时热水 - Èr shí sì xiǎo shí rè shuǐ)
3. air conditioning (空调 – kòng tiáo)
4. WiFi (无线上网 – wú xiàn shàng wǎng)
5. a safe (保险柜 – bǎo xiǎn guì)

Traveling Styles:

• backpacking (挑运 – tiāo yùn); backpacker (背包客 – bèi bāo kè)
• independent travel (自助游 – zì zhù yóu)
• tour group (旅游团 – lǚ yóu tuán)

Matching hat tour group - the preferred method of travel for Chinese.

Activities:

For the fitness lovers:

My favorite activity - hiking.

• hiking (徒步旅行 – tú bù lǚ xíng)
• sightseeing (游览 – yóu lǎn)
• go swimming (游泳 – yóu yǒng)
• cycling (骑自行车 – qí zì xíng chē)
• mountain climbing (爬山 – pá shān)

My 好朋友 Sean cycling in Dali, Yunnan.

For those who want to chill out:

• relax (放松 – fàng sōng)
• shopping (购物 – gòu wù)
• massage (按摩 - Àn mó)
• go to the beach (去沙滩 – qù shā tān)
• take photos (拍照 – pāi zhào)

Literally a sea of people at the beach in Qingdao.

Discussion:

Now, try to put some of these new words and phrases to use with these questions. Leave your comments here to practice!

Your next vacation (你的下个假期 – nǐ de xià gè jià qī)：

• Where do you want to go? (你想去哪里？- nǐ xiǎng qù nǎ lǐ?)
• How will you go?  (你怎么去？- nǐ zěn me qù?)
• Where do you want to stay? (你想住在哪里? – nǐ xiǎng zhù zài nǎ lǐ?)
• What do you want to do? (你想干什么？- nǐ xiǎng gàn shén me?)

No matter where you are, whether you are in your hometown (家乡 jiā xiāng) or halfway around the globe, house hunting or 找住房 (zhǎozhùfáng) is a stressful endeavor. In China, the difficulty of finding a place to live as a 老外 is amplified by language  barriers, Chinese laws, shady dealings and lack of information.

Even if fluent in Mandarin, finding an apartment or 公寓 (gōng yù) is a lesson in patience, frustration and persistence. There are a lot of apartments available throughout China thanks in large part to speculation caused by the housing  bubble. The right place for you is out there, it just may take viewing 20-30 apartments before you find it.

The internet can be a good place to start, but always be wary of scams. In large cities like Beijing, local classified sites like http://www.thebeijinger.com/ can be useful in pricing out an area, and comparing the different amenities of an apartment. However, after you contact an agent (代理人 dàilǐrén) or landlord  (房东 fángdōng), be prepared for a surprise once you meet in person.

Hitting the Pavement

Often times the photos of the apartment are not the same as the places you’ll see. Wanted a one bedroom? Well your agent will most likely show you about five, two bedrooms first. Wanted a “western style bathroom” or 西方卫生间? Not before you see ten apartments with a shared space for showering and using the toilet. I once visited 12 different apartments in two hours, all of which lacked a washing machine or 洗衣机 (xǐyījī). Even if there is no language barrier, an agent will try to sell you an apartment that most people wouldn’t want before you get to the good stuff. Have patience, 有耐心，and if this agent doesn’t have what you’re looking for, find another one.

Sometimes house hunting gets a little shady as my friend and I had to rock paper scissors for who rode on the back of the small “tour” bike. This is us en-route to apartment 10 of 12 in two hours.

Making a Deal

Once you find a nice place, get yourself into bargaining mode. Remember, prices are never fixed in China, and everything is a negotiation. Often times the agent will start at a higher price than listed online or on the phone. This is a test. The agent wants to find out how much you are willing to pay. Lowball them, and point to problems with the apartment. Seeing an opportunity slip away, they’ll lower their price-unless they can’t actually rent it for less. This is because an agent will usually demand one month’s rent as a finder’s fee from both you and the landlord (if there is one), plus a deposit so they’re making out just fine.

Then there is the issue of amenities, including electricity, water, heating, internet and furniture. Most apartments come furnished with a TV, refrigerator, bed, couch, dining room table, air conditioning units and chairs. Some you have to purchase electricity, water and gas through a local bank, other’s you just pay your landlord directly. Depending on the seasons, electricity, water and heat usually cost around 300-500 块 a month. Internet usually is the most difficult to find, but there are local providers in most building complexes. A month of wifi is around 180 块.

When you’ve agreed upon a fair price, you’ll be asked to sign papers, but make sure you get copies of them both in English and Chinese. Most landlords require a month’s security, plus three months’ advance rent. You’ll also have to register at the local police station if you are a foreigner, otherwise local police will occasionally do walkthroughs and come pounding on your door looking for certification.

Moving in

Most foreigners don’t have access to cars, so moving in is usually done by cab. Make sure you have already purchased electricity, water and heating before you start the move and be sure that there are no lingering problems with the apartment. Countless horror stories have been told about toxic mold, burst pipes, broken breakers, noisy elevators and construction that didn’t exist upon house hunting, but forced an early exit days after moving in. If you’re living with roommates, its a good time to further furnish the place and have a house warming party.

Welcome to your new humble abode!