Beijing: Prepare for the Great Wall... of Walking!

[Elaine Boyle PhD]

Hello everyone! Here's something for those of you planning to visit Beijing during the May Day holiday.

First things first, if you come during the May Day holiday (also known as Labor Day, a significant public holiday in China), you might expect heavy traffic, but what truly gets to you is the sheer sea of people!

In addition, many famous tourist attractions put up roadblocks forbidding vehicle access, so be prepared for tons of walking because it's all on foot.

Here's how my trip went, for your reference:

• Day 1:

  • Arrived late afternoon in Beijing, freshened up at the hotel, and hurriedly made our way to eat the renowned “Four Seasons People’s Good Fortune” roast duck.
  • What happened? A queue of 148 tables from which to choose! Goodness gracious!
  • Decisively gave up and headed for nearby “Quanjude” (a well-known old brand roast duck restaurant), thankfully there was an available table.
  • Feeling satisfied after a hearty meal, wandered to Nanluoguxiang, with its distinctive style, small shops and dining spots, teeming with people.

• Day 2:

  • We visited Tiananmen Square in the morning.
    • Be aware: Due to traffic restrictions surrounding the square, ride-hailing apps may not easily locate drop-off points, leading us to walk nearly two kilometers from where we disembarked. Be sure to mentally prepare yourself!
  • Visited Yuyuantang, an extensive imperial garden.
    • It was swarming with people! The entire afternoon we walked around, originally wanting to visit nearby Yuanmingyuan as well but we were too worn out to continue.

• Day 3:

  • To reach the Great Wall, we got up early, six o'clock a.m.! I swear I hadn't woken up this early in years.
  • Result? It was still jam-packed en route; we didn't arrive until ten. Then, waiting in line for the cable car.
    • Mega Caution: We went North Great Wall (likely Badaling, most famous, therefore most crowded section); the queue was like a nightmare. You may think it's almost your turn but there's a roundabout and another viewless sea of people waiting around the corner. It took us two hours to ride the cable car! All morning the Wall was crawling with people heads. This was the worst experience during this trip!
    • Avoidance: If possible, visit outside holidays; if unavoidable, either have an early start before six or be content with less popular parts or consider some quieter sections of the Great Wall (like Mutianyu but it’s not spared during holidays).

• Day 4:

  • Visited Tsinghua University in the morning and the Forbidden City in the afternoon (this used to be where emperors resided).
  • To be honest, perhaps due to high visitor numbers or excessive expectations, I was not as impressed as anticipated.
    • Note: Many palace interior portions are closed for visit, covering extensive ground hence arduous walking. Remember to wear comfortable shoes!

• Day 5:

  • Visited Peking University, planned to visit Prince Gong’s Mansion and Yonghe Palace (an important Tibetan Buddhist monastery.)
  • Tip: Top-notch universities like PKU or Tsinghua require prior reservation at the gate, fortunately we had made reservations. Those keen are advised to double-check for procedures online first.

• Day 6:

  • Heading for Temple of Heaven, then heading back.

Although I had complaints, I thought it worthwhile seeing places like Beijing's Forbidden City with my own eyes. However, this "wandering" journey was even tougher than working, despite its randomness!

[Jeremiah Bednar]

Haha, so you were in Beijing for May Day. Nice!