How about the Legoland, it's opening soon.

They don't like sweet food, but they insist on eating it anyway. Then, after they're done, they complain Suzhou is a 'food desert'.

Back then, it was all smuggling and illegal immigration. Don't try to romanticize the past.

Exactly! The traffic has been inexplicably bad these past couple of days. Yesterday, a drive that should've taken 15 minutes stretched to 45. I was seriously over it.

I'm planning a 2 or 3-day trip to Guangzhou in early August. Any recommendations on where to go?

Wow, seriously? I visited Shanghai last month and felt their metro was so much more spacious than Guangzhou's, not even crowded during peak hours. At the time, I even marveled at how well-planned Shanghai was.

Hey, friends who are coming to visit Guangzhou, listen to my advice! When you take a taxi here, you should keep your eyes on the road by using your phone map to track the driver's route; otherwise, you may end up paying two to three times more than necessary!

The story is like this:

A few days ago, I went with my friends and children to play at Guangzhou Chimelong Park.

• It's a large theme park area in southern China that has several different sections, and both Adults and kids love it.
• We wanted to go from "Birds World" (a place where you can watch various types of birds) to "Chimelong Happy World" (mainly roller coasters and other thrilling rides).
  • There were free shuttle buses within the park, but they only run every half an hour; we were tired of waiting with our kids.
  • Even though it was around 8 km (not far), so we decided to travel by taxi.

But then, something strange happened:

• First Taxi (ordinary taxi we got off the street):
  • Cost us 39 RMB.
  • He actually ran 10.5 miles and took 25 minutes.
• Second Car (car booked by my friend via online taxi booking like Uber or Lyft, in China the most used ones are "Didi"):
  • Only cost 14 RMB!
  • Actually covered 8.3 km and arrived at 15 minutes.

I fell asleep as soon as I got into the first car because I was exhausted from visiting the Birds World.

• When I woke up and paid, it just felt wrong. After seeing the meter reading, I was sure the driver took some extra roads! But since I was sleepy at that time, I had no hard evidence.
• In the end, the driver offered 5 RMB refund. Since we were eager to reach Happy World to continue playing, we didn't argue much.

Inside the park, we found our friends who took the second car reached a few minutes earlier (they left later though!), and asked them about the price: Wow, only 14 RMB; less than a third of what we paid! I was shocked.

Actually, sometimes ride-hailing platforms might give discounts, so cheaper prices are common. But such a huge difference is not normal! It's true that the extra money isn't much, but the feeling that you're being deceived as an ignorant tourist is really annoying!

Fortunately, things in Chimelong were indeed fun, all the attractions were great, and all these negative feelings gradually faded away.

In conclusion, let me remind everyone enjoying Guangzhou:

• Important warning, tips to avoid getting scammed when hailing a taxi:
  • What's wrong: In Guangzhou (actually many tourist cities have similar problems), some taxi drivers will specifically extend routes for foreigners, raising their fares significantly.
  • Avoidance measures:
    • Use navigation, always pay attention to whether the driver is going along the way proposed by the navigation: Open your phone app (such as Google Maps, or use high-standard Chinese navigation App named "Gaode Map" or "Baidu Map"), input your destination, and check if the driver takes the recommended route.
    • Ride-sharing online app usually offers safer choices: Prefer services such as "Didi", which provides reasonable estimates in terms of distance and fare. Such apps record the drivers' route, making them less likely to cheat.
    • Keep in mind: Before hailing, check the distance and fare prediction with your own navigation app, and raise doubts about significant increases in actual charges.

I hope everyone can enjoy Guangzhou and not be worried by these minor problems!

Well, before I knew it, six years have passed since I arrived in Beijing. Time flies! However, to be honest, I feel like my energy is drained, and I get tired more and more easily these days.

Here are a few things about Beijing that I've observed:

• First of all, Beijing is abound with opportunities and a grand stage, as the capital city. If you wish to experience the cutting-edge developments, this place will not disappoint you.
• However! Being an ultra-large city (mega city, with a massive population and extensive area), the fast-paced life can leave one breathless at times.
• After settling in for quite a while, once the initial excitement fades away, you may occasionally feel a sense of ‘float’, meaning an absence of a strong sense of belonging.

If you're coming to visit Beijing, especially if you are a first-time foreigner:

• Warning: Beijing is really, really big!
  • Do not expect to tick off all the tourist spots within a few days. That would exhaust you to the point of questioning your life choices.
  • My suggestion is: select one or two locations per day based on what interests you the most (for example, the Forbidden City, Great Wall, etc.), enjoy them leisurely, delve into the historical richness, don’t rush.
• Crowd Warning!
  • Especially during holidays, hot spots like the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven will see incredibly large crowds of people!
  • If possible, try and avoid Chinese public holiday periods. Alternatively, start as early as possible to beat the tour buses.
• Be prepared for transportation headaches too:
  • While the subway is convenient due to its extensive network, commuters during peak hours might not appreciate the amount of pushing.
  • Roadblocks and congestion should also be expected when driving. Some little tips: download a user-friendly GPS app like AutoNavi or Baidu Maps (if available), then pre-plan your routes ahead of time.

As for livability...

• This is a huge question indeed! With everyone’s criteria being different.
• If you relish this vibrant urban lifestyle full of possibilities but fierce competition as well, Beijing undoubtedly possesses its appeal.
• However, if you prefer a slower-paced living environment that's more relaxed, it might be better to look towards other cities.
• For me personally, I now have less 'juice' in the tank, thinking of moving to somewhere where life might not be as stressful to recuperate.

#BeijingExperience #TravelTip #RelaxingInBeijing #TouristAdvice

I've experienced that myself.

Don't let anyone fool you into thinking other areas are a better deal! I'm staying on Wangfujing Street right now, and I've realized just how convenient it is. The Line 8 subway entrance is right across from the hotel. You can stroll along Wangfujing Street next door until midnight. Downstairs, you've got Menkuang Luzhu (braised pig intestines), Beijing Baodu (quick-boiled tripe), and shrimp wontons. It's a 10-minute walk to the Forbidden City, you can bike around it to Jingshan Park, and Siji Minfu Roast Duck is just a stone's throw away.

The comment section is buzzing! A hundred ways to sleep on the street from our enthusiastic and adorable netizens (I'm cracking up reading all these tips... Hahahahahaha). Honestly, if you're not too fussy about accommodation, you might find some ideas here. (P.S. The 'sleeping on the street' bit was mostly a joke, a bit exaggerated. I was actually hoping for some decent hotel recommendations. I've booked one that looks alright for now, just waiting to check in and see how it really is.)

It's really nice!

Friends, please heed my advice: Never book a tour group to Beijing! Never ever!

Let me share with you my 'bitter experience':

• Due to my busy work schedule, I was worried about missing tickets to popular tourist spots in Beijing if I chose to travel alone. So I opted for a tour group.
• During the communication with the travel agency customer service, they said it was a "High-Quality Small Group Tour". (They implied that there would be fewer people and thus better experiences.) However, when we got together, it turns out there were more than forty of us!
• The tour guide kept urging each of us to contribute an extra 390 yuan to see the Olympic Park, join an acrobatic show, and ride shuttle buses for meals.
• He also hinted that if we didn't agree to pay extra, the group wouldn't wait for us, which could ruin the family trip for my parents who rarely got out. I bit my tongue and agreed to endure.
• The tours were indeed cheap in terms of money; however, everything else turned disastrous:

• There was always some delay for lunch, with most of our dinners pushed off until one or two in the afternoon when you were already famishing. You had to eat, no matter how much your stomach protested.
• The tours often ended by three or four PM. You might think your suffering was over then but the truth is that our accommodation was located in "outside the Fourth Ring Road"——which meant our hotels were miles away from downtown Beijing, with traffic in the evening taking us as long as two hours back daily!
• Day One: We woke up super early for the flag-raising ceremony and a visit to Mao Zedong Memorial Hall——both are signature political and cultural landmarks. Then, went to the Forbidden City where, purportedly being a 'Deep Dive Tour', we only heard stories but got no thorough visit, even having missed many important palaces here. Still, the Forbidden City itself was really grand and impressive. This will definitely be a place I want to explore more properly next time, but this time around I wasn't satisfied with their itinerary.

• After visiting the Forbidden City, we all headed to restaurants through shuttle buses. And what an experience: It was disorientingly dirty-looking restaurant environment and the food seemed not fresh at all——but too hungry to think much and had to bear it with gritted teeth.
  • As a result? Many of us in group, including myself, suffered from diarrhea after the meal.

• Day Two: In the morning we had climbed the Great Wall, which was indeed unforgettable due to the famous saying that, “Until you reach the great wall, you are not a true hero." Then in the afternoon we visited the Olympic Park——that 2008 Olympics zone. But again, it's as though we were only casually taken around the park and only heard some introduction about buildings.
• Day Three: The tour was just dreadful! Almost the entire day morning was spent in a jade or diamond shops. The guide claimed to support the local industrial, but most probably aiming for a commission! I actually had experience selling jewelry with my relatives back home and knew that these products were fake. Of course, no one in the group bought anything. The whole way, this overly energetic guide was nowhere to be found suddenly, instead we had met another new guide with an overall bitter face. To avoid lengthy explanation, you can imagine the worst possible tour guide experience.
• Then we visited the ruins of the Yuanmingyuan—the Summer Palace of Empress Dowager Cixi. Group tours only covered the entrance ticket; any payment for the more profound site inside like 'Big Water Law Site' or 'Overall Layout Model', we needed to pay for ourselves. What's more, probably due to poor sales results, the guide became extremely sour and didn’t give any commentary during the whole journey anymore.

️ Travel Tips for Fellow Foreigners:

1. Never opt for tours at dirt cheap prices!

• These tours are prone to hidden costs. Either the guides arrange for you to make additional payments, or drag you to certain shopping places to waste valuable time.

2. Book your tickets ahead of time!

• Tickets to many popular Beijing tourist attractions like the Forbidden City or the Great Wall can be booked online on Official Websites or Apps, no worries about missing the tickets.

3. Choose locations with excellent transport connectivity!

• Try to decide accommodations closer to the city center (within the Second or Third Ring Road). Maybe it's a little expensive, but it helps save the time that otherwise would've been wasted on transportation. Additionally, being closer to city center ensures that you can enjoy some late night fun and shopping after days trips easily.

4. Careful on meal choices!

• Especially those team meal places at the tourist sites; hygienic condition may vary widely. Consider having some snacking items by yourself, or try other regular restaurants.

5. Resolutely say 'No' to shops!

• If you feel forced to make unnecessary purchases in a shop, do not hesitate to say no! Your trip should not be marred by such things.

6. Best to travel individually to key historical and cultural sites!

• Places like Forbidden City or Summer Palace, with a rich cultural foundation, are best to be visited alone with ample time, so that you can leisurely appreciate every piece of history and culture.

West Lake, I won't allow anyone to slander you!

I'm applying for a tour guide position.

I just lounged on the balcony of my suite at the Greentown Deluxe Hotel and didn't go anywhere else.

Why go to Shanghai to drink Heytea, hahaha? Heytea is from Guangdong!

I also suspect it was the same driver +1. I'm truly speechless. The location pin was wrong, and after we'd already walked a lot, we hailed a cab just to save a few steps. We ended up running around, asking for directions to even find the car, and he kept calling and rushing us. Once we got in, he immediately asked, 'Do you even know how to read a map or use GPS?' We didn't say anything, and he snapped, 'You made me wait so long and not even an apology. Complain if you want! Suzhou's GDP doesn't need you to boost it. Suzhou doesn't need you people; your visit is already disrupting normal life here.' Who even mentioned complaining? Then, right in front of us, he called the ride-hailing platform to complain that we had set the wrong location! We three girls were just sitting in the back, speechless and stunned. My friend, who was quite upset by then, said sarcastically, 'Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) is right, Suzhou drivers are really something else,' to which he retorted, 'Don't make regional attacks!'

Keep going! I just arrived in Shanghai too, and I still have a year left on my probation period.

Disney! The Bund!