Practical Tips

Springs and autumns are the best times to come to Beijing, but beware that during national holidays the city's hotels and sights will be packed. Autumns are dry with strong winds and winters can dip down to -15°C. Summers are hot, but dry and averages around the high 30°C's. Beijing was once infamous for its pollution, but things had cleared up considerably in preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

The city has lots of cars and trucks clogging the streets and traffic is bad at all times, don't even think about getting anywhere fast during rush hour by car. The subway will generally get you to your destination faster than car if you don't mind the crowds during peak hours.

Most young people in Beijing know enough English to help a lost tourist or point the way to the nearest toilet.

Beijing has several free English magazines, notably that’s Beijing and City Weekend, which contain reviews and detailed listings of restaurants, clubs, concerts, art exhibits, fashion emporiums and more. Copies of these magazines can be found in businesses catering to foreigners, bars, restaurants and imported food stores.

Hotels are good places to buy English books and you'll find an even wider selection of books in English at the following stores:

The Foreign Languages Bookstore
This cavernous shop sells fiction, art books, magazines, dictionaries, novels and more.
Address: 235Wangfujing Da Jie, Dongcheng District

The Friendship Store
The 1st floor bookshop in this department store sells a wide range of imported magazines (titles like Elle and National Geograghic), novels and books about Beijing and China.
Address: 17 Jianguomenwai Da Jie, Chaoyang District