Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
flexible Westerners). As a general rule, if you see a wastebasket next to the toilet, that's
where you should throw the toilet paper; otherwise the loo could choke up and flood.
Remember that the symbol for men is ( nán ) and women is ( ).
Tourist Information
Staff at the chain of Běijīng Tourist Information Centers ( Běijīng Lǚyóu Zīxún Fúwù Zhōngxīn;
9am-5pm) generally have limited English-language skills and are not always helpful, but
you can grab a free tourist map of town, nab handfuls of free literature and, at some
branches, rustle up train tickets. Useful branches include the following:
Běijīng Train Station (
6528 4848; 16 Laoqianju Hutong)
Capital Airport (
6459 8148; Terminal 3, Capital Airport)
Hòuhǎi Lakes (49 Di'anmenxi Dajie, Hòuhǎi Lakes) Has an excellent, very detailed free map of
all the hùtòng alleys surrounding the lakes of Hòuhǎi. Can also arrange rickshaw tours of
the hùtòng with English-speaking riders.
Wángfǔjǐng (269 Wangfujing Dajie, Wángfǔjǐng; 9am-9pm) On the main shopping strip.
The Běijīng Tourism Hotline ( 6513 0828, press 1 for English; 24hr) has English-speak-
ing operators available to answer questions and hear complaints. CITS OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE
MAP (China International Travel Service;
8511 8522; www.cits.com.cn ; Room 1212, CITS Bldg, 1 Dongdan
9am-7pm) is more useful for booking tours, China-wide.
Beidajie, Dōngchéng;
Hotels can offer you advice or connect you with a suitable tour, and some have useful
tourist information desks that can point you in the right direction.
The best travel advice for independent travellers is usually dished out at youth hostels,
although be aware that they will sometimes try to get you to sign up to one of their tours
rather than give you impartial advice. Tours run by youth hostels are generally pretty
good, though.
Travellers with Disabilities
If you are wheelchair bound or have a mobility disability, Běijīng can unfortunately be a
major obstacle course. Pavements are often crowded and in a dangerous condition, with
high curbs often preventing wheelchair access. Many streets can be crossed only via un-
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