Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
need to deal with on a daily basis. While having a driver will overcome many transport is-
sues, traffic can be hellish.
Day 10
Though you may feel that time is tight on your fact-finding trip, taking a day to get out of
the city will remind you just how big the entire Beijing municipality is. It will also intro-
duce you to the concept of getaways, which is also an important part of expat life here.
Of course, there are few better places to head to than the Great Wall. This might seem
like an outright tourist thing to do, but even for residents the Great Wall is an important part
of what makes Beijing what it is.
There are several sections of the wall to choose from. The most commercial, least re-
commendable, but easiest to access section is Badaling in Yanqing county. You can hire
a driver to get here, but you can also take an S2 train from Beijing North Railway Sta-
tion, located at Xizhimen subway station (Lines 2, 4, and 13). Trains leave several times
throughout the day and take 90 minutes to get there. It's a bit more civilized than trying to
take the 919
快
bus from Deshengmen bus stop, which is a somewhat disorganized maze of
bus stops to the east of Jishuitan subway station (Line 2). For more information on the S2
train, visit
www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/beijing
and click on North Railway Sta-
tion under Transportation.
A slightly more interesting section is Mutianyu. Again this teeters on the brink of being
overly commercial, but it does have a combination of restored and “wild” wall. There are
also quality restaurants around the area that are worth taking a break in. In addition, it
comes with the fun of a cable car and toboggan ride, if desired.
