Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
of ancient artifacts. It's on the east side of Muxidi subway station (exit C). Beijing Zoo
(
www.beijingzoo.com
)
is also in the district, north of Xizhimen where Xicheng meets
Haidian. The zoo is one of the biggest and most important zoos in China. It has one of the
largest collections of rare and exotic species, and extensive traditional gardens and historic
buildings. The pandas, China's most beloved animal, definitely get preferential treatment,
but the enclosures of many other animals here put many people off ever setting foot in the
zoo.
Across the road from the zoo on Xizhimenwai Dajie, you can expand your knowledge of
the solar system at the Beijing Planetarium (
www.bjp.org.cn
)
. In addition to its exhibitions
and displays it also has 3D and 4D theaters and two observatories.
Xicheng is well connected to the rest of the city by subway. Currently five subway lines run
through it—1, 2, 4, 6, and 13—and in 2014 yet another one—7—will be added to it south
of Chang'an Jie, running east to west. This is ample to get you to most places in the city,
albeit with a couple of changes to get you to such places as Sanlitun (Tuanjiehu, Line 10)
or the airport. Interchanges between lines can add a good 10 minutes to your journey, par-
ticularly at Xizhimen between 13 and 2.
Beijing North Railway station, or Xizhimen Railway Station, was originally established in
1905. Though it was rebuilt in 2009 into a modern facility, coming here can still be a culture
shock. As it's the city's most northern railway terminal, trains that depart here are primarily
heading for Inner Mongolia and Liaoning Province. For just RMB6 you can also take one
of the S2 trains, which depart roughly every half hour for the Badaling section of the Great
Wall in Yanqing county. To confirm times, simply log on to
www.travelchinaguide.com/
china-trains
and search for trains leaving from Beijing North and going to Badaling.
The major buses worth getting to know in this area are:
