Basics - The Rough Guide to Beijing - page 38

services to China's northeast, though Beijing travellers are more likely to use it as a means of
accessing the 798 Art District . Those heading to Chengde are advised to use Sihui bus station
( 四惠公共汽车站 , sìhuì gōnggòng qìchēzhàn; subway line 1) to the southeast of town; an-
other option is Liuliqiao ( 六里桥公共汽车站 , liùlĭqiáo gōnggòng qìchēzhàn; subway lines
9 & 10), way to the southwest. Some sights around Beijing are served by buses from stops,
rather than stations; details are given in the individual accounts.
By ferry
There are plenty of international ferries linking China with SouthKorea . On the Korean side,
all depart from Incheon, a port city 1hr west of Seoul by subway. On the Chinese side, the
closest port to Beijing is Tanggu , near Tianjin city (see map ) ; high-speed trains link Tanggu
with Beijing South station (55min; ￥ 78), with Tanggu station itself a ￥ 20-30 taxi-ride to or
from the port. The ride takes 24hr on a highly comfortable vessel.
Services leave Korea every Tuesday and Friday (the latter service arrives later in the day,
making it harder to get to Beijing), and Tanggu every Thursday and Sunday. Tickets are
available at both ports, though leaving China it's best to buy from travel agents in Beijing;
CITS is highly recommended. The cheapest tickets (around W110,000 from Korea, and
￥ 888 from China) will get you a comfy bed, with curtains to seal yourself off from the com-
munal corridors. Pay a little more, and you'll get a bed in an en-suite private room.
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CITY TRANSPORT
GettingaroundBeijingisn'tquitethechallengeitoncewas,thankstotheexcellentnew
subwaylines.Still,thepublictransportsystemoftenfeelsoverstretched.Busescanbea
hassleandtaxisgetstuckingridlock,sosometimesthebestwaytogetaroundistohire
a bike.