Hey guys planning to go to Beijing and Hong Kong over 14 days in September, I have an itinerary already but i was wondering you guys had any tips or suggestions for staying and travelling in these places?
>>1111546
>dem nipples
>>1111546
Don't eat sea food at the night markets if you don't want parasites as they often don't match health and safety standards. Watch out for pickpockets are what I can remember from the top of my head.
pic made me lel so replying
>BJ
Not all Great Wall trips are created equal. Some of them are barely more than scams in which you'll be forced to stop off along the way at jade factories and Chinese medicine clinics (i.e. quacks who believe in magic). Also some destinations are overcrowded to the point of not being fun in tourist season. The "highest point" at Badaling, being the classic example. Do your research to make the Wall trip fun and not a bummer. I prefer the "wild wall" sections myself.
Beijing nightlife is quite interesting in some parts of the city. It's been a few years for me now, but as I remember it, if you're college age or not long out of college, check out Wudaokou. Otherwise, Sanlitun Village and the Guloudajie area have some interesting options. You should make sure you go out.
>HK
Totally different atmosphere to Beijing. Walking around the city just looking at stuff is fun. All the old colonial architecture is awesome.
Check out the Tiananmen Square massacre memorial museum, too. It may not be there much longer, or at least close for a while as it moves, so get in there while you can.
>>1111843
>massacre
You mean the legitimate government putting down rebels?
>>1112252
No, I mean the unelected government responding with deadly force to a peaceful protest, murdering from several hundred to several thousand of those protestors.
Get an octopus card in HK, can use it anywhere for pretty much everything and can top it up at any train station. Unless you have a friend who atleast speaks cantonese you're gonna be mostly eating at food courts or expensive restraunts
>>1111546
>BJ
like previous poster said, Wudaokou is good if you're around college age- it's the area next to Tsinghua University. Some good clubs and bars for nightlife. Tsinghua is worth visiting during the day if you like college campuses.
Sanlitun is very international. Lots of foreign embassies around this area, lots of foreigners, big malls, lots of clubs, bars, and restaurants that cater to the international crowd. You should check out the Silk Market there or whatever it's called. Giant Chinese style market with tons of booths selling clothes, electronics, art, etc. Aggressive salespeople that will grab you and start bargaining. Tons of fun.
Hohai Lake- big bar and restaurant area surrounding a lake- beautiful at night because it's all lit up, also beautiful duing the day. Lots of Chinese people, live music, etc. Great place. -- the hutongs around Hohai lake are also worth visiting-- there is a good American operated brewery called Great Leap, which has really good beer and a good crowd. I think it's still there at least.
The 798 Art Zone is very interesting to visit during the day- tons of art galleries and communist architecture feeling- if you're into art. If not- not worth visiting.
The major tourists spots are mostly worth visiting- definitely check out the Great Wall and Temple of Heaven
The Olympic Village (Water Cube and Bird's Nest) is also worth seeing although it's kinda desolate and depressing.
so many good restaurants. street food is delicious. cabs are really cheap. public transport is very good and easy to use.
>HK
only visited for a night so I can't say much about it- but it is an incredible city. Lan Kwai Fong is a really great bar area. get dim sum somewhere.
Hk is really great and getting around is easy because of the metro (would recommend the octopus card if you are staying longer than 2 days.
I Don't know your age but if you are younger than 30 I would recommend going to a youth hostel or something similar at first it really sounds awful because often you will sleep with about 5 other people in one room but my experience with them are really different.
At first I also thought that it would be annoying and awkward to sleep with other people in one room but soon I found that the people are really nice because they often have the same reason to visit the place (traveling of course). It was quite the opposite from what I expected the people I met there are still good friends of mine and I even visited some of them!! (free crash place in countries like Japan and Korea). Also the hostels are usually very cheap even if it is in the centre of a city.
So I really would recommend them
>>1111843
there are plenty of wall sections that wont be crowded, even in the summer (just dont go during Spring Festival).
i went to Mutianyu last June and the wall section was essentially empty for the first few hours. just schedule a car to take you from Beijing very early in the morning (leave around 6am) and you'll have the whole place to yourself until the main tourist group buses arrive around 11-12.
>>1112998
hardly a soul to be seen.
>>1111546
Speaking of HK only, never been to mainland and have no ties to it.
Don't waste too much time on tourist shit. Like if you had to choose then rather go on a hike around Victoria Peak than wait in line to go into the Peak Tower. You'll save some money too.
Avoid brown people of all kinds, they're only out there to sell you shit or scam you in some other way. If you notice you're in an area with a lot of brown people then it's time to turn back, it's either a tourist trap or a brown people hangout and you don't want to be in either.
If you go to see the Big Buddha then it's cool (actually the cablecar ride is fun), but do plan to have a few hours (or a whole day even) to walk the trails around the temple, they're really great. Do have a map and hiking boots though.
Go to Tai-O if you can, it's pretty much a day trip and it is a tourist place, but at the same time it's a really cool (and pretty much only) way to see traditional HK life. Just wander around the place for a couple hours, get stuffed with street food (it's fucking amazing), then go back in the evening, maybe catch the lightshow at the Harbour to not waste extra time on it.
Speaking of food, HK is street food paradise, eat when you can and as much as you can. Since it's HK and not mainland it's safe, or not any more unsafe than eating at restaurants anywhere else. Just point at what you want and enjoy.
Unfortunately, as other anon mentioned, unless you speak Canto or have a local friend, you won't get to eat good dim sum. That's not to say that some tourist-oriented places aren't better than most dimsum elsewhere in the world (except a few places in LA maybe), but they're definitely low to medium-tier by HK standards.
Oh and eat egg tarts every day. I wish I could overdose on egg tarts.
>>1113076
>unless you speak Canto or have a local friend, you won't get to eat good dim sum
There are ways.
Since a lot of the old-fashioned yum cha places just wheel stuff around on trolleys, you just go over and point at what you want, they stamp your card. No communication needed, just addresses.
>>1113130
I suppose you could, but personally I hate to be that clueless tourist who makes a fuss and has to be specially accommodated. There are other matters than just pointing at the cart like getting a seat from the concierge, telling what kind of tea you want, paying later, many dishes come with extra questions also (do you want it cut etc). It's cool if you want to try but it will be awkwardness all around, yum cha places are like clockwork especially during busy times so any snags are met with a lot of huffing and puffing from the staff and patrons alike.
>>1113184
>yum cha places are like clockwork especially during busy times so any snags are met with a lot of huffing and puffing from the staff and patrons alike.
No they're not, they're like fucking streetfights at busy times and staff ain't doing shit besides pushing carts around.
Well, they do cut things sometimes but seriously, how hard is it to indicate no (palm foward) or cut (karate chop with hand)?
It's cool, I've done it, nobody huffed or puffed and everything was fire
>>1113235
I guess it's your anectodal evidence vs my anectodal evidence then.
Don't go to the Forbidden City it's boring
