Insider's Guide to Beijing

Monograms Insider's Guide to Beijing:
The words "Made in China" mean different things to different people. For many Americans, much of what they own dons labels carrying this familiar phrase. For those traveling to Beijing these three words will likely take on a new, deeply personal significance as vacation dreams are "Made in China."

The Globus family of brands is helping Beijing travelers put a very personal monogram on their vacation experience. And, while the Forbidden City, Imperial Vault of Heaven and Great Wall will surely grace everyone's "must-see" or "must-experience" lists (as they should!), the Monograms team has put together an "insider's guide" to Beijing.

This free online guide provides travelers insight into slightly off-the-beaten-path destinations around burgeoning Beijing. Whether Beijing travelers have 60 minutes or six hours to spare, this Globus family of brands Insider’s Guide will help them get a local look at both the city and the Chinese culture.

Quick Tips:
Understanding that Beijing's customs differ greatly from American traditions, below are a few tips for Beijing travelers to help them navigate the ins and outs of the city and Chinese culture:

• Insider's Information: When you arrive in Beijing, pick up a free copy of That's Beijing magazine in a café or restaurant. You’ll learn about what's going on in the city while you're there.
• Language Barriers: Most people in the service industry in Beijing speak English, however, most taxi drivers do not. Have Chinese addresses available for taxi drivers to help them take you to your desired location.
• Get it Right: Taxis won't pick you up if you are not on the side of the street that leads to your destination. If you're going north but you are on the southbound traffic side, you will need to cross the street to get a taxi to take you to your destination. Given this insight, it's very important to bring a map with you as you go from location to location.
• Cross with Caution: To cross a street in Beijing, you must go under a bridge to come up on the other side.
• Banking 101: Most locations in Beijing – restaurants, bars, shops, etc. – are cash-only (they do not accept major credit cards). Given this, it's important to know banking rules in this city. You can withdrawal 2,500 RMB twice a day (a 5,000 RMB daily limit) from the Bank of China and 2,000 RMB twice a day (a 4,000 RMB daily limit) FROM ICBC.
  
  
  
  
• Don't Line Up: Waiting in lines is not a common practice in China. Vendors often help more than one person at a time.
• Staying Connected: While many locations in and around Beijing offer free wireless Internet access, it’s important to know that the Chinese government censors the Internet so some sites are not accessible. Before you leave, you may want to go to www.tor.org for access to blocked pages (the software is free). Firefox users should also consider installing the free open-source FoxyProxy add-on.
• Public Transportation: For those travelers planning to use Beijing's subway system, know that it closes at 11:30 p.m.
• Negotiate, Negotiate, Negotiate: If you are eyeing a good or souvenir that doesn't feature a bar code, the price is up for negotiation. Consider purchasing a Chinese language book before you travel to learn the numbers and words for discounts if you plan to negotiate.
• Sensitivities: We all want to be good tourists and travelers. As such, know that the Chinese are culturally sensitive to the following topics: World War II, Taiwan and Tibet.

Beijing's Imperial Vault of Heaven

Although Beijing's Imperial Vault of Heaven itself astounds tourists and worshippers, it is the temple's outer wall that truly amazes those who discover it.

Dubbed the "Echo Wall," this temple's surrounding circle utilizes the theory of sound waves, enabling long distance conversation to travel the length of the wall. Words whispered from the landmark's east base reverberate along the wall allowing an individual at the west side to hear the spoken words. At the Echo Wall, speech can travel more than 100 feet, unaided by modern technology – now that’s true wireless communication!