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What to do...
Biking. Yes, this is the place to rent a bike in China. It's fairly cheap and there
are usually a couple of rent-a-bike shops next to the backpacker places to
choose from.
Make sure that everything is solidly fixed to your bike before heading out on
the road.
Ok, so now you have a bike, where to go? You can basically reach all sights
within Beijing by bike. Often enough the trip will be as interesting as your
destination.
What to see...
The obvious sights are all worth a visit. You can easily spend two or three days with
the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, Tien An Men Square and a trip out to
the Great Wall.
Some of my favourites are:
- The Coal Hill. This is a great place to relax. The Coal Hill is a park
just north of the Forbidden City and it offers great views of the palaces and
the modern skyline of Beijing.
- Confucius Temple. This one is near the Lama Temple and can easily be visited
from there. In contrast to the Lama Temple, which is loud and full of tourists,
this place is usually very quiet. While you sit under the trees, check out those
stone steles in the temple grounds. This are records of all the students that passed
the exams to become a civil servant under the Emperor.
- The hutongs east of the Palace. The old, narrow living quarters of Beijing are
destroyed by new concrete monsters everywhere, so check out the hutongs around the palace.
- The Summer Palace is a great bike destination just outside of Beijing. You
can go there in about two or three hours by bike from city center. Alternatively, you can
go there by public bus or minibus.
Some views...
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The Temple of Heaven
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Roofs of the Palace with the Coal Hill in the background
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Guard in front of Tien An Men
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