Damian Harper - Beijing

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From backpacking expeditions to luxury stopovers and every point in between, Bijng caters to each and every budget. First youll need a visa (). We have put a considerable amount of written Chinese in this book. When in doubt, showing the Chinese characters to local passers-by is far more immediate than trying to pronounce Chinese (unless you can speak the language). Try to allow time to explore China outside Bijng; engineering an itinerary is an excellent idea. If you plan on visiting Tibet, check on any travel restrictions. For essentials, you should be able to find most of what you need in Bijng, but its advisable to take along any prescription medicines and cannot-live-without reading material. Last but not least, Bijng is often surprising and endlessly fascinating so dont forget to pack a sense of adventure!

Climate is what you expect; weather is what you get.

Robert A Heinlein

Climate-wise, autumn (September and October) is Bijngs finest, but shortest, season. Skies are blue, the weather is cooling down and the mad summer rush has exhausted itself, so fewer visitors are in town. Locals muse that this is the season of tingo qshung, literally high skies and the air is fresh, with trademark blue skies and crisp air. Arid spring (March to April/May) can be pleasant, apart from the scouring sandstorms (see the Dust Devil ).

Avoid visiting the capital during the first week of October and the first three days of May (), as the entire nation is on holiday rooms are in short (and expensive) supply and attractions are swamped. Be warned that the Spring Festival (below) is Chinas biggest holiday and transport outside Bijng can be hellish; many people take a week off work. But it can also be a great time to see the Chinese celebrating with all stops out be sure to book your room in advance.

China follows both the yngl (Gregorian) and the ynl (lunar) calendars. Traditional Chinese festivals are calculated according to the lunar calendar and fall on different days each year according to the Gregorian calendar. The three huge holiday periods begin with the Spring Festival, on 1 May and 1 October, respectively.

Yundn

The Spring Festival is Chinas big New Years bash, but the Western New Year is also wildly celebrated throughout town.

Chn Ji

As big in China as Christmas in the West, the family-oriented Spring Festival celebrates the arrival of the new lunar New Year. The festival commences on the first day of the first month in the lunar calendar, which usually falls sometime between late January and mid-February, ushering in one of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. The ).

Qngrn Ji

Chinas traditional festival for lovers (the seventh day of the seventh lunar month) simply doesnt attract the same kind of dewy-eyed fascination. Jewellery stores are busy with white-collar suits blowing a months salary on rings, while flower shops do a roaring trade in roses (in bunches of eleven, symbolising loyalty). If eating out, book early or make do with a takeaway. With fortuitous synchronicity, Valentines Day in 2010 exactly coincides with the first day of the Spring Festival (so book that table