A Beijing Winter with Scorpions and Crickets on my Breath

Finding your way around a foreign city can seem like a daunting task, especially when all the signs are written in a language that you don’t understand, but Beijing is a very traveller friendly city, and an ease to navigate. With an extensive metro system and a plethora of taxis, any place in Beijing is a quick and cheap trip away.

Walking is by far the best way to understand and explore the city of Beijing, but depending on the distances, it is not always the best option. Although taxis are plentiful and quite cheap, Beijing traffic (which gets more and more congested by the day) sometimes makes it quicker to just walk. Plus, when travelling by foot, you’re able to discover a lot of off the beaten track locales and are able to see much more of the city. All road signs are clearly marked in both Chinese and English, so you shouldn’t have much difficulty determining where you are, as long as you have a map. Some of the best restaurants that we ate at in Beijing were the hole in the wall shops that we passed whilst walking from one place to another. Although I don’t remember the names of any of them (or whether they even had names), you’re bound to run into many traditional (and cheap) restaurants when navigating Beijing by foot.

Whether it was intentional or not, the Chinese created a new sport in recent decades. Crossing the Street. In much of the Western world, when the little green walk sign is on, you just need to look both ways to make sure no traffic is coming, and if cars do approach when you are already in the intersection, then they’ll yield to you. This is far from the case in China. If you wait until the little green person is on and the traffic stops, then you’ll likely never make it across the street. The traffic follows their own set of rules that each driver determines themselves, so the only way to properly cross a street in Beijing (or all of China), is to cross the street weaving your way between the incoming cars. It’s kind of like playing Frogger, but in real life. Although there are zebra crossings throughout the city, cars pay no attention to it, so keep your wits about when crossing. Of course, some intersections are worse than other, and in central Beijing, where most of the tourist sites are, there are many underpasses and bridges over the roadways so that you don’t even have to worry about traffic. This is usually only something to be concerned with when crossing the street outside of the immediate city centre.

For longer distances, the easiest and quickest way to get around Beijing is by using the extensive subway system. Having undergone a lot of expansion and improvements in the last decade, largely due to the Olympic Games, Beijing’s metro rivals that of many other cities around the world. All the facilities are extremely modern and well marked, and only cost a fraction of what one would expect to pay in New York, London, or Sydney. Currently, a total of nine lines are in operation to zip you anywhere in Beijing, and regardless of how far you travel and how many times you transfer, you’ll only pay a flat fare of ¥2 (about $0.30USD). However, in order to reach the Beijing Capital International Airport, the fare is ¥25 (about $3.50USD), but is very fast and efficient. Pretty much all the main sights in Beijing can be found along lines 1, 2, and 5, and transferring between these lines are very easy and quick. Signs (in both Chinese and English) are abundant throughout the stations, directing you on how to find your next line. When transferring, make sure that you don’t go through a turnstile which requires you to insert your ticket because if you do, you’re exiting the station and will have to buy another ticket to get back on. When buying tickets, the automated ticket vending machines are in both English and Chinese and are extremely easy to use. If you are travelling with large pieces of luggage, the station attendants might stop you and have it x-rayed, but this is relatively painless and they often don’t even care about scanning the luggage of foreigners. People often have the impression that the subways in East Asia are jam packed, but in Beijing, due to the frequent trains and efficiency of the system, Beijing’s metro system is not overcrowded, but you likely won’t be able to find a seat.

Taxis in Beijing are also plentiful and extremely inexpensive (a ride of typical length across town will cost you about ¥20), but as the drivers usually do not speak English, you need to find other ways of communicating with them. Have your hotel write down the location where you’re going in Chinese characters and show that to the driver, or bring a map and point to the place that you want to go. If you know the general whereabouts of where you want to go, it’s often easier just to take the metro and walk to where you’re going. Although some fake taxis do exist, the official taxis are easily distinguishable as they have a large yellow stripe on the side with the taxi company’s name on the front doors and a "B" as the first letter on the number plate. Even if you find yourself in an unofficial taxi, likely the worst thing that is going to happen is that you are going to be charged more than what the standard fare should be.

Although buses are existent within Beijing, understanding their schedules (written only in Chinese) and knowing when to get off make them very difficult to use. Unless you are extremely proficient in Mandarin, don’t mind getting completely lost, and have a sense of adventure, then the buses are probably not for you.

Through my experience travelling in Beijing, I’d definitely recommend walking if possible, using the metro/subway if travelling longer distances, and taking a taxi as a last resort. Always carry a city map and a subway map with you, and you’ll likely not find yourself lost.

Wangfujing International Youth Hostel is perhaps one of the best value hostels that I have ever stayed at. Not only does it have an unbeatable location, but it is also one of the cheapest hostels in Beijing. It felt a lot more like I was staying at an expensive hotel than a budget hostel in Beijing.

After arriving on an overnight train from Xi’an, we got to the hostel just after 7am. Due to the early hour, our room was not yet ready, but we were able to leave our backpacks at reception and we were informed that we could use all the facilities of the hostel until our room was ready at about 10am.

Once we finally got checked into the room, I was amazed by the cleanliness and quality of the room. Although it was only a 4 bed room, the size of the room itself was quite large, and instead of having two sets of bunk beds crammed into the corner, there were 4 pristinely made single beds spread evenly throughout the room, each with a comfy doona, a bedside table, and a reading lamp. There was a full desk and chair for planning the day’s activities and large lockers for luggage storage (large enough to fit a big travel backpack). Just make sure to bring your own lock. The only bad thing about the hostel was that the beds were so comfortable that it made it difficult to get up in the morning!

The staff at the hostel take great care of the guests and it is clear that they care for each person staying with them. The bathrooms were immaculately clean, with showers that had constant hot water and Western-style toilets. As I visited in winter, it was quite cold outside, and the hostel provided multiple hair dryers in each bathroom so that the guests could completely dry their hair before going out as not to catch a cold; another very homely touch.

Downstairs, right across from check-in, was a travel desk which is ready to help you plan the activities for the day in Beijing, as well as book train or plane tickets to further your travel out of Beijing. Four computers were also available for use, with very reasonable rates for the use of internet. It also has a lounge with a TV and DVD library for a quiet night in. The hostel’s bar and restaurant were also quite cosy, serving up breakfast every morning, with other meals available throughout the day, and they had plenty of beers on tap if one desired a night in with fellow travellers. There was a wide selection of different meals for breakfast, such as a traditional English breakfast, a Swiss breakfast, or a Chinese style breakfast. Each came with any type of tea or coffee. Although not included in the price of the room, the breakfast meals would only set you back a couple dollars. Even though it might be a bit more than you could get a breakfast for out in the street, it was nice to sit in the lounge area and enjoy a meal that reminded me of home after so many weeks of travelling.

To get the most for your money, book the hostel online before arriving, as the prices found on many of the hostel booking websites are much cheaper than the walk-up prices to be had at reception. If booked online, expect to pay around US$6 for a 4 bed dorm room, and only slightly more for triples or doubles.

Located only a stone’s throw away from the Forbidden City and the Wangfujing shopping area, there was nothing that couldn’t be found nearby. Additionally, the Dengshikou subway station was less than a five minute walk. The hostel is quite easily found as it is located directly behind the Taiwan Hotel in Wangfujing.

The Wangfujing International Youth Hostel is a great place to meet and mingle with other travellers and a wonderful temporary home to base yourself out of during your travels through Beijing. A perfect place for a quiet night’s rest, I highly recommend this hostel to all travellers to Beijing.

When you think of Chinese food, you probably think of the typical Chinese dishes like lo mein, pot stickers, pork buns, or any of the other great dishes found within the wide range of Chinese cuisine. However, whilst in Beijing, you can tickle your taste buds with some odder fares, such as scorpion, cockroach, cricket, sea horse, or cow testicles, just to name a few. Wangfujing Night Market, just a few blocks east of the Forbidden City, will settle your fantasies if you ever felt that you could be the next Andrew Zimmern.

Although the typical Chinese meal does not contain these less-desired edibles, people in some regions of China can be found snacking on things such as fried silkworms and crickets. Though, I have a hard time believing that some of the other food they serve up (like cockroaches and scorpions) are actually Chinese foods. Sometimes I think that the vendors simply cook up these more obscure animals just to see how far they can go without people being completely repulsed by the food. But, I guess, if people are still ordering up a skewer of fried cockroach, then they can’t push the envelope much further!

I am one that is willing to try absolutely everything put in front of me at least once, as long as I can be assured what I am eating will not end up being my last meal. It’s not that I have an iron stomach or anything, it’s just that I am open to trying everything, and it makes for a great story later on! As I perused the line of vendors along Wangfujing Street, I was making a mental list of treats that I wanted to try. Scorpions, silkworm, cockroach, cow testicle, snake, crickets, bull penis, kidneys, chicken hearts; all these got my taste buds running. Ever since I opted out of trying fried crickets in Thailand a few years prior, I regretted it, since I thought I might have missed out on something. I wasn’t going to let this second chance at eating the utterly obscure (at least in my Western opinion) pass me by.

I’ve always found scorpions amazing creatures, so they were my first attempt at this completely foreign cuisine. You get three small scorpions deep fried on a skewer for only ¥15 (about US$2). As I put it into my mouth, the long dead scorpion got its last revenge on me as its stinger went into my lip as I tried to get it in my mouth. No dramas, this little bugger wouldn’t take me down. As I crunched away at the entire animal (legs, stinger, all!), I was surprised at the deliciousness of this creature. It sort of tasted like hot chips, but that was maybe because of all the oil it was fried in. I even went up for seconds! It was definitely my favourite thing that I tried at Wangfujing, and if you gave me a plate of fried scorpions right now, I’d devour right into them. They also have larger scorpions (about 10 cm long) which I decided to pass on. Not only did they cost about US$8 per scorpion, but I also heard from the other travelers that they were nowhere near as good as their small cousins. The crickets were also as good as these little scorpions. Hen hao chi!

Second to try was silkworms. They were not completely developed, so they were deep fried whilst in the cocoon which gave them a brownish shell, and with 5 silkworms per skewer at ¥5 per skewer, it was a really cheap treat. The first bite was quite…odd…to say the least. There was some kind of slimy puss that escaped into my mouth as I bit in and was really soft and chewy (from the outside appearance, it seemed to be crunchy). Not very good on the first try, but I gave another one a shot since I knew what to expect this time, and it actually wasn’t that bad. It just took a little getting used to. Definitely recommend trying it, but it must be given a chance, because it is a little weird at first.

After trying some snake, chicken heart, cow testicles, bull penis, and kidneys, all of which I am indifferent to, not really good, yet not really bad, I was going to finish it up with the most disgusting item on the menu. Cockroach. Now, I don’t think that there is anyone who likes seeing cockroaches, but I figured I’d have to give it a try since it was there. Thankfully, the cook took the wings off and just cooked the rest of the body and legs. As I put the entire fried cockroach into my mouth the atrocious smell emanating from them disturbed the olfactory receptors in my nose. These little creatures tasted exactly as they smelled. Horrible. Okay, I’ve never eaten poo, but I really expect that poo would taste like cockroach. I wouldn’t recommend trying cockroach, unless it is solely for the reason to tell someone you’ve eaten cockroach. I guess that’s the reason why I tried so many things on this market anyway!

If none of those obscure foods are up your alley, there are always normal foods to be had at the market, including fruit drinks, beef and noodle dishes, and other equally delicious fried dishes, but why would you want to eat something normal like beef when there is scorpion next door beckoning to be eaten!

Perhaps best known throughout the Western world for the demonstrations and protests that occurred in June of 1989, Tiananmen Square is a giant plaza home to many of Beijing’s attractions. Officially the largest city square in the world, attractions such as the Mao Mausoleum, the Gate of Heavenly Peace, the Great Hall of the People, and the Monument to the People’s Heroes are all located on or around Tiananmen Square.

Tiananmen Square was the site of the June Fourth Incident in 1989, when the People’s Liberation Army of the communist controlled government put a violent end to the pro-democracy protests of students, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of students and soldiers. The image of an unknown man (who became known as The Unknown Rebel) standing courageously in front of a line of four approaching Chinese tanks has become widely associated with this incident, and was one of the most influential pictures of the 20th century. Knowledge of this incident within China is virtually unknown, with the Chinese government blocking the transmittance of any information regarding this incident.

The Gate of Heavenly Peace, located on the northern edge of Tiananmen Square, is the reason the square is named as such, as "Tiananmen" literally means "Gate of Heavenly Peace". It was originally constructed in 1420, but has since undergone many renovations leading to its present state. Because it was the front entrance to the Imperial City, it has many feelings of nationalism associated with it, and is the centre point in national emblem of the People’s Republic of China. In order to enter the Imperial City and further on to the Forbidden City, one must pass under the gate as the giant portrait of Mao Zedong watches over. Beware, however, that it is free to pass through the gate and onto the entrance of the Forbidden City at the Meridian Gate. You can pay ¥15 (about US$2) to go up in the gate, but I felt that I’d rather spend my ¥15 on another skewer of scorpions at the Wangfujing Night Market, and instead admire the architecture from the outside for free.

Located directly on Tiananmen Square, the Monument to the People’s Heroes can be seen towering 38 metres above the square. Since China has had a long and tumultuous revolutionary history, the monument was built in 1949 to commemorate the lives of those people who gave their lives for China in eight different revolutionary events between 1840 and 1949.

Perhaps one of the most unique attractions on Tiananmen Square is the Mao Mausoleum located at the southern end of the square. As Mao Zedong was responsible for establishing the People’s Republic of China and making it what it is today, it was decided that he would follow in the footsteps of many other revolutionary Communist leaders (such as Lenin and Ho Chi Minh) and have his body embalmed and put on display for generations to come, despite Mao’s personal wishes to be cremated. Therefore, over 30 years after his death, people can still pay homage to the legacy of Mao and see his body. Although many are in disagreement as to whether the body on display is actually Mao or just a wax replica, the mausoleum serves as a reminder of his impact on China. Entry to the mausoleum is free, but as a result of all the people wishing to see Mao’s body, every person’s visit is extremely short. Visitors are ushered through in a single file line at a relatively quick pace, giving each person only about 15 seconds to actually view Mao’s body from behind a couple panes of glass. It is a constantly moving line, so it is difficult to stop and appreciate. No cameras, bags, or any other belongings are allowed in, so beware of what you take with you when visiting the mausoleum. It is only open between 8am and 12pm every day except Monday. I highly recommend visiting the Mao Mausoleum as it is definitely a unique experience, not to be had in the western world (apart from in Russia).

Essential to any visit to Beijing, Tiananmen Square is best visited during the day to fully appreciate the grandness of this location. During nightfall, the square is heavily patrolled by guards, and is not well lit up. Apart from the Gate of Heavenly Peace being lit up, there is relatively little to see at Tiananmen Square after dark.

Beijing was the star of the world stage during August of 2008, as the Summer Olympic Games headed to China for the first time in history. Over 4.5 billion people around the world turned in to watch the games, making it the most viewed Olympic Games in history. Whether they tuned in to see Michael Phelps swim his way to eight gold medals in the Water Cube or Usain Bolt win three golds through record setting speeds in the Bird’s Nest, the world came together on the Olympic Green of Beijing.

Although many of the Olympic venues were spread out across Beijing (and even some in Hong Kong), the Olympic Green was the central Olympic park for Beijing’s Games. Being the ever growing nation that China is, the country saw the Olympics as a way to rocket itself further onto the world stage, and the city saw many more additions and changes rather than just the new stadiums built. Whenever a city is granted the opportunity to host the Olympic Games, it makes many improvements to its infrastructure in order to demonstrate to the world the abilities of the country. The metro transportation system got a facelift, a new terminal was built at the airport, the city put stricter regulations on personal car transport, and even all the poorly translated signs (which are very abundant in China) were fixed to help the great influx of Western travellers that the Olympic Games would bring.

Perhaps the most recognisable building of the 2008 Summer Olympics was the Beijing National Stadium, more affectionately known as the Bird’s Nest, located along the Promenade at the centre of the Olympic Green. As the site of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and the Track & Field events, the stadium needed a large capacity, and therefore seats over 90,000. Even though the Olympics are long gone from the stadium, most of the Olympic images contained around the stadium are still present. Beijing had hoped that the stadium would be used for other events after the Olympics, but due to the massive size of the stadium, it has failed to attract new tenants. However, during a visit to the Olympic Green, it is still possible to tour the inside of the Bird’s Nest. For ¥40 (only ¥20 for students), tourists can enter the stadium and have relatively unrestricted access to the entire stadium. Not only can you stroll through the stands and corridors, but can also go down onto the actually field and run the same track that Usain Bolt had set his world records on. On the giant TVs throughout the stadium, images and videos from the Games were continuously being shown. Whilst I was there, they had a performance involving The Friendlies (the mascots of the Beijing Olympics) running a mock relay and dancing to traditional Chinese music. After the sun went down, the lights were turned off and visitors were shown a laser light show set to modern Chinese music. All the performances made it seem like the Olympics had never left and that the world still comes together in Beijing.

Located in the northern section of Beijing, about 10 kilometres north of the Forbidden Palace, the Olympic Green is easily reached by Beijing’s extensive public transport system. Line 8 (Olympic Branch Line) of the Beijing Subway, which has a stop at the Olympic Green, connects Line 10 which extends throughout Beijing. If travelling from the Tiananmen Square area, it is necessary to change trains at least twice, though due to the simplicity of the system, it is both easy and cheap to take the metro to the Olympic Green.

Although the Games are long gone, a visit to the Olympic Green still makes you feel as though you are part of the action on the world stage.