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Bookmark & shareWhere the mojo of MTV and mobile phones has eclipsed the magic of Mao.
If your visions of Beijing are centred around pods of Maoist revolutionaries in buttoned-down tunics performing exercise in Tiananmen Square, put them to rest: this city has embarked on a new millennium rollercoaster and it's taking the rest of China with it.
Beijing's youth is more interested in MTV than Mao; rhetorical slogans from the Cultural Revolution have given way to butchered English splashed across designer-copy T-shirts, and expats, tourists, foreign investors and a mobile phone-toting hip-oisie are mixing it up with the bureaucrats.
Travel Warning: Olympic Games Security - Knife Attack In Central Beijing
Beijing is currently hosting the Olympic Games. Visitors to China should expect extremely tight security procedures not only in the capital, but across the country. Travellers should make sure they have the correct visa requirements - issuing procedures have recently changed due to the Games. Security at airports, on subways, and even on certain roads in Beijing have been tightened. Road security cordons have been established to check vehicles and possibly luggage. The Chinese government had previously suggested it would allow organised protests in designated Beijing parks, but few details have been released. The parks mentioned were Ritan, Shijie and Zizhuyuan, but details are scant and groups who wish to participate in protests are required to have approval from the Beijing Public Security Bureau. Travellers would be wise to avoid of any of these demonstrations.
An American tourist was killed in a knife attack in central Beijing on the opening day of the Olympic Games. A second tourist was injured in the attack at the Drum Tower monument, 5km (3mi) from the main Olympic stadium.
severity: High-level alert
Fast Facts
Population
13,000,000
Currency
Name: Yuan Renminbi
Code: CNY
Symbol: Y
Electrical Plugs
220V 50Hz
Languages Spoken
Official: Mandarin
Time Zones
GMT/UTC +8 (Standard Time)
Country Dialing Code
+86
Weights & Measures
Metric
Beijing - Free Guidebook Chapter
Download the free Getting Started chapter or buy individual chapters from our Beijing guide, in our online Shop.
› Go to the Beijing download page.
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Disclaimer: We've tried to make the information on this web site as accurate as possible, but it is provided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information. You should verify critical information (like visas, health and safety, customs and transportation) with the relevant authorities before you travel.
