Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with beijing

What am I eating?

Jaie — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:20:02 -0800

A coworker brought us two boxes of sweet-ish treats from China. She doesn't know what they are either. We're not overly worried about the ingredients, we just want to know a little bit about what we're putting in our mouths. Traditional Chinese foods? New-fangled stuff they only sell to tourists? How are they made? What are they called, are they meant to be part of any special meal/holiday/celebration, etc.

The first box (although I may have inadvertently switched the boxes and their original contents) are little (maybe 1" square?) white things that look like unbaked biscuits, although they are hard and have a texture like shredded wheat. Or maybe it's something spun? Very little flavor, very slightly sweet. Front of box here. Back of box here.

The second box held numerous rolled treats, some coated in sesame seeds. No filling. Hard, but not really crunchy. Too sticky to be crunchy. More flavorful than the others. Most of them have been eaten, but you can see one still in there. Front of box here. Back of box here.

Any recommendations for a tailor in Beijing?

Idcoytco — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:08:18 -0800

I am female, visiting Beijing briefly. I would like to get blouses and slacks made while I am there. I am too tall for off-the-peg.

Instruments in Beijing

god particle — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 13:49:27 -0800

Where in Beijing can I buy music instruments? I'm going to Beijing next week for a couple weeks and want to see what interesting instruments I can find there. What are some of the better/more interesting instrument stores around there? I'd also like to see if I can buy some more "normal" instruments such as drum machines or synthesizers. Is it a good idea to buy those there? Where can I find them there?

What should I do and eat in Beijing for 36 hours?

damiano99 — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:51:05 -0800

TravelFilter: I have 36 hours in Beijing. What should I see (serious amateur photog) and where should I eat (dim-sum preferable.) Bonus: Good hotels with Internet access. Any help or suggestions appreciated!

Blue and red roofs in Beijing?

molecicco — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:45:41 -0800

Look at GoogleMaps over Beijing. About a quarter of the buildings have rooftops that are red or blue. And the color is really strong in comparison to everything else. Has the image been colored, or are they just painted? Either way... Why?

Buying original art in china

typography — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:03:22 -0800

I will be in Shanghai and Beijing for 2 weeks. What are the best places to look for and buy original chinese art? I know china has become famous for their knockoff paintings. I also know there is plenty of touristy street art available everywhere. I am looking for neither of these.

I am wondering if anyone knows specific places I can go to see and buy original chinese art, including paintings, prints, and possibly sculptures. I have a very diverse set of tastes, so feel free to recommend anything.

(Plus points for affordability. Or at least let me know how much I can expect to pay.)

Where can I learn about temporary housing options in Beijing?

zhang.chuck — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:05:30 -0800

How do I go about finding housing in Beijing for the summer? I have just arranged for an internship at a company in Beijing, and I am now looking for housing options. I am a bit of a rookie at this, as this will be my first extended stay outside of the US working. I need to find housing for the months of June, July and August near the city centre (where the company's offices are), and though I've discussed it with their HR officer, I'm wondering if there are other options.

I've heard of homestay programs...does anybody have any opinions on this?

Also, are there any websites that might help me in my search for a small apartment or dormitory-style housing?

Location is probably the most important factor-- I am comfortable living in a spartan environment.

Suggestions?

China is really big! Where do I go?

whatzit — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:31:38 -0800

After many other ideas have fallen through, I think I'll be going to China about 7 days in May. But it's so big! Inner Mongolia sounds cool; is it worth traveling around Hohhot? I could go surfing in Hainan, but how is the beach compared to Ha Long Bay, or Copacabana, or Playas del Este...? I'm alone but can meet people anywhere. I am not particularly interested in the major-major cities at this time, unless it's all I can afford to get to. Something that offers more active or out-of-the-way cultural stuff is more interesting than another temple. Of course suggestions other than those in the main question are welcome!

Were China's Olympic greening efforts short-term?

GIMG — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 11:17:13 -0800

Will China's efforts to go green for the Olympics be instituted for the longer-term or for a broader geographic range?

How does the Chinese media deal with climate change (esp. during the Olympics)?

GIMG — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 06:51:20 -0800

How does the Chinese media handle climate change, and what (if any) difference did the Beijing Olympics have in this? I only really followed the Chinese media in the time window surrounding the Beijing Olympics - I'm trying to get a sense for how climate change is discussed in the Chinese media (what is to be emphasized, what is to be ignored or downplayed), and how the Olympics impacted these discussions.

I've noticed a lot of contrasting opinions - a stream of climate change skeptic editorials, we must act now to stop climate change, features on industries who are trying to cut emissions - a contrast that I think goes against Western perception of a homogeneous Chinese media. What are the main pressures on discussion of climate change in the press?

Looking for a professional digital print shop in Beijing

michswiss — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 09:15:00 -0800

I'm looking for professional digital printing services in Beijing similar to this one in Shanghai. I've used the Shanghai service several times for very large prints including gallery mounting and I need a comparable service in Beijing. It's important that the technician speak at least moderate english and that they have a good selection of professional papers and inks. FWIW, I've spoken quickly to a couple of shops at Wukesong in Beijing and haven't been impressed yet.

Reliable, faster internet access from an apartment in Beijing.

bleecker — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:29:14 -0800

Will be moving to Beijing and would like to have high speed reliable internet service in my apartment. We'll likely be living in one of the US or HK developed apartments along Chao Yang park. I've worked with DSL connections in serviced apartments in Beijing and Shanghai and was not thrilled with the throughput (70kbs) or reliability. The Great Firewall is not an issue as far as completely blocking sites, but I'm sure it affects transfer speeds from the US sites I'd be accessing. I've done some digging and have come up with:

1. Dual DSL lines and a load balancing router: wouldn't really increase throughput of a single connection but might help with simultaneous transfers and reliability.
2. Satellite internet: Pricier and legally shadowy. No guarantee that I could even put up/properly direct a dish.

Are there any other options I should consider? Are there "commercial only" options that may be possible?

Bonus question:
Is there some way I could increase the likelihood that I would be able to create VPN connections to the US. (In my experience, I was able do so with 1 out of the 2 DSL connections I used in China).

Mmmm. Xiao lung bao

PWA_BadBoy — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 02:32:42 -0800

Where can I get a copy of Jeffrey Steingarten's Beijing Restaurant Guide? I found it a few days ago off Google but now it appears Vogue online has pulled the PDF file (previously here.

Can't stop the talkin'?

oxford blue — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:30:08 -0800

Mesdames et Messieurs, Ladies and Gentleman, and so forth. Or, how to avoid the commentators. Is there anyway I can hear/watch the olympics without the commentators a commentin'? Specifically, the medal ceremonies and maybe the Opening Ceremony?

I really like listening to the french, english and then mandarin (?) announcements and so forth (you know, the things that are announced within the actual venue over the speakers), however 9 times out of 10 a commentator is talking blithely over the top of them. I also like hearing the roar of the crowd, the various national chants and so on. Obviously when Johhny Pasthisprime and Sally Tragicaccident are talking I can't hear any of this delightful ambient noise.

Help me want to go to China

whatzit — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 06:13:58 -0800

Accidental Tourist: It looks like I have 8 days between planes in Shenyang, China in September. Will Beijing still have the cleanest skies it will ever have during my lifetime? Should I instead take the opportunity to see Harbin/Dalian/Dandong/the far NE? Is there somewhere I've forgotten? And how can I get out of Shenyang quick-like? I've nearly forgotten spoken Mandarin, but I can read okay. I'm a mid-twenties female traveling alone and probably staying with people through couchsurfing. I like food, walking around, and you-can-only-do-this-here opportunities. I am not interested in shopping for brand-names or knock-offs. I do already have a visa for China, and do not want to take any more airplanes.

and if any of you in these territories is interested in dinner or hanging out during the week, I would love to hear it!

Lang Lang! Lang Lang!

crookedneighbor — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 15:53:16 -0800

How can I watch the opening ceremony of the Olympics, now that I've missed it? I have a TV but no cable or antennae, and NBC online doesn't seem to have the full thing as a video. Will it be rebroadcast on the web? Will NBC host it after the Olympics are over? Will it be released on Criterion?

What to ask the Chinese populace?

srkit — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:24:25 -0800

I am leaving for Beijing in a few days. I am bringing a video camera and plan to interview English-speaking Chinese people on the street. My goal is to edit the footage together into an informative and insightful piece. If you could ask the people of China any question, what would it be?

There are Olympics geeks, yes?

exceptinsects — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 22:08:24 -0800

I would like to read some blogs about the Olympics. Can you recommend any? I am interested in things like:

The uniforms of different countries.

Olympic Village accommodations.

Backstagey stuff about the opening/closing ceremonies. (And THEN five thousand goats, carrying third grade jump-rope champions in glow-in-the-dark ballerina dresses, come out from behind the proscenium...)

Discussions of arcane track and field scoring.

What sports should SO TOTALLY be official now, or are and SHOULD NOT BE OMG.

Why the commentators are wrong, wrong wrong.

and other nerdery.

I'm not so much interested in the political aspects.

How can I secure a room in Beijing during the Olympics?

borkingchikapa — Fri, 16 May 2008 10:17:32 -0800

I'm in Japan right now, but I have all of August off. I want to hang out in Beijing for a week or so during the Olympics. I don't actually want to attend them, I just want to take part in the hubbub. How can I reserve a cheap bed (~30USD) now? Caveat: I do not speak any Chinese.

How do you say Beijing?

MrMerlot — Sun, 04 May 2008 15:22:04 -0800

What's the correct way to pronouce Beijing?

Shopping in Beijing?

magnusbe — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:56:05 -0800

I'm going to Beijing in May, and want to buy some electronics and other stuff. I wondered if there is a website where I can find prices for different goods, and if there were comparisons to prices in the US/Europe I'd be thrilled. Any other tips are also welcome. (I'm from Norway, so anything will be cheap for me...)

Getting around San Francisco International Airport

CrazyLemonade — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 16:16:01 -0800

I need some San Francisco Airport help, ASAP! I just talked to my dad, who's in Beijing and supposed to fly into San Francisco tomorrow. My dad's sort of a control freak when it comes to airports, and he likes to know his way around them, since he travels a lot on business, usually changing planes on a hurry.

Anyway, he's worried because he has no idea on how to get from the international terminal where he'll arrive (United 888, Beijing - San Francisco), to the terminal where he'll get on a plane to Houston (Continental 1536, San Francisco - Houston). He's also a bit worried about making it on time (2 hour difference between one plane arrives and the other one leaves), as he has to clear customs (we're mexican) and he's carrying two pieces of luggage (he's used to a small carry-on).

So, anyone who knows their way around SFO, please help.

When to buy tickets for trains in China?

chippie — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 21:39:19 -0800

I'm going to China in a few days. Should I purchase train tickets in advance on the Web, or wait until I get there? Possibly relevant details:

I will be traveling from Shanghai to Beijing the second week of October. Later, from Beijing to Xi'an. And later still, from Xi'an back to Shanghai. Total time elapsed: about a week. Two of the trips would be overnight on the train, if I'm reading the online train tables correctly.

I don't speak any Chinese.

I am weighing which is the worse scenario: buying tickets in advance on the Web and struggling to sort out some unforeseen problem in person later, or being unable to buy tickets in person later because they're sold out.

Any and all other advice you'd care to share will be much appreciated. I'm adventurous but would like to avoid any obvious snafus. Thanks!

What to bring, to Beijing?

benign — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 11:03:26 -0800

At the end of this month I'll be moving from Ottawa, Canada, to Beijing, China to work as a software developer for a couple years. What should I bring with me, and what am I better off buying once I arrive? I think I have the basic stuff covered (clothes, money, toiletries, medicine, laptop, camera, etc) so I'm wondering mostly what stuff is easy or cheap to get in Canada, but hard to find or expensive in China.

At the same time, I figure there are probably things I'd be better off not bringing with me, in favour of just picking them up when I get there, but I'm not sure what those things are. For example I'm guessing that clothing is cheaper there than here, so I'm not planning to bring my winter coat, because it's big and heavy.

Between the two, I'm more concerned with figuring out what stuff I'd really regret NOT bringing.

Any packing/shopping tips along these lines, useful web resources, and relevant experiences or stories would be very much appreciated!

Photographer's tour of Beijing?

mullingitover — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 17:07:59 -0800

I'm going to Beijing for a week in October. I would like to take some really great pictures. Where should I go? My friend is going to university in Beijing this fall to start her third year of college-level Mandarin. I'm going to spend a week with her during the first week of October while she's on break. We have a full seven days to explore Beijing, and we're open to spending a couple days taking a trip outside the city.

I'm an avid amateur photographer and I'd like to find some striking scenery and people to photograph. The typical tourist traps are ok, but I'd also like to see things that are unique and off the beaten path. What places are essential for a photographer's tour of Beijing?