Expert: Tom Carter ~ Travel China Expert - 1/22/2008

Question
Hi Tom,

I am just about to move to Beijing in the spring. What can you tell me about the first few weeks vis a vis finding a place to stay, getting around etc. Would it be wise to buy a car, or is the public transport good enough to do without.
Also, I am a vegetarian, and Í have heard that ít is pretty hard to eat out without running into meat in every dish. Is this true?

Answer
Hi Andrew,
Making the great leap forward to China, huh? I suppose I could carry on endlessly with sundry advice and suggestions about this and that, however for now I will limit myself to answering your specific questions.
Beijing is not confined to traditional city limits, but rather expands out in concentric "ring roads."  If you are searching for a home, central Beijing around the 2nd and 3rd rings is the most colorful and historic area, where you can choose between living in an ancient "Hutong" courtyard, a concrete Soviet-style apartment complex, or in one of the new gleaming highrises that are sprouting up around town. Otherwise, many foreigners are content to live in the distant yet quiet suburbs of Shunyi district on the 6th ring. There, one can isolate his family in a new townhouse and send his kids off to an international kindergarten. Your choice!
Getting around is, thankfully, a Beijing no-brainer. Public transportation is profuse, with extensive bus lines congesting the streets but covering every square kilometer of the city. The subway system is also under expansion and will rapidly grow from the present four lines to at least ten in the next year. Yes, you can get a Chinese driver's license and purchase a car, though this process is complicated and expensive for foreigners, not to mention that driving in China is not for the faint of heart.
I myself prefer a traditional Chinese Flying Pigeon bicycle to maneuver around the capital city. Sometimes dangerous, always exciting, convenient, and cost-effective, getting a used bike for under RMB 100 is an ideal alternative to taxis or subways.
I also happen to be a vegetarian, and somehow have survived China's carnivorous dining habits. Yes, they love their meat, but they also love their eggs, vegetables, fish and tofu, so the vegi-alternatives are bountiful. Just be sure to carry a phrasebook with you, and be very sure to insist that they don't sprinkle ground beef in your tofu or lace your dumplings with egg. Always ask!
Beijing teems with inexpensive restaurants for all tastes, so trying a new establishment every day is a fun way to find your favorite. Pick up one of the local expat rags such as That's or City Weekend for an English listing of specialty restaurants.
Since no one is paying me to endorse their establishment, I hesitate to make any personal recommendations, however I do especially fancy a certain all-you-can-eat for under ten bucks Buddhist vegetarian buffet located near Lhama temple by the name of "Dengpin Su."
Have fun and take care...