Hotel Information

With 24-storeys and 528 rooms, the Shangri-La Hotel, Beijing is a landmark in the Western part of the city. Close to the financial district, Summer Palace and Beijing Exhibition Halls and 35 kilometers from the Beijing Airport, its location and reputation has made it the choice rest stop for business and leisure travelers to Beijing alike.

Address: 29 Zizhuyuan Road, Beijing 100089, China.
Tel : (86 10) 6841 2211
Fax : (86 10) 6841 8002 / 3
Email : slb@shangri-la.com

More information about the hotel may be found at:
http://www.shangri-la.com/beijing/shangri-la/en/index.aspx

Air Travel

Beijing Capital International Airport is located in northeast of Beijing, capital of People's Republic of China, and 25.35km from the Tiananmen Square, center of Beijing city.

For further information about the Beijing Capital International Airport, please visit: http://www.bcia.com.cn/en/index.jsp

Ground Transportation

The best way of getting around Beijing is by taxi. Taxis are convenient and available 24 hours a day. Rates reflect the distance to your destination. Taxi fee is generally at 2 RMB per kilometer (there is a sticker on the window of the back seat doors with the specific price for each taxi). Also, this fee is added to a flat rate of 10 RMB (including 3 kilometers) at the start of every ride (higher rate late at night). Take precautions to make sure that the taxi driver is licensed (license should be displayed above the glove compartment with the driver’s name and photo) and make sure to buckle your seatbelt, especially on the freeway. You will receive a receipt at the end of your ride. It is wise to hold on to that receipt in case something comes up and you need to get in touch with the driver or the taxi company.

10 RMB airport highway toll will be charged per car.  2 RMB will be charged per 5 minutes when the taxi is traveling under 12 kilometers/hour, say, when you come to traffic jam, the fee will get higher.

(Average) Exchange Rate :
1 USD = 7.22 RMB

Maps and Directions

Location Map of Shangri la Hotel & Beijing University:

The estimated taxi fee from airport to Shangri-la Hotel is about 200 to 250 RMB, depending on road traffic.

Tourism: Beijing

King Wu was the first to declare Beijing the capital city in 1057 BC. Subsequently, the city has gone by the names of Ji, Zhongdu, Dadu, and finally Beijing when the Ming Dynasty Emperor ChengZu chose the name in 1421. Before 1949, Beijing was known as Peking by the Western world. After 1949, the city's name returned to Beijing, as it is known today.

Beijing City is an independently administered municipal district. She is situated in the northeastern part of China at an elevation of 43.5m above sea level. The climate in Beijing is of the continental type, with cold and dry winters and hot summers. January is the coldest month (-4 Celsius), while July the warmest (26 Celsius).

Beijing has a whole area of 16808 sq km (about 6500 sq mi), stretching 160 kilometers from east to west and over 180 kilometers north to south, with a population of approximately 12 million.

Some attractions:

Tiananmen Square

Right at the heart of Beijing city is the grandiose Tiananmen Square. Covering 44 hectares, it’s the largest square in the world and the view is simply breathtaking – both on a clear day and after nightfall. Mao conceived the square to project the enormity of the Communist Party. During the Cultural Revolution the chairman reviewed parades of up to a million people here. In 1976 another million people jammed the square to pay their last respects to Mao. In 1989 army tanks and soldiers forced pro-democracy demonstrators out of the square.

In the middle of the Square is the Monument to the People's Heroes. Directly north is Changan Avenue, Beijing's main street. Across the street is Tiananmen Gate, which is recognizable instantly by the huge portrait of Mao Zedong hanging on it. Tiananmen Gates is the gate which leads to the Forbidden City. To the west is the Great Hall of the People. Off to the east is the National History Museum. Back to the south is the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall. The other interesting thing to do in the Square is to watch the flag-raising ceremony at sunrise. A specially-trained battalion of PLA troops marches out each morning and raises the flag exactly at sunrise. Then, at sunset the flag is taken down again. On holidays and special occasions the Square is filled with flower arrangements and fountains.

Adapted from: http://www.thebeijingguide.com/tiananmen_square/index.html

Forbidden City

Off limits to most of the world for 500 years, The Forbidden City is one of the best preserved cluster of ancient buildings. A permanent restoration squad would take about 10 years to renovate its 720,000 square meters, 800 buildings and 9000 rooms, by which time it's time to start all over again.

Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven is well worth a visit for its exceptional Ming buildings. Built in 1420 as a vast stage for the solemn rites performed by the Son of Heaven (aka the emperor), who came here to pray for good harvests, to seek divine approval and to atone for the sins of the people. Similar ceremonies were performed as early as 2600BC and remained an important part of imperial life through to the early 20th century. The dominant feature of the whole complex is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, a magnificent piece mounted on a three-tiered marble terrace. Amazingly, the wooden pillars support the ceiling without nails or cement - for a building 38m (125ft) high and 30m (98ft) in diameter.

Red Gate Gallery

Beneath the giant wooden rafters of the ancient Dongbianmen Watchtower, in a room cooled by vast slate floors, hangs an array of avant-garde art. Established by an Australian art historian, Red Gate Gallery displays Beijing's most innovative and electric modern art. With painting, sculpture, paper cuttings, photography, performance art, lithographs, silkscreen printing and mixed media, the contrast of the modern work in an ancient setting is dramatic.

For more information please visit: http://www.redgategallery.com/

For further information regarding places of interest and places to see, you may wish to visit the following website:

Beijing Tourism Administration: http://english.bjta.gov.cn/

The Beijing Page: http://www.beijingpage.com/

The Beijing Guide: http://www.thebeijingguide.com