Budget-Friendly Winter Holiday in Beijing, China

A winter tour of Beijing, China sounds like a crazy idea but if you count the cost, it is much cheaper to visit Beijing at this time of year.  Flights are cheaper and hotel and apartment rates are slashed, allowing you to live lavishly on a few hundred dollars for a week's stay.

Cold but not Snowed Down

Be ready for a Beijing winter.  Although there is a drop in the number of tourists, the city is still besieged with a jostling throng of shoppers and holidaymakers.  Winter in Beijing is freezing but surprisingly, the city just gets a few dustings of snow.  It is the cold and relentless Mongolian and Siberian winds that chill the bones but wearing thermal underpants, shoes, and coat can relieve your woes.  Warmly clad, it is comfortable to stroll in the Forbidden City, Tianemen Square, Baihai Park, and the Temple of Heaven. 

It's a good thing that Beijing is not inundated with snow.  Tourists can still trek to the Great Wall of China and get clear snaps of the fantastic wall.  The iconic Great Wall is the be-all and end-all of a Beijing tour for this was a remarkable engineering feat at a time when there were no machines.  According to some, it would take two years to complete a leisurely walk from one end to the other.  After a Great Wall tour, end up in a jade shop or a restaurant.      

Don't hibernate.  Get out of your room and skate in Houhai.  If you get tired or bored with skating, hit the coffee shops or sample great Chinese food.  Be sure you are looking at a menu with pictures or risk a strange looking specimen on your plate.  If you can and if you dare, join the locals at the sidewalk restaurants and sample a dish of steaming noodles to warm you up after a freezing afternoon.  Don't look now, but food is cheap and hearty.

At the Tianemen Square there are hundreds of vendors selling newspaper, food, DVDs, silk, jade, and clothing.  It's sort of like a market square you find in other countries.  The items are cheap but steer clear from purported real gold or brand-name watches.  Instead, visit the bigger stores; you can find what you need there.    

Accommodation

East and west meet in Beijing.  There are high end hotels and apartments in the business district.  Take your pick and rent a holiday apartment online.  You can choose your apartment by location and type.  There are studio apartments and Chinese-styled apartments with one and up to four bedrooms. 

Booking online is also convenient because you can choose one or all of these facilities - one with an elevator, washing machine, terrace, satellite TV, or an Internet connection.  The good news - prices are down by 50% during winter in Beijing.      

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