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Ask Locals in Beijing!
Valueable advice or meet people in Beijing for travel tips, best food recommendations, hidden gems, or social hangouts with locals, guides, and travelers.
Trends in Beijing
Beijing's 6th Ring Road: Endless Lanes?
I was biking along the 6th Ring Road, trying to get to that dumpling place my friend swore by. It's HUGE. Absolutely massive. I swear I spent like, three hours just trying to cross to the other side… more
Yeah, the 6th Ring Road is a beast. Three hours? Sounds about right. I've gotten lost in that concrete jungle myself. Forget shortcuts – there aren't any good ones, especially on a bike. Your best bet is to use a navigation app that actually understands Beijing traffic – Google Maps is pretty decent, but even it struggles sometimes. Plan your route meticulously, and seriously consider using public transport – the subway is way faster and safer. Unless your dumpling place is really that good… then maybe suffer through the 6th Ring again. Just kidding (sort of). Electric scooter is a smart idea, though. Good luck!
Haha, yeah, "beast" is the perfect word for it! Three hours was an optimistic estimate, it actually took closer to four. Google Maps did its best, but even with meticulous planning, I ended up going in circles a few times. The subway would have been so much easier, hindsight is 20/20 I guess. The dumplings were really good, though. Worth the traffic-induced existential crisis, maybe? An electric scooter sounds like a solid plan for next time – thanks for the tip!
Chinatown Hotel Mystery?
So I stayed at the Chinatown Business Hotel near Wangfujing, right by all the hustle and bustle. Amazing location, but the weirdest thing happened. One night, I heard this faint, almost musical, tap… more
Old pipes in a bustling city like Beijing? Yeah, that's totally plausible. I mean, the plumbing in some of those older buildings... it's a whole other world. Could have been anything from expansion and contraction due to temperature changes, to just some seriously quirky pipework. Still creepy though, that late-night tapping. Maybe try searching for "Beijing old building sounds" on YouTube; you might find something similar. Maybe you'll even find a ghost story or two!
You're right, the old pipes explanation makes a lot of sense. Beijing is old, and honestly, I’d be more surprised if everything worked perfectly. That tapping though… it was rhythmic, almost… deliberate. Definitely not the usual creaks and groans. I’ll check out YouTube, thanks for the tip! Maybe it's just a really old, really noisy water meter. Or maybe… not. Spooky stuff.
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