10 things that you should avoid doing in Beijing

Today I am continuing with my series of articles dedicated to Beijing, my “second home.” As opposed to my last article, in this article, I want to list the things that you should avoid doing in Beijing.

For those of you who know the city a little, many of these things may seem obvious to you (or maybe not so much). For those of you who are visiting the city for the first time, I recommend that you read this article thoroughly.

That’s enough rambling for now, so, here’s WHAT YOU SHOULDN’T DO IN BEIJING:

1. Go drink a tea with the nice students you just met

This is one of the most common scams in Beijing (and also in Shanghai):

Some educated students come up to you (usually girls), ask where you’re from and if it’s your first time in China, and afterwards they start to tell you that they are students and that they want to practice their English. After a nice conversation with interesting explanations of the country, they suggest you go for a drink to keep on talking. You go with them and order a tea and some food, you keep on talking and when the bill gets there, its a whopping 1,000 to 2,000 Yuan (around 160-320 USD).

This might not seem like a very effective scam, but I assure you that many of us have fallen for it. Yes, we have! The first time that I went to Beijing (in 2005), some “students” took me to a gallery to sell me calligraphy paintings for really inflated prices, but luckily I managed to escape (with difficulty) without leaving a cent. However, since 2005, their techniques have gotten much better and it’s no longer so “easy” to escape.

Be careful because they attack when you’re most vulnerable, normally when you still have jet-lag and are wandering around Tian’anmen or Wangfujin, the places that tourists tend to visiting on their first stay in Beijing.

2. Visit tourists attractions during Chinese holidays

Beijing is the capital of the most populated country in the world and is one of the preferred destinations of Chinese tourists. In the past years, thanks to the country’s economic progress, the volume of domestic tourism has grown exponentially.

In China, the majority of the tourism is concentrated during national holidays and because of this, during these dates, tourist attractions are packed with tourists. They come in such numbers that some places are just inaccessible. The first week of October (called golden week) should be particularly avoided, as it’s the worst of the holidays.

The only exception is Chinese New Year (end of January or February), as this is a celebration which usually takes place among family (similar to Christmas). In Beijing, many of its residents are workers which have migrated from other provinces and the majority go home on these dates. The only problem is if you plan to visit other cities, as it’s very hard to find plane tickets and it’s practically impossible to get train tickets.
Source: http://www.saporedicina.com/english/things-should-avoid-doing-in-beijing/