#127 Mutianyu Great Wall Tour

To get to Mutianyu Great Wall I took a tour with my hostel - it was actually a communal tour bus shared by quite a few hostels in Beijing. It leaves everyday and was 280rmb, plus 100 for the cablecar that you pay at the Wall. There's just no way you're not getting the cablecar so we'll call it 380rmb (50eur). 

It includes breakfast at your hostel (we had choice between like European cheese-yogurt-cereal or American bacon-eggs-toast), a nice, clean, air conditioned bus, an English speaking guide (who explains a little and then leaves you to scale the wall yourself at your own pace), 3hours time on the wall (it was plenty, enough time to get all the photos you ever need), lunch at the bottom of the wall and then return bus home.

The nice thing about the lunch is that if you're running late you won't be left behind - you'll just miss out on the food. The bus took just over 1hr30mins from Beijing, and we left around 8am and returned at 4pm. There were no stops at any souvenir shops or anything.

While not expensive on the grand scale of things, it's definitely a rip-off in comparison if you were to do it yourself. Overall, while I wasn't delighted with the price, I was happy with the service and would recommend it if you want an easy, convenient, hassle-free trip. Plus, on the grand scale of things, 50euro is very cheap to pay to go to the Great Wall of China!

From the photos I've seen (on Instagram) it appears that Badaling is busier than Mutianyu, and also I'm not sure it offers the same views or amount of watch towers. It looks alot more flat and sturdy - which does go with the often heard criticism that it's "over restored" but would make it very accessible, although as I've said before Mutianyu isn't difficult.

The hostel I stayed at in Beijing was Dragon King. I initially had somewhere a little cheaper, but then I noticed it was a little far from the nearest subway station, so I moved to Dragon King. It was located right beside Zhangzhigonglu station which made it really convenient to travel around Beijing, and even come back during the day for a nap! The same tour seems to be organised with Happy Dragon, Downtown Backpackers, Red Lantern and some more, but you should check first.

#126 Beijing Transport

Getting around Beijing is very easy, even with no Chinese and a terrible sense of direction.

Taxi

The one taxi I used had no English but I had prepared my destination in Chinese in advance. He copied it into his GPS, turned on the meter and soon I was there! I can't verify they are all so honest, but it was a good experience, compared to Manila when they always ripped me off or took me wrong place.

Subway

The subway is the main method of transportation around Beijing. It was completely in English, including transfers and announcing the next stop, and also the signs and transfer directions in stations. I found it very easy to navigate - but I would caution you to know which exit to take and what direction to go when you get there. Anyone who has experience with large underground stations will know one wrong exit and you're completely confused.

It is cheap, as most trips will cost only 3-4rmb (50c). As for accessibility some transfers between lines can be long, and a few have only stairs (including transferring from Yonghegong Lama temple to Dongzhimen for the airport express. Painful with a suitcase!)

A sign on the platform. The subway car has similar inside but it lights up for the stops.

I bought a subway transport smart card for 20rmb refundable deposit. My hostel advised against it because there weren't so many places to return but I decided it would be easier than queueing for tickets and working out fares so I got it anyway, and was able to easily return it at the airport express station at terminal 3 before I left China. You can buy it at any subway station, but can only return at some bigger, major stations. There are machines that you can use to buy tickets or top up your card but I thought it was easier to go to the desk.

You should note that all subway stations in Beijing have security checkpoints, and you have to put your bag through an x-ray machine before scanning your ticket. Apparently this can cause lines at bigger stations at rush hour but I didn't have any problem waiting.

The subway has many (unofficial) apps which work offline, the one I used was 'Explore Beijing' for android and it worked just fine, telling me the start and end times of train lines, how to get there and where to change. It also had an area for people to submit 'tips', some were useful for pointing out exits etc.

Bus

The bus has OK English, and is ridiculously cheap (I paid 1.5rmb [20c?] for about a one hour journey). At one point I got lost and couldn't find a subway, but I found a bus stop on the side of the road. It was basically all in Chinese, but thankfully my Japanese skills allowed me to work out the name of one of the central stations and I waited for that one.

However, once actually on the bus there is a list of stops in English and it also indicates ones that have subway transfers, so worst case scenario you could always just get on any bus and get off at the stop with a subway and find your way home from there. The bus also announces stops in English and it flashes up in English too. Also to note, you get on the bus at the front and get off in the middle, and swipe your card getting on and off.

Walking/Street Names

A subway station at 5.30am...very quiet

Many street names have both Chinese characters and the English written underneath.

Due to the Great Firewall Google Translate won't work, but you can download the offline Chinese package. The only problem is that it doesn't show you the reading/pronunciation - so you won't be able to even try say it, just show it to someone.

You can even get a boat from Beijing Zoo to Summer Palace!

The same with Google Maps - while alone and lost I was desperate enough to turn on my roaming when I suddenly remembered the firewall would block maps anyway.
So instead I used my offline Chinese app to ask a street cleaner where the subway station was (for some reason I decided a city worker might be more kind than anyone else), she couldn't explain in English but a man came along and he showed me to a bus stop. Later the woman walked by again and came over and checked I was OK (I think!) which was very kind of her. So don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it!

There are also some offline maps apps but I didn't use any.

#122 Getting a Chinese Visa in Japan 2016

Japanese nationals don’t need a visa to visit China, so for foreigners in Japan it can be a mess to find out information. But, you will be relieved to know it is a quick and easy process.

In my experience, the lack of information combined with added cost and effort leads to many people visiting only Hong Kong – and while I’m sure it’s a great city, if you want to see the famous Panda Reserve or the Great Wall, then you will need to get a visa for mainland China.

So, here’s the necessary information;

You CAN apply by post, via a travel agency. It seems there was a time that the only way you could apply was going in person to the embassy in Tokyo – a very expensive and inconvenient option for most people, but this is definitely no longer the case.

All you need to apply is a passport, photo, copy of flight and hotel booking.

There are a few travel agencies who deal with visas, and you apply by printing out a form from their website and putting that, your passport, bookings, photo and money in an envelope via registered post. It generally takes less than one week for the passport to be returned to you.

Generally Japanese travel agencies (even big ones like JTB) will not help with a visa unless you buy your flights with them, but there seems to be enough agencies online that it shouldn’t be a problem (the problem is finding the right one for your area!).

If you Google it, the first website you will usually find is RTO, and you will also find a lot of people recommending them. The problem is they only work for those who live in the Southern part of Japan, as they apply through the Nagoya Consulate. Even though I live close to Nagoya, I still had to apply through Tokyo, so this agency isn’t an option for everyone.

I searched more forums and eventually found a company called Weston (wst.co.jp). They have processed visas for me and some of my friends so I can verify they are legitimate, and it should work for people living in the Tokai/Kanto (basically central Japan) area. Just remember to put in a self-addressed return envelope when you send it or you will have to pay another private courier on receipt of your visa.

The cost varies for different countries, for American’s you can get a 10 year visa multiple visit visa for 20,000yen, while I’m Irish and it cost 7,500 for just a one-time entry (Weston said on the website they don’t do multiple entries).

Overall, once you know what company to use it actually is a quick and simple process. While it is an extra cost and a little more effort than just going Hong Kong, the amazing photos of your trip to the Great Wall or backpacking around the many villages will make it more than worth it.


(Also note: I decided to change my hostel booking maybe 2 weeks before the trip. I totally forgot about the visa issue until on the plane when I had to state where I was staying on a form. I panicked and just wrote down the address I used on the visa form, the old hostel I wasn't staying in. I was a little worried there would be issues when I left or whatever, but there were no problems. 
I also met some Germans who intentionally did the same thing - they booked a hotel room for a refundable deposit, filled out the visa form and copy of the booking, then cancelled the hotel booking and stayed elsewhere. While I don't advise you to mess around with the Chinese Government, it's just to let you know it seems to be possible to change plans.....)