LOCAL ESSENTIALS

LOCAL CULTURE

Climate of Beijing

Beijing is located in the warm temperature zone and has a continental climate. Annual rainfall averages nearly 700 millimetres, most of it comes in July and August. The frost-free period is 185 days.The average temperature throughout the whole year is 11.7℃. The average temperatures of the hottest month, July and the coldest month January range from 27℃and -4.6℃. The short seasons, spring (usually from February to April) and autumn (usually from August to October) are better seasons for visiting Beijing. The best time to visit Beijing is May, September and October, when people enjoy bright sunny sky and with few tourists crowding in the attractions. The four seasons in Beijing are distinct. Winter is dry and cold and has little snow, Summer is hot and rainy. If you come to Beijing in spring, you could wear jeans and sweater. You may also bring a warm cap because it is a little windy during this period. In summer the temperature could reach as high as 30 C. T-shirts and pants are the best bet. Sunglass and parasol are necessary to shelter from sunshine. Autumn is beautiful season in Beijing. But it is better to bring some heavy clothes with you. In winter, you should prepare a heavy woolen sweater, and a long wind coat or a down jacket. Generally there will be several heavy snowfalls each winter, so it is always wise for you to have anti-skidding shoes with you.

Geography of Beijing

Beijing Municipality consists of six city districts (previously eight, see Xuanwu and Chongwen), eight suburban districts and two rural counties. It covers a total area of 16,807.8 km2 (6,489.5 sq mi). By land area, the municipality is slightly smaller than Swaziland and slightly larger than the U.S. state of Connecticut. The terrain is roughly 38% flat and 62% mountainous.[1] The city is 150 km inland from the Bohai Sea via Tianjin Municipality in the southeast. Aside from Tianjin, Beijing is bordered on all other sides by Hebei Province, including a piece wedged between Beijing and Tianjin.

Eating Out

Besides its famous Peking Duck and noodle-based dishesof the north, Beijing can provide a taste of just about every other regional cuisine.

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Eating Out

Beijing has more than 1,000 restaurants serving food from all over the world. Although famous for Peking Duck and noodle-based dishes of the north, the city can also provide a taste of just about every other regional cuisine, including Shanghainese, Hunanese, Cantonese, and Sichuan. As for Western cuisine, France is represented by Maxim’s of Paris. All large hotels offer cosmopolitan fare, from Mexican at the Sara Hotel to German at the Great Wall Sheraton. When dining in Beijing, remember that people eat early. Lunch hour is 11am.-2pm. and dinner 5pm.-8pm. Restaurants are packed at lunch. Hours in hotels and smaller and privately run establishments are more flexible. Donghuamen Night Market (off Wangfuijing) is a good option when you want to try one of the local dishes. This area is packed with numerous food stalls and market stalls. You can also give at a try at Yong An Li vegetable market. Beijing also has an impressive array of restaurants suited for the international business people. Be prepared to pay for it as well. Besides that, it won’t be much of a problem to find a pleasant restaurant where you can enjoy, in an authentic setting, one of the northern Chinese meat dishes. For those who want to know: yes, McDonalds has also found its way to China’s capital (31A Dongchangan Jie).