"ni hao pengyou! Huangying!" a Beijing Travel Page by bokononist

I spent the first semester of my senior year in Beijing, lucky me! I spent all of my free time exploring the city with Chinese friends and feel like I really know the city, so hopefully I can be of some use to other travelers.
I arrived in mid-August of 2001. Beijing is really really hot and really dirty that time of year. There were mountains about 4 miles away from my dorm, where I lived high enough to have a good view, but I didn't even know they were there until 2 weeks after I arrived and a good hard rain cleared the air - that's how dirty and hazy the city is. However, it's a lot greener than I expected (I was told the government had gone on a major tree-planting spree in its bid to win the Olympics for 2008).
I lived in the University district (Haidian) and so I spent a lot of time with students at my university, Renmin Univeristy and Peking university, which were both nearby. To make Chinese friends, all you have to do is walk around a university or go to English corner, a time/place at all the schools where Chinese students practice their english with native speakers (prepare to be mobbed though and be aware that there are spies there so don't talk politics). I was lucky enough to become really good friends with a Hui (Chinese Muslim) student from Shandong who took me to a mosque and other muslim attractions in the area - a side of China you don't always get to see. Also, many of the bars/clubs around the universities are pretty neat and cheap (much more so than the ones in the international area - full of foreigners and not worth the hassling and high prices).
If you're going to be in Beijing for a while, I suggest you buy a bike to see it like a local. Not only is it a great way to burn off the greasy food, it's a great conversation starter. Plus the experience of buying one off the black market is truly memorable, you basically tell the guy (and everyone knows a guy) what color you want and he brings it to you the next day, all for under $10. If you buy at the shops it's really high and the bikes are so nice they'll be stolen an hour after you buy them. Be careful though, bikes there are different and until you've REALLY mastered the art of crossing the street on foot, don't even attempt to ride there. Know that there will be times people actually stop their cars to look at you on your bike, a lot of Chinese are shocked to learn that westerners can use chopsticks and ride bikes.
A word about Beijing food. Your best bet is usually the little dives and stalls that sell skewers, dumplings and noodles. ON campus it's a lot easier. If you find any Muslim restaurants I highly recommend them, they're a nice change from the bland northern food. Learn how to say dumplings, noodles, and some basic foods and then you're not confined to places with English menus. Also, get the price BEFORE they bring the food, although you probably won't get scammed as much outside of the foreign area, where they seem to think it's their duty to rip off tourists. If you're there in the fall or winter and see lots of skewers full of what look like glazed cherry tomatoes, strawberries or oranges, get them. The "tomatoes" are really little apple-like things and the glaze is a sugary thing that's really good. The popcorn they sell on the streets is fantastic too. In the early fall, eat lots of mandarin oranges, they're so cheap and good - I've been going through withdrawal ever since I left. There will also be watermelons and later all kinds of nuts and seeds to buy from street vendors. mmmmm Fall is really the best time to be in Beijing, I think.
As for Beijing attractions, here's my take:

Feel free to email me if you have any questions about visiting or studying in Beijing. I hope this is a good start.