Beijing Off the Beaten Path Tips by bokononist

If you really want to get to know China, get yourself lost in the streets there. Around Beijing wander through the hutongs - they're disappearing fast. You'll see the old men out playing ma jong and chinese chess and maybe with their crickets. You'll see the kids out playing and smell dinners cooking. People are bound to stop and talk to you and will be happy that you wanted to see their lifestyle. My favorite areas are near the Qianmen market (by Tiananmen), next to the Forbidden City, and by the old bell tower.

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Also, check out the bird and fish market in Northwest Beijing on Xizhengmeng. It's a little hard to find but tell the cab driver you want to go to the Guanyuan markey or Niao shi and show him a picture. Good luck. That's where they sell all kinds of plants and animals, from crickets to rare breeds of cats (in China cats with one blue eye and one brown eye are especially treasured) and all the birds you'll see in the morning at Tai Chi. WARNING: Don't take pictures at this market, no matter how fantastic the sights are. I suspect some of the animals are illegally transported or some kind of illicit activity is going on. All I know is when I snapped a picture (w/o flash) and was spotted I was screamed at by everyone in the vicinity. You'll already stand out as a foreigner there so don't draw extra attention to yourself like that. That made them really mad.

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Universities:
You'll probably get to see a Beijing University - the library is really famous and there's a fabulous Chinese art museum there (the Sachler - the other Sachler Museum is part of the Smithsonian institute in Washington, D.C.); you'll likely get a very enthusiastic student tour guide through as well.
Tsinghua is another of China's best schools. It was originally funded by the Americans at the turn of the century to train students in engineering, sciences and math. It's a beautiful campus and very western in feel.
This picture is from Tsinghua.

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Cherry Lane movies is a movie theater for expats and English speakers in the area. It's near the Lufthansa center, and every Friday night they play a Chinese movie with English subtitles. Sometimes afterward the director/actors might be there to talk with the audience. Look in the weekly English magazine to see listings.

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