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    Transportation in Beijing


北京首都国际机场 Beijing Capital International Airport

Beijing Capital International Airport, (simplified Chinese: 北京首都国际机场; traditional Chinese: 北京首都國際機場; pinyin: Běijīng Shǒudū Guójì Jīchǎng) (IATA: PEK/BJS, ICAO: ZBAA) is the main international airport serving Beijing, China. It is located 32 km (20 mi) northeast of Beijing's city center in an enclave of Chaoyang District that is surrounded by rural Shunyi District. The airport is owned and operated by the Beijing Capital International Airport Company Limited, a state-controlled company. The airport's IATA Airport Code, PEK, is based on the city's former romanized name, Peking.

Beijing Capital has rapidly ascended in rankings of the world's busiest airports in the past decade. It had become the busiest airport in Asia in terms of passenger traffic and total traffic movements by 2009. Beijing Capital International Airport is currently the 2nd busiest airport in the world in terms of passenger throughput behind Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The airport registered 488,495 aircraft movements (take-offs and landings), which ranked 10th in the world, making Beijing Capital the only Asian airport in the Top 30. In terms of cargo traffic, Beijing airport has also witnessed rapid growth. By 2009, the airport had become the 14th busiest airport in the world by cargo traffic, registering 1,420,997 tonnes.

Beijing Capital International Airport is the main hub for Air China, the flag carrier of the People's Republic of China, which flies to around 120 destinations (excluding cargo) from Beijing. Hainan and China Southern Airlines also use the airport as their hub.

The Condé Nast Traveler magazine named the Beijing Capital International as the World's Best Airport in 2009, based on its multi-criteria satisfaction survey, including factors such as cleanliness, speed of security/immigration clearance, clarity of signs, luggage handling, etc. It was the first time that Beijing Capital made to the top contenders list.
To accommodate the growing traffic volume, Beijing Capital added the enormous Terminal 3 in 2008 in time for the Olympic Games, the second largest airport terminal in the world after Dubai International Airport's Terminal 3, and the fifth largest building in the world by area.

 

Beijing Subway

The Beijing Subway is a rapid transit rail network that serves the urban and suburban districts of Beijing municipality. With 8 lines, over 200km of tracks and 123 stations currently in operation and ridership averaging 3.4 million per day, the Beijing Subway is the busiest in mainland China, and the second longest after the Shanghai Metro. However, the existing network cannot adequately meet the city's mass transit needs and it is undergoing rapid expansion. Three new lines were opened on July 19, 2008 ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games. Existing plans call for 19 lines and 561km of tracks in operation by 2015.

How to Buy the Ticket
A single-ride ticket costs RMB 2.00, it is a flat fare with unlimited transfers. This applies to all lines except the Airport Express, which costs RMB 25.00 per ride. and you can also get a Yikatong, an integrated circuit card that needs a RMB 20 deposit, refundable, plus whatever amount you want to put on the card, All subway lines now collect fares through automatic fare collection (AFC) machines that accept single-ride tickets and Yikatong.

Subway Lines:
The original lines are "Line 1" which goes east-west line underneath Chang'an Avenue, which bisects the city through Tian'anmen Square. It connects major commercial centres, Xidan, Wangfujing, Dongdan and the Beijing CBD. "Line batong" extends Line 1 eastward from Sihui to suburban Tongzhou District. "Line 2" which is a a rectangular loop line, traces the second ring road, and stops at 11 of the wall's former gates, now busy intersections, as well as the Beijing Railway Station. The "Airport Line" connects the Beijing Capital International Airport, 27 km northeast of the city, with Line 10 at Sanyuanqiao and Lines 2 and 13 at Dongzhimen. The "Line 13" which across suburbs north of the city and channels commuters to Xizhimen and Dongzhimen, at the northwest and northeast corners of Line 2. the "Line 5" which is a straight north-south line just east of the city centre, "Line 10" passes just south of the Olympic Green Park. It turns straight south and follows the eastern 3rd Ring Road. And the Olympic Branch Line ("Line 8") extends north off Line 10 with three stops in the Olympic Green.Starting operation on September 28, 2009, "Line 4" runs from north to south, parallel and to the westof Line 5, through Haidian, Xicheng, Xuanwu and Fengtai Districts in the western half of the city. It is 28.2 km long with 24 stations,and just takes 40 minutes from South 4th Ring to North 5th Ring.

 

BUSWelcome at the Capital Mandarin Language School

  • Beijing is one of the largest metropolises with a comprehensive bus system. There are more than 20,000 public buses, including normal buses, double decker buses (beginning with te, te in Chinese means "special") and trolley buses. Beijing's bus system is cheap, convenient and covers the entire city. In general, bus drivers and ticket sellers do not speak English.Buses run from 5:00am to 11:00pm daily. The starting fare of public buses is RMB1 for both non air-conditioned and air-conditioned buses. Buses that travel in the suburban areas cost RMB2. The public bus system has implemented an IC card system that allows passengers to travel at a discounted rate. Usually, a bus that costs RMB1 will cost RMB0.40 after the discount.IC cards can be purchased with a RMB20 reimbursable deposit, and any additional amount is counted as a prepaid fare. IC cards can also be used for the subway system, but there are no discount fares. Cards can be bought at any subway station and at some kiosks.One of the biggest problems that bus passengers encounter is theft. All personal belongings should be carefully protected, especially when boarding or exiting the bus.

  •      Note: normally buses with three doors only permit boarding from the middle door and exiting from the front and the rear doors.

China Railway High-speed

Beijing, the pivot of the national rail network, is easily accessible by train from all directions of the country. There are five large railway stations in Beijing namely Beijing Railway Station, Beijing West Railway Station, Beijing East Railway Station, Beijing South Railway Station and Beijing North Railway Station. Among them, the first two are larger passenger stations of domestic and international trains. These five stations have tracks running to most provincial capitals and major cities in mainland China as well as Hainan and Taiwan provinces.

Meanwhile, with the launch of the Beijing-Tianjin Express in 2008, it just takes 30 minutes traveling between the two cities. And the new Beijing South Railway Station, said to be the largest train station in Asia, is more of a transportation hub than a mere train station. Subway lines 4 and 14 pass through this station, and a bus hub is also in the works. For the time being, though, getting to and from the station can be time consuming. Besides, plans are in the works for a high speed rail link between Beijing and Shanghai, set to open by 2010. The railway, will reach speeds of 350 km, and cut travel time between the two cities from twelve hours to five.

 

TAXIWelcome at the Capital Mandarin Language School

  • There are over 67,000 taxis running in every corner of the city. Some drivers speak little English, while most do not. Since the city authorities improved drivers' English for the 2008 Olympics, more and more drivers can speak English. Make sure you have the address written in Chinese, and don't rely on a name like Hilton or Hyatt to get you to your hotel; the Chinese names for these establishments are quite different from their famous global labels, which very few drivers will recognize. If there is a phone contact at your destination, note that as well: a mobile phone is the most useful navigation tool in Beijing!
    Beijing cab drivers are honest, and incidents of drivers deliberately taking advantage of foreigners are very rare. Tipping in China is not customary and drivers will expect to be paid only what is on the meter, plus any road tolls. The taxi fleet has been upgraded over the past two years, and nearly all vehicles are now reasonably spacious and comfortable. Sit in the front if you want to buckle up, but strangely, there is no requirement for rear seatbelts, and most cab companies rip them out.
    Starting fare is RMB 10, and beyond 3 km the rate is RMB 2 per km. There are surcharges for long-distance and late night trips. Five minutes of waiting time equals 1 km of driving time. Keep the printed receipt at the end of the trip: it includes all vehicle details, which is invaluable if you have left an item in the taxi.
    Avoid taxi touts at the airport, at bus stations etc. They are trying to steer you to unofficial taxis. These have no meters, and while some Beijingers cheerfully use them, foreigners should steer clear.

Bicycle