Dear Travellers,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019d like to have the following travel guide to remain updated for the benefit of new visitors coming to Beijing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If anybody having used the piece finds necessary updates, please leave a message or feedback. Thanks! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plan your Beijing tour<\/a><\/strong>? Most foreign travellers feel very safe when travelling in Beijing. But that doesn\u2019t mean you should lower your vigilance on possible travel scams in Beijing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The remark below is quoted from\u00a0Percy from USA:<\/strong> Anywhere around the world where there are larger groups of humans, there will be more opportunities for scams. It seems the way of the Universe that these will be filled. You should always be aware, do research and remember that if it seems off, or too good, it is probably a scam. This is true in China, the U.S., or any other place where humans exist.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Latest feedback from Denis:<\/strong> We used an official taxi with the meter, so when the ride was over, we wanted to pay with 100 RMB, as we didn\u2019t have any other bills. The taxi driver didn\u2019t like the bill we gave to him and asked for another one. Then for another one and so on (every time giving back the previous one of course).<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was also friendly but insisted on the other bill and we couldn\u2019t understand what\u2019s wrong and what did he wanted, so we just kindly gave him different bills to try out. At some point we just decided to leave because it started to become annoying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After some more negotiations he finally took one of our bills, gave us the change and left. The next day, when we tried to pay by cash at a grocery store it appeared that 4 of our bills are fake and I\u2019m quite sure they were not fake before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not such a big amount for learning a new type of scam (I have forgotten already that there is such a thing as fake money on the streets) though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether you enter on your own or taken by a Chinese \u201cfriend.\u201d, in most cases you are in for a trap! It is a karaoke place. You enter the room to sing a few songs and have a few beers. Suddenly girls appear and want to drink with you. Then suddenly a cart appears with lots of snacks and beer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The snacks are NOT free and they are expensive\u2013but more on that later. The girl wants a brandy and you say okay. You will end up paying huge amount of money! Just avoid KTV!<\/p>\n\n\n\n At some heavy tourist areas (like Tiananmen Square\uff0cWangfujing Street…),\u00a0 you will be approached by one or three\u00a0 attractive females or gentlemen, who are\u00a0 willing to have a natural and nice talk with you or\u00a0 even give you a free tour of hutong\u00a0 in a polite way.\u00a0 She or he will talk about the interesting things in Beijing, or talk about the culture or history of your home country and even world affairs!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then if everything goes smoothly, then\u00a0 invite you to a traditional Chinese tea shops or ceremony. The whole ceremony proceeds then at the end of the ceremony your \u201cfriends\u201d will ask you to pick out some favourite teas. So the scam start when it comes time to pay the bill, and it can again run into the hundreds or thousands of dollars. Simply don\u2019t go for it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n To make the tea scam more natural, they pretend to be very friendly. They even don\u2019t suggest you pay the whole amount. It is to be split between you and your \u201cfriends\u201d. So you will see them pay their part. It is a scam!<\/p>\n\n\n\n It happens in central part of Beijing mainly, esp. in Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the surroundings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also at some big tourist destinations, some young people, disguised as \u201d art student\u2019\u201d, will approach you. They offer you a free tour of an art show. Thus begins the \u201cArt Student\u201d scam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Actually they will take you to an art shop selling all kinds of \u201cart\u201d stuff. This is just a waste of time. You can easily find these art pieces on the market. They sell the same \u201cart\u201d at higher prices. Simply say bye to them. Some first-time oversea or even domestic travellers visiting Beijing fall into the traps of some seemingly \u201chumble rickshaw drivers\u201d. For example, let\u2019s say, you and a rickshaw driver agree on a price of RMB 40 for a pedicab ride. It will turn out to be RMB400!. The trick is that your rickshaw driver will pretend to be ignorant and he will pull out a laminated price list and say it is 400 yuan instead of 40 yuan. Better take a taxi than a pedicab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1) Rickshaw Scam at the North Gate of Forbidden City Make sure you are taken by your taxi to the south entrance of Forbidden City (better yet, take the subway line 1 \u2013 its very nice and very cheap!). Don\u2019t ever take a Rickshaw at the north gate of Forbidden City unless you feel like getting lost and extorted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So if you visit Forbidden City by getting to a wrong gate (north gate), don\u2019t use a local rickshaw to get back to the south gate, just walk to the right gate (south gate). For the same reason, if you exit from the north gate after visiting Forbidden City, don\u2019t use a rickshaw for your next place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2) Rickshaw scams also occur at the entrance to the \u201cLegend of Jinsha\u201d which is performed at the Beijing Workers\u2019 Club in Beijing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3) Rickshaw scams possible at any places in Beijing When arriving at the airport, keep away from the taxi drivers who approach you in the terminal or outside the terminal as they will charge you much more than the actual price. Just following the sign pointing to the taxi line just outside the terminal. Taxi drivers should use their meter; make sure that the driver puts down the flag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taking a taxi from the airport to the downtown Beijing costs just over RMB 100 plus RMB 5 toll fee. Beijing legitimate taxi license plates will begin with the \u201cBeijing B\u201d otherwise it is possibly a black taxi!<\/p>\n\n\n\n After paying a legal taxi, you will get a legal computerized receipt in which you can find the taxi company\u2019s phone number while a black driver only offers you a hand-written receipt with which you will never find him! A black driver would charge you RMB 400 \u2013 RMB 500 for the airport downtown drive! Normally a taxi ride from the airport to the downtown of Beijing costs you around RMB 120.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Black cars could be found around the subway stations, shopping malls, and also around some major tourist attractions such as Summer Palace,\u00a0Forbidden City and Wangfujing Street and Beijing Railway Station as well. It seems that there is a new kind of scam in Beijing when it comes down to the taxi\u2019s. Taxi drivers are asking their passengers to get out of the car and help to push it \/ close the trunk. When the passengers are outside, the drivers takes of with all their belongings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more information on taxi, please visit Beijing Taxi<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you line up for entering Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, you will probably meet some fake helpers or officials who are trying to \u201cgrab\u201d some money from you. To avoid being cheated, please read the following travel tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The admission to Mausoleum of Mao Zedong is free. No need for passport ID check and no need for buying shoes to replace your sandals (though not encouraged). As with most mausoleums, strict rules are enforced for visitors. No bags and cameras are allowed inside the hall. One locker is located 500m to the east of the mausoleum. The deposit is not free ( yes, a little strange)! The charges on deposit locker ranges from CNY 2 to 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The area around Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City is a favourite hangout for scammers. \u00a0Below is a trip by a scam victim named \u00a0Akalan:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact this was my 4th trip to China, but first trip to Beijing. Many a times many people, usually young ladies chatted with me and they helped me a lot. Even on the same day morning I went to the Great Wall and a young girl with good English walked with me. All those I met earlier were genuine people who just wanted to help a visitor to their country. Most of the time they did not even allow me to pay a bill, ticket price or taxi fare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With that sort of experience, I had no suspicion on this woman. Still my priority was to get into the Forbidden city ASAP, as it was passed 3pm and I knew that the ticket sales would stop at 4 pm. This lady said that she would show me the \u201cEast gate\u201d where I can enter without a long queue. Yes, there was a queue of people at the main entrance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I simply followed her advice and she walked with me to \u201cshow\u201d the entrance. On the way she said she is from Xi\u2019An (a city I visited 1 month ago) and we had quite a good conversation on history, culture and languages. She also explained some history of the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She said her friends from another province are there and they will meet her in 10 min. If I can wait 10 min, they also can join me to go inside the Forbidden city. While waiting for them, she suggested me to sit some where and have a tea or fruit juice. In fact after walking and climbing whole morning in Great Wall area, I was thirsty and wanted to sit and stretch my legs. So I agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I tried to sit on some chairs laid outside, but she suggested to go inside \u2013 less noisy, less dust and air-conditioned! I picked a Chinese tea and the scam began!<\/p>\n\n\n\n You know the rest. Yes, she split the bill, still I lost a few hundred! Worst thing was that she took me to a gate, assuring that I could enter from there, but obviously there were no ticket counters. I had to get to an electric car. The driver charged 20, instead of 2, as he sensed my urgency!<\/p>\n\n\n\n He actually did not take me to the ticket counters, instead, he stopped somewhere and a woman approached me. She was telling me that the ticket counters are closed and she would sell a ticket to me for 100 ! I did not want to let some one rip me off for 3rd time, within 15 min. Finally when I found the ticket counters, they were closed! So I missed the Forbidden City!<\/p>\n\n\n\n AVOID TOURISM COMPANIES, the ones who talk to you at street, promising a great price to go meet Great Wall (for example), they will make you pay more inside the bus, will take you to the worse section of the Great Wall, and prepare yourself for a long day stopping at market places, really awful experience.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want sightseeing, get a legal one, from important sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/span>There are two main gates to the Forbidden City \u2013 the south gate ( Meridian Gate \u2013 Wumen) and north gate( Gate of Divine \u2013 Shenwu Men). The south gate is linked to Tiananmen Square to the south. You have to enter Forbidden City from its south gate and exit from its north gate, which is officially set as a one-way south to north travel route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So don’t try to go to the North Gate to Forbidden City. The North Gate now only serves an exit gate. If you get to a wrong gate ( the north gate ), just walk along the streets circling Forbidden City and move on to the south gate. In this case, you are not encouraged to use a rickshaw or a 3-wheel motorcycle taxi at the north gate of Forbidden City. Some of the rickshaw and 3-wheel motorcycle taxi drivers are just disgusting swindlers. Avoid Them! Below is the account by Bill of the victim at the North Gate to Forbidden City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was a victim of two scams in the same day! The first was with a 3-wheel motorcycle taxi at the north gate of the forbidden city. I was offered a ride to the south gate for 3 Yuan. The taxi drove through a maze of narrow alleys and he stopped at an isolated spot. Then he demanded 300 Yuan, about $48.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The second incident was the tea shop routine. A nice couple invited me to a local place near Tiananmen square. I told them about the taxi incident and they sounded shocked and empathetic! We were given snacks (2 Yuan per bag in the store), some high quality tea, orange juice, and about 1-2 ounces of wine. The bill was 1200 Yuan plus 100 for the tip. He paid half (money probably borrowed from the owner), but I was still squeezed for over $100.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next day, near the same square, a woman began a nice friendly conversation with me and tried to do the same thing. The good-bye was very quick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hi there \u2013 another scam to add to the list is the counterfeit money. We used a standalone ATM at the silk markets and received many hundreds of RMB that was fake. We didn\u2019t know of course \u2013 its nearly impossible to tell. Now we have some lovely souvenirs that look like 100 RMB notes \ud83d\ude42 More Tourist Scams:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tourist scam on Chinese Medicine ( Feedback from christian Holscher ) The company does not give receipts for their sale, and no address or contact number was provided. They clearly do not pay tax. All what they give to the customer is a worthless certificate with no address. The real of this company can be found on the credit card receipt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you don\u2019t want to go for self-guided tours and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for guided tours to Beijing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beijing Day Tour<\/a> Best Time to Visit Beijing<\/a> Top 10 Attractions in Beijing<\/a> Top 10 Markets in <\/a>B<\/a>eijing<\/a> Wangfujing Snack Street<\/a> Any questions, just drop a line.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dear Travellers, We\u2019d like to have the following travel guide to remain updated for the benefit of new visitors coming to Beijing. If anybody having used the piece finds necessary updates, please leave a message or feedback. Thanks! Plan your Beijing tour? Most foreign travellers feel very safe when travelling in Beijing. 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“<\/strong>Thank you for having this site. As a traveller and student of human nature, I appreciate the scam warnings and the comments. I am a native New Yorker, and I feel it important to remind people that scams are not only in China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hi, you website is very helpful. I can share my experience about another scam:<\/p>\n\n\n\nScam 1: Avoid KTV bars<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Scam 2: Tea Scam<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Scam 3: \u201cArt Student\u201d Scam<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It happens mainly in historical sites, and public transport hubs. They are good actors(actresses) indeed. To us Chinese people they say they are out job-hunting and is penniless; to overseas travellers they say they are art students. Many of them are very properly dressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\nScam 4: Rickshaw Scam<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There are two entrances to the Forbidden City \u2013 the south gate ( Meridian Gate \u2013 Wumen) and north gate( Gate of Divine \u2013 Shenwu Men). The south gate is linked to Tiananmen Square to the south. You have to enter Forbidden City from its south gate and exit from its northern gate, which is officially set as a one-way south to north travel route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rickshaw scams could occur at any other places in Beijing. Be Vigilant!<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/strong>Scam 5: \u201cBlack\u201d Taxis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
By the way, your taxi driver may pull out a very official looking list of all hotels and official airport price. Never believe so-called official taxi-rate list of all hotels and official airport price. Never such a taxi-rate list!<\/p>\n\n\n\nScam 6\uff1aOutside Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Scam 7: Scams at Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Scam 8: Scams from Itinerant Tour Companies at Streets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Scam 9: Scams at North Gate to Forbidden City<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Scam 10: The Counterfeit Money Scam<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The advice would be to use a bank ATM I guess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is a tourist scam where people pretend to be part of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. They pretend to be doctors and \u2018diagnose\u2019 an illness just by taking the pulse. Then, they sell very expensive pills which are most likely just herbal remedies.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Beijing Tour Package<\/a>
Great Wall Tour<\/a>
Beijing Tour<\/a>
Beijing Winter Tour<\/a>
Car Rental in Beijing<\/a>
China City Tours<\/a>
China Tour<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nFurther Readings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How to plan a trip to Beijing<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Top 10 Tourist Scams Beijing<\/a>
How to Visit Tiananmen Square<\/a>
How to Visit Forbidden City<\/a>
How to Visit Temple of H<\/a>eaven<\/a>
How to Visit Summer Palace<\/a>
How to Visit Ming Tombs<\/a>
How to Visit the Great Wall of China<\/a>
How to Visit Hutongs<\/a>
How to Visit Olympic Sites<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Top 10 Shopping Malls in Beijing<\/a>
Beijing Shopping<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qianmen Commercial Street<\/a>
Beijing Huguosi Street<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n