There are many things i want to do in Beijing, I don't even know where to start. What i do know is that i want to get to as many destinations as possible, and the fastest was to travel is by subway.After Beijing won the bid for the 2008 Summer Olympics they decided to expand their subway and invest 63.8 billion Yuan (over $7 billion) into the project. In Beijing, a blue sign marked with '北京地铁 (Beijing Subway) indicates that there is a subway station nearby.What great about the subway its its price is cheap, only two to five Yuan ($0.31-0.7865) so getting around will be cheap. I found this great image that shows the subway lines and some of the more famous stops, like the Zoo, and shopping centers.
I also found this great video of how to take the subway in Beijing.
What do I know about China? I honestly can say that I know close to nothing about it. I know the facts that have been spoon fed to me through my school years and TV, but off the top of my head I could tell you these things: Its has the largest population in the world with 1,336,718,015 people ! It hold the third largest river in the world Yangtze River , it’s a communist nation and they use a different type of outlet. Oh and there’s the Great Wall too. These are all things that most people know and I assume that I do not known much more then most people.
Recently I saw a movie called Beijing Bicycle and it gave me an insight into the lives of two young men living in Beijing. The movie was all right but it showed how the bike was a basic means of transportation foe the average person in China in a growing city. Bikes are crucial for work, shopping and leisure activities and is the second highest form of transportation, walking is number 1. Besides cars will most likely to get stuck in traffic and are very expensive. So bikes are the best way for getting around and I plan on doing some bike riding around for a quick tour of Beijing.
With so many people its enviable that there will be some problems.One problem that is especially hard to address is China’s need for clean water. The tap water is dirty and you cant drink it unless its been boiled. Although the tap water isn’t drinkable, you won't have to worry about finding water when you go out on the town. Its very easy to buy bottled water in shops everywhere in China. Foreign Some of the popular brands of bottled water are Wa Ha Ha, Nestle and Nongfu Spring. I can foresee this being a problem for me because I hate buy water. But id rather pay a quarter for a water then being sick for a couple days.
Just because the water the water doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat their food. That would be a HUGE mistake. I have always loved cooking and eating adventurous foods. I feel like if you want to travel there needs to be a desire to eat; let your taste buds have a vacation too. If I have learned anything from Anthony Bourdain it’s that street food tastes the best, and the best street food can be found in China. I can see myself meandering around the backstreets or Beijing following the beautiful aromas that catch my nose. But its not tjust the food i want to try, I also want to sample some exotic beverages like Tiger Beer, and Baijiu. If you want to get the full experience you need to try both. I’m excited to get my own experience eating and drinking the real Chinese quinine.
If there is one thing that I need to see when I get to Beijing, that’s the new Woodward Skate park. I have been skateboarding for almost 10 years now and seen the culture and sport develop over the years. Skateboarding in China is gaining popularity and with the addition of the new Woodward facilities, the sport is bound to explode over there. But with any rapid developing city there is almost no need for a skate park because there are new things being built every day. I have already started looking at skate shops and parks over in Beijing, and I plan on going to as many of them as I can. Maybe I could meet some locals and have them show me some spots around town. I even found a site called Kicker Club that posts something on skateboarding in china everyday. I CANT WAIT TO SKATE BEIJING!!
Skateboarding legend Danny Way gets some big air over the great wall on China!Image courtesy of seekextreme.com
Woodward Beijing is the most recent addition to the Woodward family of camps and the first facility outside of the United States. Woodward Beijing will offer the world-class park experience with amazing skating/riding areas, facilities and programs. Check out their website for more info.
Every year on June 21, skateboarders around the globe celebrate the spirit and creativity of one of the most popular x-tream activities in the world. Ditch your plans; forget about schoolwork, go skateboard!
