Beijing/Peking (Cadogan Guides) - Softcover

"More than comprehensive" is the best way to describe Cadogan Beijing, an exhaustive 422-page guidebook to the Chinese capital by veteran China traveller Peter Neville-Hadley. Listing Chinese characters throughout, this book tells you more than you'll ever need to know about Beijing and the Chinese way, from history to hutong and how not to lose face. -- Holiday Asia

'the balance of infectious enthusiasm and solid practicality should appeal to first-timers and experienced travellers alike’ -- Michael Palin

Neville-Hadley's knowledge and love of his adopted home make for a great guidebook. He knows the language and turf. Plus, he enjoys tromping off-the-track and zestfully describes his discoveries. The result is an infectious, informative read. Fun but authoritative, the book is written in the strong voice of someone who loves poking around Beijing's hutongs, buzzing with pleasure at each new find... old China hands will even learn a thing or two. And the well-worn tourist attractions like the Forbidden City are given a new spin in a refreshing break from all the been-there-seen-that guides on the shelf. -- Time

‘Bursting with practical information and in-depth knowledge, Cadogan Guides also make a cracking good read.’ -- The Times

‘Cadogan are the pick of the bunch’ -- Daily Telegraph

‘It’s difficult to praise the Cadogan books too highly...good writing, amusing comment and invaluable advice’ -- The Independent

More, much more, of Beijing
At 422 pages, this book is more than double the size of most other guides to Beijing, and offers you detailed coverage not only of the magnificent remnants of imperial grandeur, but also of obscure, intriguing and sometimes even bizarre sights only mentioned in passing in other books, or not at all. Historical and cultural material includes readable introductions to the lives of both the emperors and the ordinary people of the capital's hutong (alleys), as well as the foreign missionaries, military expeditions, diplomats, writers, and bon viveurs who preceded you to Beijing, and the Boxers who tried to kill them all. From articles on eunuchs and migrant beekeepers to the true history of the Great Wall and life in the hutong, there's more than enough to keep you diverted on the plane to Beijing and on long bus journeys into the surrounding countryside.

Immensely detailed practical information helps you decipher Chinese menus, buy tickets, avoid overcharging, pick the right hotels, haggle down the prices, and speak simple Mandarin phrases. Large, clear Chinese characters given for every sight help you make sure you're on the right bus or at the right place, from downtown teahouse, street market, and theatre, to countryside temple, village, or Great Wall site. The Chinese characters are also given for every hotel, street name, restaurant and even every dish mentioned in the text, and every word in Romanised Chinese is tone-marked to help you with pronunciation.

For independent travellers, the way to reach out-of-town sights by public transport is described in detail (even where the existence of such transport is denied elsewhere), and reviewed accommodation includes numerous new rock-bottom and low-budget guesthouses overlooked even by the most hardened budget guide, as well as a selection of good-value and reliable hotels in all other price ranges. There are detailed descriptions of Beijing speciality foods and street snacks, of restaurants serving Chinese regional cuisine, and for those wanting a change, the latest foreign-inspired alternatives of all nationalities. Shopping information includes guides to lesser-known street markets and introductions to buying everything from antique furniture, through kites, bird cages, silk, and cameras, to stamps and communist memoribilia.

Dozens of day trips take you to out into leafy countryside to see a deer park, hidden caves, elaborate tomb complexes (much more than just those of the Ming), multiple Great Wall sites, and more. Further afield there's full coverage of neighbouring Tianjin with its industrial backstreets and antique market, Shanhaiguan where the Great Wall reaches the sea, and the eloborate imperial summer resort of Chengde.

I first visited Beijing in 1986, and this is the guide I wish I'd had. It has taken 18 months to prepare including nearly a year in and around the capital , and if you like your descriptions of sights to be more than 'may be worth checking out' but also more than a list of historical facts, or if you want to have enough practical information to be confident of travelling around and out of the city by yourself, then this is the book for you.

You're welcome to join a free Internet mailing list called 'The Oriental-List' which I run for the discussion of travel in China and its near neighbours. To subscribe, write to pnh@axion.net