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beijing posts
Sex and the City: Beijing edition
Nov 19th, 2008 at 2:30PM: Hehe, that might be a bit of false advertising on my part. So technically Sex and the City isn't coming to Beijing, though the movie version came out this May will undoubtedly show up in the Beijing pirated-DVD stalls. No, what I'm talking about now are the "Sexy Beijing" videos that have been absolute hits with the expats. I myself lived off them this summer while working in Beijing. The series ...
Gadling Take Five : Week of August 30-September 5
Sep 5th, 2008 at 7:00PM: This week, as the Olympics ended, we welcomed blogger David Breisch to the Gadling fold. This was a busy week of diverse travel options, breakthroughs and oddities.
Jerry tuned us into what travel to a volcanic island is like with two separate posts. The first post, of his two part series "The Krakatau Journal: An island paradise that can kill you,' and the second post, offer Jerry's personal ...Hooters in Beijing: Short Shorts and Moral Righteousness
Sep 3rd, 2008 at 11:00AM: Hooters is all about saving fabric. The minimalistic uniforms and the comely staff members who fill them are aimed at drawing mostly male customers. As the Georgia-based restaurant chain goes global, one would probably expect more of the same. But, the Hooters in Beijing is not all about buxom waitresses hawking chicken wings and fries. How can that be? The very name "Hooters" suggests nothing ...The Olympics finale: A great big Beijing inspired hugfest and might
Aug 25th, 2008 at 1:30PM: Hugs all around. If you're near someone give him or her a hug. If you're by yourself, just wrap your arms around yourself and squeeze. MMMMmmmm.
By the end of the closing ceremony of the Olympics in Beijing, when the credits rolled in the U.S.'s broadcast version, I was once more feeling warm and fuzzy, just like I did at the end of the opening of the games. Again, I'm a real Pollyanna sometimes. ...The Birds Nest 360
Aug 22nd, 2008 at 1:30PM: I've seen a lot of photos of this years Beijing Olympics, but none of them impressed me as much as this massive panoramic photo made by Finnish photographer Kari Kuukka. You'll need to be patient when the photo loads, on my fast connection it still took almost a minute. Once the counter reaches 100%, use your mouse to drag the picture around, for a 360 degree image of the men's 100 meter finals. ...Beijing's Olympic-Caliber Parties
Aug 18th, 2008 at 11:00AM: Hong Kong and Shanghai have long been the capitals of cool in the Sinosphere. But Beijing's trend-setters are trying to take advantage of the international attention brought by the Olympics to earn their own spot on Asia's glamor map. Apparently, they have been somewhat successful. Outrageously posh parties are taking place all over the capital of the Middle Kingdom. The ironically named ...Beijing Weathers the Weather and Pollution
Aug 15th, 2008 at 8:00AM: On August 8th, while the opening ceremonies were in progress, Chinese meteorologists had their eyes on the sky. In the days before the Olympics, Beijing assembled its own Olympic-caliber weather team, choosing the cream of the crop from a pool of over 200 meteorologists. At one point on the evening of the ceremonies, the chief of these weather superstars, Guo Hu, ordered rockets to be fired to ...Olympic watches (and much more) at Silk Street market in Beijing
Aug 14th, 2008 at 10:30AM: Last night, one of the news commentators during the men's gymnastics All-Around competition mentioned going to the Silk Market in Beijing and seeing watches with Yang Wei's face on them. Yang Wei is the men's gold medal winner for the All-Around and the Chinese gymnastic darling.
The commentator (I forgot which one) mentioned that the Silk Market, now referred to as Silk Street, is his favorite ...Pursuing the American Dream in China
Aug 13th, 2008 at 11:00AM: Because the Olympics are in China, you've probably noticed an increase of stories and news segments with a China focus occupying the airways. For example, The Today Show on NBC is looking at China from a variety of angles.
One story, presented Monday, illustrated just how fluid the world's economy can be and how there is an interchange between cultures as a result. For example, if you head to ...Don't like the look of a neighborhood? Build a wall around it.
Aug 11th, 2008 at 2:00PM: You have to give the Chinese credit for trying to clean up Beijing during the 2008 Olympics. Their methods, while borderline authoritarian, have resulted in a significantly cleaner and friendlier looking China -- the perfect reflection of a global economic superpower that should be hosting the games. Several weeks before the games, officials attempted to curtail pollution by shutting down or ...
Behind the Olympics: Memories of the old Beijing
Aug 11th, 2008 at 1:20PM: Last summer, I found myself on a dusty lot overlooking Herzog & de Meuron's newest creation: an elegant jumble of I-beams that Beijing residents wryly refer to as the "bird's nest." The stadium housed 91,000 spectators for the opening of the Olympics, marking what many believe to be the "Century of China." I struggled to see anything beyond the gawking tourists, imposing cranes, and ...Kids-eye view of the Olympics
Aug 10th, 2008 at 9:00AM: Scouring through what the blogosphere is saying about the Olympics, I came across a blog written by a 12-year old in Beijing. His name is David and he is National Geographic Kid's correspondent for the Olympics. He's an American child who has been living in China since he was two; he moved to Beijing last year from Suzhou. The blog is straightforward and has that wonderful child-innocence about ...Photo of the Day (08.09.08)
Aug 9th, 2008 at 1:00PM: Much like Aaron, I too have Olympic fever; in fact I spent over 4 and a half hours in front of the television last night watching the whole opening ceremony. With so much of the ceremony focusing on the religious and philosophical traditions of China, I thought that this picture taken by bellumdeos at the Dongyue Taoist Temple in Beijing was fitting. Want your own photo considered for Gadling's ...American Stabbed and Killed in Beijing
Aug 9th, 2008 at 10:00AM: With the memory of a spectacular opening ceremony still in everyone's mind, some news from the opposite end of the emotional spectrum came out of Beijing today. Two American tourists, a man and woman, and a local guide were attacked by a man carrying a knife. The attack took place at the famous Drum Tower that sits above the hutong near Houhai Lake. The tour guide and the woman were injured, but ...China coverage on Travel Channel
Jul 31st, 2008 at 1:00PM: In preparation for the Olympics, The Travel Channel has been offering several China-themed options this week and is continuing with its coverage by repeating various episodes. Here they are in case you've missed them and want to catch up.
For those interested in China's natural landscape and wildlife and how the natural world fits into Chinese culture and sensibilities, check out Wild China. ...5 Non-Tourist Destinations in Beijing
Jul 23rd, 2008 at 11:30AM: Everyone is looking forward to the Olympics. It is expected that well over half-a-million visitors will descend on Beijing during the Games. While all those people will probably contribute to the excitement and energy of the event, it going to be crowded. Imagine trying to visit The Great Wall of China or the Forbidden City in mid-August. The crowds will make a packed weekend at Disney World look ...Beijing forces vehicle traffic to halve, subways choke
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Jul 22nd, 2008 at 11:00AM: The great thing about running a communist state is that you can dream up and enforce any crazy rule you want -- and the people can't do anything about it. China, scrambling to clean up its image as the Olympics draw closer, has been making changes to the landscape left and right -- beautifying Beijing, planting flowers and cleaning up the streets. This week, in an effort to clean up the ...Get your Chinese name in time for the Olympics
Jul 20th, 2008 at 2:30PM: Along with the tips for how to be a traveler that China would like to have back, the Hilton Hotels' be hospitableTraveler section also has a fun, interactive page that will give you a Chinese name. This is another way the hotel chain is helping people gear up for the Olympics in Beijing through its "be hospitable traveler" campaign.
It's simple. Fill in the boxes with your first name, last name, ...Beijing to be No-Fly and No-Protest for Opening Ceremonies
Jul 19th, 2008 at 3:00PM: Cathay Pacific Airlines recently reported that they have had to alter their flight schedule after they were told that Beijing's airport would be closed during the opening ceremonies for the Olympics. According to the Associated Press, the airport will be closed from about 7 p.m. until just before midnight on August 8th. This is one of the many precautions that China seems to be taking to increase ...Be hospitable in China: Tips for American travelers and athletes
Jul 17th, 2008 at 12:30PM: One of the best things a person can do before traveling to a new country is to find out cultural norms in order to know how to be polite. It's a great way to make friends, get the best prices when bargaining, and to not create a situation where someone is mad at you because you've made a faux pas without realizing it.
Jim Wells at behospitable traveler.com of the Hilton Hotels hooked us into ...
