介绍:
Anchor:
Beijing has been offering foreign tourists from 45 listed countries with a 72 hour visa-free stay since January 1st, 2013. If you are interested in exploring a modern Beijing within 72 hours, the following is a specially designed schedule by our reporter Liu Kun.
Reporter:
(soundbite1, ambience)
Beijing is known to many not only as a city of rich historical and cultural heritages, but also as a modern metropolis of openness and vitality.
To experience a modern Beijing in 72 hours, the following are our suggestions.
(soundbite2, promo day1, male sound) Day 1: The Bird's Nest, the Water Cube, Sanlitun, and The National Center for the Performing Arts.
Two iconic buildings spurred by the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube next to Olympic Sports Center station of Line 8, are on the top of the list if you're out to get a modern feel for Beijing. The National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest served as the main venue for the track and field events during the 2008 Games. It's known for the innovative grid formation, built with 36 kilometers of unwrapped steel that has a combined weight of 45,000 tons.
After the Games, the Bird's Nest has served as a recreation center, hosting activities such as winter skiing and concerts, like this one.
(soundbite3, concert)
The National Aquatics Center, a major venue for aquatic sports during the 2008 Games, also known as the Water Cube, is the world's single largest and most complicated structure of ETFE foil, a material of high strength and corrosion resistance. It is just to the east of the Bird's Nest and within walking distance.
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Now that the Games are gone, the Water Cube has been converted into a water theme park, offering a place to cool off and have some fun in the summer.
Sanlitun area is the next place you can't miss. Get off the subway at Tuanjiehu station on Line 10 and you are there. The area offers innovative architectural designs, international stores, numerous bars and restaurants and lots of entertainment. Occasionally you would come across street artists, like this flash mob group.
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Now if you still have time and energy, you could take subway line 1 and get off at Tiananmen West station to check out the National Center for the Performing Arts. The Center provides a great variety of performances, ranging from traditional Chinese operas to western modern dances.
(soundbite6, NCPA)
(soundbite7, promo day 2, male sound) 798 Art Zone, Wangfujing Street and Houhai Lake
The second day tour starts from 798 Art Zone, a perfect hangout for art fans. Take any bus that stops at Dashanzi station and there you will find the 798 Art Zone. The original 798 was a state-owned industrial plant established in the 1950s. The plant was abandoned in late 1990s. Inspired by the SOHO area in New York City, some artists moved to the warehouse lofts in 798 in 2000. Today art studios, galleries as well as book stores, cafes and restaurants are abundant in the area and this is from a gallery manager.
(soundbite7, gallery)
Occupying an area of more than 600,000 square meters, the 798 Art Zone might take up an entire day. So don't be too ambitious if you want to cover more sites.
The next stop of our second day is Wangfujing Street next to Wangfujing station on subway Line 1. Wangfujing Street is an up-market shopping center surrounded by traditional Chinese Alleyways. Here you will also find Wangfujing Snack Street, boasting a wide range of Chinese snacks. This man selling quick cooked tripe is demonstrating Jiaomai, traditional Beijing hawking art.
(soundbite8, jiao mai)
Also St. Joseph's Church on the Street is the second oldest Catholic Church in the city.
The last stop of our second day is Houhai Lake, a perfect place for a night out. Get off at Beihai North station of Line 6 and you will find the Lake to the north of the station.
(soundbite9, bar music)
Lots of bars and restaurants are located alongside the waters. At night when the lights are turned on, you can wander around, enjoy the breeze and pick from a choice of restaurants to indulge in the atmosphere.
(soundbite10, promo day 3, male sound) World Park, China Millennium Monument and Qianmen
On the final day, we start from Beijing World Park next to Dabaotai Station on subway Fangshan Line. With full size or small scale copies of the world's original tourist attractions, the theme park offers you an opportunity to tour around the world without having to leave Beijing. The Pyramids, the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty…you can choose whatever you want.
Plus, the Park also offers performances and parades featuring international folk customs.
(soundbite11, parade)
Our next stop is China Millennium Monument at the Military Museum station on subway Line 1. The Monument is dubbed China's symbolic and commemorative structure to usher in the Year 2000 the new Millennium. A pointer of 45 meters pointing to the blue sky is placed on the upper side of the monument. A gallery is located behind the monument, providing exhibitions on international art.
The last stop of our 72 hour adventure is Qianmen Street, a historical commercial street of the city located near Qianmen station on subway Line 2. Business on the Street boomed during the Qing Dynasty. Today it's the place to shop for China's time honored brands such as Zhangyiyuan Teahouse, Shengxifu Hat and Ruifuxiang Silk store. The recently opened Madame Tussauds Wax Museum with all the wax sculptures of celebrities is also worth a visit. And before you leave Beijing, remember to try Beijing roast duck at Quanjude restaurant located just on the street.
Those were our suggestions for an experience of metropolitan Beijing in 72 hours. By the way, you can also choose to take taxi for tours in Beijing. The basic price is 13 yuan in daytime. We hope you will like the city's modern vitality
