Before Olympic fever takes over the world, it's time to plan your trip to Beijing for 17 days of sporting action. And even if you can't track down tickets, the city has plenty to keep you busy, writes Clifford Coonan
THE ICONIC PORTRAIT of Mao Zedong still stares out over Tiananmen Square, in the heart of Beijing. His impassive features are about to bear witness to 500,000 foreign visitors and two million visitors from around China for the 29th Olympiad, which begins in the city on August 8th.
The Chinese capital has come a long way since Mao died, in 1976, and even people who have visited the city before the Olympics are in for a surprise when they arrive at Beijing Capital International Airport: Sir Norman Foster's dragon- inspired Terminal Three will be operational for international arrivals.
Once you get in from the airport you'll find that, despite its scale, Beijing is an easy city to warm to. "This is an entertaining city in terms of eating out. There are great dining options," says Colin Saunders of the leisure and marketing group Spencer Grey, which is running accommodation packages for people visiting the city for the games. "Get down to Houhai, Sanlitun, get out of the hotel and mix it up. It's one of the safest cities in the world, so enjoy it."
The packages are aimed at people who have already bought tickets through companies such as Sportsworld (see Go there, right) and are targeting the budget end of the market.
Finding hotel accommodation could be a challenge, though: some of the city's bigger hotels require a minimum one-month stay - and are charging at least €16,000 for the pleasure.
It's going to be hot for the games. Beijing has a classic desert climate: very cold and dry in the winter and baking hot in the summer. August is the hottest month - and one of the few times when it rains in Beijing. The government is sending aircraft to shoot, or "seed", clouds, to control the rain and make sure it doesn't spoil the games, but you should always be ready for a downpour. Don't bring a jumper, though, unless you're worried about the air conditioning being too cold.
Pollution has hit many headlines, and it is undeniably bad - so much so that Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee, has said some endurance events might have to be postponed if the air quality does not improve in the way the government insists it will. Closing down factories, keeping most cars off the streets and keeping coal-fired power plants offline for the two weeks of the games might be enough. We'll see.
Be prepared for the fact that very few people in this city of 17 million people speak English. The government says that's getting better, and I have been knocked out of my standing once or twice by taxi drivers who have uttered the occasional phrase in English, such as "thank you" or "bye bye".
Cheap and plentiful taxis are one of the joys of living in Beijing, and although they might be under pressure during the games it's still the most convenient capital city to pick up a cab in. Most of the time, however, the use of English will earn you smiles, nodding heads and complete bafflement.
The first thing to do when you arrive at your hotel is to ask for a card with the its name and address written in Chinese - all hotels have them. Also, get the phone number, so a taxi driver can call the hotel for directions if you get lost.
A map printed in both Chinese and English is essential, and it's a good idea to know the name of the district where an attraction is located. For instance, Haidian district, in the northwest, is home to Beijing Zoo, the Summer Palace and the universities. Chaoyang district is where all the foreigners live - and where the best bars and clubs can be found. The Temple of Heaven is in the southeast.
Traffic is also likely to be a problem. There are three million cars in Beijing, and even if many are ordered to stay at home during the Olympics it's best not to plan to get from the rowing venue to the swimming venue in one day. Perhaps, in true Olympic spirit, you could run between them.
Go there
The official ticket agent for Ireland is Sportsworld (http://beijing2008.sports world.co.uk, 00-44-870- 3850808), an English-based company offering four accommodation packages: Gold, Silver, Bronze and Supporter. None includes tickets or flights, which the company sells separately.
The Supporter package is the cheapest, at €1,253 a person for a four-night stay in two-star accommodation, based on two people sharing. An 18-night stay based on twin occupancy costs €3,532. Both deals include transfers and assistance from Sportsworld staff on arrival.
The Gold category, which includes airport transfers, a welcome evening and the assistance of bilingual staff in Beijing, costs €3,385 a person for a four-night stay at the five-star Hotel Sofitel Wanda. An 18-night stay costs €9,285 a person if two people share and €15,627 for single occupancy.
Visitors can take advantage of Sportsworld's link with Wendy Wu Tours, which is providing half- and full-day guided visits to some of Beijing's notable tourist destinations.
Among the three-day tours on offer are a visit to the ancient city of Xian, which is home to the life-size terracotta warriors (right), as well as a Yangtze River cruise and a trip to Shanghai.
The relative shortage of direct flights - there are none from Ireland, for example - means getting to Beijing will be expensive. From Heathrow, British Airways flies six times a week to Beijing and five times a week to Shanghai. Air China has seven flights a week to Beijing. Virgin and China Eastern also fly from Heathrow to Shanghai. Flights from London to Beijing take about 11 hours. (Air France and KLM fly to Beijing from Paris and Amsterdam, respectively.) Flights are said to be harder to find towards the end of the games; if you are flying to Beijing in August, expect to pay upwards of €1,000 return.
Finding accommodation during the games could be problematic; many operators have had difficulty securing hotel rooms. Sino-Irish Travel (www.sinoirishtravel.ie, 01-6671371), a Dublin-based specialist, has limited accommodation available in three- to five-star hotels, with rooms ranging from €180 to €500 a night. More accommodation should be released nearer the event; in the meantime, check out the official site of the Beijing Olympics (www.beijing 2008.cn) and Visit Beijing (http://english.visitbeijing.com.cn).
Tickets to the games could also prove hard to come by. Sportsworld has reported that the opening and closing ceremonies, swimming, track, cycling and some gymnastics events are already sold out, and tickets are also selling fast for athletics, boxing, basketball, equestrian events, hockey and rowing. Tickets that are available cost anything from €5 to €95.
... Mark Rodden
Where to eat, drink and visit for a taste of Beijing
Where to eat
The Legation Quarter is the most hotly awaited lifestyle development in Beijing. It's in the heart of the city, just metres from Tiananmen Square, in the restored landmark estate of the former American legation and embassy during the Qing dynasty. It will host a number of top restaurants, including one in which the Irish Beijing resident David Murphy has invested. There will also be event spaces, nightclubs and lounges, boutiques, a contemporary art gallery and Beijing's only multipurpose theatre. The development will be open by the time the games begin, and the architecture alone makes it worth visiting during your trip to Beijing.
The Courtyard (Si He Yuan), an upscale restaurant on the banks of the Forbidden City's moat, is a tastefully decorated grey-stone building with exposed beams and well-worn leather armchairs in the upstairs cigar bar. Works by local artists are on display. The menu is European, but it's worth a visit for the views of the Forbidden City and the atmosphere. 95 Donghuamen parking lot (adjacent to the Forbidden City); 00-86-10- 65268883.
Crab Apple House (Hai Tang Ju) has, as the centrepiece of its converted Ming dynasty courtyard, a 100-year-old tree in traditional settings. 32 Xiheyan, Xuanwumen, Xuanwu district, 00-86-10-83154678.
Mr Li, the owner of Liqun Roast Duck Restaurant (Li Qun Kao Ya), was head chef at the famous chain Quanjude in the early 1990s before he branched out on his own. His small restaurant is a great place to experience a Peking duck meal in an authentic old-Beijing setting. Given the government's plans to clear parts of the city, be careful to check before you go that it hasn't been knocked down, and bring a Chinese speaker with you if you can, as the place is hard to find in the winding hutongs. 11 Beixiangfeng, Zhengyi Lu (northeast of Qianmen), Dongcheng district, 00-86-10-67055578.
Beijing Da Dong Roast Duck Restaurant, which has recently relocated to the old imperial granary building, serves good duck, although some of the other dishes are a bit pretentious. 1/2F Nanxincang International Building, A22, Dongsishitiao, 00-86-10- 51690328.
Red Capital Club is tremendous fun. Inside a lovingly renovated traditional courtyard dwelling, the restaurant is crammed with 1950s chic and communist bric-a-brac, and the menu brims with Beijing favorites. It also features a 1950s-era cigar and cocktail lounge, where you can pick up a retro-style black phone and listen to speeches by Mao Zedong. 66 Dongsi Jiutiao, Dongcheng district, 00-86-10-64027150.
Three Guizhou Men (San Guizhou Ren), which is popular with film directors and bohemians, is the brainchild of three artists from Guizhou province. It is famed for its fiery cuisine. Don't miss the fragrant peppermint salad (xiangban bohe) and sour fish soup (suantangyu). Jianwei Soho Bldg 3, 39 Dongsanhuan, Chaoyang district, 00-86-10- 58690598.
Afunti has become so popular that reservations are necessary almost every night of the week. Its most popular dish is lamb, served in any number of styles - roasted kebabs (yang rou chuan), roasted and stir-fried (chao kao yang rou) or served with chopped noodles and vegetables (chao mian pian). Uighur musicians provide the sounds on traditional instruments. 2 Houguaibang Hutong, Chaoyangmennei Avenue, Chaoyang, 00-86-10-65251071.
Where to drink
Centro is a hotel bar that transcends hotel bars; in the lobby of the Kerry Centre Hotel, it's popular with the champagne-and-cigar set. Open 24 hours with live music. Kerry Centre Hotel, 1 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang district, 00-86-10- 65618833, extension 42.
No Name Bar kicked off the burgeoning Houhai nightlife scene, and it's still arguably the best in the area. It attracts locals, expatriates and tourists who come to enjoy its prime lakeside location, soft lighting and elegant interior. 3 Qianhai Dong Yan, Xicheng district, 00-86-10-64018541.
Paddy O'Shea's, an authentic Irish bar, has been open only a few months, but it's settling in nicely and is attracting a mixed set of expats and locals. A good venue to watch the games if you fail to find tickets. 28 Dongzhimenwai Dajie (opposite the Australian embassy), 00-86-10-64156389.
Bar Blu combines an intimate bar over two rooms with a steaming dance floor, DJs every night and a fabulous terrace for those warm Beijing summer nights. 4/F Tongli Studio, Sanlitun Beilu. Chaoyang district, 00-86-10-65584616.
Where to visit
Even if you don't get tickets for the games, there is a lot to do in Beijing.
Visit Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.
Visit the Qianmen area (if it hasn't been completely knocked down by the time the games get started).
Visit the Temple of Heaven, one of Beijing's great icons.
Spend a day at the Great Wall, which is easily accessible from the city.
Stroll around the lake in Houhaiin Beihai Park or through the remaining hutongs (alleys) in Dongcheng district.