This afternoon, after leaving Beihai Park, I had to walk endlessly through the hutongs to get to the subway station. They were so, so, so, so long! I was about to break down. There were no share bikes anywhere, and I was absolutely exhausted.
Let me put it this way: Beijing locals rarely take taxis because they're such a rip-off; watching that meter climb is heartbreaking. Just use a ride-hailing app. Don't go to places recommended by taxi drivers like that; they get a kickback if you spend money there. I had the same experience in Hangzhou: the taxi driver would try every trick in the book to persuade you and take you to a silk shop. It's usually not far from your actual destination, but they'll drive you straight to a nearby silk store instead.
