Beijing (5 Days): My Wallet Weeps & My Spending Sanity Has Officially Left the Chat 😭

[Misty Anderson DDS]

Wow, it’s quite expensive to spend money in Beijing! It’s definitely the place where I have felt my wallet bleeding the most.

• My family and I spent five days and four nights in Beijing (and that doesn’t even include our round-trip expenses!). We easily spent about 10,000 RMB!
• However, on the bright side, we were able to visit several places that my parents had long been dreaming of:
  • The Forbidden City: It was a huge and magnificent place where Chinese emperors lived and worked.
  • The Great Wall: I think this one is quite famous. It’s an ancient wall that stretches for miles – climbing it makes you feel extremely great!
  • Tiananmen Square: The very large square at the center of Beijing with a lot of historically importance events related to it.
  • My parents are thrilled to have visited all these places.
• As for my personal favorite, I must say it’s The Summer Palace!
  • This used to be the private garden of Empress Dowager Cixi, who is known as a formidable empress dowager in Chinese history – she holds significant power in China. The scenery over there is breathtaking, no wonder she adores it!
• But coming back to the expense… I really feel exhausted.
  • You won’t believe it! Even a stick of Bingtanghulu (Hawthorn skewer covered in candied syrup) sold at 25 RMB each!

️ Heads up & Money-saving Tips for You Before Visiting Beijing:

• Prepare more budget: The prices in Beijing are quite high, especially around tourist sites and those so-called famous restaurants. Be prepared mentally.
• Ask about snack prices first: Before buying anything to eat at the attractions, please ask how much they cost first. Some things could really be more expensive than you might think.
• Use subway for transportation: In Beijing, the metro is everywhere; getting to places is convenient and way cheaper than taking a taxi.
• Choose accommodation slightly away from the city center: As long as the traffic is convenient, choosing to stay in a little farther location will save you a lot in lodging fee.

I am curious to know how much money you spent before taking a trip to Beijing? Jump into the comment section and share with me!

[Ms. Wanda Kilback]

Living in Beijing.

[Iris Marquardt]

Are people in Beijing really that thrifty? I spend more even in a small fourth-tier city.

[Karen Bruen]

Tanghulu costs 7 yuan from street vendors, 20 yuan in small shops, and 15 yuan in malls. That's not so expensive.

[Reginald Ziemann]

You probably didn't get the authentic kind.

[Zachary Hayes]

At Ditan Park in Beijing, tanghulu is 15 yuan for two, and they're quite large.

[Zachary Hayes]

At Shichahai in the evening, the hawthorn bingtanghulu from the old ladies is just 3 yuan.

[Karen Bruen]

Not really.