Talking Travel: Fragrant Hills Hit by Annual Rush, Horticulture Expo Ticket Prices Plummet
Talking Travel: Your semi-regular roundup of Beijing's latest transportation-related news.
Xiangshan tickets must be purchased one week in advance
October marks the beginning of peak travel to Xiangshan, AKA the Fragrant Hills, Beijing’s most famous destination for gandering at colorful autumn leaves. However, travel to such hotspots in the capital is becoming so intense that officials are having to make changes in order to limit the number of daily visitors, as was the case in Badaling this summer.
To cap visitors at 100,000 per day, Xiangshan will limit the time period that visitors can purchase tickets. In 2018, the park moved to stop selling on-the-day tickets during the busy season, requiring tourists to buy tickets at least one day in advance. Now, Beijing News reports that tickets have to be purchased a between 1 and 7 days before the date of the visit.
The Beijinger has received word that this rule may not be applied on days that are not particularly busy, so an impromptu weekday trip might have some luck, but there are no guarantees.
Moreover, admissions will be staggered throughout busy days to prevent clustering of during peak hours. That could mean that even if you’ve got your tickets for the day, you might still have to wait a few hours to enter.
With all that in mind, it might be worth considering taking a pass on Xiangshan and getting your autumn views elsewhere.
READ: Feast Your Eyes on Fall Foliage at These Scenic Beijing Parks
2019 Horticultural Expo Reopens – with much cheaper tickets
One place that is apparently not being overrun by sight-hungry tourists is the Horticultural Expo in Yanqing. Despite being a bit farther out than Xiangshan, there are still plenty of colors to take in, and hopefully fewer selfie-takers to contend with.
After closing for a brief hiatus following the end of the 2019 Horticultural Expo, gates for the park have now officially reopened with one hell of a discount – RMB 20 down from RMB 120.
The Expo follows the Guishui River and, conforming to the natural landscapes of the river banks, shows off what can be done with the gardening expertise of both Chinese and international green thumbs. The catch? Not all of the exhibitions are currently open. The Russian and German Exhibition Parks are both closed for rehabilitation, while several indoor exhibits have also locked their doors for the time being. But if you’re willing to make the trek, you can still check out the Amsterdam-like flowerbeds of Yongning Pavilion, the Garden Village, and the parks that represent Beijing, Shanghai, Yunnan, England, and the US.
Hyatt Regency Wangjing awarded Luxury Hotel of the Year award
Fancy a staycation? Why not go all out with a night at the Hotel of the Year?
The World Luxury Hotel Awards were held earlier this month in Finland, where awards were dished out based on online votes. The Hyatt Regency in Beijing’s flashy Wangjing neighborhood took the whole shebang. Voters were apparently more partial to the hotel than Google reviewers, who give the location a measly 4.2 out of 5 stars.
If you trust the Hotel Award voters not to steer you wrong, you can stay a night in the Hyatt for as low as RMB 828. And if you’re keen to make it a really special staycation, why not eat at the world’s best luxury restaurant as well?
READ: Have You Been to the World's Best Restaurant? Hint: It’s in Beijing
Images: Wild Great Wall, Giphy, Qianlong, prodancecheer.com
