Memoirs of Beijing

Going to Pingyao from Beijing is quite easy.  You can opt for train, plane, car or bus.  We initially plan to take the train but opted not due to hygiene issue.  So how did we go there?  We opted for bus.

By Bus

Since there were 20 of us in the group, we opted to rent a bus to take us there and back to Beijing.  Due to the Chinese New Year holidays, bus rental was at a premium.  We rented a 39 seater bus for RMB 11,000 exclusive of the driver’s meals and accommodation.

The drive took roughly 8 hours with several pit stops for lunch and bathroom.  Luckily for us, it wasn’t icy and road conditions were good.  It was actually smooth driving to Pingyao.  The view, nothing worthwhile.

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It’s been quite some time since I’ve posted tips in living in Beijing.  One of the most important thing in living in China is navigating the city without looking dumb.  If you’ve been to Hong Kong, you’d probably notice their infamous Octopus card. 

In Beijing, the Octopus card counterpart is called the Yi Ka Tong.  This card can be bought at the nearest subway station.  Not all ticket booth in the station have this card.  They might direct you to a different ticket booth to purchase this.

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