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Insider's Guide to Beijing 2008x$15.00
 (8 reviews)
Best Price: $15.95 $15.00
This is the Beijing guidebook other Beijing guidebooks wish they could be. We tell you what's happening right here, right now, all over Beijing, because ... we live here. So do our 40 specialist contributors. With this book, you'll learn which songs will melt hearts in a Beijing karaoke bar, who has the best deal on antique furniture, how to take your landlord to court, and what Mandarin language program is for you. Along with all this wisdom goes the wit that has become the trademark of the Insider's Guide to Beijing over the years. Fully updated for the countdown to the 2008 Olympics, crammed with listings of hundreds of shops, bars and restaurants, lavishly illustrated with more than 750 full color photos by the capital city's best photographers, the Insider's Guide to Beijing is indispensable for residents and tourists alike. This edition also comes packaged with an up-to-date, fully bilingual pullout map of Beijing and its Olympic venues, printed on waterproof, tear-resistant paper stock. Stop looking for the key to the city. You are holding it in your hand.
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Customer Reviews
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Essential guide for any Beijing resident
By A3LYD5QH9E2JX1 on 2007-12-07
Finally got my copy from the friendly Friendship Store on Changan Jie. My wife (a Beijinger) and I own a real estate service for expatriates in Beijing and always have a copy on hand, as do all our consultants, Chinese and foreign. The depth and accuracy of information is impressive. Unlike many guides, little or none of the content is re-hashed from previous years. Both entertaining and informative, it's an essential reference for native Beijingers, expatriates and students alike. Tourists wanting an insight into contemporary Beijing might consider it too as it's filled with anecdotes. However, sparse coverage of historical aspects of the city.
Indispensible
By A3ND1U1396GTCJ on 2008-02-03
This book navigated us through the city for two weeks, spot on. We saw the historic sights and emerging China, a lot of if from a local angle. And the restaurants! Great book.
Pretty good, could do without the smartassness 
By A2BWN2FYQCHAWC on 2008-02-05
This is a useful guide overall in it's scope.
That being said.. It could do without the constant smartass "tongue in cheek" tone that pervades Asian expat publications though, as the writers come off as patronizing at times. Some of the page long articles are rather useless diatribes.
Great for longer term visitors, not so much for casual travelers
By A3K9FKLXNAPC3T on 2008-09-04
A great book, with tons of "insider" information that you won't find in other travel guides. And the many "color pieces" that are scattered throughout the book are quite wonderful.
On the other hand, it is really designed for people who are spending signficant amounts of time in Beijing. There is lots of assumed knowledge that the casual traveler doesn't necessarily have.
For example, very little information is given about where all the listed stores/restaurants/sites/etc. are actually located beyond their address. The assumption is that you'll have a detailed map of the city, or some other method, for figuring out the general area of Beijing where this address is located.
Also, would be very useful if they included even an abbreviated phrase book.
Would definitely recommend as one of a number of resources for travelers, but would caution folks against using it as their sole guide book in Beijing.
SAVIOR in Beijing
By A31FIKGPY2ZJ0U on 2008-08-09
How else are you going to tell the cabbie that you want to go to the Kerry Center Hotel? I speak Mandarin, but didn't know the Chinese names, not to mention the Chinese addresses to the restaurants, bars, and touristy things that I wanted to get to! Unless you have an iPhone (and can use the hoodhot Beijing taxi guide app), this is essential for navigating Beijing!
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