Quote:
Originally Posted by Fozzie_DeBear
A couple of things to add:
-Download a few newbie episodes from Chinesepod.com (free)
-Goto the Lama Temple on Beijing...the three story Buddha is jaw-dropping (and off the radar tourist wise for some reason) 
-If you can get to the remote section of the great wall for a hike (simitai) you will be practically alone (relatively speaking)
-There is an antique market in Xian that is for locals...if you can find it it is a lot of fun
-Learn these phrases, reject the first/second and third prices offered, and practise a look on your face like they are INSANE for asking for that price and your spending power will double
"Woh Boo Yow" (I don't want it)
"Thai-gway" (too expensive...)
"Pee-yen ee dya" (Give it to me cheaper).. |
The Llama temple is a nice quiet retreat in the middle of the city, and east to find/get to as it is basically a subway station stop.
Caution about Simatai portion of the great wall, it's great and basically untouched, but it basically is on a mountain, and it's quite a ways outside the city. Be ready to sweat and breath hard when you get up there unless you wanna fork over money to ride the gondola which goes half way, then pay again to ride the 'mini train' the rest of the way. I rode the Gondola and walked the other half, damn it was steep and i had to take 15 mins to recover at the top.
For the Cheaper one I think you mean "Pyen Yi Yi Dyar", basically asking to make it cheaper by a little bit. Make sure you ARR like a pirate at the end haha.
Oh don't know if you can pass as students, but student IDs can get cheaper entry tickets to many tourist spots.