'MO - August 2008 - (Page 15)

travel 65050-2266; www.shangri-la.com; $250+) offers impeccable style, spacious rooms, and proximity to the subway. Located in the same complex, traders hotel Beijing (+86-106505-2277; www.shangri-la.com; $150+), offers Shangri-La hospitality at great value. For a boutique stay, try swank Kerry centre hotel (1 Guanghua Lu, Jialli Zhongxin Fandian; +86-10-6561-8833; www.shangri-la.com; $230+). Moderate Jianguo hotel Qianmen (175 Yongan Lu, Qianmen Jianguo Fandian; +86-10-6301-6688; www.qianmenhotel. com; $80+) offers breakfast and proximity to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City was completed in 1420. The complex consists of 980 surviving buildings, and is the world’s largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures. EAT aria (China World Hotel; above; $18-32) offers modern European/Australian seafood with Chinese ingredients. Take a cab (they’re super cheap) to the Hou Hai area, which the authorities have developed into a fun, outdoor eating area festooned with ﬂoating lanterns and buzzing with happy visitors. There are many restaurant and bar options to choose from. Drink a beer, nosh on yummy Yunnan cuisine at s’silk road (5-1-7 Lotus Ln, Shichaihai; +86-10-6615-5515; $6-10), and watch the waltzing couples in the plaza. PLAY/MEET There are only a few gay venues in Beijing welcoming toward non-Chinese. Packed at weekends, slick club Destination (Chaoyangqu Gong Ti Xi Lu 7 Hao, SanLiTun; +86-106551-5138; www.bjdestination.com) is in the midst of the hetero nightlife district. Hipper Bed tapas & Bar (17 Zhangwang Hutong, Jiu Gulou Dajie, Dongcheng District; +86-108400-1554; cho@cafesambal.com), located in the hutongs (narrow alleyways), is mainly straight (though gay friendly) and popular with Westernized Chinese and expatriates. Friendly, chic dance bar cosmo (Grand Rock Plaza, Gongti Beilu, opposite the Asia Hotel; +86-10-5190-8918), near Dongsishitiao subway station, has a relaxed atmosphere and reasonable drink prices. GETTING THERE Fly from Seattle to Beijing with Hainan Airlines in around 11 hours, with Northwest, connecting through Tokyo, in 16 hours, or Air China via San Francisco in 17 hours. aefa is a senior writer with OutTraveler, Gay.com and Planetout. her ﬁrst book, The Scottish Ambassador, is due out later this year. Home to more than the 2008 Summer Olympics text by aefa mulholland The energy and growth in China’s vast capital are palpable, with countless construction sites pushing up still taller skyscrapers, fancy malls, and yet another cell-phone store or KFC outlet. The food is spectacular and inexpensive whether you wish to dabble in one of China’s many regional cuisines (Hakka, anyone?) or indulge your French, Italian, Vietnamese, or American side… all this on top of thousands of years of history and culture. Best of all, the people are quick with a friendly smile and ever ready to help a tourist in need. At your hotel, book a trip with guide to the Great Wall and prepare to check off a major and memorable travel “to do.” You have several options depending on time and crowd tolerance. The most visited is Badaling, 42 miles northwest of the city and thronging with tourists. A good half-day option is Mutianyu, 60 miles northeast of Beijing with heady views, thinner crowds, a chairlift up, and exhilarating toboggan ride down. If you have the time and the calf muscles, the best is a day-trip to quieter Simatai, 70 miles northeast of the city and known for challenging terrains and steep ascents (as in you’ll use hands and feet.) Another must is the Forbidden city with the largest and best-preserved warren of ancient buildings in China. Decline many guides inside, and rent an inexpensive English-language audio tour (narrated by Roger Moore!) Join kite ﬂyers, picture takers, and ﬂuttering birds engulﬁng vast tiananmen square. Surrounding the square you’ll ﬁnd the Great hall of the People, open to the public when Congress is absent, and mao Zedong mausoleum, where the Great Leader’s body has lain in state since 1976. Go early; lines snake for miles around the square. A little off the beaten path (in the remote Dashanzi district), is Factory 798, an up-and-coming arts district featuring striking contemporary art along with cool restaurants and bars attracting a very hip crowd. STAY High-end china World hotel (1 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Zhongguo Dafandian; +86-1015 Prepare to climb on all fours to ascend the Simatai section of The Great Wall , 70 miles outside of Beijing. moseattle.com issue #18 | august 2008 http://www.shangri-la.com http://www.shangri-la.com http://www.shangri-la.com http://www.qianmenhotel.com http://www.qianmenhotel.com http://www.bjdestination.com http://Gay.com http://moseattle.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of 'MO - August 2008

'MO - August 2008 Contents Letter From The Editor Voices Coors Joins the Fight to Erase Hate Pet Project ’mo-BIZ: Ajaxx63 Northern Xposure Returns Lambert House Offers Youth Support Beijing, China The 2008 Gay Softball World Series in Seattle Form & Function: Vacation Nutrition An Account of the STP Bicycle Classic Book Review: Family Outing by Troy Johnson Capitol Hill Guide Live Event Review: Teatro ZinZanni’s Quest for a Queendom SceneOut: People@Places

'MO - August 2008

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