Beijing is a world renowned tourist city and its modern transport network ensures travelers a pleasant journey.

Here is a brief introduction to the Chinese capital's transport offerings.

Taxi

Taking a taxi is the most convenient way for visitors to travel around the metropolis of Beijing. There are more than 67,000 taxis operating in every corner of the city.

The taxis are visible at the airport, railway and bus stations. What's more, most taxi drivers in Beijing speak some simple English. This provides foreign visitors with great convenience of being able to communicate.

The charge of taxi service in Beijing differs according to the time of day. In daytime, the flag-down rate is 10 yuan (1.46 U.S. dollars) for the first three km and two yuan per km for the remainder of the journey. If the trip is longer than 15 km, the charge rises to three yuan per km. At nighttime (11 p.m. to 5 a.m.), the flag-down rate is 11 yuan for the first three km, and the charge for travel over three km is 2.4 yuan per km, and 3.4 yuan per km for a journey of over 15 km.

Although taxis are expensive for some travelers, they are convenient, especially in the middle of the night or in early morning.

Due to the traffic in Beijing, taxis charge not only according to their meter, but also for waiting time in traffic, driving at night and distance for driving without a passenger. For every accumulated five minutes of waiting time you will be charged an additional one-km fee. It is recommended tourists ask for a receipt from the driver because the car number, company name, driver registration and complaint telephone number information are listed on it.

Subway

The metro is the fastest form of transport in Beijing. The city now has five subway lines with 140 km of track, transporting millions of passengers daily. It plans to add three subway lines this year and reach 200 km in length.

One new route, the light rail system, will run from east Beijing's Dongzhimen station to the Beijing Capital Airport ahead of the Olympics. It will only take 16 minutes to travel the 28.1 km from Dongzhimen to the airport's new Terminal Three (T3). The price for every ticket is still under discussion. According to a recent hearing on the fare, most people agreed a 25 yuan price was fair.

For other lines, the normal operating hours of the subway are 5 a.m. until 11 p.m.. Line 13, however, is from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. with the price ranging from two yuan to five yuan.

On the days of the Olympics' opening and closing ceremonies, the subway will run 24 hours. All lines also have an English-language service system.

Last month, a new automatic fare collection system was put into operation at all subway stations. This demands use of magnetic strip tickets or mass transit smart cards. Most subway stations have installed the automatic ticket vending machines.

Passengers can also inquire to subway staff about queries to avoid taking the wrong train and wasting time. Compared with the congested road network, the subway is a far better choice for getting around the city.

Bus

Buses in Beijing play an important role in common people's daily lives. Most buses are air-conditioned now. The cheapest ticket for short distance buses is one yuan and for other long distance buses, the charge varies based on the journey. Passengers can enjoy some discount if they board a bus using a mass transit smart card.

If there is no conductor on a short-distance bus, passengers should board via the front door, pay the one yuan fare into the box and exit via the rear. Since these buses are self-serving, please prepare small bills or coins before boarding or buy a mass transit smart card at any subway station or large bus station. The cards can be used for both buses and subways.

On July 20, two new sightseeing bus tour routes will be launched to help visitors experience both the ancient and modern in the Chinese capital during the Olympics.

One route starts at Yongdingmen Gate in southern Beijing, and passes several major historic attractions. These include the Temple of Heaven, the Front Gate (Qianmen), the Tian'anmen Gate, Jingshan Park and the Drum Tower.

The other route starts at Datun, outside the north Fourth Ring Road, and passes major Olympic venues and facilities such as the Olympic Green, the Olympic Village and the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium.

The double-deckers are air-conditioned and the fare for the routes will be set in the next few days.

During the August Olympiad and September's Paralympics, the city will extend the operating time of more than 350 bus routes. In addition, it will also open 34 new routes connecting the city with each of the Olympic competition venues. Among the new routes for the Games, 19 will run around-the-clock.

Beijing will also offer free bus and subway services for Olympic ticket holders during the Games.

(Xinhua News Agency July 16, 2008)