Beijing Transport - Introduction

Beijing, the capital city of China, is the largest transportation hub in northern China, linking the city to many domestic and international destinations. Beijing has two airports - Beijing Capital International Airport and Nanyuan Airport. Combined, they offer convenient transportation to all corners of the world with the former offering international and domestic flights and the latter offering flights through China United Airlines.

Beijing is also a major railroad hub with many national lines that intersect and meet in the city. There are four major railway stations in Beijing that provide comprehensive transportation services to many corners of China and to two international destinations (Moscow and Ulan Bator). The Beijing-Shanghai, Beijing-Harbin, and Beijing-Qinhuangdao railway, all meet at the Beijing Railway Station (Beijing Zhan); the Beijing-Guangzhou, Longhai (Lanyungang-Lanzhou) and Beijing-Kowloon railway, meet at the Beijing West Station (Beijing Xi Zhan). Currently, the Beijing North Station has a Beijing-Baotou railway, which offers trains to Inner Mongolia and nearby cities. Beijing South Station is now under renovation and will be available for use in August 2008. The new Beijing South Station will serve two vital new high-speed rail lnks to Shanghai and to Tianjin, and will also be the terminus of the Beijing-Shanhaiguan railway.

Access to Beijing by road or highway is extremely convenient since it has the largest junction of major roads in China. There are 12 national highways (101-112) that radiate to all corners of China. Additionally, there are eight expressways surrounding the city, including Badaling Expressway (Beijing to Badaling Great Wall), airport expressway, Jingshi (Beijing to Shijiazhuang), Jingshen (Beijing-Shenyang), Jingkai (Beijing-Kaifeng), Jingha (Beijing-Harbin), Jingjin (Beijing-Tianjin), and Jingcheng (Beijing-Chengde). These national highways and expressways link the capital with almost all major cities. Beijing has more than 20 coach stations operating thousands of buses daily to neighboring cities such as Datong and Chengde, as well as distant cities such as Hangzhou and Nanjing.

The city offers many foreigner-friendly services, including booking services for flights and bus tickets. Travelers interested in traveling to other destinations can schedule a flight, long-distance bus travel or train tickets via most hotel front desks and travel agencies. Domestic and international flights can also be booked via the website www.elong.net and www.ctrip.com, both of which offer services in English.