a day out in Beijing (1 Viewer)

Got a lucky break in a business trip and can afford one whole day to indulge myself in Beijing, want to make the most of it so looking for ideas or referrals to any good spots in or around the city any leads welcomed
Thanks
Steve

When I lived in Beijing, I would frequently go to the Summer Palace or Fragrant Hills. In both places you want to be quite early.

Hanno said:

When I lived in Beijing, I would frequently go to the Summer Palace or Fragrant Hills. In both places you want to be quite early.

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Thanks, someone else said that the summer palace gardens were good its just that I fancied a day out on a reserve just like popping into Minsmere in Suffolk, thanks for the tip

A "reserve" in Beijing? If you can find a quiet corner of a park you've done well. The place is heaving with people from just before dawn when the population comes out to walk and exercise, till long after dark when the population finally stop walking and exercising. At least in the Summer Gardens there's no-one bird-trapping.

I was lucky enough to have a couple of days free in Beojing last week. One day I went to the old summer palace that I had found to be very good for birding previously. Unfortunately, Beijing seems to be cleaning up the area (due to olympics?), so what were previously reed beds and muddy scrapes, are now completely drained, with the reed beds ploughed, and I expect that eventually they will be 'perfect' lakes with no birds. Only birds of interest were Garganey d & Dark-throated Thrush.

I've not been impressed with the new summer palace in the past due to the number of people, so avoided it this visit.

Best place I visited was the Fragrent Hills (100RMB (10 Euro) each way taxi from central Beijing). Avoid weekends as all you'll see is people, and all you'll hear is Chinese folk music. As it was, on a Monday, highlights I managed to see were Daurian Redstart, red-flanked robin and plain laughing thrush. It's not like an English reserve, but this is China - it's the best you'll get: get there early, and ignore/avoid the people and the noise.

Julian