Beijing - Post Report Question and Answers
Do you feel that it is safe to walk, run or hike outside? Are there areas where bike riding is possible? What is the availability and safety of outdoor space for exercising? Are these easily accessible?
Beijing has a lot of cars and minibikes, so it’s not particularly safe to run or bike along main thoroughfares. However, Beijing does have many parks and green spaces for running and distance walking. Biking is harder, as many parks prohibit bikes, but it becomes progressively easier as you move away from the city center. (Stronger bikers can also ride out to the rural areas along the edge of the city without much difficulty.) For younger children, there’s usually sufficient space to ride bikes within your diplomatic compound. If you like hiking, Beijing is a gem. Beijing itself is very flat, but there are hundreds of hiking areas within an hour or two of the city center. Beijing Hikers is one of several hiking clubs / outfitters that organize hiking excursions in the hills outside the city, ranging from leisurely family walks through farmland to tough treks up and down the Great Wall. There’s no better way to experience the Great Wall than hiking and/or camping in a “Wild Wall” site. - Nov 2024
