Beijing - Change in Visibility Over 24 Hours

[fasternyou929]

Originally Posted by t-rock

Looks like going to beijing is no longer on the bucket list.

Don't remove it, pollution or not, still my absolute favorite place I've ever visited. If it weren't for the air quality (it's not always that bad, but it's often very clear either) I'd take a long-term assignment there in a heartbeat.

Friendliest, most happy people I've met, anywhere. I travel alone a lot and have had to rely on the locals for conversation. More than once I've been welcomed at a bar like a celebrity, people offering to buy rounds, asking where I'm from, etc. They're finally getting exposure to a world outside China and they really try to soak it up.
Amazing sites to see and more history than one can absorb in a lifetime.
Excellent food. Local Chinese food doesn't compare. China actually has a variet of peppers they will not export, some of which are used in Hunan, Kung Pao, and Schezuan dishes. And it's damn good.
It's inexpensive once you're there. Sharing a 7-course lunch with 5-6 people usually ends up costing $4-7 tops. And it's good food.

And this is only Beijing. Western China doesn't have the pollution issue and offers some incredible natural landscape. I hope to see it in person sometime.