Will somebody pick me up in Beijing ?

Yes, the school will send somebody to pick you up in Beijing. Usually Li Chen, the school's translator will go. He is responsible for the foreign student program and is the only person in the school who speaks english. For more information contact him. Click here for more information about wushu training in China.

More: Beijing Pick Up

  • Of course you will have to pay Mr. Li Chen's traveling expenses, but that's not much money. All together you will have to spend about 300 Yuan - if you don't have to spend a night in Beijing. Sometimes the tickets for the evening train are sold out, so you will be forced to stay one Beijing and take the train in the morning. I recommend the 3 star hotel on the opposite to the West Train Station. When I last went there, it cost 350 Yuan for a room with 2 beds.
  • Li Chen will bring you to the West Train Station and take a train to Yun Cheng. The ticket costs about 70 Yuan (about 10 US) per person, but the ride will not be very comfortable. For just a few dollars extra, you can get a sleeping area. This way you will have enough space, nobody will smoke in your face and you will be able to take a rest. A ticket in the seeping wagon costs about 130 Yuan. (The prices change very often) Yun Cheng is a 6 hours train ride from Beijing. From the Yun Cheng Train Station you will take a taxi to the school (10 to 15 Yuan). When you arrive to the Yun Cheng Train Station, you will notice that you are in the middle of nowhere. It's probably the poorest place you have ever seen with your own eyes. But the school is a bit better, even though it's still very different from what you might expect.
  • If you want to, you can also ask Li Chen to stay in Beijing for a few days and show you some sights. Of course you should pay all his expenses. A 3 star hotel in Beijing costs between 300 and 500 Yuan. There are also cheaper hotels, where you can live for a bit more than 100 Yuan, but those are not as clean and safe.

Advice: Beijing Pick Up

  • Don't go to Beijing without Li Chen's cell phone number. If he doesn't show up in time, you should be able to call him. When I first went to China, I waited for him half a day, because he wasn't able to get a train ticket. There are plenty of public phones at the Beijing Airport. Call him as soon as you arrive and ask him how long it will take him to pick you up.
  • Also print the schools name and the address in Chinese and in english, and keep one copy in your suitcases and one in your wallet. If Li Chen loses his cell phone or his battery goes off, you will not be able to call him. You will at least be able to ask somebody at the airport to call the school for you.
  • Don't try to go to the school on your own if you can't speak enough Chinese. If you still want to go there on your own, take a bus to "Xi Dan", then a bus to "Xi Zhan" And a train to Yun Chen. In Yun Cheng everybody knows the school.
  • The taxi drivers in Beijing usually try to cheat you. Taking a public bus is just as fast and much cheaper. 16 Yuan when I last went there.