Take the train at Beijing North Station at Xizhimen or opt for the Eastern Railway Station. In both Cases purchse Tickets to Travel to Gubeikou. When at Gubeikou transfer to the direction Jinshanling Great Wall.
Since 2008 AD all signs of trains and schedules are bi-lingual English/Chinese, so it should be no problem to find your way.
In case this doesn't work out, Beijing has grown to become quite an international city.
This page was last updated on: November 21, 2010
Welcome to China Report's Digital Introduction to the Beijing Northern Train Station - XizhiMen Railway and Subway/Metro Station in the Haidian District of Beijing.
People and Traffic crowd about in front of Beijing North Station - Xizhimen on a November Day in 2007 AD.
Try find a younger person and ask for directions. It may well be they would love to practice their english. However, dont be gullable on directions.
Full Report Text and Photos due soon in 2009 !!
The Original Station was designed by one Zhan Tianyou, quite a renowned engineer of the Era. He was considered to be among the top engineers in the Nation.
In the year 1905 AD, a new station was to be developped on the western-outskirts of Beijing in order to connect to the City of Zhangjiakou (Kalgan) someways North-West out of Beijing on the Great Wall of China in Hebei Province.
In the Past a river had flowed from the western hills into Beijing through the (vicinity of) Xizhimen Gate, however there was no place for both the River and a Railway Station. Thus, the historic Chang He (Chang River) Section near Xizhimen - known as the ZhuanHe for its curvature - was filled in and its course changed.
Although the original Chang He River does not exist anymore and Xizhimen has meanwhile grown into the Beijing North Railroad, Subway and Bus Station, the River gained a new life in 2003 AD.
Reopened and with a 3.7 kilometer length, the Chang He River flows again and is becoming popular in several ways. Find the current River flowing some ways to the North behind Beijing Zoo (located about half a mile due West of Xizhimen Station) in the eastward direction. Somewhere in the next stretch it tunnels underground beneath the highways of Beijing's Second Ring Road, after which it reappears above ground just West of Deshengmen City Gate. After passing Deshengmen in the shape of a concrete canal its name changes to Andingmen XiBin, the waters running along the North Section of the 2nd ring road to flow past Andingmen and just North of the YongHeGong - Lama Temple.
Map of Beijing in 1916 AD
Schematic Map of the the City of Beijing in 1916 AD, shortly after the 1911 Xinhai Revolution. Beijing was modernizing and China was experiencing the industrial Revolution.
Among the most noteworthy features of this Map are the QianMen Railway Station, at the Time the Main Railroad Station of Beijing.
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