I was there with my wife, who is a Beijingren, and the biggest thing I dealt with was being stared at everyplace I went. Foreigners, especially ones with blond hair (before it turned white), don't go to those places, only locals. So I kind of stood out everyplace she took me. The only place I did not get stared are were the usual tourist spots; Forbidden City, Summer, Palace, etc. However, as far as I can tell, the mornings I was there, I was the only westerner at tiantan park, Ming Tombs and Baiyun guan. But they are use to foreigners there Buses were crowded and folks had no idea what personal space was anywhere in Beijing, I got use to that, but it took me almost 2 weeks to get use to being stared at. However traffic, at rush hour, was horrendous, and it has only gotten worse. .I decided I would never drive or ride a bike in Beijing. I would only walk, and take the bus only if I had to and subway when necessary as well.
