Talking Travel: Dirt-Cheap October Flights, Grand Canal Widens, and Hourly Hotel at Daxing Airport

Talking Travel: Your semi-regular roundup of Beijing's latest transportation-related news.

Cheap domestic flights from Beijing this month

Now that the bustle of National Day travel is over, those on a looser schedule can find great deals for flights out of Beijing for under RMB 200 for the remainder of October. Some of the best include:

• Taiyuan. The capital of Shanxi province is home to famous sights such as the Twin Pagoda Temple and Mount Wutai. If you’re feeling especially adventurous, Taiyuan is a great home base to do some hiking around the province, exploring beautiful historical villages like Pingyao (pictured above). Tickets from RMB 170.
• Yan’an. Just a hop away from the famous Xi’an, this historical city in Shaanxi province has its own attractions, including the Yellow River’s Hukou Waterfalls as well as Yanjialing, the former headquarters of the CCP. Tickets from RMB 125.
• Changchun. Aside from abundant mountains and lakes, the capital of northeasterly Jilin province also features the home of the last emperor of China, Puyi, now the Museum of the Manchu State Imperial Palace. There's also the Changchun Film Century City Theme Park, said to be inspired by a combination of Universal Studios and Disneyland. Tickets from RMB 192.
• Shenyang. The largest city in northeast China and the capital of Liaoning, Shenyang features the so-called gravity-defying "Strange Slope" as well as other nearby natural attractions. It is also home to Mukden Palace, the only surviving royal palace beside the Forbidden City. Tickets from RMB 175

New sub-central line trains launch for Tongzhou commuters

Beginning Oct 11, there will be four new train routes on Beijing's sub-central line that run between the city and Tongzhou. The trains will fill in the gaps for commuters departing from Tongzhou in the early mornings and at midday, and for those returning to Tongzhou in the early afternoon and evenings. The full sub-central line schedule is below, with new trains in red (itinerary data provided by BJ News).

East-West

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West-East

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Grand Canal opens for tourism in Tongzhou

Speaking of Tongzhou, the incredible engineering feat and UNESCO World Heritage-listed site that is the Grand Canal has now also opened its waters to tourists. The Grand Canal Park (pictured at top), part of the channel that connects Beijing to Hangzhou, has enormous historical value but so far not stirred much interest among holidaymakers and residents of Beijing. Hoping to change that, the city is launching new tourism navigation routes on the 11.4km stretch of the canal that was previously unable to support such boating.

Having widened the canal from 80 meters to 200 meters, tourists routes will soon set sail, allowing interested travelers to explore the historical roots of the world’s longest man-made canal and peek into the Forest Park alongside. Read our first impressions of the newly preened park here.

New Daxing Airport gets an hourly hotel

As we all know, under normal circumstances, hotels could have absolutely no reason to rent rooms by the hour. In an airport, however, drowsy travelers may be willing to shell out cash for a much-needed nap between transfers. 

That is exactly what the in-terminal hotel in Beijing’s new Daxing International Airport is doing. With 215 bedrooms, Aerotel Beijing is now China’s largest airport hotel, providing passengers with short-stay options as well as a gym and game room, complete with a pool table. The hotel located in the Northeast Pier of the airport, just a 10-minute walk from the international check-in counters.

READ: Where to Explore Ancient Villages in the Suburbs of Beijing

Images: CGTN, Tom Arnstein, Plaza Premium Group