Beijing is not likely to shock you, disgust you or irritate you in the way other Chinese cities may. As the centre of government and of anything progressive in China, and now as the host city of next year’s Olympics, Beijing has educated its population in manners. It is not worthwhile to spit in the street in Beijing as it could earn a heavy fine. Littering is the same and the traffic is more inclined to follow the road rules too. A strong campaign is urging residents not to try to cheat foreign visitors but prices have risen sharply already, with twelve months to go. There is no doubt Beijing is the most expensive city in China and the bargains of its famous markets are now bargains in name only. If you plan to shop during a visit to the international sports meet it would be best to plan to travel elsewhere to do that. One of the reasons for the rise in price is that the Chinese government is trying to show multi-national companies that it can control illegal copying and pirating of goods and brand names. The Silk Market and other places will no longer be a place to find good copies of Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Calvin Klein. You’ll just have to hope you find them in the other towns you travel to. There will be no policing the cheating of the taxi drivers who will just take you round the long way with the meter on. That said, if you are from a country with a strong currency and have a reasonable job it won’t bother you much. The Chinese currency is still worth a lot less than yours and your trip will likely seem very cheap to you. Coffee is expensive here, relative to cost of living, so expect to pay about the same as you do at home, but almost everything else is cheaper. Women with a slim to thin build might think they are in paradise if they are the shopping for clothes kind of woman, but if they are well rounded or a little overweight they might end up hating China as the shops cater for the average Chinese female who is a lot smaller and thinner than the average affluent Western female and has a smaller bosom and sit-upon.