My parents (aged in their 60’s) and niece (aged 11) were in Beijing last month. I arranged Qing’s husband to take them to the Mutiunyu section of the Great Wall. This selection was following reviews of Qing and her husband on TA. Qing was unavailable as a guide for the days they were in Beijing but her husband was available to take them to the Great Wall on one day.
My parents were thrilled with him. They have described him as being a very good driver and they felt as safe as possible with him (in very heavy traffic)
His vehicle was an airconditioned van with seatbelts and it was clean and well maintained.
He was on time to collect them from the hotel.
Qing had advised that her husband was not fluent in English and therefore was not a guide. However my parents and niece found they were able to communicate with him and that he was very friendly. They felt very comfortable with him.
After climbing the Wall they stopped at the SchoolHouse at Mutiunyu for lunch. He joined them at their table to eat together which they enjoyed. The SchoolHouse provides free meals for guides and drivers.
After lunch he drove them past the Olympic Bird’s Nest and Cube for photos.
The stops were exactly as arranged with Qing prior to the visit. He did not make any “shopping stops”.
My parents would not hesitate to use Qing’s husband as a driver if in Beijing again.
Hope this is useful for anyone wanting to use a driver in Beijing.
Nancy
