Question 1

What is the "Hutong Rickshaw Commission Shop Drop" scam in Beijing?

Accepted Answer

Rickshaw drivers near the hutong areas offer free neighbourhood tours that always end at a calligraphy or traditional art shop with aggressive sales pressure. The driver earns commission on purchases, so the entire tour is designed as a delivery mechanism to the shop. Book hutong tours through a reputable agency with a fixed itinerary specifying no shopping stops. Politely decline to enter unplanned shops and tell the driver upfront you are not interested in shopping diversions.

Question 2

What is the "Counterfeit Attraction Tickets" scam in Beijing?

Accepted Answer

Scalpers near ticket booths at the Forbidden City, Great Wall, and other major attractions sell counterfeit or expired tickets at a slight discount. The forgeries are often convincing and only discovered at the turnstile, by which time the seller has disappeared. Always purchase tickets at the official ticket window or through the attraction's official app or website. Never buy tickets from individuals standing outside the venue, regardless of the price or apparent convenience.

Question 3

What is the "Cheap Great Wall Day-Tour Bus Commission Trap" scam in Beijing?

Accepted Answer

Cheap 'all-inclusive' Great Wall day trips advertised for roughly 100-250 yuan on hotel tour desks and street flyers near Beijing Railway Station bait tourists onto buses that hide four to five mandatory commission stops - a 'jade museum', 'silk factory', tea ceremony and traditional-medicine clinic - where high-pressure staff work for kickbacks. Some operators also hike the per-person fare mid-route once outside the city and refuse to let passengers into Badaling until they pay the higher amount. By the time you reach the Wall the morning is gone, leaving as little as 90 minutes at the most overcrowded section, with the Ming Tombs reduced to a rushed walk through a gift shop. Book Great Wall trips only through a hotel front desk's vetted operator, a reputable platform, or a stated 'no-shopping' tour, and confirm in writing there are zero factory or shop stops; better still, take the public S2 train (about 6 yuan) or bus 877 to Badaling / 867 to Mutianyu and skip organised bus tours entirely.

Tour & Activity Scams in Beijing

Hutong Rickshaw Commission Shop Drop

Counterfeit Attraction Tickets

Cheap Great Wall Day-Tour Bus Commission Trap

Experienced a scam here?