sandstorms in Beijing late March

[eddmel]

We are booked on a cruise which starts in Beijing late March '08. We will stay in Beijing for 3 nights before the cruise. Now we are reading about sandstorms. How concerned should we be?

[jssabs]

I don't know about sandstorms but we are booked on Crystal Cruise #8208 in late March. Is that the cruise you are on?

[Spikesgirl]

I'm trying to figure where you would find sand in Beijing. We were there last summer and there isn't much sand around unless it's coming from quite a distance (like from Xi'an). In Beijing, it's the smog that's tough to deal with.

 

We found Beijing to be a very modern indrustial city with lots of construction (499 days until the Olympics) and even more traffic. Still, we'd head back there in a heratbeat.

 

Enjoy your cruise, don't worry about sandstorms or the weather or anything else. Just go and have a good time.

 

Charlie

 

P.S. You can read about our adventures in Beijing by checking out our review, Pacific Princess 07/06

[daquri]

I never thought about sandstorms in Beijing, but I see they're nothing new.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1883494.stm

[greatam]

I'm trying to figure where you would find sand in Beijing.

Charlie

 

 

The Gobi desert-storms roll in from Mongolia. My customers in China have recommended avoiding Beijing in late winter/early spring due to the sandstorms.

 

Hope it doesn't impact anyone's cruise, but the March cruises are right at the beginning of sandstorm season when the storms can be the most intense.

[Spikesgirl]

Wow, I didn't know that! Thank you so much for the info. It's hard to believe that Gobi sand could get that far, but I totally defer to you. As far as i am concerend, you are the expert on this part of the world.

 

Charlie

[BruceMuzz]

I lived in Beijing for many years. The sand storms were very unpredictable, but seemed to happen more often in spring. It got far worse when it rained. Then we had mud storms.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about this. The odds of running into one of these storms is relatively small. They are not life-threatening, but merely annoying.