When I was in Beijing one time I stayed in a hotel in the Mongolian quarter, arranged from a group by the local Beijing Cultural Commissioner or something,  owned and run by the Independent People Region of Mongolia or some such name. Some parts were amazing as it was at least 10 years behind even the most hidebound Beijing enterprises.

I used the "Business Centre"  at one stage. It was a forlorn room with about 6 computers and a  small office with window and no door overlooking. With 3, yes 3, bored looking "helpers". They were always there and full time from what I could see in uniform. They were initially very thrown when I appeared, clearly they don't get many foreign devils and their English was non existent in speaking terms.

Initially the net was flowing slow but ok and I was getting through with mail and etc. Then it slowed to almost stop - and Google was blocked. Each day I used it. Once I managed to sneak a look around at what the staff were doing. Sure enough they were looking - on their monitors - at my pages I had opened.

The rest of the time almost no one seemed to use the room and the 3 staff were playing games on the PCs and looking at Hello Kitty stuff.

Another time I stayed at a small hutoung hotel with 6 rooms in a courtyard and a owner who had been a student in Melbourne. The net there was lightning fast and clearly bypassed all censorship as I could access anything I wanted - USA site on Tiananmen Square  incident etc etc. Seems to me, probably as expected, it depends on how tech savvy and how "official" you are.

That's a startling account FXH.