Things to do in Běijīng
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Forbidden City
Ringed by a 52m-wide moat at the very heart of Běijīng, the fantastically named Forbidden City is China's largest and best-preserved complex of ancient buildings. So called because it was off limits for 500 years, when it was steeped in stultifying ritual and Byzantine regal protocol, the otherworldly palace was the reclusive home to two dynasties of imperial rule until the Republic demoted the last Qing emperor to has-been.
The design of the palace was originally closely based on its grand and now dilapidated forerunner in Nánjīng. Today, the Forbidden City is prosaically known as the Palace Museum (故宫博物馆; Gùgōng Bówùguǎn). In former ages the price for uninvited…
reviewed
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798 Art District
A disused and converted electronics factory built by the East Germans, 798 Art District is Běijīng’s leading concentration of contemporary art galleries. The industrial complex celebrates its proletarian roots in the communist heyday of the 1950s via retouched red Maoist slogans decorating gallery interiors and statues of burly, lantern-jawed workers. The voluminous factory workshops are ideally suited to art galleries that require space for multimedia installations and other ambitious projects. You could easily spend a day visiting the complex and its cafes and restaurants, making 798’s noncentral inaccessibility less of an inconvenience and more of an opportunity for an…
reviewed
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Summer Palace
Virtually as mandatory a Běijīng sight as the Great Wall or the Forbidden City, the gargantuan Summer Palace easily merits an entire day's exploration, although a (high-paced) morning or afternoon may suffice.
Once a playground for the imperial court fleeing the suffocating summer torpor of the Forbidden City, the palace grounds, temples, gardens, pavilions, lakes, bridges, gate-towers and corridors of the Summer Palace are a marvel of landscaping. Unlike the overpowering flatland of the Forbidden City or the considered harmonies of the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace – with its huge lake, hilltop views and energising walks – offers a pastoral escape into the…
reviewed
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Wángfǔjǐng Snack Street
Don't be put off by the starfish (Y20), cicada, seahorse and scorpion kebabs (Y20), this bustling corner of restaurants is a great place to feast elbow-to-elbow with other diners on Xīnjiāng or Muslim Uighur staples such as lamb kebabs (Y5) and flat bread, steaming bowls of málà tàng (麻辣烫; spicy noodle soup), zhájiàngmiàn (炸酱面; noodles in fried bean sauce; Y12), Lánzhōu lāmiàn (兰州拉面; Lánzhōu noodles) and oodles of spicy chuāncài (川菜; Sìchuān food). Round it all off with fried ice cream (Y10). Prices are touristy as it's just west off Wangfujing Dajie.
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Mùtiányù
Famed for its Ming-era guard towers and excellent views, the 3km-long section of wall at Mùtiányù, northeast of Běijīng in Huairou County, is largely a recently restored Ming dynasty structure that was built upon an earlier Northern Qi dynasty edifice. US President Bill Clinton came here (Reagan went to Bādálǐng), if that’s anything to go by. With 26 watchtowers, the wall is impressive and manageable, with most hawking reserved to the lower levels (hawkers go down to around Y15 for cotton ‘I climbed the Great Wall’ T-shirts) : the further you get away from Mùtiányù central the better. It’s actually possible to hike from Mùtiányù all the way west to …
reviewed
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Dōnghuámén Night Market
A sight in itself, the bustling night market near Wangfujing Dajie is a veritable food zoo: you can choose from lamb kebabs, beef and chicken skewers, corn on the cob, chòu dòufu (臭豆腐; smelly tofu), cicadas, grasshoppers, kidneys, quails' eggs, squid, fruit, porridge, fried pancakes, strawberry kebabs, bananas, Inner Mongolian cheese, stuffed aubergines, chicken hearts, pita bread stuffed with meat, shrimps and more. For tourists, expect inflated prices.
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Tiānqiáo Acrobatics Theatre
West of the Temple of Heaven, this is one of Běijīng's most popular venues. The entrance is down the eastern side of the building.
reviewed
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Tiān'ānmén Square
Flanked by stern 1950s Soviet-style buildings and ringed by white perimeter fences, the world's largest public square (440,000 sq metres) is an immense flatland of paving stones at the heart of Běijīng.
Height restrictions have kept surrounding buildings low, allowing largely uninterrupted views of the dome of the sky. Kites flit through the air, children stamp around on the paving slabs and Chinese out-of-towners huddle together for the obligatory photo opportunity with the great helmsman's portrait. On National Day (1 October), Tiān'ānmén Sq heaves with visitors.
In the square, one stands in the symbolic centre of the Chinese universe. The rectangular arrangement,…
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Kro’s Nest
Huge pizzas, onion rings, chips and chicken wings draw in the student crowd (both local and foreign) from the surrounding colleges. The grungy decor, wooden tables and floors, as well as the free beer nights, give the place a frat-boy feel that’s authentically American. It’s on the west side of 101 Middle School. There’s a daily set lunch deal (Y55) and another branch inside the north gate of Workers Stadium.
reviewed
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Panjiayuan Antique Market
Beijing’s most beloved flea market sells almost every Chinese knick-knack imaginable. It’s a great spot for souvenirs, but bargain hard and treat any claims of antiquity with scepticism. Not much goes on here during the week. Instead, get here early on the weekends for one of the most fun shopping experiences in Beijing.
reviewed
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Liqun Roast Duck Restaurant
The duck here is so prized that you have to call a day ahead to reserve both a bird and a table (otherwise, turn up at off-peak times and be prepared to wait an hour). Buried down a crumbling hutong, the restaurant itself has seen better days, but the duck is delicious and comes with all the trimmings.
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Běijīng Dàdǒng Roast Duck Restaurant
A long-term favourite of the Peking duck scene, the hallmark fowl here is a crispy, lean bird without the usual high fat content (trimmed down from 42.38% to 15.22% for its 'Superneat' roast duck, the brochure says), plus plum (or garlic) sauce, scallions and pancakes. Also carved up is the skin of the duck with sugar, an imperial predilection.
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Bookworm
A combination of a bar, cafe, restaurant and library, the Bookworm is a Běijīng institution. Perhaps it’s the 14,000-plus books you can browse while sipping your coffee, or working your way through the extensive wine list. The food maintains the bookish theme, with sandwiches (Y42) and dishes named after famous authors, even if it, and the alcohol, is overpriced. The Bookworm is much more than just an upmarket cafe, however. It’s one of the epicentres of Běijīng cultural life and hosts lectures, poetry readings, a Monday-night quiz and an annual book festival. Any author of note passing through town gives a talk here. The local listings mags will tell you what events are…
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South Cathedral
Běijīng’s South Cathedral was built on the site of the house of Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci, who brought Catholicism to China. Since being completed in 1703, the church has been destroyed three times, including being burnt down in 1775, and endured a trashing by anti-Christian forces during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. The church is today decorated with modern stained glass, fake marbling, red carpets, portraits of the Stations of the Cross and cream-coloured confessionals, while black bibles in Chinese lie stacked about and the occasional local nun makes an appearance. All manner of crucifixes can be bought from the religious artefacts shop, near the statue of St…
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Maliandao Tea Market
South of Beijing West Train Station is Maliandao, the largest tea market in northern China. The four-storey building is home to if not all the tea in China, then an awful lot of it. There are brews from all over the country here, including pu’er and oolong. Although it’s mostly for wholesalers, the market is a great place to wander for anyone interested in tea and the vendors are normally happy to let you sample some. Maliandao Lu itself has hundreds of tea shops, where prices for tea and tea sets are lower than in the tea shops in tourist areas. To find the tea market, look for the statue of Lu Yu, the 8th-century sage who wrote the first book on growing, preparing and…
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Manchurian Special Flavour JiǎVozi Restaurant
With its singing waitresses in their colourful qípáo (traditional Chinese dress) and a menu that proclaims, ‘We all love you’, this friendly, noisy restaurant specialises in the cuisine of northeastern China, a region of icy winds and biting cold. That means lots of hearty meat dishes such as stewed chicken (Y28) and shredded pork with wild vegetables (Y25). But the real deal here are the delicious jiǎozi. There’s a whole range to pick from, but the green pepper and pork, Chinese cabbage and pork, and pumpkin and egg are particularly addictive. Try a few bottles of Hapi, Harbin’s very own beer (Y12), to make it the perfect Dōngběi experience. English menu.
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Alameda
Consistently high-class fusion cuisine with a Brazilian twist in a light and spacious environment makes this Běijīng’s finest Western restaurant. The Brazilian chef changes the menu daily, but regular dishes include filet mignon in a rosemary and red wine sauce with roasted potatoes and pan-fried whole tiger prawns. There is an à là carté menu but the two-course set lunch and dinner menus will satisfy most people’s appetites. Dessert costs extra though, while the extensive wine list is not cheap (from Y200 a bottle). Sophisticated without being snobbish, it’s a place to splash out. It’s essential to book.
reviewed
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Hike and Bike China
13 days (Beijing)
Discover a different side to fascinating China as we hike and bike our way across this vast country.
Not LP reviewed
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Jiankou
For stupefying hikes along perhaps Běijīng’s most incomparable section of wall, head to the rear section of the Jiankou Great Wall, accessible from Huáiróu. It’s a 40-minute walk uphill from the drop off at Xizhazi Village ( 西栅子村; Xīzhàzi Cūn) to a fork in the path among the trees that leads you to either side of a collapsed section of wall, one heading off to the east, the other heading west. Tantalising panoramic views spread out in either direction as the brickwork meanders dramatically along a mountain ridge; the setting is truly sublime.
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Vics
Vics is not the most sophisticated nightclub. Nevertheless, it has remained a favourite with the young crowd for many years now, which makes it some sort of institution. The tunes are mostly standard R&B and hip-hop, there’s an infamous ladies night on Wednesdays (free drinks for women before midnight), and weekends see it rammed with the footloose and fancy free. If you can’t score here, you should give up trying. Entry is free from Monday to Thursday; located inside the Workers Stadium north gate.
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The Village
Anchoring Sānlǐtún's expensive commercial facelift, this nifty multistorey mall drags in legions of snappy shoppers and diners to its shops, cafes and restaurants; the world's largest branch of Adidas is here.
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Líyuán Theatre
Tourist-friendly theatre at the rear of the lobby of the Qiánmén Jiànguó Hotel, with regular performances, matinée kung fu shows and expensive tea ceremony options.
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Steak and Eggs
A home away from home for Americans pining for blueberry pie and grits in Běijīng, Steak and Eggs' diner format hits the spot with early risers and families at weekends, as well as revellers looking for late-night sustenance. The American-sized portions will satisfy all but the most ravenous. The breakfast specials are particularly good, but so are the sandwiches (from Y25) and the burgers (from Y35).
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Military Museum
From the humble swords and rifles of earlier eras, to the tanks and fighter planes of more modern times, as well as surface-to-air missiles, there’s enough hardware on display here to start WWIII. But despite the martial tone, this is one of Beijing’s more popular museums. The sections on China’s many wars are fascinating, although there’s a lack of English captions.
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Fish Nation
A home from home for those who miss eating fish and chips, whether standing on a street corner in the rain in England, or sitting on the beach at Bondi. As well as obvious choices such as cod and chips (Y35) and calamari in beer batter (Y20), it does good salads and serves the Big British Breakfast (Y50) until 4pm. There’s a wide range of foreign beers. It’s very kid friendly, too.
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