Beijing Travel Guide

Destination overview Destination sketch It is China’s capital, and its second largest city after Shanghai, with a population of more than 20 million. It has been the capital of the Chinese Empire for much of its history, and became seat […]

Destination overview

Destination sketch

It is China’s capital, and its second largest city after Shanghai, with a population of more than 20 million. It has been the capital of the Chinese Empire for much of its history, and became seat of the People’s Republic of China after the Chinese revolutions, as well as the country’s educational and cultural center.
The city is well known for its flatness and regular construction. There are only three hills to be found within the city limits (in Jingshan Park to the north of the famous Forbidden City). Like the configuration of the Forbidden City, Beijing is surrounded by concentric so-called “ring roads”, which are actually rectangular.
Beijing is a dynamic, changing city. There is a mix of old and new all around (especially within the 3rd and 2nd Ring Roads). Here you can see the most modern, envelope-pushing technologies and social innovations butting heads with the most ancient cultural norms and social settings.

Best travel season

Beijing is suitable for travelling all the year round. Considering the frequent sandstorms in spring and the extreme temperatures in summer and winter, the best time to visit the city should be September and October. May and June with early summer weather are also good choice.

Intercity traffic

Airport

Beijing Capital International Airport
Beijing’s main airport is located to the northeast of the central districts, 26 km (16 mi) from the city centre. It serves a large variety of domestic and international destinations and is where most international airlines choose to fly. It is the second busiest airport in the world by passenger numbers as of 2016.

Nanyuan Airport
Shuttle buses to the Nanyuan Airport leave Xidan Aviation Building at 06:10, 07:00, 09:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00 and 15:00. The first bus (06:10) might not be available every day. Be sure not to take a shuttle bus to Beijing Capital Airport. Check the shuttle bus direction written on it in Chinese.

Train

Beijing Railway Station

In the heart of the city, served by Subway Line 2. Destinations include: Changchun, Chengde, Dalian, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Harbin, Hefei, Jilin, Nanjing, Qiqihar, Shanghai, Shenyang, Suzhou, Tianjin, and Yangzhou. High speed trains to the Northeast leave from this station. The trains for Mongolia (Ulaanbaatar), Russia, and North Korea also leave from here.

Beijing West Railway Station

The largest train station. Destinations include: Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Datong, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Guilin, Guiyang, Hefei, Hohhot, Hong Kong, Kunming, Lanzhou, Lhasa, Ningbo, Qinhuangdao, Sanya, Shenzhen, Taiyuan, Urumqi, Wuhan, Xi’an, and Xiamen. Also, the twice-weekly international through-carriage from Hanoi, Vietnam arrives here.

Beijing North Railway Station

It also offers tour train services to Yanqing and the Badaling Great Wall. Served by Lines 2, 4 and 13 via the adjacent Xizhimen station. Closed due to the construction works for Beijing-Zhangjiakou Higg Speed Railway and was scheduled to be reopened around 2022.

Beijing East Railway Station

Destinations only include Chengde, Handan and Ji County, Tianjin. Just off the Guomao CBD. It is very rare travellers will have to use this station.

Huangcun Railway Station

It has just reopened. It is in southern Beijing on Beijing Subway Daxing Line. If having trouble getting tickets to one of the major Beijing stations, try getting a ticket to this station instead. If taking a night train, you’re a bit far from the centre, but the subway opens at 05:30.

Shunyi Railway Station

Just a short walk away from Subway Line 15 at Shimen station. This station is served by regular rail services, and most of these can be rather slow.

Changping North Railway Station

A railway station re-opened to remove existing services from Beijing North Station. Trains here mainky services Inner Mongolia, northeastern Liaoning or further to the northeast. Far from the centre, and the most convient way to get there is to take the bus No.345 from Deshengmen West Transit Hub.

Long distance bus

Xizhimen Long Distance Bus station
Handles buses heading north and west.

Deshengmen Long Distance Bus Station
Also handles buses for the north and northwest. Destinations include: Baochang, Chicheng, Dongmao, Guyuan, Sandaochuan, Yuxian, and Zhangjiakou.

Dongzhimen Long Distance Bus Station
Handles buses heading northeast.

Sihui Long Distance Bus Station
Handles buses mainly heading east. Destinations include: Changchun, Chengde, Dalian, Dandong, Liaoyang, Tangshan, and Tianjin.

Zhaogongkou Long Distance Bus Station
Handles buses heading south and southeast.

Lianhuachi Long Distance Bus Station
Handles buses heading south. Destinations include: Kaifeng, Luoyang, Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan, Wuhan, and Zhengzhou.

Traffic in the city

Subway

The Beijing Subway is a good way to quickly get around the city and is clearly marked in English for travelers. The network has expanded at a furious pace, with 18 lines now operational and more being built. Unlike most giant cities’ subways, it has a grid-like network which is refreshingly easy to navigate. The subway system shuts down around 22:30, and opens again around 05:00, with signage at the entrance to each station.

Bus

Beijing’s bus system is cheap, convenient, and covers the entire city. But it is slow compared to the subway (often caught in heavy traffic), and difficult to use if you do not understand Chinese. But should you speak Mandarin, have a healthy sense of adventure, and a fair bit of patience, a bus can get you almost anywhere.

Mini bus

Minibuses are very common in the countryside outside the urban areas. Privately operated, most trips cost less than ¥10 per short journey and only a little more for longer journeys.

Taxi

Taxis are reliable and are relatively inexpensive. The downsides are Beijing’s well known traffic jams, as well as the fact that most drivers cannot speak or read English and some taxi drivers can be recent arrivals who do not know the city too well. If you don’t speak Mandarin then it’s worth having the Chinese characters for the location ready in advance. Vehicles used as taxis include the Hyundai Sonata and Elantra, Volkswagen Santana and Jetta (the old model, designed in the 1980s), and Citroëns manufactured in China. These taxis are dark red, or yellow top with dark blue bottom, or painted with new colours.

Attractions

Forbidden City

The magnificent Forbidden City is the largest and the best-preserved imperial palace complex in the world. It has 9,999 rooms in flourishing period with just a single room short of the number that ancient Chinese belief represents ‘Divine Perfection’ and surrounded by a moat six meters deep and ten-meter high wall. For five centuries, this palace functioned as the administrative center of the country.

Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen Square is the geographical center of Beijing City. It is the largest city square in the world, occupying an area of 440,000 square meters (about 109 acres), and able to accommodate 1,000,000 people at one time. The square is a conglomeration of splendid and beautiful flowers and the red national flag which flutters in the wind. The raising of the national flag is something which should not be missed by visitors to Tiananmen Square.

With the towering Monument to the People’s Heroes at the center, Tiananmen Square has the magnificent Tiananmen Tower in the north, the solemn Mao Zedong Memorial Hall in the south, the National Museum of China in the east and the Great Hall of the People in the west. Surrounded by these lofty buildings, the Square looks most splendid and majestic and attracts many tourists every day.

Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao

Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao aka Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, Mao Mausoleum and Maozhuxi Jinian Tang in Chinese, is the resting place of Mao Zedong, Chairman of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China from 1943 and the chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China from 1945 until his death in 1976. Located to the east of Tiananmen Square, north of the Monument to the People’s Heroes, the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall rests on the site of former Gate of China (Zhonghuamen). The foundation of the building was laid in November 1976 while the inauguration ceremony was held on September 1977. Chairman Mao Memorial Hall covers an area of 57.2 thousand square meters, 220m from east to west and 280m from south to north. Above the main gate of the mausoleum, a white marble plaque with golden words: “Chairman Mao Memorial Hall” was beset. Forty-four granite posts stand on the large burgundy granite base, holding the golden glazed double-eaved roof.

Monument to the People’s Heroes

The Monument to the People’s Heroes stands in the center of Tiananmen Square, north of the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao. Four hundred and sixty three meters south from Tiananmen, and four hundred and forty meters north from Zhengyangmen, Monument to People’s Heroes coincides with the south-north center axis. The Monument to the People’s Heroes, together with Tiananmen and Zhengyangmen form a harmonious and consistent building complex.

Great Wall

A Chinese saying goes that He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man. If we laid the bricks and rocks used in the Great Wall of Ming to form a wall one meter (1.1 yard) wide and five meters (16.4 feet) high, it could circle the earth at the equator with great ease. It is such a spectacular and formidable architectural feat that anyone who comes to China should not miss it under any circumstances.
A Chinese saying goes that He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man. If we laid the bricks and rocks used in the Great Wall of Ming to form a wall one meter (1.1 yard) wide and five meters (16.4 feet) high, it could circle the earth at the equator with great ease. It is such a spectacular and formidable architectural feat that anyone who comes to China should not miss it under any circumstances.

Yonghegong (Lama Temple)

Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple; Yonghe Lamasery) is the largest and best-preserved lamasery in Beijing. It was built in 1694 during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) as the residence of the Emperor Yongzheng (the third emperor of the Qing Dynasty) before he ascended the throne. In the year 1744, the residence was completely converted into a lamasery. So this resplendent architectural complex is endowed with the style of an imperial palace, making it distinctive from others. It occupies an area of 66,400 square meters (16 acres) and is described as a mini-palace with yellow glazed tiles on the roof and red walls circling the group of buildings.

Beihai Park

Baihai Park is situated in the Xicheng District and has a history of more than 1,000 years. This park was built up through five dynasties, the Liao (916-1125), the Jin (1115-1234), the Yuan (1271-1368), the Ming (1368-1644) and the Qing (1644-1911). Though it was a royal garden, it remains grand with a hint of exquisite elegance as well. It covers an area of 69 hectares (171 acres), with over a half covered by water. The whole park can be divided into four scenic areas: Qionghua Islet (Jade Flower Islet), Circular City, the eastern bank area and the northern bank area.

Hutong

The hutongs came into existence in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) when Kublai Khan (first emperor of the Yuan Dynasty) founded Beijing as the capital. In the residential area, all closed courtyards were built in a neat layout, and the lanes served the purpose of going around. During that period, they were all 9.3 meters (30.5 feet) in width which let the sunshine in all the year round. In the later dynasties, small ones were formed within the existing lanes, as a result, hutongs now vary in width and length and some even have many turnings.

The Qianshi Hutong in the Qinamen Area is only 40 centimeters (16 inches) at its narrowest. It certainly poses a challenge for a plump man. The Jiudaowan Hutong has more than twenty turnings where even the locals can get lost, let alone foreigners. Even if you have a very good sense of directions, you may not well manage without consulting the signposts.

National Stadium

Affectionately known as Bird’s Nest, the National Stadium is situated in Olympic Green Village, Chaoyang District of Beijing City. It was designed as the main stadium of 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The Olympic events of track and field, football, gavelock, weight throw and discus were held there. Since October 2008, after the Olympics ended, it has been opened as a tourist attraction. Now, it’s the center of international or domestic sports competition and recreation activities. In 2022, the opening and closing ceremonies of another important sport event, Winter Olympic Games will be held here.

Ming Tombs

The Ming Tombs lie in Changping County, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) northwest from the urban area of Beijing. It is actually a tomb cluster of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), including thirteen emperor’s mausoleums, seven tombs for concubines and one grave for eunuchs. This cemetery is world famous because of the thirteen emperors buried here. Sitting at the foot of Mt. Yan and occupying an area of more than 120 square kilometers (29,653 acres), it appears extremely spectacular. It was listed in the World Heritage List in 2003.

Sacred Way

The Scared Way, affiliated with the Ming Tombs, is a main road leading to all the tombs in this area. The road, seven kilometers (4.3 miles) long, has a stone memorial arch, Great Red Gate (Dahongmen), a stele pavilion, stone statues and the Dragon and Phoenix Gate (Longfengmen).
The stone memorial arch serves as a preface to the divine way. Built in 1540 A.C. during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.C.), the arch is the largest and earliest of its kind. The arch, 14 meters (46 feet) high and 29 meters (95 feet) wide, has six poles and five archways. Designs of kylins (a legendary mascot), lions, dragons and mythical beasts are gracefully embossed on its surface.

Summer Palace

The Summer Palace (Yiheyuan), located in the northwestern outskirts of Beijing, is the largest and most famous imperial garden in China. The palace features hundreds of architecturally distinct buildings, halls, pavilions, pagodas, bridges and corridors dispersed among magnificent and elegant gardens. It has an area of 290 hectares (717 acres), three quarters of which is water. The palace has three unique areas: Court Area, Longevity Hill Area and Kunming Lake Area.

Beijing Zoo

Beijing Zoo is on Xizhimenwai Street (Xizhimenwai Dajie), in the downtown Beijing area of Xicheng District. With an area of 90 hectares (222 acres), it ranks the largest zoo in China. It is also the earliest Chinese zoo open to the public and has the largest variety of animals of all the zoos in China. The zoo has fostered a good relationship with other zoos in over fifty countries and districts. Animals that are presented to China by other countries and celebrities are bred and can be seen here.

The zoo now has around 600 different species of animal, with the total number of all animals amounting to over 5,000. There are dedicated houses for pandas, hippos, rhinoceros, giraffes, elephants, amphibians, reptiles, golden monkeys, orangutans, otters and other animals. In the two-storey house for amphibians and reptiles, visitors may see Yangtze alligators, crocodiles, tortoises, turtles, snakes and pythons. The magnificent and attractive Beijing Aquarium situated at the north end of the zoo is the biggest inland one in Asia, allowing people to explore the spectacle of the sea world.

Zhongnanhai

A royal garden complex since ancient times, is now the headquarters of the State Council of PRC, the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the General Office of CPC.

To the west of the Forbidden City lie three ‘seas’, the Northern Sea, the Central Sea and the Southern Sea. Actually they are not seas, just big lakes. The Northern Sea is now the beautiful lake inside the Beihai Park. The Central and Southern Seas are collectively referred as Zhongnanhai. With an area of 1,500 acres of which 700 acres is lake, Zhongnanhai, although a garden with exceptional scenery, is more popularly known as the symbol of China’s central government and the metonym for the Chinese leadership. Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai once resided here. Now, the top leaders of the Chinese state carry out many daily administrative affairs inside Zhongnanhai.

Western Qing Tombs

Western Qing Tombs are one of the groups of mausoleums of emperors from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), which twins with Eastern Qing Tombs. Western Qing Tombs lie at the foot of the green and lofty Yongning Mountain in the north, about 15 kilometers (9.32 miles) west of County Yi, Hebei Province and 120 kilometers (74.56 miles) west of Beijing city. It is also a close neighbor to the twisting and bewitching Yishui River in the south, as well as the Hebei section of the Great Wall – Zijingguan Pass in the west. Covering an area of about 800 square kilometers (198 thousand acres) and with a perimeter of 100 kilometers (62.14 miles), the whole area is surrounded by more than 20 thousand ancient but healthy pines. With the enthralling scenery, high cultural values, delicate craft work and unique designs, Western Qing Tombs have proved to be a charming and popular location for tourists from both home and abroad ever since they were unveiled to the public.

Eastern Qing Tombs

Among the finest, best-preserved and largest of the extant tomb complexes in China, the Eastern Qing Tombs are located along Changrui Mountain in the west of Malanyu Town, Zunhua County, Hebei Province. Along the south side of Changrui Mountain, the tombs of five emperors, four empresses, five imperial concubines, and one princess are arrayed based on the traditional concept of placing the most senior and most distinguished in the center.

Imperial Academy

Translated as Imperial College or Imperial Academy, Beijing Guozijian was first established in 1306. It served as the supreme administrative headquarters for the organization of education and the highest seat of learning during the Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Flanked by the Temple of Confucius and Yonghe Temple, it is located at 15 Guozijian Street (originally named Chengxian Street). Being the imperial college, Guozijian attracted much attention from the state, and was rebuilt many times. After two large-scale repairs in the Ming Dynasty, and the construction of Biyong Hall in the Qing Dynasty, it became what we see today, covering an area of 9.1 acres (3.7 hectares). Gu is the last imperial academy in China and has been listed as an important cultural relic site under state-level protection.

Shichahai

Shichahai is a famous scenic area in the northwest part of Beijing, which includes three lakes (Qianhai, meaning Front Sea; Houhai, meaning Back Sea and Xihai, meaning West Sea), surrounding places of historic interest and scenic beauty, and remnants of old-style local residences, Hutong and Courtyard. Shichahai is always a good place for local residents’ recreational life, and in the last 200 years, many governmental officers, celebrities, monks and nuns chose to build mansions, temples and nunneries in it. Thus, the attraction of Shichahai lies not only in its natural beauty, but also in the historical value of its architecture. The most famous ones among these historical buildings are Prince Gong’s Mansion (Gong Wang Fu), Price Chun’s Mansion (Chun Wang Fu), the Former Residence of Song Qing Ling, Guang Hua Temple and the Former Residence of Mei Lan Fang, a well-known Beijing Opera master. Need to mention that the famous Shichahai Bar Street is actually Houhai Bar Street, which is in the area.

Prince Gong’s Mansion

Prince Gong’s Mansion, aka Prince Kung’s Mansion, also known as Gong Wang Fu in Chinese, is Beijing’s largest and the best preserved Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) princely mansion and is located at Qianhai Xijie to the north of Shichahai. This fine example of ancient Chinese architecture with its cultural connotations is important not only for its aesthetic value but as an asset to those who wish to study the lifestyle of the privileged classes in the feudal society of a bygone era; it also has an interesting history.

Temple of Confucius

This temple consists of four courtyards. The main structures include Xianshi Gate (Gate of the First Teacher), Dacheng Gate (Gate of Great Accomplishment), Dacheng Hall (Hall of Great Accomplishment) and Chongshengci (Worship Hall). Dacheng Hall is the main building in the temple, where the memorial ceremony for the sage was often held. Inside the temple one can see that 198 stone tablets are positioned on either side of the front courtyard, containing 51,624 names of Jinshi (the advanced scholars) of the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Also 14 stone stele pavilions of the Ming and Qing dynasties hold the precious historical information of ancient China.

Dianmen

Dianmen, the north gate of the Imperial City in the Ming (1368 – 1644 AD) and Qing (1644 – 1911 AD) dynasties, was one of the landmark buildings on the central axis of old Beijing. However, unlike the south gate, Tiananmen, which is well preserved, Dian gate has totally disappeared as the time has passed. Dianmen nowdays refers to the surrounding areas of where the gate stood, especially Dianmen Outer Street, Inner Street, West Street and East Street, located to the north, south, west and east directions of the previous gate.

Big Bell Temple

The Big Bell Temple displays a number of many large buildings, such as the Mountain Gate, the Bell and Drum Towers, the Scripture Collection Pavilion and other halls. Among these, the Big Bell Tower is the main part, which is a circular shape on the top and square below according to the Chinese saying that ‘the sky is circular and the earth is square’.

White Cloud Temple

Being one of the three “ancestral courts” of the Quanzhen Sect of Taoism, White Cloud Temple is located on the east side of Baiyun Road, Fuxingmenwai Street, Xicheng District. It was built in 739 and went through three big renovations – in 1706, 1714 and 1886. The architecture of White Cloud Temple seen today is mainly from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties. The Center of the Chinese Taoist Association, founded in 1958, is also located in the temple. Nowadays, White Cloud Temple attracts pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. The Spring Festival Fair and celebration at it is also a wonderful place to find out about Chinese culture and tradition.

White Cloud Temple has various halls which house the gods of Taoism. The buildings complex, arranged generally in a straight line, can be divided into three groups, the middle section, the east section and the west section. At the back you will find a beautiful garden.

Ancient Observatory

Beijing Ancient Observatory, towering in southwest of Jianguomen Overpass, was originally built in 1442 as one of the world’s earliest royal observatories, two centuries ahead of the Greenwich in Britain (1675). It was once called ‘Star Observation Platform’ in Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644) and ‘Observatory’ in Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911). After 1911, it had been regarded as ‘Central Star Observation Platform’. In 1927, it was taken place by newly-established Purple Mountain Observatory, so the old observatory became the Astronomical Instrument Museum under the jurisdiction of Beijing Planetarium. Nowadays, the Ancient Observatory wins popularity worldwide for its longest continuous astronomical observation among world’s existing observatories. It is also famous for its architecture integrity and well-equipped instruments.
The Ancient Observatory mainly consists of two parts, the ancient astronomical instruments display hall and affiliated architecture.

Xiaotangshan Modern Agricultural Science Demonstration Park

Xiaotangshan Modern Agricultural Science Demonstration Park consists of seven districts and one garden, like Precise Agriculture District, Aquaculture District, Agriculture Products Processing District and Seed Agriculture Garden. Seed Agriculture Garden is a core zone which demonstrates natural landscapes and modern agriculture in its Animal Breeding Center, Grape Gallery and Butterfly Orchid Greenhouse.

Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall

Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall is located on Qianmen East Street to the southeast of Tiananmen Square, the central landmark of the capital city. This urban planning museum has four stories, covering an area of 16,000 square meters (19,136 square yards) with half of it serving as the exhibition area. There are many different exhibition zones showing different contents, including the transition through history of this ancient city, the planning of the Olympic stadiums, and the future blueprint of a ‘green’ Beijing, transportation and infrastructures modernization. With not only large amount of pictures and documentations, the exhibition hall also uses multimedia methods to demonstrate the history and future planning of the city.

Capital Museum

Beijing Capital Museum stored various kinds of cultural relics extensively over the past decades. Bronze Vessels, porcelain ware, calligraphy works, paintings, coins, jades, seals, needlework, Buddhist statues are in its collection. Some of them enjoy a high reputation both at home and abroad for their rarity.

Most of the collections are those unearthed after 1949. Some cultural relics even date back to the New Stone Age. In total, there are 5,622 pieces of cultural relics on exhibition in the main exhibition hall and in the oval exhibition hall.

Olympic Water Park

Covering a planned area of 162.59 hectare and a floor area of 32,000 square meters, Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park is designated as the venue for rowing, canoeing and marathon swimming competitions of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, and also rowing events during the Beijing Paralympics.

Nanluoguxian

Nanluoguxiang a total length of 786 meters and 8 meters wide. The Lane is a north-south channel during Yuan Dynasty, as the Beijing Hutong protected areas. That “the capital city of Square Lane alley set of five,” said Luo Guo Lane.

JuYong Guan

Juyongguan Pass, also known as Juyongguan in Chinese, is located 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Changping County, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Beijing. It is a renowned pass of the Great Wall of China. Enlisted in the World Heritage Directory in 1987, it is a national cultural protection unit.

Activity

Rent a bicycle

Traverse some of the remaining hutongs. There is no better way to see Beijing firsthand than on a bicycle but just be very aware of cars (Chinese driving styles may differ from those you are used to). See above for bike rental information.

National Centre for the Performing Arts

It was finalised in 2007 and finally gave Beijing a modern theatre complex covering opera, music and theatre. This is worth a visit even if you do not go to a performance.

Beijing Opera

It is considered the most famous of all the traditional opera performed around China. This kind of opera is nothing like western opera with costumes, singing style, music and spectator reactions being distinctly Chinese.

Acrobatics shows

Acrobatics shows are also worth a visit if you want to see some traditional Chinese entertainment. Some of the best shows are found in Tianqiao Acrobatics Theatre in Xuanwu District and in Chaoyang Theatre in Chaoyang District.

Drama plays

Drama plays have had a slow start in Beijing and are still not as widespread as you might expect for a city like Beijing, and you will most likely not be able to find many Western plays. However, some good places for contemporary Chinese plays do exist including Capital Theatre in Dongcheng District and Century Theater in Chaoyang District.

Food

Beijing Roast Duck
It is said that there are two things that you must do when visiting this city: One is to enjoy the roast duck and the other is to take a stroll on the Great Wall. There is simply quite nothing like a perfectly roasted duck with bronzed crispy skin and tender, succulent meat. There are literally dozens of restaurants that serve this famous dish, but perhaps the best known are Quanjude and Bianfang.
Some of the cheapest and most delicious meals can be had on the streets. Savory pancakes are one of the most popular street snacks, eaten from morning till night with most carts operating during the morning commute and then opening again at night for the after-club crowds and night-owls. This delicious pancake is cooked with an egg on a griddle, a fried dough crisp is added, and the whole thing is drizzled in scallions and a savory sauce. Hot sauce is optional. Diehard fans often go on a quest for the best cart in the city. This treat should only cost ¥2.50, with an extra egg ¥3.
Lamb kebabs and other kebabs are grilled on makeshift stands all around Beijing, from the late afternoon to late at night. Wangfujing has a “snack street” selling such mundane fare like lamb, chicken, and beef as well as multiple styles of noodle dishes, such as Sichuan style rice noodles, but the brave can also sample silkworm, scorpion, and various organs all skewered on a stick and grilled to order.
A winter speciality, candied haw berries are dipped in molten sugar which is left to harden in the cold and sold on a stick. You can also find variations with oranges, grapes, strawberries, and bananas, or dipped in crumbled peanuts as well as sugar. This sweet snack can also sometimes be found in the spring and the summer, but the haw berries are often from last season’s crop.
The most famous street for food in Beijing is probably Guiji, see Dongcheng District for further detail.

Accommodation

Foreign visitors were once restricted to staying in high-priced official hotels. Tour groups tend to use these hotels but do so at rates far below those published. In general, restrictions on where foreigners can stay have become less and less frequently enforced. Hostels and western-style travel hotels are almost universally open to foreign guests. The lowest end Chinese accommodations – Zhaodaisuo – are generally inaccessible to the foreign community. However, for those determined to get a bargain, you may be able to get a room if you speak Chinese. Many of the hostels are located in Dongcheng District and Xuanwu District. Discounted rates start around ¥30 for dorms and just below ¥200 for doubles in the cheapest hostels.

There are a large number of three and four star mid-range hotels throughout the city and in all districts. The listed rates for these kind of hotels are often in the range of ¥500-1,000 but you can often get a discount of around 50%.

Some ‘expensive’ hotels are in the city centre, especially in Dongcheng District, and on the eastern 3rd Ring Road in Chaoyang District, however by Western standards these hotels are still relatively cheap. In the outlying areas, especially out by the Great Wall, are some country club type resorts as well as some unique, one-of-a-kind, hotels. For the most expensive hotels, the listed rates start at around ¥4,000, but are often discounted to a level around ¥1,500. There is also a “line” of budget hostel, south of Qian Men in Beijing/Chongwen, big street on right: Leo hostel, 365 Inn, split in 2 / take left, Jing Yi shi hostel, train booking office, street on the left to Leo courtyard, Far east hostel.

Shopping

To buy souvenirs, the craftworks are good choices! The best Beijing craftworks include cloisonné, ivory carving and jade carving. Because Beijing was the ancient cultural city of China, there are many consummate skills handed down from generation to generation. These craftworks distinguished by their dense eastern style are the best ideas of Beijing souvenirs for the visitors. You can pick up one or two of them for yourself or friends from antique markets or feature shops in the city.

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