Beijing

No reviews yetCity Beijing, China

Dongfeng North Bridge (20210502140735), Beijing, Beijing, China

Church of the Saviour, Beijing 5, Beijing, Beijing, China

Beijing Financial Street from Fuchengmen (20200821145313), Beijing, Beijing, China

About Beijing

Six centuries of imperial power left Beijing with a skyline of golden roofs, red walls and vast ceremonial axes, and the city still reads like a giant plan laid out on a north-south line. The Forbidden City sits at its heart, framed by Tiananmen Square to the south and the green hill of Jingshan to the north, while the Temple of Heaven and the lakes of Beihai and Houhai show how emperors prayed, relaxed and ruled.

The capital of the Ming and Qing dynasties became the capital of the People's Republic in 1949 and has grown into a sprawling metropolis of ring roads, glass towers and one of the world's largest subway networks. Yet the old grain survives in the hutongs, narrow alleys of grey courtyard houses where bicycles, street food and neighbourhood life carry on around the Drum and Bell Towers.

Most visitors combine the imperial core with a day at the Great Wall, usually at Mutianyu, plus the Summer Palace and the Ming Tombs. Roast duck, hand-pulled noodles and jianbing pancakes fuel the sightseeing, and the 798 Art District adds a modern, creative counterpoint.

Best seasonApril-May and September-October, when skies are clearer and temperatures mild

Ideal stay4-5 days, including one day for the Great Wall

ArrivingBeijing Capital or Daxing international airports; high-speed trains to Beijing South and Beijing West

12 Places Locals Love in Beijing

Landmarks 2

Forbidden City

Completed in 1420, this walled palace complex housed 24 Ming and Qing emperors and is now the Palace Museum. A south-to-north walk...

Tiananmen Square

One of the largest city squares in the world spreads south of the Gate of Heavenly Peace, surrounded by the Great Hall of the Peop...

Temples and Shrines 2

Temple of Heaven

Ming and Qing emperors came here to pray for good harvests, and the round, triple-roofed Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is one o...

Lama Temple

Also known as the Yonghe Temple, this former prince's residence became one of the most important Tibetan Buddhist monasteries outs...

History 2

Mutianyu Great Wall

One of the best-restored stretches of the Great Wall, Mutianyu runs along forested ridges in Huairou District with a long chain of...

Ming Tombs

Thirteen Ming emperors were buried in a broad valley at the foot of the hills in Changping District, now part of a UNESCO World He...

Parks 2

Summer Palace

A UNESCO-listed imperial garden built around Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill, where Qing rulers escaped the summer heat of the cit...

Beihai Park

Centred on a lake just northwest of the Forbidden City, Beihai was an imperial garden for centuries. The White Dagoba crowns Jade...

Viewpoints 1

Jingshan Park

This hill was piled up from earth dug for the palace moat, and the pavilion on its summit gives the classic view over the golden r...

Neighborhoods 1

Nanluoguxiang

This lane in Dongcheng District follows a street plan that dates back to the Yuan dynasty and is lined with snack stalls, cafes an...

Museums 1

National Museum of China

On the east side of Tiananmen Square, this enormous museum traces Chinese civilisation from Neolithic pottery to imperial bronzes,...

Arts 1

798 Art District

A 1950s factory complex in Chaoyang District, built with East German help and known for its sawtooth roofs, has become Beijing's b...

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