Beijing has it all – historical icons and attractions, culture, a rich food scene and an emerging youth culture.So where do you start? Here are five ways to tackle Beijing:
1. Tick off the big-ticket sites
Beijing has a number of must-do historical and cultural attractions. Get lost in the world’s largest palace, the Forbidden City – a huge network of imposing imperial buildings once home to China’s emperors. Soak up the vibes at Tiananmen Square and pose for selfies alongside the hundreds of Chinese tourists. Then culture yourself silly by setting sail on Kunming Lake at the Summer Palace and wandering the stunning royal park at the Temple of Heaven.
The Summer Palace
Left right left!
IBig ticket sites
Temple of Heaven
Chinese architecture
Cheese!
2. Cycle Hutong alleyways & Houhai Lakes
Make like a local and weave through the narrow laneways of historic Beijing neighbourhoods on a bike. Hire one at the base of the Drum and Bell Towers or catch a ride with one of the many peddle-powered rickshaws scattered around the area. Make sure you explore the carefully redeveloped Nanluoguxiang area and go waterside skirting the lily-laiden Houhai lakes. When you’re all peddled out, grab a beer at The Great Leap Brewery or the Drum and Bell Bar.
Rickshaws
A traditional Chinese house in a Hutong
3. Eat local
Beijing’s food scene is jammed with delicious and unusual treats. You just HAVE to try:
Cooling natural yogurt and fluffy durian doughnuts at street kiosks.
Natural yoghurts
Durian donuts
Beijing roast duck expertly prepared with crisp condiments, pancakes and plum sauce at specialist duck restaurants. Try the Da Dong chain with many outlets across the city for guaranteed crispy goodness.
Bowls of black bean Beijing noodles with a crisp Tsingtao from local restaurants.
Beijing noodles
Tsingtao
Toasted creepy crawlies (ranging from snakes to scorpions and starfish to spiders- erm yum?) will test your bravery at the Donghuamen night market.
Bug on a stick anyone?
Deep fried creepy crawlies
4. Explore the scene at 798 Art District
Lose an afternoon meandering the contemporary art workshops, galleries and trendy boutiques of the surprising 798 Art District. The area of disused factories built by Germans has an almost Berlin-like feel complete with European cafes serving iced coffees and pizza. Look out for Maoist slogans and the statues of communist workers mixed with modern installations.
Art district graffiti
Such cuties!
5. Hike the Great Wall
Just 90km outside of Beijing is a solid stretch of the Great Wall at Mutianyu (Note: Badaling is closer to the city but much more touristy so it’s worth the extra travel). At Mutianyu, you can choose to hike up the steps or catch a cable car to the Wall – either way, the views of the path snaking over the steep mountainside are spectacular. Be sure to watch your footing – I may have *ahem* fallen over while gaping at the view. And for a speedy way down the mountain, catch the toboggan ride to the waiting buses.
Great wall from afar
On the great wall
One extra tip (just for good luck):
Finish the day by taking a load off and getting a much needed foot massage from one of the many massage and spa outlets across the city. An hour-long experience will have your legs recovered in no time.
Oh yeah
Where to stay:
The Sofitel Wanda is a great base for your Beijing adventure. There’s beautiful, spacious rooms, a helpful concierge and a lovely spa to escape to after a long day sightseeing. While the hotel is slightly out of the CBD hub, it’s on one of the main subway lines making it a mere 15 mins to Tiananmen Square.
Have you been to Beijing? Share your travel tips in the comments.