Travel Guide

Beijing

China

Best time to go: April–May, September–October

Sights

Forbidden City – The vast imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties, now the Palace Museum.
Temple of Heaven – A round prayer hall in a park where people practise tai chi in the morning.
Summer Palace – Imperial gardens on Kunming Lake with a long covered walkway.
Hutongs – Traditional alleys with courtyard houses, great to explore by bike.
Lama Temple – A Tibetan Buddhist temple with a tall wooden Buddha statue.
Tiananmen Square – One of the world's largest squares, in front of the gate to the Forbidden City.
798 Art District – An art district in old factory halls with galleries and cafés.

Peking duck – Crispy duck carved at the table and wrapped in thin pancakes.
Jiaozi – Filled dumplings – boiled, steamed or pan-fried.
Zhajiangmian – Noodles with a dark soybean and pork sauce, a Beijing classic.
Guijie – «Ghost Street», with hotpot and crayfish restaurants open late into the night.

Great Wall at Mutianyu – A restored section with a cable car and a toboggan run back down.
Jinshanling – A wilder Wall hike over watchtowers and steep steps.
Ming Tombs – The emperors' tombs with the avenue of stone statues.

When to go: April–May, September–October
Getting around: An extensive metro network; many sights require online booking with your passport. Most payments are made by phone with Alipay or WeChat Pay.
Tipping: Tipping is not customary.
Power: Plug type A/C/I, 220 V – pack an adapter for Swiss plugs.
Currency: Chinese Yuan (CNY)

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