Beijing

This is the Běihǎi Park & Xīchéng North chapter from Lonely Planet’s Beijing guidebook.

Most of the Imperial City was in this part of Xīchéng, lending it a regal grandeur that survives to this day. Endowed with ancient temples and charming laneways, it’s one of the most worthwhile neighbourhoods to visit in all Běijīng.

• explore Běihǎi Park, once reserved for emperors only and one of the capital’s most striking imperial parks
• maps
• escape the city sprawl at Hòuhǎi Lakes, sedate during the day and raucous at night
• transport
• spend a morning at the impressive Capital Museum to understand the evolution of this great city
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping.

This is the Dashilar & Xīchéng South chapter from Lonely Planet’s Iceland guidebook.

Spend a morning visiting Dashilar’s shops, before lunch at a small restaurant on Dazhalan Xijie. Explore the nearby laneways, once the red-light district of old Peking; later, catch a show at one of the local theatres.

• peruse the historic shopping street of Dashilar, home to some of the oldest and most prestigious emporiums in the city
• maps
• wind your way through the fascinating hútòng west of Meishi Jie, which retain a local neighbourhood character in the face of rapid-fire development
• transport
• check out the capital’s largest Muslim neighbourhood around Niújiē Mosque.
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping.

This is the Day Trips from Běijīng chapter from Lonely Planet’s Beijing guidebook.

Want to escape the city? This chapter includes the very best excursions from Beijing and they can each be completed in a day. Ming-dynasty villages, historic tombs and picturesque valleys make a great break from city sightseeing.

• explore the Ming Tombs, the Unesco-protected burial site for 13 of China’s emperors
• maps
• gorgeous, well-preserved Ming-dynasty village of Chuāndǐxià, nestled in a remote valley
• transport
• picnic and play by the Jùmǎ River in the picturesque valley of Shídù
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Ming Tombs, Chuāndǐxià, Shídù, Wǎnpíng Town.

This is the Drum Tower & Dōngchéng North chapter from Lonely Planet’s Beijing guidebook.

This hútòng-rich neighbourhood is the most pleasant area in which to stay. Book yourself into a hútòng hostel or a beautifully converted courtyard hotel, then wander around the lanes of this charming neighbourhood, getting pleasingly lost.

• lose yourself in the maze-like network of historic hútòng
• maps
• stroll the incense-filled halls and courtyards of Lama Temple, Beijing’s largest and most impressive Buddhist temple
• transport
• listen to a drumming performance inside the magnificent ancient Drum Tower, before climbing its equally impressive neighbouring Bell Tower
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

This is the Forbidden City & Dōngchéng Central chapter from Lonely Planet’s Beijing guidebook.

The most historically significant part of Běijīng, Dōng­chéng Central comprises much of what was once the Imperial City, at the heart of which lay the Forbidden City, from where emperors ruled China for more than 500 years.

• marvel at the might and splendour of the Forbidden City, the world’s largest palace complex and the place 24 consecutive emperors of China called home
• maps
• place yourself at the symbolic heart of the Chinese universe with a visit to Tiān’ānmén Square
• transport
• enjoy a show or just stare open-mouthed at the sci-fi architecture of the National Centre for the Performing Arts
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

Your journey to Beijing starts here. You’ll find the tools to plan your adventure: where to go and when, how much to budget, plus in-depth info on how to find the best food the city has to offer.

• tailor-made itineraries, arranged by region, themes and events
• list of highlights and best experiences
• a guide to experiencing the city like a local
• user-friendly country overview ensures you won’t miss a thing

Coverage includes: Welcome to Beijing, Beijing’s Top 13, What’s New, Need to Know, First Time Beijing, Top Itineraries, If You Like..., Month By Month, With Kids, Like a Local, For Free, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, and Shopping.

This is the Sānlǐtún & Cháoyáng chapter from Lonely Planet’s Beijing guidebook.

Ponder Dōngyuè Temple and the oasis that is Rìtán Park; explore the 798 Arts District; visit the Olympic site for a modern-architecture fix; then it’s time to focus on Cháoyáng’s more hedonistic pleasures: shopping, eating and partying.

• discover China’s vibrant contemporary art scene at the 798 Art District
• maps
• hunt for arts, crafts and antique treasures at the wonderfully chaotic Pānjiāyuán Market
• transport
• drink some seriously good craft beer at Sānlǐtún’s many tap houses
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

This is the Summer Palace & Hǎidiàn chapter from Lonely Planet’s Beijing guidebook.

Spend a day exploring the Summer Palace’s sumptuous gardens, temples, pavilions and corridors; enjoy fine views over Běijīng from Longevity Hill; visit Fragrant Hills Park and the nearby Botanic Gardens; then head to Wǔdàokǒu, one of Běijīng’s most happening areas.

• enjoy a taste of imperial high life at the Summer Palace, the glorious former summer retreat of emperors
• maps
• commune with nature and see the maple-leaf-covered hillsides of Fragrant Hills Park
• transport
• spend a night exploring the buzzing restaurants and clubs of Wǔdàokǒu, Běijīng’s student heartland
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

This is the Temple of Heaven Park & Dōngchéng South chapter from Lonely Planet’s Beijing guidebook.

Watch sunrise tai chi at Temple of Heaven Park, wander the laneways of Qianmen Dajie, shop for pearls, jade and more at Hóngqiáo Market, and walk the last remaining stretch of the historic city walls.

• tour the stunning collection of halls and altars of Temple of Heaven Park, where China’s emperors came to seek divine guidance
• maps
• feast on Běijīng’s signature dish, Peking Duck, at the restaurants where it originated
• transport
• step back in time to imperial China by strolling the last remaining stretch of the walls that once surrounded the capital
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

This is the Great Wall chapter from Lonely Planet’s Beijing guidebook.

An excursion to the Great Wall is an unmissable part any trip to Beijing. Wander sections of restored Wall with the crowds, or hike challenging sections of the Wild Wall along mountain ridges with stunning views.

• join the crowds at Bādálǐng, the most famous and picturesque stretch of the Wall
• maps
• hike unrestored stretches of the Wall from the ancient fortified village of Gǔběikǒu
• transport
• toboggan down restored sections of Wall around Mùtiányù
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Mùtiányù, Gǔběikǒu, Jiànkòu, Huánghuā Chéng, Zhuàngdàokǒu, Jīnshānlǐng, Bādálǐng, Hiking the Great Wall.

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• a rundown on getting around the city, from riding the bustling subway to exploring hútòng by bicycle
• info on the modern city and its architecture
• full coverage of centuries of colourful history to put the city sights in context
• details on Beijing’s hútòng, the distinctive alleyways that give an glimpse of the pre-skyscraper city

Coverage includes: Běijīng Today, History, Historic Hútòng, Arts, Architecture, Religion & Belief, Transport, Directory A–Z, and Language.