Things to do in Beijing, China

One of the most fun activities for tourists is bargaining and negotiating when shopping in Beijing. This can be an amazing experience. The general rule is to take their initial price at bargain until you've agreed to pay one-third of the original asking price. Keeping the banter positive is easy with Beijing's talented and fun-loving sales folk. At the fakes markets and on busy tourists streets you'll have to pull out your best bargaining skills to score a good deal. There are, however, a few places you don't have to bargain, including cabs, hotels, most restaurants and bars and in department stores.

Beijing is known nationally as the soul of the opera scene. The city's many cab drivers are often heard wailing along with the opera performances on the local radio, and there are signs throughout the city for different operas on performance. It's a must-see experience for any tourists to Beijing, and a stark contrast to the opera of Europe and the US. The opera can be confusing in China, but many of the theaters offer English-language subtitles to help urge the audience along.

Beijing is famous for it's Peking Roast Duck. Served in over one hundred slices, the whole duck...  

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One of the most fun activities for tourists is bargaining and negotiating when shopping in Beijing. This can be an amazing experience. The general rule is to take their initial price at bargain until you've agreed to pay one-third of the original asking price. Keeping the banter positive is easy with Beijing's talented and fun-loving sales folk. At the fakes markets and on busy tourists streets you'll have to pull out your best bargaining skills to score a good deal. There are, however, a few places you don't have to bargain, including cabs, hotels, most restaurants and bars and in department stores.

Beijing is known nationally as the soul of the opera scene. The city's many cab drivers are often heard wailing along with the opera performances on the local radio, and there are signs throughout the city for different operas on performance. It's a must-see experience for any tourists to Beijing, and a stark contrast to the opera of Europe and the US. The opera can be confusing in China, but many of the theaters offer English-language subtitles to help urge the audience along.

Beijing is famous for it's Peking Roast Duck. Served in over one hundred slices, the whole duck arrives on a platter served with cucumber slices, duck sauce, onion slivers and little pancakes to roll it all together into a burrito-style dim sum. The duck is fatty, rich and so full of flavor that it packs a punch. One duck can easily feed four hungry people. The most famous peking duck establishments are Da Dong and Qienjuda. Both offer interesting and exotic side dishes like duck-heart dumplings, coagulated blood soup and duck tongue. But if you'd like to avoid the oddities the duck meat is delicious.

Beijing was a planned city, the northern capital to get away from the heat of Nanjing (the southern capital) in summer. As such, the city is steeped in culture. The center of the capital is the Forbidden City, with ring roads emanating out from there. Most of the city's cultural and historical sites are located near the Forbidden city, like Tienanmen Square, Houhai, Nanluoguxiang, the Drum and Bell Towers, and the Temple of Heaven. In fact, if you stay near the Forbidden city you'll have access to most of the city's history in quick succession.

Unlike many of the country's major cities, Beijing has retained it's hutong scene. A hutong is an old-style home usually made of brick and mortar a single level high. Whole communities of hutongs create a vast netowrk of mazes in Beijing ripe for exploring. One of the most famous hutong areas is Nanluoguxiang, located near Lake Houhai and the Drum and Bell Towers. This alleyway boasts some amazing bars and restaurants, like 12sqm Bar & Cafe or Pass by Bar and Drum and Bell Bar, where you can steal a quick pint or snack as you stroll through the old-style communities.

Beijing, meaning 'Northern Capital' in Mandarin Chinese, was originally a garrison town built to guard against Mongol invaders. Located in northeastern China, Beijing is surrounded on three sides by the Yanshan Mountains and a crescent-shaped bay shelters the city from the Yellow Sea. Among the 'Four Great Ancient Capitals of China,' Beijing was the seat of power for the Ming and Qing dynasties. The capital was moved to Nanjing in 1912, but when the communists came to power in 1949 Chairman Mao returned the capital to Beijing. Although relatively new in terms of China's long history, Beijing's historic sites create a lengthy list of unforgettable places to visit. Beijing sightseers can travel to ancient palaces, ceremonial sites and temples that still remain intact. Many of these remarkable Beijing landmarks have been restored to their earlier splendor, becoming more accessible and interesting to those touring Beijing.

At a latitude similar to Philadelphia or Madrid, the city of Beijing enjoys four distinct seasons, of which the summers can be stifling hot and the winters cold and snowy. The people of Beijing, or 'Beijingers,' speak Mandarin Chinese, and knowledge of a few phrases will endear the visitor to locals....  Read more »

Beijing, meaning 'Northern Capital' in Mandarin Chinese, was originally a garrison town built to guard against Mongol invaders. Located in northeastern China, Beijing is surrounded on three sides by the Yanshan Mountains and a crescent-shaped bay shelters the city from the Yellow Sea. Among the 'Four Great Ancient Capitals of China,' Beijing was the seat of power for the Ming and Qing dynasties. The capital was moved to Nanjing in 1912, but when the communists came to power in 1949 Chairman Mao returned the capital to Beijing. Although relatively new in terms of China's long history, Beijing's historic sites create a lengthy list of unforgettable places to visit. Beijing sightseers can travel to ancient palaces, ceremonial sites and temples that still remain intact. Many of these remarkable Beijing landmarks have been restored to their earlier splendor, becoming more accessible and interesting to those touring Beijing.

At a latitude similar to Philadelphia or Madrid, the city of Beijing enjoys four distinct seasons, of which the summers can be stifling hot and the winters cold and snowy. The people of Beijing, or 'Beijingers,' speak Mandarin Chinese, and knowledge of a few phrases will endear the visitor to locals. The intricate calligraphy of written Chinese is extremely difficult for foreigners to master; however, an official Romanized alphabet called 'Pinyin' was established in the 1930s. Nowadays, many Beijingers, especially youngsters, can speak English with surprising fluency.

Home to over 16 million people, Beijing is the country's second largest city after Shanghai, which is the economic center of China. Beijing is regarded as the cultural, political and academic capital and, of course, was host to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. At the geographic center of Beijing lies Tiananmen Square and the complex of royal residences known as the Forbidden City. The rest of the metropolis flows outward in concentric lines, with the historic area of Qianmen and the Temple of Heaven to the south; the modern Wangfujing shopping street and Chaoyang entertainment district to the east; and the university and lake district to the west. When visiting Beijing, you'll find that the old courtyard houses are slowly disappearing, as high-rise buildings take their place. Still, the charm of the old city can always be found not far from any Beijing hotel or shopping mall. This is a city waiting to be explored. Join the thousands of locals who take to the streets on bicycles every day and tour Beijing by bike, or have a Beijing travel guide direct you.

During your vacation in Beijing, remember that Beijingers are often awake and active before dawn — cooking breakfast or performing tai-chi in the park. Be sure to visit the many Beijing shopping districts, but leave time for exploring Beijing's Great Wall, the Ming Tombs, the Temple of Heaven and countless other historic sites in Beijing. In the evening, choose from a kaleidoscope of restaurants and nightspots in Beijing, experience a traditional Peking opera or wander around Beijing's night markets. With so many exciting things to do in Beijing, vacations in this city are far from uninspired.