Emperors, hutongs & the Great Wall
Beijing
Běijīng · The imperial capital
China's political and cultural heart for eight centuries. Beijing pairs monumental imperial sites with grey-brick hutong alleys where old Beijing still simmers over bowls of noodles.
Top sightsSights
The Forbidden City
The vast palace of the Ming and Qing emperors — 9,000 rooms of vermilion walls and golden roofs. Book timed tickets days ahead.
The Great Wall (Mutianyu)
The best-restored, least-crowded section for day trips, with a cable car and a toboggan ride down.
Temple of Heaven
A masterpiece of Ming design where emperors prayed for good harvests, ringed by locals dancing and playing chess.
Summer Palace
An imperial lakeside garden of pavilions, corridors and a marble boat — a serene half-day escape.
Hutong lanes (Nanluoguxiang)
Wander the old alleyways by foot or rickshaw for courtyard homes, cafes and street snacks.
What to eatFood
Peking duck
Lacquered, crackling duck sliced tableside and rolled in thin pancakes.
Zhajiangmian
Hand-pulled noodles under a savory fermented soybean sauce.
Jianbing
The breakfast crepe of champions — egg, crisp cracker and sauce.
Good to know
- Pre-book Forbidden City and Great Wall tickets — daily caps sell out.
- Winters are cold and dry, summers hot; spring and autumn are ideal.
- The metro reaches almost every sight and is faster than traffic.
Getting there
Two major airports (PEK and Daxing PKX) and high-speed rail to Shanghai (4.5h), Xi'an (4.5h) and beyond.
Next city
Shanghai