Beijing

Beijing is laid out along six concentric ring roads around the Forbidden City. Broad avenues make walking between neighbourhoods impractical, so you will rely heavily on the subway. The key is balancing days spent inside massive imperial compounds with evenings along northern hutong alleys.

Beijing cuisine relies on wheat, soybeans, and mutton rather than the rice staples of southern China. Peking duck (Beijing kaoya) remains the main event: whole birds roasted in open wood-fired ovens, carved tableside into crispy skin and tender meat. You wrap the duck slices in thin steamed pancakes with cucumber julienne, scallions, and sweet bean sauce.Beyond duck, everyday eating happens in small neighbourhood joints. Zhajiangmian features thick handmade wheat noodles topped with diced pork fried in salty fermented soybean paste and raw cucumber. Morning markets offer jianbing, a savoury mung-bean crepe folded with crispy wonton crackers, coriander, chili oil, and sweet sauce.

• Duck reservation rule

  Specialist duck houses like Dadong or Siji Minfu require advance queueing via WeChat miniapps or waiting in line by 11:00 for lunch.

• Breakfast timing

  Jianbing stalls operate from 06:30 to 09:30 along residential hutong corners. Expect to pay 8–12 CNY per crepe.

• Digital ordering

  Most restaurants use QR codes pasted on the table for ordering and payment through WeChat Pay or Alipay.

Beijing served as China's northern capital under the Jin and Yuan dynasties before the Ming Emperor Yongle redesigned the city in 1403. He established the central north-south axis that still dictates the modern urban grid. Construction of the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven anchored Beijing as the political heart of China.The Qing dynasty expanded imperial retreats outward to the Summer Palace. The 20th century transformed the city with monumental communist architecture around Tiananmen Square, followed by rapid subway expansion and high-rise development for the 2008 Olympic Games.

1. 1406–1420

   Forbidden City Built

   Emperor Yongle moves the Ming capital north from Nanjing, building the imperial palace.

2. 1860–1868

   Foreign Enclaves

   Diplomatic legations establish bases south of the Forbidden City following the Second Opium War.

3. 1949

   Capital Re-established

   Mao Zedong proclaims the People's Republic of China from Tiananmen Gate.

4. 2008

   Olympic Expansion

   Beijing constructs major architecture like the Bird's Nest and doubles its subway footprint.

Choose your hotel based on subway access rather than proximity to a single sight. Beijing's scale makes walking across district boundaries time-consuming. Staying along Metro Line 2 or Line 8 gives direct access to major transit hubs and sight corridors.

• First-time sightseersWangfujing — Walking distance to the Forbidden City with direct subway connections.

The Beijing Subway is fast, clean, and cheap. Fares follow a distance-based structure starting at 3 CNY. Stations feature clear English signage and automated ticket machines. Taxis and ride-hailing via DiDi work well but frequently stall in Ring Road traffic during peak rush hours (07:30–09:30 and 17:30–19:30).

• Add a digital Beijing Transit Card to Apple Wallet or Alipay to tap directly at turnstiles without buying paper single-ride tokens.

• Use the DiDi app embedded inside Alipay to book cars with fixed pricing and automatic English-to-Chinese driver translation.

• Most metro lines open at 05:00 and close between 22:30 and 23:30. Night buses replace key corridors after midnight.

• Factor an extra 5–10 minutes into every subway trip to clear security bag checks at station entrances.

Beijing runs almost entirely on digital payments through Alipay and WeChat Pay linked to international credit cards. Cash is legally accepted but vendors rarely carry change. Cashless apps handle everything from street-food crepes to museum tickets.

• Forbidden City ticket: 40–60 CNY

  Off-peak ticket costs 40 CNY (Nov–Mar); peak season ticket costs 60 CNY (Apr–Oct).

• Peking duck dinner for two: 200–450 CNY

  Includes whole roast duck, pancakes, condiments, and hot side dishes at mid-range duck houses.

• Subway single ride: 3–9 CNY

  Distance-based fare covering almost all journeys within the inner ring roads.

• Mutianyu Great Wall return bus: 80 CNY

  Direct tourist bus fare from Qianmen or Dongzhimen to the visitor center.

• Digital wallet setup

  Download Alipay or WeChat before arrival and complete passport identity verification to link your Visa or Mastercard.

• Passport necessity

  Carry your physical passport everywhere. Security personnel check passports at subway entry hubs, major squares, and sight gates.

• Golden Week warning

  Avoid visiting during National Day week (first week of October) and Spring Festival when domestic travel peaks.

• Air quality tracking

  Monitor air quality using local weather apps. Carry N95 masks for days when the AQI exceeds 150.

• Water supply

  Tap water in Beijing is not safe for drinking. Electric kettles are provided in nearly all hotel rooms to boil tap water.