Beijing
Sights
Boasting the largest palace complex in the world, a trip to Beijing wouldn’t be complete without a wander through the Forbidden City (north of Tiananmen Square, £8.50). Early-risers can join the masses visiting Mao, on show to the public in his mausoleum (Tiananmen Square, free). Seemingly a sealed dome surrounded by water, dip down the side entrance to the National Center for the Performing Arts (Chang‘an Avenue) and gaze up to see the water rippling across the ceiling.
Shop
For sumptuous silks and perfect pearls, dive into the hundreds of stalls crammed over Silk Street’s (corner of Xiushui Dongjie and Jianguomen Waidajie) five floors. Adjacent to Panjiayuan Flea Market’s (west of Panjiayuan Qiao) entrance, one shop advertises, ‘the antique is miscellaneous’ – and indeed it is. It’s open daily, but weekend mornings are best for bargains. Leafy Nanluogu Xiang is lined with funky boutiques, including Woo for cashmere throws and Mu Handcraft for hand-printed, recycled paper notebooks.
Eat
The tiny Li Qun Roast Duck Restaurant (11 Beixiangfeng Hutong, +86 10 6702 5681), tucked down an alley due south of Hua Sheng Hotel, serves up succulent slices of Beijing’s signature dish. For Vietnamese finger food, like honey crunch shrimp, backed up with a wicked array of pho (noodle soup), head to Nuage (22 Qian Hai Dong Yan, + 86 10 6401 9591) on Hou Hai Lake. Slide into Philippe Starck’s eye-candy masterpiece, Lan (4/F Twin Towers, Jianguomen Waidajie, +86 10 5109 6012, lanbeijing.com), where the kitsch-cool chandeliers and eclectic toy décor will keep you visually satiated all night long.
Drink
Join the local diplomatic crowd for mojitos at Q-bar (corner of Sanlitunnan and Gongtinan roads), on the sixth floor of the Soviet-style Eastern Hotel (+86 10 6439 8888, easternhotel.com.cn). Further up, Microbrewery Topor (2 Sanlitun Beixiaojie) serves bespoke pints made from an ancient German recipe. For a more Mediterranean pace, Hou Hai is a ten-minute taxi ride away.
Sleep
Steps from the Forbidden City’s East Gate, Kapok Hotel (16 Donghuamen Street, +86 10 6525 9988, hotelkapok.com, doubles from £122) has Zen-like bedroom décor. Four Banqiao’s (4 Banqiao Hutong, 4banqiaocourtyard.com, doubles from £54) rooms are decked out with antique beds and writing desks, and surround a breezy courtyard filled with flowering trees. Brand spanking new, Opposite House (+86 10 6417 6688, theoppositehouse.com, doubles from £364) spoils its jetset clientele with a superb selection of Chinese contemporary art and a 25m steel swimming pool. For the ultimate in luxury, book into the China World Hotel, now part of the Shangri-La group (shangri-la.com, doubles from £87). Soak up the views of the city with a drink at the hotel’s Valley Wing Lounge or climb further still and head for the Rooftop Garden , which offers a chance for quiet reflection among stunning scenery.
Architour
Fearing Soviet nuclear attack, Mao sent 70,000 volunteers underground in 1969 to dig a network of tunnels linking Beijing to Shanghai. Combat-clad guides lead subterranean tours at 62 Xidamochang, near Chongwenmen Metro station (£1.45). The Great Hall of the People, a hulking socialist behemoth by Tiananmen Square, conducts tours (£2.20) of its 5,000-seat banquet hall when parliament isn’t in session. The 50 storeys of architect Rem Koolhaas’s open-squared CCTV building now loom over Guomao by the China World Hotel.
If you have 12 hours to spare…
Factory 798 in Dashanzi (a £1.80 taxi from town) started life as a block of factories in the 1950s, a gift from socialist East Germany. Unsurprisingly, these airy monoliths make the perfect unreconstructed space for art workshops, impromptu lecture halls and cafés. Grab a map at the new Ullens Center of Contemporary Art (ucca.org.cn), the most international of the exhibition spaces, and explore the surrounding lanes for the cream of modern Chinese art.
If you have 24 hours to spare…
Trade the tout-heavy Badaling section of the Great Wall for the serenity of Mutianyu, 45 miles north of Beijing. Hop on the cable car to the precipitous Ox Horn Edge lookout for panoramic views over an endless ribbon of wall and ancient pine forests. Nearby, try hip Schoolhouse (+86 10 6162 6506) for wild mushroom risotto, or Red Capital Ranch (+86 10 8401 8886, doubles from £104) for a Tibetan and Manchurian shabby-chic place to stay.
If you have 48 hours to spare…
Several daily trains ply the three-hour route across rural Hebei to the coastal resort of Beidaihe. A getaway for inner party cadres in the 1970s, it’s wealthy Beijingers who now promenade along the sandy Central Beach; West Beach is quieter, although you’ll share the sunset with teams of seaweed gatherers. Seafood fans can feast on vinegar-soaked sheet iron crab and steamed clams, both Beidaihe specialities. Pick of the hotels is the beachside Qinhuangdao Holiday Inn (holidayinn.com, doubles from £36).
