Located in the historic former Qiánmén Railway Station, which once connected Běijīng to Tiānjīn, this museum offers an engaging history of the development of the capital and China’s railway system, with plenty of photos and models. Its lack of space, though, means it doesn’t have many actual trains, although there is a life-size model of the cab of one of China's high-speed trains to clamber into (¥10).
Qianmen DajieHISTORIC SITE
(前门大街 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; bQianmen)
Restored to resemble a late Qing dynasty street scene and wildly popular with domestic visitors, this ancient thoroughfare (once known as Zhengyangmen Dajie, or Facing the Sun Gate St) is something of a tourist theme park. It is especially lively at its northern end, as more (overpriced) restaurants and shops open up, while the rebuilt Qiánmén Decorative Arch (the original was torn down in the 1950s) looks handsome.
DAILY COSTS
Budget: Less than ¥250
AHostel dorm: ¥60–80
AA meal in a local restaurant: ¥20–40
ASubway tickets: ¥3–8
Midrange: ¥250–800
AStandard private room: ¥260–500
AA meal in a midrange restaurant: ¥40–80
AShort taxi trip: ¥15
AAdmission to main sights: ¥20–60
Top end: More than ¥800
ALuxury accommodation: from ¥1000
AA meal at an international restaurant: from ¥100
ADrinks at cocktail bars: ¥60–80
AGuided tours: ¥200–1000
Běihǎi Park & Xīchéng North
oBěihǎi ParkPARK
(北海公园, Běihǎi Gōngyuán MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %010 6403 1102; www.beihaipark.com.cn/en; high/low season ¥10/5, through ticket ¥20/15, audio guide ¥60; h6am-9pm, sights to 5pm; bLine 6 to Beihai North or Nanluoguxiang, or Line 4 to Xisi)
Běihǎi Park, northwest of the Forbidden City, is largely occupied by the North Sea (Běihǎi), a huge lake fringed by willows that freezes in winter and blooms with lotuses in summer. Old folk dance together outside temple halls and come twilight, young couples cuddle on benches. It’s a restful place to stroll around, rent a rowing boat in summer and watch calligraphers practising characters on paving slabs with fat brushes and water.
Topping Jade Islet (琼岛; Qióngdǎo) on the lake, the 36m-high Tibetan-style White Dagoba (白塔; Báitǎ MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Běihǎi Park; included in through ticket for Běihǎi Park; h9am-5pm; bLine 6 to Beihai North or Nanluogu Xiang; or Line 4 to Xisi) was built in 1651 for a visit by the Dalai Lama, and was rebuilt in 1741. Climb up to the dagoba via the Yǒng’ān Temple (永安寺; Yǒng’ān Sì).
The site is associated with Kublai Khan’s palace, Běijīng’s navel before the arrival of the Forbidden City. All that survives of the Khan’s court is a large jar made of green jade in the Round City (团城; Tuán Chéng MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Běihǎi Park; included in Běihǎi Park through ticket; bLine 6 to Beihai North or Nanluogu Xiang, or Line 4 to Xisi), near the southern entrance. Also within the Round City is the Chengguang Hall (Chéngguāng Diàn), where a white jade statue of Sakyamuni from Myanmar (Burma) can be found, its arm wounded by the allied forces that swarmed through Běijīng in 1900 to quash the Boxer Rebellion.
Located on the lake’s northern shore, Xītiān Fánjìng (西天梵境; Western Paradise MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Běihǎi Park; incl in through ticket for Běihǎi Park; bLine 6 to Beihai North or Nanluogu Xiang) is one of the most interesting temples in Běijīng, though it was closed for major renovations at the time of writing with ongoing works. The first hall, the Hall of the Heavenly Kings, takes you past Mílèfó, Weituo and the four Heavenly Kings. The nearby Nine Dragon Screen (九龙壁, Jiǔlóng Bì MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Běihǎi Park; incl in through ticket for Běihǎi Park; bLine 6 to Beihai North or Nanluogu Xiang), a 5m-high and 27m-long spirit wall, is a glimmering stretch of coloured glazed tiles depicting coiling dragons, similar to its counterpart in the Forbidden City. West, along the shore, is the unique Xiaoxitian (Little Western Heaven; 小西天 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Běihǎi Park; included in through ticket for Běihǎi Park; bLine 6 to Beihai North or Nanluogu Xiang), the largest square pavilion-style palace in China. Its centrepiece features a rather garish diorama of Mt Sumeru with Bodhisattva seated at its peak along with arhats on rocky outcrops.
Attached to the North Sea, the South (Nánhǎi) and Middle (Zhōnghǎi) Seas to the south lend their name to Zhōngnánhǎi (literally ‘Middle and South Seas’), the heavily-guarded compound less than a mile south of the park where the Chinese Communist Party’s top leadership live.
Běihǎi Park & Xīchéng North
1Top Sights
1Běihǎi ParkD3
2Hòuhǎi LakesC2
1Sights
3Déshèngmén GatewayC1
4Great Hall of the PeopleD6
5Miàoyīng Temple White DagobaA4
6Nine Dragon ScreenC3
7Prince Gong's ResidenceC2
8Round CityC4
9White DagobaC3
10XiǎoxītiānC3
11Xītiān FánjìngC3
4Sleeping
13Shíchàhǎi Sandalwood Boutique HotelC3
14Shíchàhǎi Shadow Art HotelC2
15Siheju Courtyard HostelB3
5Eating
164cornersD2
17Kǎo Ròu JìD2
6Drinking & Nightlife
18NBeer PubB2
3Entertainment
19Mei Lanfang Grand TheatreA3
20National Centre for the Performing ArtsD6
7Shopping
21Three Stone Kite ShopD3
22Yandai XiejieD2
oHòuhǎi LakesLAKE
(后海, Hòuhǎi MAP GOOGLE MAP ; bLine 6 to Beihai North, exit B, or Line 8 to Shichahai, exit A1, or Line 2 to Jishuitan, exit B)F
Also known as Shíchàhǎi (什刹海) but mostly just referred to collectively as Hòuhǎi, the Hòuhǎi Lakes are compromised of three lakes: Qiánhǎi (Front Lake), Hòuhǎi (Back Lake) and Xīhǎi (West Lake). Together they are one of the capital’s favourite outdoor spots, heaving with locals and out-of-towners in the summer especially, and providing great people-spotting action.
Prince Gong’s ResidenceHISTORIC BUILDING
(恭王府, Gōngwáng Fǔ MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %010 8328 8149; 14 Liuyin Jie; ¥40, tours incl short opera show & tea ceremony ¥70; h8am-5pm Apr-Oct, 9am-4pm Nov-Mar; bLine 6 to Beihai North, exit B)
The historic courtyard home of Prince Gong's (aka Prince Kung) mansion is one of Běijīng’s largest private residential compounds. It remains one of the capital’s more attractive retreats, decorated with rockeries, plants, pools, pavilions and elaborately carved gateways, although it can get very crowded with tour groups. It's reputed to be the model for Chinese writer Cáo Xuěqín’s 18th-century classic Dream of the Red Mansions.
oCapital MuseumMUSEUM
(首都博物馆, Shǒudū Bówùguǎn GOOGLE MAP ; %010 6339 3339; www.capitalmuseum.org.cn; 16 Fuxingmenwai Dajie, 复兴门外大街16号 h9am-5pm Tue-Sun, last entry 4pm; bLine 1 to Muxidi, exit C1)F
Behind the riveting good looks of the sleek Capital Museum are some first-rate galleries, including a mesmerising collection of ancient Buddhist statues and a lavish exhibition of Chinese porcelain. There is also an interesting chronological history of Běijīng, an exhibition that is dedicated to cultural relics of Peking opera, a fascinating Běijīng Folk Customs exhibition, and displays of ancient bronzes, jade, calligraphy and paintings. Bring your passport or photo ID for free entry and audio guide.
Come out of exit C1 of Muxidi subway station, and you'll soon see the museum on your right (200m).
Miàoyīng Temple White DagobaBUDDHIST TEMPLE
(妙应寺白塔, Miàoyīng Sì Báitǎ MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %010 6616 0211; 171 Fuchengmennei Dajie, 阜成门内大街171号 adult ¥20; h9am-5pm Tue-Sun; bLine 2 to Fuchengmen, exit B, or Line 4 to Xisi, exit A)
Originally built in 1271, the serene Miàoyīng Temple slumbers beneath its huge,
distinctive, chalk-white Yuan dynasty pagoda, which towers over the surrounding hútòng. It was, when it was built, the tallest structure in Dàdū (the Yuan dynasty name for Běijīng), and even today it is the tallest Tibetan-style pagoda in China. The highlights of a visit here include the diverse collection of Buddhist statuary.
White Cloud TempleTAOIST TEMPLE
(白云观, Báiyún Guān GOOGLE MAP ; %010 6346 3887; 9 Baiyunguan Jie, 白云路白云观街9号 adult ¥10; h8.30am-4.30pm May-early Oct, to 4pm early Oct-Apr; bLine 1 to Muxidi, exit C1)
White Cloud Temple, once the Taoist centre of northern China, was founded in AD 739, although most of the temple halls date from the Qing dynasty. It’s a lively, huge and fascinating complex of shrines and courtyards, tended by Taoist monks with their hair gathered into topknots.
Déshèngmén GatewayLANDMARK
(德胜门, Déshèngmén MAP GOOGLE MAP )
A monumental landmark along the 2nd Ring Road is this Ming dynasty city gate and watchtower, which made up part of Běijīng's northern wall. The remaining structure is the archery tower, built in 1437, which stands over the city's northern moat. On the north side is where buses leave for the Ming Tombs and Bādálǐng Great Wall section.
The gate's name is a play on words, with an alternative meaning from its spoken name signifying 'gain victory'.
AIRPOCALYPSE
Air pollution was brought into focus in the summer of 2012 when the government called for the US embassy to stop publishing its daily Běijīng pollution readings on its highly popular Twitter feed. The figures were wildly out of sync with official air-pollution levels published by Běijīng's Environmental Protection Bureau.
There’s little doubt that Běijīng’s air quality has deteriorated, as more and more cars clog the roads, and visitors will be shocked by the pall of pollution haze that sometimes hangs over the city. The Běijīng government has fought back by investing heavily in public transport. It added 3800 natural-gas buses to its fleet – more than almost any other city in the world – while the already excellent subway system continues to expand. At the same time, a cheap and convenient bike-sharing scheme reflects the capital's long cycling tradition.
GOING UNDERGROUND
The hordes of skateboarding teens, couples and families who crowd out the Xīdān Culture Plaza – Xīchéng's busiest shopping and entertainment square – may not know it, but the space beneath them (which until recently was the 77th St shopping mall) was once part of what was possibly the world’s largest bomb shelter. In 1969, alarmed at the prospect of possible nuclear war with either the Soviet Union or the US, Mao Zedong ordered that a huge warren of underground tunnels be burrowed underneath Běijīng. The task was completed Cultural Revolution–style – by hand – with the finishing touches made in 1979, just as the US reopened its embassy in the capital and the Russians were marching into Afghanistan.
Legend has it that one tunnel stretched all the way to Tiānjīn (a mere 130km away), while another runs to the Summer Palace. Nowadays it is believed that some tunnels are still used for clandestine official purposes, while the rest of the underground city has been rendered unsafe by the construction boom that has gone on above it since the 1990s. But a few portions of the complex have been turned over for commercial use, like the 77th St mall, a fitting metaphor for the way China has embraced consumerism and left Maoism far behind.
Xiānnóng Altar & Běijīng Ancient Architecture MuseumMUSEUM
(先农坛、北京古代建筑博物馆, Xiānnóngtán & Běijīng Gǔdài Jiànzhú Bówùguǎn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %010 6304 5608; 21 Dongjing Lu, 东经路21号 ¥15, audio guide ¥10; h9am-4pm Tue-Sun; bLine 4 to Taoranting)
This altar – to the west of the Temple of Heaven – was the site of solemn imperial ceremonies and sacrificial offerings. Here you'll find the excellent Běijīng Ancient Architecture Museum, which informatively narrates the elements of traditional Chinese building techniques. The museum is spread over the four 15th-century halls which face one another across the large courtyard. Each features different exhibits, but the centrepiece is the magnificent Jupiter Hall (太岁殿; Tàisuì Diàn), with exquisite detail in its ceiling.
Dashilar & Xīchéng South
1Sights
1DashilarD1
2Fǎyuán TempleA3
3Qianmen DajieD1
4Xiānnóng Altar & Běijīng Ancient Architecture MuseumD4
4Sleeping
5365 InnD1
6EmperorD1
7Qiánmén HostelD1
8Qiánmén Jiànguó HotelC3
5Eating
9Capital MD1
10Liú Family NoodlesC2
3Entertainment
11Húguǎng Guild HallB3
12Lao She TeahouseD1
Líyuán TheatreC3
13Tiānqiáo Acrobatics TheatreD3
14Tiānqiáo Performing Arts CentreD4
DashilarAREA
(大栅栏, Dàzhàlan MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Dazhalan Jie, 大栅栏街 bLine 2 to Qianmen, exit B or C)
This centuries-old pedestrianised shopping street, also known as Dazhalan Jie, is just west of Qianmen Dajie. While a misjudged makeover has sadly robbed it of much of its charm, many of the shops have been in business here for hundreds of years and still draw many Chinese tourists. Some specialise in esoteric goods – ancient herbal remedies, handmade cloth shoes – and most make for intriguing window-shopping.
Fǎyuán TempleBUDDHIST TEMPLE
(法源寺, Fǎyuán Sì MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 7 Fayuansi Qianjie, 法源寺前街7号 adult ¥5; h8.30-4pm; bLines 4, 7 to Caishikou, exit D)
Infused with an air of reverence and devotion, this lovely temple dates back to the 7th century. The temple follows the typical Buddhist layout, with drum and bell towers. Do hunt out the unusual copper-cast Buddha, seated atop four further Buddhas ensconced on a huge bulb of myriad effigies in the Pilu Hall (the fourth hall).
Niújiē MosqueMOSQUE
(牛街礼拜寺, Niújiē Lǐbài Sì GOOGLE MAP ; %010 6353 2564; 18 Niu Jie, 牛街18号 adult ¥10, Muslims free; h8.30am-sunset; bLines 4, 7 to Caishikou, exit D)
Dating back to the 10th century, this unique mosque blends traditional Chinese temple design with Middle Eastern flourishes. It's Běijīng’s largest mosque and centre for its community of 10,000 or so Huí Chinese Muslims who live nearby. Look out for the Building for Observing the Moon (望月楼; Wàngyuèlóu), from where the lunar calendar was calculated. Also note the spirit wall on Nui Jie that guards the entrance, a feature of all Chinese temples regardless of denomination.
RESOURCES
ABeijinger (www.thebeijinger.com) Eating and entertainment listings, blog posts and forums.
ATimeout Běijīng (www.timeoutbeijing.com) The best listings mag and a useful, well-designed website.
ABěijīng Cream (http://beijingcream.com) Lighthearted Běijīng-based blog covering China-wide current affairs.
ASinica Podcast (http://popupchinese.com) Popular, uncensored current-affairs podcast based in Běijīng.
AAir Pollution (http://aqicn.org/city/beijing) Real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) for Běijīng (and other cities).
ABěijīng Cultural Heritage Protection Center (www.bjchp.org) Info on protecting Běijīng’s hútòng (alleyways).
AThorn Tree (www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree) China branch of our long-standing travel forum includes plenty of Běijīng info.
ALonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com/china/beijing) Destination information, hotel bookings and more.
Sānlǐtún & Cháoyáng
Bird’s NestARCHITECTURE
(北京国家体育场, Běijīng Guójiā Tǐyùchǎng, Beijing National Stadium GOOGLE MAP ; http://cyvu.org/english/; Beijing Olympic Park, 奥林匹克公园 ¥50; h9am-6.30pm Apr-Oct, to 5pm Nov-Mar,; bLine 8 to Olympic Sports Center, exit B2)
The centerpiece from the 2008 Olympics is the National Stadium, known colloquially as the Bird’s Nest (鸟巢; Niǎocháo). It's one primarily for lover
s of contemporary architecture, or those interested in sporting history. Otherwise, walking around the desolate Olympic Sports Centre midweek is rather like being stuck in one of those zombie movies where humans have all but been wiped out. Nevertheless, it remains an iconic piece of architecture designed by Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron in consultancy with controversial Běijīng-born artist Ai Wei Wei.
Sānlǐtún & Cháoyáng
1Sights
1Ancient ObservatoryA8
2CCTV HeadquartersE7
3Dōngyuè TempleC6
4Poly Art MuseumA4
5Rìtán ParkC7
2Activities, Courses & Tours
6China Culture CenterF3
7Dragonfly Therapeutic RetreatD7
8Koryo ToursD4
4Sleeping
9Opposite House HotelD3
10Rosewood BěijīngE6
11Yoyo HotelD3
5Eating
12Big SmokeC3
13BookwormD4
14Chuān BànA8
15Duck de ChineE4
16Home Plate BBQD4
17In & OutD2
18Jīngzūn Peking DuckC3
19MorningC3
6Drinking & Nightlife
20Arrow Factory BrewingC2
21Great Leap BrewingB3
Jing A BrewingE4
Mèi BarE6
22ParlorC3
23Slow Boat BreweryD5
3Entertainment
24Cháng'ān Grand TheatreA8
25Cháoyáng TheatreE6