DK Travel : Beijing

At the heart of Beijing is tradition, given physical form in the mighty Forbidden City, from where successive imperial dynasties have ruled since the 15th century. Neighboring Tian’an Men Square is the China of recent history, of red-flag socialism and Mao. But this is also a city on the move, as an all-pervading spirit of change makes Beijing the most 21st-century of capitals.

No Name Bar

The oldest Hou Hai bar is also the best, with a ramshackle charm that defeats the copyists. Heated by wood-burning stoves, or cooled by lake breezes, it’s perfect year-round (see No Name Bar).
North Cathedral

Not far west of Bei Hai Park, this cathedral is a twin-towered piece of Gothic confectionery, painted in blue with white trim, like a Wedgwood dish. But the bright façade masks a bloody past: not long after the Jesuits finished the church in 1889 it came under siege from the Boxers during the 1900 rebellion. Many of the congregation sheltering inside were killed.
Nuage

The setting is a two-story wooden mansion on the banks of Qian Hai, overlooking the lake. The Vietnamese food is variable but as a romantic night-time dining spot this takes some beating (see Nuage).
Nuage

Well-respected Vietnamese with a lovely location just south of the Silver Ingot Bridge (see Nuage).
Nuren Jie

“Women’s Street” is a relatively undeveloped area just north of the Lufthansa Center and Kempinski Hotel, between the Third and Fourth Ring Roads. It’s where to shop for flowers and tropical fish at the Lai Tai Market and for cheap mobiles at the Grand World Electrical Market. There’s also a lively nightlife street here, home to the New Get Lucky music bar among others.
Olympic Green

The Olympic Green will surround the high-tech Olympic Village. It’s part of an overall masterplan to soften the city with trees, parks, and forested beltways in the run up to 2008. At the heart of the Green is a dragon-shaped lake, the tail of which runs by the National Olympic Stadium.
Olympic Green Convention Center

The Convention Center is one of the principal buildings of the main Olympic Green complex in the north of the city. It will serve as the competition venue for the fencing events. It will also double as the main press center for the Games.
Opera singing

The Chinese are rarely inhibited by self-consciousness and behave in public as they would at home. Hence, parks are for singing. They gather in groups, taking it in turns to perform for each other; favored places for this are on the north shore of the lake at Bei Hai and in the Temple of Heaven park.
Oriental Plaza

A large mall that stretches a whole city block and boasts several levels of top-end retailers including Paul Smith, Swarovski, Sisley, Max Mara, and Apple. There are also a couple of supermarkets, a sizeable pharmacy, a big CD and DVD store, and an excellent food court (see also Oriental Plaza).
Oriental Plaza

Several floors of big name international, high-end retailers, from Apple and Sony to Armani and Paul Smith. Don’t expect any bargains.

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Restaurant price categories

For the equivalent of a meal for two made up of a range of dishes, served with tea, and including service.
- under ¥100
- ¥100–¥250
- ¥250–¥500
- over ¥500