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The largest and most spectacular of the city’s temples is a working lamasery, home to monks from Mongolia and Tibet (see Lama Temple).

The world’s largest public square is not pretty, but it is surrounded by august cultural and political institutions, and it is also the final resting place of Chairman Mao Zedong (see Tian’an Men Square).

By day visitors take rickshaw tours around the back lanes for a glimpse of fast-disappearing old Beijing; by night, attention shifts to the area’s lakeside bars and restaurants (see Hou Hai).

Beijing summers are unbearably hot, so the imperial court would exchange the Forbidden City for this semi-rural retreat with its ornate pavilions, gardens, and temples, ranged around the cool expanse of Kunming Lake (see Summer Palace).

The most beautiful of Beijing’s many city parks is laid out around a central lake, first dug out in the 12th century, with the excavated earth used to create a central island. The famed Kublai Khan ruled his empire from a palace here (see Bei Hai Park).

When former electronic components factory 798 became a venue for cutting-edge contemporary art it kick-started a neighborhood trend for converting industrial spaces into galleries and chic cafés and bars (see 798 Art District).

So called because at one time only members of the imperial court were allowed inside, this is one of the largest and greatest palace complexes ever built (see Forbidden City).

Thirty miles (45 km) northwest of Beijing is the vast burial site of 13 of China’s 16 Ming emperors. One of the underground tombs can be visited but most impressive of all is the Sacred Way, with its 12 pairs of stone guardians (see Ming Tombs).

Originally the venue for annual winter solstice sacrifices, which were performed by successive emperors to ensure ample harvests, the temple remains Beijing’s most recognizable icon (see Temple of Heaven).

A line up of 40 or 50 stalls entice and repulse in equal measure with meat kabobs but also flame-grilled snake and scorpions.

Test your taste buds on the likes of sour fish soup and a startling take on ribs and mashed potato (see Three Guizhou Men).

It is the opinion of a great many Beijingers that there is no finer duck than that served here (see Beijing Dadong Roast Duck Restaurant).

Little known even in China, the cuisine of the southeastern Hakka people is a delight. They use heaps of hot salt to bake chicken and fish, and do lots of dishes featuring smoky pork. Han Cang does excellent Hakka dishes and has a fun and vibrant atmosphere to boot .

The most famous and popular Uighur establishment in Beijing, specializing in Muslim Xinjiang cuisine. Expect lots of lamb, skewered and roasted, in addition to after-dinner table-top dancing and live music (see Afunti).

The perfect Beijing bar – an old courtyard house kitted out with antique furniture, including kang-style beds. Excellent food, plus weekend DJs (see Bed Tapas & Bar).

Expect anything from Mongolian folk to Japanese punk and Chinese Britpop.

On a hutong dotted with several hostels, Pass By is a well- established travelers’ haunt. Two attractive rooms wrap around a pretty courtyard; food is a cut above, and there’s a lending library and guidebooks for salePass By Bar.

Beijing’s classiest bar is off the lobby of one of the city’s swankiest hotels. Louche and loungey, it boasts live jazz, sexy waitresses, and the last word in cocktails.

Another fine Yandai Xie Jie bar, this one squeezed into a narrow, two-story house with a compact, boho interior and roof terrace.

The house motto is “Shut up and drink.” Compliance is encouraged with cheap beer and cut-price cocktails.

A modest bar in the shadow of antiquity offering refreshment and a gentle respite from sightseeing (see Drum & Bell).

Beijing’s only dedicated jazz venue.

Built in 1875 and once home to Chiang Kai Shek (you can stay in his suite) and, later, the Yugoslav Embassy. Today, it still has a bit of a Socialist feel but the courtyard setting is pleasant, and there’s a Japanese restaurant on site.

Chinese-managed hotel in a hutong close to Wangfujing. Staff speak little English, but rooms are bright and airy with clean bathrooms. Those on upper floors offer pleasant views.

Good value in the heart of one of Beijing’s most vibrant hutongs. It’s also minutes from the lakes, and myriad restaurants and bars. Offers clean single rooms, doubles with attached bath, and 6–8 bed dorms, plus bike hire and laundry.

The great icon, Mao appears on posters, badges, banners, and almost anything else with a flat surface. There are shops and stalls that trade in nothing but Mao in the Dazhalan district and at Panjiayuan Market.

Beijing’s wholesale tea street, with more than 600 tea-shops spread over a mile. Try four-story Tea City (Cha Chang), halfway along the street.

Best known for pearls (hence its alternative name, the “Pearl Market”), with a huge range available, freshwater and seawater, up on the third floor. The floors below are a tight compress of clothing, shoes, electronics, and more, while in the basement is a pungent, but fascinating market for fish, frogs, and snakes (see Hong Qiao Market).

Venerable store said to date back to 1840. Prices for quality tailoring, ready-made clothes, and fine cloths are reasonable.