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On display here are dreams of the architecture and urban landscape of Beijing to be. These are dramatically represented through the medium of two films, plus a vast model that covers most of the third floor, and which is viewable from a gallery above.

Running west off the northern end of Qian Men Dajie is Dazhalan Jie, an old hutong area that is great for exploring on foot or by rickshaw. It is full of quaint Qing-era specialty shops selling pickles, silks, tea, and traditional Chinese medicine. To the west of Dazhalan is Liulichang Jie, with more restored buildings and many fascinating antique shops.

Liulichang Jie

At the height of the Sino-Soviet rift in the 1960s, Mao Zedong gave orders to carve out a vast network of bombproof tunnels beneath Beijing. Part of this subterranean hideaway, which was all built by hand, is open to the public. Guides show visitors around a circuit of dank tunnels, where signs illustrate the earlier functions of rooms, variously designated as hospitals armories, and stores for food and water. Unlit passageways branch off from the main corridors, but many are blocked, and it is dangerous to wander off alone.

When the Conventions of Peking ended the Second Opium War in 1860, foreign delegations were permitted to take up residence in a quarter southeast of the Forbidden City. On main Dong Jiao Min Xiang and surrounding streets, the first modern foreign buildings in Beijing took root. The embassies and Western institutions have long since left and new, mainly governmental occupants moved in, but the architecture left behind is visibly foreign. Two buildings worth visiting are the former City Bank of New York, now the very welcoming Beijing Police Museum, and St. Michael’s Church.

The name refers to a vast complex that encompasses a large, marble sacrificial altar, the iconic three-story Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the smaller Imperial Vault of Heaven, and many ancillary buildings, all set in a landscaped park. This is one of Beijing’s most absorbing sights. Allow at least a half day to take in everything (see Temple of Heaven).

Temple of Heaven

An overbearing piece of 1950s architecture houses a great collection of dinosaur skeletons, as well as stuffed pandas and other animals. There are also fish, both dead (preserved in formaldehyde) and alive (in the aquarium). Visitors of a nervous disposition may want to skip the partially dissected human cadavers, also pickled in formaldehyde, which are displayed up on the third floor.

Housed in the Hall of Jupiter, part of the Xiannong Tan temple complex, this museum offers an excellent introduction to the ancient construction techniques of Beijing buildings, all helpfully illuminated with detailed models. A fascinating three-dimensional plan shows the city as it was in 1949, with the city walls and gates largely intact.

Beijing’s oldest and largest mosque dates back to the 10th century. It’s an attractive building with Islamic motifs and Arabic verses decorating its halls and assorted stelae. Astronomical observations were made from the tower-like Wangyue Lou. The courtyard is lush with greenery, making it an idyllic escape from the city’s busy streets. Visitors should dress conservatively, and non-Muslims are not allowed to enter the prayer hall.

The Fayuan Temple dates back to AD 696 and is probably the oldest temple in Beijing. All this time later, it remains a hive of activity. The layout is typical of Buddhist temples. Near the gate, the incense burner is flanked by the Drum and Bell Towers to the east and west. Beyond, the Hall of the Heavenly Kings is guarded by a pair of bronze lions. At the temple’s rear, the Scripture Hall stores sutras, while another hall contains a 16-ft (5-m) statue of Buddha.

The first Catholic church to be built in Beijing stands on the site of the residence of the first Jesuit missionary to reach the city, Matteo Ricci. Arriving in 1601, the Italian won the favor of the Wanli emperor by presenting him with gifts of European curiosities such as clocks and mathematical instruments. Ricci founded the church in 1605, although the present building dates to 1904, replacing a structure that was burned down during the Boxer Rebellion. It boasts some fine stained-glass windows.