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People on the street will sometimes strike up conversation in order, so they will tell you, to practice their English. However, caution is necessary as increasingly these approaches are lead-ins to scams. These so-called “language students” will often suggest entering a nearby café or bar at which you will naturally offer to buy them a drink. The students take generous advantage of your offer and then depart leaving you with a wildly inflated bill for thousands of renminbi. Of course, the bar owner is in on the deal.

The Chinese don’t do queues. They prefer to push and shove. Anyone who politely waits their turn at the ticket office is likely to be stood there all day.

Although there is always a crack-down in the run-up to major international events, such as the 2008 Olympics, and despite the best attempts of public educators, spitting remains a fact of Chinese life on the streets, buses and trains. It is not just an old man thing either; it is not uncommon to observe a pretty young woman break off mid-conversation to loudly expel a gob of saliva.

Beijing’s traffic is horrendous and if you aren’t careful you could spend half your visit sat in a taxi, gridlocked in a sea of other vehicles. Rush hour seems to last nearly all day, but the roads are noticeably worse on week days before 10am and between around 5pm and 8pm. You should avoid traveling at these times if at all possible.

Around Wangfujing Dajie, Liulichang, Tian’an Men Square and the Forbidden City, be wary of “art students” who in the guise of fund-raising will pressure you to visit an exhibition where you can buy amateur and hugely overpriced art.

At many of Beijing’s sights, but particularly at the Forbidden Palace and Temple of Heaven, so-called guides wait around the ticket offices to offer their services. Decline. They usually know little more than the bare facts, which are often recited with a dubious propagandist slant.

The biggest tourists in China are the Chinese themselves. On public holidays out-of-towners swarm into Beijing for a spot of sightseeing. It becomes impossible to move in the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, or in any of the parks.

China’s is one of the world’s great cuisines. Chinese food is astonishing in its variety, and there is nowhere better to experience this than Beijing. The city boasts restaurants specializing in most, if not all, the country’s many regional cuisines. Ordering the few Cantonese-originating dishes that have come to represent Chinese cooking to the rest of the world would really be a wasted opportunity.

In general, public toilets are hole-in-the-ground types and are usually extremely malodorous. You will need to bring your own tissue paper as it is seldom available. Take advantage of the facilities in top-end hotels and restaurants.

Beijing taxi drivers hardly ever seem to carry any change, so make sure you always have a good stash of ¥5, ¥10, and ¥20 notes to hand.