Beijing

For more than 700 years, China has been ruled almost continuously from Beijing, and few capitals pack so many World Heritage sites into such a compact area. A trip to Beijing combines imperial palaces and temples with hutong alleys, art districts and stretches of the Great Wall in the mountains. At the same time, Beijing is a modern metropolis of more than 20 million people.

Between plain and mountains

Beijing sits on the northern edge of the North China Plain, enclosed to the north and west by the foothills of the Yanshan and Taihang mountain ranges. The municipality extends far beyond the ring roads into forested mountain districts such as Huairou, Yanqing and Miyun, where reservoirs and villages dot the landscape. The climate is continental: hot, stormy summers, short golden autumns, and dry, frosty winters with clear skies. In spring, sandstorms from the Gobi can turn the air yellow.

Top sights in Beijing

The heart of the city is the Forbidden City, the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties, with almost a thousand buildings behind red walls. To the south lies Tiananmen Square, and to the north Jingshan Park, where the hilltop offers views over the golden roofs. The Temple of Heaven, with its round Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, showcases the cosmological architecture of ancient China; in the morning, the park fills with tai chi groups, singers and card players. In the northwest, the Summer Palace stands on Kunming Lake with its covered Long Corridor, and the ruins of the Old Summer Palace are nearby. The Yonghe Lama Temple, the Confucius Temple and the Bell and Drum Towers round out the classic itinerary.

The Great Wall and the surrounding area

One of the most important destinations near Beijing is the Great Wall, which winds along the mountain ridges north of the city. Badaling is the easiest to reach but heavily visited; Mutianyu is restored and wooded, with a cable car and a toboggan run down to the valley. If you want something more authentic, hike at Jiankou or Simatai, where watchtowers crumble and the wall climbs steeply along the ridgelines. The Ming Tombs near Changping, with the Sacred Way and its stone statues, combine well with a Wall visit. If you want to stay overnight, you'll find simple guesthouses in the villages below Mutianyu and Jiankou, from which you can climb to the watchtowers early in the morning before the day-trippers arrive.

Hutongs, art and everyday life

The hutongs, narrow alleys lined with courtyard houses, tell the story of everyday life in the old city. Around the lakes of Houhai and Shichahai and in Nanluoguxiang, you can explore by bike or on foot, even though many neighborhoods have since been renovated. The 798 Art District feels completely different: a former factory complex in Bauhaus style, now home to galleries and cafés. The Olympic Park, with the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube, recalls the 2008 Summer Games and the 2022 Winter Games. In the evening, acrobatics shows and Peking opera offer an introduction to the performing arts tradition. If you have time, rent a bike and ride from the Bell Tower through the alleys to Beihai Park, where a white dagoba stands on an island and ice skaters glide across the ice in winter. On weekends, the Panjiayuan Market buzzes with traders selling antiques, jade and Mao memorabilia.

Food and drink

Peking duck is the city's most famous dish: the crispy skin is carved at the table and wrapped in thin pancakes with scallions, cucumber and sweet bean paste. Equally typical are zhajiangmian, wheat noodles with fermented soybean paste, jiaozi dumplings, and the Mongolian-inspired hot pot with mutton, especially in winter. On the streets, mornings bring jianbing, savory crêpes with egg, and in winter, candied hawthorn berries on a stick.

Getting there and best time to visit

Beijing has two major airports: Capital in the northeast and the new Daxing International Airport in the south, both connected by express rail. High-speed trains reach Shanghai in about four and a half hours and Xi'an in roughly four and a half to five hours. Within the city, the subway is the fastest way to get around. For many attractions, such as the Forbidden City, you need to reserve online in advance using your passport. The best time to visit is autumn, from September to mid-October, when the skies are clear and the foliage in the Western Hills is colorful; April and May are also pleasant. You should avoid the holiday weeks around May 1 and October 1 because of the huge waves of domestic travel.