42 Best things to see & do in Beijing

A magnificent and unique 15th-century complex of imperial palaces that served as the home of Chinese emperors for 500 years. Beijing’s must-see attraction.

Snaking along China’s 5,000-mile-long northern boundary, this ancient defensive wall traverses the stupendous mountain scenery of northern China, with numerous sections that can be hiked.

Dedicated to Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, Beijing’s surviving temples remain a rich repository of history, culture and architectural splendour.

The former retreat of China’s imperial rulers, the Summer Palace is a masterpiece of classical Chinese garden design on a truly awesome scale. Artificial hills, lakes, opulent buildings and graceful arched bridges.

Once a site for esoteric imperial rites, this marvellous complex of temples, altars and pavilions is set in a sprawling grove of knotted cypress trees. One of Beijing’s must-see sights.

Overlooked by a giant portrait of Mao Zedong, this vast and politically-sensitive public space sits at the very heart of modern China, both literally and symbolically.

So much more than Peking duck, Beijing is a mouth-watering melting pot of regional Chinese cooking styles. You could stay in the capital for a year and never eat the same dish twice.

Beijing’s most spectacular religious site, this palatial temple complex is a reminder of China’s long and complex association with Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism.

Capital of China for over 700 years, Beijing has hosted the last three imperial dynasties – the Yuan, the Ming and the Qing. Twenty-four emperors ruled in the Forbidden City until revolution swept it all away in 1911.

Wandering the narrow, grey-brick lanes and alleyways of Beijing’s historic residential core, and seeing local life and customs unfold. Beijing’s most evocative experience.

From the mystique of Peking opera to the daredevil feats of acrobats and kung-fu masters, China’s cultural capital is a great place to get acquainted with traditional Chinese performing arts.

Three inter-connected lakes surrounded by willow trees, hutong lanes, and bars – a fun place to experience local culture, and take a rickshaw ride.

The only remaining trace of Beijing’s city wall is a pleasant spot for a stroll through history. Be sure to explore the imposing southeast corner watchtower attached, the site of a famous battle in 1900.

Once the preserve of emperors, the sculpted surrounds of Beihai Park are dotted with fascinating temples, halls and pavilions, and crowned by the magnificent White Dagoba, towering over the central boating lake.

The National Museum of China contains a humongous cache of bronzes, ceramics, Buddhist art and jade dating back through the dynasties. The bombastic ‘Road to Rejuvenation’ exhibition traces China’s rise from the 1840-42 Opium War with Britain to the country’s 21st century space programme.

Close to the sights orbiting Tiananmen Square, this longstanding venue is more theatre than teahouse, putting on a nightly highlights reel of Peking opera, acrobatics, magic shows and traditional Chinese music. Take a table and order snacks and tea while you watch.

Get clued up on the capital’s own storied history at this hulking behemoth of a museum. Lively exhibits use artefacts and vivid dioramas to map out a timeline of the city from the Jin dynasty (around 900 years ago) up to the 20th century.

A Beijing institution, Panjiayuan is a sprawling, partially covered market where over 4,000 dealers hawk replica antiques, ceramics, jade, calligraphy brushes, handicrafts and Communist ephemera. Keep in mind that the vast majority of antiques are fake, and prepare to haggle. Weekend mornings only.

Beijing’s finest contemporary art galleries are housed in a complex of former warehouses and factories.

The big-ticket attraction at China’s oldest zoo is the impressive giant panda enclosure where Beijing’s beloved bears get the VIP treatment. You can also spot a cast of beasts endemic to China including Siberian tigers, snow leopards and golden snub-nosed monkeys.

The centrepiece of Beijing’s 2008 Olympic Games (and again for the winter games in 2022), the ‘Bird’s Nest’ is an architectural wonder with its bulbous curves and filigree of crisscrossing supports. Sports fans can pay to go inside and see the track where Usain Bolt bagged his first Olympic gold medal.

Beijing’s best park is also one of its only central hills, offering inspiring views of the Forbidden City. It’s also where elderly locals come to sing, dance and let off steam.

Looking out over Tiananmen Square, this is China’s most iconic political building and the meeting place for the National People’s Congress. Inside, you can tour its vast Stalinist auditorium, complete with plexiglass red star in the ceiling. When it’s not in use, you can go in to see the vast Stalinist auditorium, complete with plexiglass red star in the ceiling.

The city’s best historical walking tours, covering everything from concubines to Communism. As well as a tour company, Beijing Postcards has a hutong shop selling old city maps, quirky souvenirs and framed black and white prints of early 20th century Beijing.

This hidden gem museum of ancient Chinese bronzes and Buddhist statuary is on the ninth floor of a high-rise office block. The objects were all bought and repatriated from overseas, including four bronze animal heads from the Old Summer Palace.

Visitors line up in droves to shuffle past Mao’s embalmed corpse, on display in a mausoleum in the middle of Tiananmen Square. Guards keep the crowds moving through to the gift shop full of Mao-themed souvenirs.

A fun way to get your foodie bearings, UnTour’s ‘Old Beijing Dinner Tour’ visits several hidden hutong restaurants and bars, introducing local specialities like Beijing-style hotpot and the city’s famous sorghum-based firewater, Erguotou. 5 stops and 15 tastings.

Qing emperors would come to this complex, resembling a miniature Forbidden City, to worship their royal ancestors. The rearmost Sacrificial Hall, now a gallery space, is one of the most magnificent imperial buildings in China.

Beijing’s official timekeeper since the age of the Mongols, this splendid, 47-meter tall stone tower, facing its compatriot the Drum Tower, houses a gigantic copper bell said to weigh over 60 tons.

Rising up imperiously over grey hutong rooftops, the Drum Tower (together with the adjacent Bell Tower) has sounded the rhythm of Beijing for centuries. Climb the steep steps for exhibits on time-keeping in ancient China, and an hourly drumming performance.

Destroyed by British and French armies during the Second Opium War, what was one of the world’s greatest classical Chinese gardens is now wistful ruins, lakes and parkland. A relaxing place for a wander, it sees far fewer crowds than the ‘new’ Summer Palace nearby.

A fantastic array of arcane astronomical contraptions, cast in bronze and carved with writhing dragons, can be seen at this museum on the site of a Chinese observatory formerly built into Beijing’s mighty city walls.

What better way to dismount the Great Wall of China than by riding a luge down the mountainside? Toboggans whizz along a snaking metal track for 1.5 kilometres, with speed controlled via a hand-brake. Hop on at the No. 6 Watchtower for a 15-minute thrill ride.

For centuries, Beijing’s royals have decamped to the Fragrant Hills, an undulating landscape of pine forest dotted with temples, pagodas and lookouts. On a clear day you can see the skyscrapers of downtown Beijing from 557m-high Incense-Burner Peak.

Carved tortoise-like beasts heave enormous stone slabs on their backs at this grand temple complex honouring China’s foremost spiritual thinker, the great sage Confucius. The attached Guozijian (Imperial College) is where scholars of old studied for their civil service exams.

Dating back to the reign of Kublai Khan, this peaceful Buddhist temple is crowned with an urn-shaped, 51m tall dagoba that soars photogenically over the surrounding hutong neighbourhood, one of the city’s best for strolling.

An India-inspired temple along the once-royal waterway between the capital and the Summer Palace, the Wuta (Five Pagodas) is a remarkable piece of architecture. The temple grounds are also home to a fascinating museum of ancient Chinese stonemasonry.

Built to honour a corrupt and powerful eunuch, this is Beijing’s best-preserved Ming dynasty temple. The walls of the remarkable Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall are filled from floor to ceiling with tiny niches, each housing an effigy of Buddha.

This maze of halls and shrines is still tended by Taoist monks. Its 19 separate chambers are each dedicated to a particular deity, such as the God of Wealth, or the Jade Emperor.

Islam came to China around the tenth century AD; this mosque is Beijing’s oldest, dating to the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368). Architecturally it resembles a traditional Chinese temple, but for that fact that it faces west rather than the customary south.

This Buddhist temple complex enjoys a sublime hillside setting at the Fragrant Hills. The Diamond Throne Pagoda at the rear is a magnificent showpiece, while the unusual Hall of Arhats contains 500 near life-size sculptures of Buddhist disciples.

The grand residence of an imperial prince, this magnificent mansion close to Houhai Lake is most notable for its classical Chinese gardens. Pathways wind between carp ponds, artificial hills, ornate pavilions and even a miniature Great Wall folly.