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Beijing

About
Hotels
Food & Drink
Activities
Getting Around

Beijing

Bertrandb / Dreamstime

China’s capital is expanding outward but also growing within. Thriving neighbourhoods are cropping up past the Fifth Ring Road and recently opened subway lines are giving new access to the city’s core. Landmarks like Tian’anmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall symbolize China’s attachment to its storied past, while the striking designs of the National Stadium and CCTV building hint at ambitions for the future.

Continue to Where to Stay in Beijing

Where to Stay in Beijing

The Opposite House

Kempinski’s Commune
For a mountain retreat, Kempinski’s Commune by the Great Wall (the gold standard for architecture buffs) reaches new heights. 
Exit No. 20 at Shuiguan, Badaling Hwy., 86-10-8118-1888, kempinski.comFrom: Beijing
Ascott Beijing
The Ascott Beijing’s swish suites, complete with kitchens and laundry rooms, are ideal for long stays.
108B Jianguo Rd., Chaoyang, 86-10-6567-8100, the-ascott.comFrom: Beijing
Bamboo Garden
If leisurely walks at the Summer Palace and repeated visits to the Temple of Heaven are your preferred way to experience Beijing, why not go all the way by staying at a courtyard-style hotel that dates back to the Qing dynasty? Stroll over to Houhai Lake in the evening for drinks, hookah and moonlit dancing.
No. 24, Xiaoshiqiao Lane, Jiugulou St., Xicheng District, Beijing, 86-10-5852-0088, bbgh.com.cn
The Opposite House
The glass-sheathed jewel of the recently revamped Sanlitun bar district, this Kengo Kuma-designed, 99-room boutique hotel is minimalist, beautiful and wicked cool. Its art gallery-like lobby, stainless steel swimming pool and uncluttered (but fully loaded) rooms make it ultra-modern.
The Village, Building 1, No. 11 Sanlitun Rd., Chaoyang District, 86-10-6417-6688, theoppositehouse.com
Red Capital Ranch
At Red Capital Ranch in the Manchurian foothills, climb the Great Wall, then visit the spa to work out the kinks before a blissful night’s sleep in one of the resort’s ten ancient (but luxuriously refurbished) villas.
No. 28, Xiaguandi Village, Yanxi, 86-10-8401-8886, redcapitalclub.com.cnFrom: Beijing
The St. Regis Hotel
The centrally located St. Regis Hotel is beyond grand: There’s a bowling alley, hot-spring jacuzzis and personal butlers.
21 Jianguomenwai Ave., Chaoyang, 86-10-6460-6688, starwood.com/stregisFrom: Beijing

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Where to Eat and Drink in Beijing

Alex D'Aquila

Where to Eat

Middle Eighth Restaurant
Yunnan food with a contemporary edge and a traditional soul is served in two understated, modern rooms. Don’t let the restaurant’s poorly translated slogan, “Typical Yunnan Cuisine,” keep you away: The successful balance between new and old is anything but ordinary.
Sanlitun Bar St., Chaoyang District (80 metres east of 3.3 shopping center), 86-10-6413-0629, 86-10-6417-9395
Le Quai
Slow food has come to Beijing, and Le Quai does it best with modern Anhui and Sichuan cuisine. 
Near Worker’s Stadium, Chaoyang, 86-10-6551-1636From: Beijing
My Humble House
My Humble House’s pan-Asian cuisine is bold and delicious – from crispy spring pigeon to warm chocolate pudding with figs.
W307 Oriental Plaza 1/F, West Bldg., Dongcheng, 86-10-8518-8811From: Beijing

Where to Drink

Houhai District
International travellers and locals alike gather at this newly gentrified nightclub area on the shores of an old Imperial lake, north of the Forbidden City.
Houhai.  Bei Hai Lake, XichengFrom: Beijing
World of Suzy Wong
Located in the West Gate area, this two-storey, see-and-be-seen club has the coolest name in town. Opium-den décor, the city’s hottest DJs and a roof terrace with views of the city add to the cachet.
1A South Nongzhanguan Lu, West Gate, Chaoyang Park, 86-10-6593-6049, suziewong.com.cnFrom: Beijing
D-22
Founded by former New York banker and current Peking University finance prof Michael Pettis, this small bar in the university district is one of the best places in the city to hear up-and-coming local bands and experimental (perhaps even – gasp! – subversive) music. The infectious spirit of the young ex-pat crowd may convince you to stay in Beijing for a semester of Mandarin studies.
242 Chengfu Lu, Haidian District, Beijing, 86-10-6265-3177, d22beijing.com.cn

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What to Do in Beijing

Linan Chen

Arts & Culture

National Centre for the Performing Arts
This glimmering, spherical modern monolith – surrounded completely by still water and dubbed “The Egg” by locals – has been Beijing’s premier venue for world-class orchestras, operas and theatre productions since opening to much fanfare in 2007. If the NPCA’s imposing neighbours (Tian’anmen Square and the Imperial Palace) haven’t satisfied your appetite for Chinese grandeur, an evening show here will do the trick.
No. 2 West Chang’an Ave., Xicheng District, 86-10-6655-0000, chncpa.org

Shopping

Na-li Mall
A Beijing shopping must, with high-end knock-offs alongside $15 boots from the Diesel outlet. 
Sanlitun Beijie, Chaoyang, 86-10-6413-2663From: Beijing

Return to Where to Eat and Drink in Beijing Continue to Getting Around Beijing

Getting Around Beijing

George W. Clark Jr.

Navigating the chaotic capital can be a challenge even for seasoned locals, but perseverance and street smarts will get you to where you want to go – eventually. Stick with the subway whenever possible – it’s cheap, reliable, and immune to bad traffic

Getting from the Airport

A taxi into the city from the new, Norman Foster-designed Terminal 3 will cost around 100 yuan. Cheaper but less direct options are the Airport Express train (25 yuan), which stops at subway stations at the northeast corners of the Third and Second Ring Roads, and airport buses (16 yuan), which stop at popular spots like Beijing Train Station and Xidan.

Taxis

Taxis are cheap and can be found nearly everywhere, but avoid rush hour and be prepared to direct your driver (start with a major street or landmark, then go from there). No tips are necessary, and steer clear of “private” cabs that operate without a meter.

Public Transportation

Beijing’s rapidly expanding subway system may be the most affordable of any major city in the world. A flat fee of two yuan (roughly 35 cents Canadian) will get you to nearly every major location in China’s capital city. Buses are even cheaper and often more direct, but aren’t as user-friendly (especially if you can’t read Chinese).

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