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Morning
Arrive early to beat the crowds at Mao’s Mausoleum and shuffle through for the permitted few minutes in the presence of the Great Helmsman. The Forbidden City can be saved for another day, but climb the Tian’an Men for the views from the gallery. From the gate walk east along the Imperial City wall soon arriving at an entrance overlooked by most visitors: this leads to the Imperial Ancestral Temple, once one of the city’s most important places of worship. Carry on east; after the junction with Nan Chizi cutting back inside the wall to walk through pleasant Changpu He Park. One (long) block beyond the park is Wangfujing Dajie and the Oriental Plaza mall, with a superb food court in the basement.
Afternoon
Wander up Wangfujing Dajie, making sure to look in the chopstick and tea shops. At No. 74 is the attractive St. Joseph’s Church, which is well worth a look. Immediately before the church is a crossroads: head away from the church along Deng Shi Kou Jie looking for signs for Fengfu Hutong on your right. Here is the Former Residence of Writer Lao She, offering a glimpse into a way of life fast disappearing in Beijing. Retrace your steps down Wangfujing to Dong’an Men Dajie where the famous Night Market should by now be set up.
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Morning
Take the subway to Yonghe Gong for an early morning – and hopefully crowd-beating – visit to the Lama Temple. On leaving, cross over the main road and pass under the pailou (gate) at the entrance to Guozijian Jie for the Confucius Temple. Afterwards, take a break at the lovely Confucius Teahouse over the road. At the western end of Guozijian Jie turn left onto Anding Men Nei Dajie, a wide, shop-filled avenue and follow it south across Jiaodaokuo Dong Dajie and take the first right into Ju’er Hutong, one of the most vibrant of the city’s old alleys. Take the first left onto Nan Luogu Xiang, where at No. 108 you will find the charming Pass By Bar , which has a small courtyard that makes for an excellent lunchspot.
Afternoon
On leaving the Pass By, head west along Mao’er Hutong until you reach main Di’an Men Wai Dajie, where you turn right and head up the street for the splendid Drum and Bell Towers. Climb the towers to pick out the route you’ve just taken. Retrace your steps back down Di’an Men Wai Dajie taking the very first right, a tiny opening (usually marked by waiting taxis) leading into bustling Yandai Xie Jie. At the end of this crooked alley is the Silver Ingot Bridge; cross and bear left for Lotus Lane. You can stop here for coffee or head round the southern tip of the lake to Han Cang for a terrific meal of Hakka cuisine.
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Morning
Start on Tian’an Men Square, at the southeast corner beside the stripey brick Old Qian Men Railway Station, built by the British in 1901, partly to bring military forces straight to the assistance of foreigners in the event of a repeat of the siege of the Boxers. It’s now a shopping mall and Beijing Opera theater. Venture east along Dong Jiao Min Xiang into the Foreign Legation to visit the Police Museum (see Beijing Police Museum). On leaving head south to main Qian Men Dong Dajie and walk back west for a glimpse of the Beijing of the future at the Urban Planning Museum. From the museum, it is a short walk south into the hutongs for a fowl lunch at the legendary Liqun Roast Duck Restaurant .
Afternoon
After eating, if you walk south you’ll hit main Xianyukou Jie, which, followed west, becomes Dazhalan Jie. This is a great place for specialty shops. Located down the first alley on the left is century-old Liubiju, selling a vast array of pickles. Ruifuxiang, on the north side of Dazhalan, dates from 1893 and is renowned for silks. Tongrentang Pharmacy has been in business since 1669, while Zhangyiyuan Chazhuang has been trading teas since the early 20th century. At the end of Dazhalan, head north up Nan Xinhua Jie to the Ji Gu Ge Teahouse, to sample more teas in an atmospheric setting.
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Morning
The American-style diner Steak and Eggs (5 Xiushui Jie), which is behind the Friendship Store, opens for pancake-platter breakfasts at 7:30am. Well fed, head north up embassy-lined Jianhua Lu to enter Ri Tan Park via the south gate. This is one of the city’s best parks, with an old sacrificial altar, a rockery, and a small lake with the waterside Stone Boat café. Exit via the west gate onto Ritan Lu, which is lined by shops with signs in Cyrillic. This area is Yabao Lu, Beijing’s Russian neighborhood. Walk north to Aliens Street Market, a two-story jumble of cheap clothing, shoes, and cosmetics. Continue on to the next major junction and turn right on to busy Chaoyang Men Wai Dajie, lined with malls and the Dong Yue Miao temple.
Afternoon
Departing the temple, turn left and then take the second left into Gongren Lu. This takes you up to a park with a lake and then the Workers’ Stadium. Circle the stadium to exit via the north gate onto Gongren Tiyuchang Bei Lu. Head east until you come to a foot bridge, which allows you to cross this eight-lane boulevard safely. It deposits you in front of Yaxiu Market for more bargain shopping. Continue east until Sanlitun Bei Lu, the heart of the city’s entertainment district: bars The Tree and Bookworm , plus restaurant Alameda are all just a few minute’s walk from here.
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Morning
Be at the East Gate (Dong Men) of the Summer Palace for 8:30am to beat both the heat (if you are visiting in summer) and the crowds. Make your way along the north shore of Kunming Lake via the Long Corridor and ascend Longevity Hill. Descend again to the Marble Boat and take a pleasure cruiser across the lake to South Lake Island. Cross back to the mainland via the supremely elegant Seventeen-arch Bridge; from here it’s a short walk north to exit where you came in at the East Gate. In the car park pick up a taxi and instruct the driver to take you to Xiang Shan Gongyuan, otherwise known as Fragrant Hills Park. Before you enter, Sculpting In Time is a café near the East Gate that does good salads, pastas, and pizza.
Afternoon
From the park’s East Gate turn right for the Temple of Brilliance, built in 1780 and ransacked by Western troops in 1860 and 1900. Close by is the Liuli Pagoda, with bells hanging from its eaves that chime in the breeze. Continue north to pass between two small round lakes linked by a small hump-backed bridge – the whole known as the Spectacles Lakes. Beyond is a chair lift that takes you up to the top of the “Fragrant Hill”. Zigzag back down past many more pavilions to arrive at the Fragrant Hills Hotel, designed by Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei, otherwise best known for his glass pyramid at the Louvre in Paris.
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Morning
Even if you’re no big fan of mechanized heavy armor, the Chinese Military History Museum is a fascinating place to spend a morning. Exhibits begin with the technology that made China one of the world’s first military superpowers, including the “Flying Dragon,” an early form of missile launcher. There’s one room devoted to the wonderfully tacky gifts that have been bestowed on China’s army chiefs and leaders, such as a pistol presented to Chairman Mao by Fidel Castro. Mao’s limousine is displayed on the ground floor and there’s one hall devoted to statues and assorted representations of the Communist Party’s great and good. It all makes for a fascinating insight into the mentality of late 20th-century China.
Afternoon
Leaving the museum, turn right and walk west along Fuxing Lu and take the first right; this will bring you to the Millennium Monument. One of the oddest bits of architecture in Beijing, the Monument nevertheless plays an active role in the city’s cultural life; its various halls are used for all kinds of temporary exhibitions. There is almost always something worth seeing. Afterwards, for some refreshment, walk east to the very pleasant Hong Hao Ge Teahouse . North of the teahouse stretches the vast and very green Yuyuan Tan Park, with a large lake at its center. It makes for a relaxing place to stroll.
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