Beijing

China·Asia

Currency

CNY

Language

Mandarin

Timezone

Shanghai

Continent

Asia

Our guide

Discover Beijing

Beijing is laid out on an eight-kilometre north-south axis, and everything that matters lines up along it. The Forbidden City, an imperial palace of nine thousand rooms closed to the public for five centuries, holds the centre, preceded by the Gate of Heavenly Peace and Tian'anmen Square, among the largest in the world. The Temple of Heaven, where the emperor prayed for the harvest, closes the axis to the south in a park where Beijingers exercise at dawn. The Summer Palace spreads its pavilions around an artificial lake to the west, and the National Museum of China lines the square.

When to go

September and October are the best months: clear skies, dry air, mild temperatures. April and May work too, with a risk of sandstorms from the north. Summer is hot, humid and crowded; winter drops below freezing but gives the clearest days of the year. Avoid the first week of October, a national holiday when the whole country travels at once.

Getting around

The metro is vast, modern, very cheap and signed throughout in English; by far the best way to move. Payment is by mobile app almost everywhere, small traders included — arrange that before arriving, because cash is now rare and foreign cards are often refused. Distances are considerable: the historic centre alone runs several kilometres across.

Where to eat

Peking duck is ordered ahead at the specialist houses, where it is carved at the table. Jianbing, savoury breakfast pancakes, are taken on the street. Hotpot is shared and takes the whole evening. Beijing also has a strong Hui Muslim tradition: nineteen halal addresses are listed, and the quarter around the Niujie mosque holds more.

Good to know

The yuan is the currency. Most nationalities need a visa, with transit exemptions in some cases — check before booking. The internet is filtered: most Western services are unreachable without arrangements made in advance. Air quality varies sharply and is worth checking daily. And the major sites are booked online ahead, the Forbidden City especially, where the quota fills.

Smart Planning