... in one day:
Get up at the crack of dawn and head straight for the Temple of Heaven, starting at the south gate, where as well as seeing the 500-year-old temple itself, you’ll get to watch local old folk doing tai chi, singing traditional songs and writing calligraphy on the ground in the Temple’s parks and pavilions. Exit the temple’s north gate and head first west, then north up Qianmen Dajie until you hit the clusters of hutongs around Qianmen and Dazhalan, taking the time to explore and check out the shops still selling the same Chinese medicines they were touting in the Qing Dynasty. Grab some noodles from one of the local stalls before continuing north to Tiananmen Square, passing through the middle and towards Chairman Mao’s Portrait. It was from this rostrum that the Communist leader declared the People’s Republic in 1949.
Pass underneath the portrait and into the Forbidden City, the magnificent Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Emperors. At the north end, hop in a cab to the beautiful Beihai Park, or walk if you’re legs are still up for it. Stroll around this imperial playground for a while before exiting via the north gate and crossing Di’anmen Xi Dajie for a pre-dinner drink on Houhai Lake. Try the No Name bar, one of the first in the area, for pleasant views and a wonderful atmosphere. Rested? Then jump in a cab to Guijie – the 24 hour food street laced with red lanterns – and pick one of the hundreds of restaurants serving hot pot or typical Beijing dishes (such as Huajia Yiyuan at no 235) before settling down to eat and drink your way through the night.
... in five days:
Day one as above, and, if the hangover’s not too bad, get up early and head to the Great Wall on day two. Despite being a little further away than most, the Simatai section of the Wall is one of the most undisturbed and beautiful, and worth the extra time investment. If you’ve got the guts, swing down on the zip wire over the lake to the bottom before making your way back to the city. Try some Beijing duck for dinner at the hip new Duck de Chine restaurant, then wind down with a foot massage with your companions at Oriental Taipan.
On day three, check out the 798 Art district, where you can relax with a cappuccino or lunch before seeing if there are any paintings you (or your wallet) like the look of. From here, take a cab back to Gongti Bei Lu and stop off at Yashow Market – yes, we know its full of tourists, but there’s a reason. Cheap clothes and even cheaper DVDs make it a great place to stock up on gifts before heading out to dinner. Getting in a taxi again, tell the driver to take you to Ritan Park – the Temple of the Sun’s south gate. As the evening draws in, spot the young lovebirds kissing and cuddling in the park’s quiet corners, and head north toward the main altar. Continuing north east you’ll stumble across Xiao Wang Fu. If it’s a warm evening, head straight to the balcony where you can enjoy an array of tasty and typical Chinese dishes overlooking the park.
On the fourth day, taxi or subway to the west of the city and, if it takes your fancy, the Military Museum, where you’ll get the chance to marvel at Mao Zedong’s limo and Ming dynasty rocket launchers. Once out, walk north to the beautiful (and big) Yuyuantan Park – a great place to take in the summer revelry before catching a boat to the Summer Palace (boats go from the southern Bayi lake hourly). Spend the afternoon floating around the vast and beautiful former holiday home of the Empress Dowager Cixi before returning to the city to see a spectacular acrobatics show at the Chaoyang Theatre. Afterwards, try the city’s best dumpling’s at Din Tai Fung.
On the fifth day, particularly if it’s a weekend, jump in a taxi to Panjiayuan, Beijing’s famous outdoor dirt market. Row after row of locals selling ‘antiques’, books, jewellery and Mao memorabilia create a wonderful hubbub, and you’re sure to come away with armfuls of souvenirs. From here, jump in another taxi to the Lama Temple, and, after a spot of lunch at Vineyard Cafe, pay up and visit the temple proper. One of the most tranquil (and fragrant) spots in the city, it also contains the biggest Buddha carved out of a single tree in the world. For dinner, taxi to the nearby Gulou Dong Dajie where you’ll discover Beijing’s best kept secret – Dali, a beautiful courtyard restaurant serving tasty cuisine from Yunnan Province. If you’ve got the energy, a final drink in the trendy Asian themed Face Bar isn’t a bad way to end your stay.