3 Days of Beijing's Best

Description:

Author: Jennifer

Day 1 - Beijing

This is an ambitious first day, but it will get you to the highlights in the center of town. Begin with breakfast in the hotel (the lobby bakery has some of the best croissants this side of Paris) and then head down Chang'An Avenue toward Tiananmen Square. If you're still suffering from jet lag, you may catch the 6 a.m. flag raising or some early morning tai chi. The line forms early and grows quickly to catch a glimpse of embalmed Chairman Mao. ZhengYanMen, at the south end of the Square, provides a nice view of the rapidly developing Qianmen area, but if you're running late, head directly for Tiananmen Gate, pass under the Mao portrait, and enter the Forbidden City. (Make certain you buy tickets for the Forbidden City and not access to the gate.) Exploring the sprawling Forbidden City can take awhile and afterwards your feet will surely want a break. Head back east to the Wangfujing area and check out the bizarre delicacies available at DongHuaMen night market. (It is open at lunch as well.) If nothing there appeals to you, fill up on Peking duck at the Quanjude Wangfujing branch. Now you're nearly back at the Hyatt where you can rent bikes for the rest of the afternoon. (No shame in a cab if you're really tired.) With a good map in hand, trek over to the Lama Temple and then peddle through Beijing's hutongs to Nanluoguxiang shopping street. Pick up a few souvenirs or recharge with a coffee at one of the many cafes. Exiting Nanluoguxiang to the south, you will be at the north entrance of Beihai Park or just to the east of Houhai Lake district. Either makes for an enjoyable stroll at dusk. If you want to stick around to see the lights come up over Houhai, try the Yunnan cuisine at South Silk Road (just past Starbucks) and grab a drink just across the lake at East Shore Jazz. If you're looking for something more upscale, head back to the hotel, spruce up a bit and then dine in style at the Courtyard. Book ahead for a table with the best views of the Forbidden City. On the walk home, pop into RBL for a cocktail.


1

Stroll on Chang An Avenue

Location:

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Chang An Avenue
100004 Beijing, China

Phone:

+86 10 8119 1011


2

Mao Ze Dong Mausoleum

Location:

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Tiananmen Square
Chongmen District
100006 Beijing, China

Phone:

+86 10 6513 2277


3

ZhengYangMen Gate

Location:

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Southern end of Tiananmen Square
Xuanwu District
100006 Beijing, China

Phone:

+86 10 6351 0018 (Beijing Tourist Information Center)


4

Forbidden City (Gu Gong)

Location:

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North of Tiananmen Square
Dong Cheng District
100009 Beijing, China

Phone:

+86 0 10 6512 2255 / +86 0 10 6513 2255


5

Dong Hua Men Night Market

Location:

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Xing Dong An Plaza
off Wangfujing Daije
100005 Beijing, China

Phone:

+86 10 8119 1011


6

Wang Fu Jing Shopping Area

Location:

100005 Beijing,


7

Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant

Location:

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32 Qianmen Avenue
100051 Beijing, China

Phone:

86 10 6701 1379


8

Yonghe Gong (Lama Temple)

Location:

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Yong He Gong Dajie 12
South of the North Second Ring Rd. (entrance on the south end of the complex)
100007 Beijing, China

Phone:

010/6404-3769


9

Nanluoguxiang

Location:

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Runs north to south between Jiugulou Dajie and Dianmen Dajie, respectively
Southern entrance a few blocks east of Houhai
Beijing, China


10

Bei Hai Gongyuan (Beihai Park)

Location:

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Wenjin Jie 1
Xi Cheng Qu (south entrance is just west of the north gate of the Forbidden City; east entrance is opposite the west entrance of Jing Shan Park)
100034 Beijing, China

Phone:

010/6404-0610


11

South Silk Road

Location:

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19 Lotus Lane
Beijing, China

Phone:

86 10 6615 5515


12

Lao Hanzi Hakka Restaurant

Location:

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Qianhai Nanyan
On the eastern shore of the Houhai area
Beijing, China

Phone:

86 10 6404 2259


13

East Shore Live Jazz Café

Location:

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2/F, 2 Qianhai Nanyuan Lu
Eastern bank of Houhai
Beijing, China

Phone:

10 8403 2131


14

The Courtyard (Siheyuan)

Location:

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Donghua Men Dajie 95
10-min. walk, on north side of street
100006 Beijing, China

Phone:

010/6526-8883


15

RBL

Location:

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53 Dong An Men Street
Xi Pei Lou
100747 Beijing, China

Phone:

86 10 6552 1393


16

Grand Hyatt Beijing

Location:

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1 East Chang An Avenue
100738 Beijing, China

Phone:

+86 10 8518 1234

Day 2 - Beijing

Get up early to avoid the crowds at the sprawling Panjiayuan antiques market. Eat breakfast in the hotel or pick up some baozi (steamed dumplings) outside the front gate. When you've bought enough souvenirs, cab over to the Temple of Heaven. Just outside of the park's northwest gate is the Beijing Pearl Market. The highest quality strands are found in the stores on the top floor, but be sure to bargain hard everywhere. For lunch, head to the new Xin Guang Tian Di shopping mall and try xiaolongbao at world famous Din Tai Fung. The basement also features an excellent, clean food court. In the afternoon, be prepared for a long ride across town to the Summer Palace. Upon arrival, you'll see why Chinese empress Cixi bothered to trek out here for summer retreats. On the way back towards downtown, you may want to stop at the Beijing Zoo for a quick glance at the pandas, but the rest of the facility isn't worth much time. At this point you could stop back at the Hyatt to freshen up and then sit down to dinner at the South Beauty branch in the Oriental Plaza Mall just below the hotel. South Beauty also has a branch in the Pacific Plaza Mall near East Third Ring Road which will put you closer to Chaoyang Acrobatics Theater. Call ahead for show times, but don't worry about buying tickets in advance. After the show, you have two options. Those who prefer a quiet nightcap should seek out the Japanese speakeasy on south side of the theater building. For a more raucous evening, head to infamous Sanlitun Bar Street and find Bar Blu behind the 3.3 Mall. Proceed to dance the night away in this expat haven.


1

Panjiayuan

Location:

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Panjiayuan Lu
Just inside Dongsanhuan Nanlu
100021 Beijing, China

Phone:

+86 10 6775 2405 / +86 10 6710 0298


2

Temple of Heaven (Tian Tan)

Location:

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Tian Tan North Road
100050 Beijing, China

Phone:

+86 (0)10 6702 2242


3

Pearl Market

Location:

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16 Hongqiao Lu
On the northeast corner of the Temple of Heaven
Beijing, China

Phone:

01067117429


4

Din Tai Fung

Location:

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24 , Xinyuan Xili Zhongjie
Northwest of Yu Yang Hotel
100000 Beijing, China

Phone:

86 10 6462 4502


5

Summer Palace (Yi He Yuan)

Location:

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Hai Dian
100091 Beijing, China

Phone:

+86 10 6288 1144


6

Beijing Zoo

Location:

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131 Xi Zhi Men Wai Avenue
Xi Cheng District
100044 Beijing, China

Phone:

+86 10 6831 4411


7

South Beauty

Location:

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L220, 2F, China World West Tower, 1 Jian Guo Men Wai Avenue
Chao Yang District
100004 Beijing, China

Phone:

86 10 6505 0809 / 86 10 6505 2288 (ext 80220)


8

Acrobatic Displays

Location:

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14 Dong Zhi Men South Ave
(Poly Plaza Theater, Dong Cheng District)
100027 Beijing, China

Phone:

+86 (0)10 6500 1188


9

Bar Blu

Location:

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4/F Tongli Studio
Sanlitun Beijie
Beijing, China

Phone:

10 6417 4124

Day 3 - Beijing

No trip to Beijing is complete without a visit to the Great Wall. While it is usually a full day affair, it is worth it to go a bit farther afield to the less touristy sections at Mu Tian Yu or Simatai. Either location will impress, although Simatai is slightly more wild and more strenuous. Most visitors there attempt the 10 km hike along the wall from Simatai to Jinshanling. With either location, be prepared with good walking shoes, sun protection and extra layers. The hotel can arrange transportation to either site with a tour group, but prices for a private car can be surprisingly reasonable. This will keep you away from unnecessary breaks at souvenir shops and give you more flexibility to include a stop at the Ming Tombs on your return to Beijing. After such a strenuous day, you deserve to treat yourself at dinner. Green T. House is one of the most hyped restaurants in Beijing, but the excessive attention to artistic presentation leaves the food a little lacking. Just around front of the same building is the more lively Bellagio. After dinner, head to the south Sanlitun location of Dragonfly to massage away any lingering aches and pains. When finished, go upstairs to the roof for a cocktail at QBar and toast to your last night in Beijing.


1

Great Wall at Simatai

Location:

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Gubeikou Town
Miyun County
101508 Beijing, China

Phone:

+86 10 6903 1051 / +86 10 6903 5025


2

Great Wall at Mu Tian Yu

Location:

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San Du He Village
Huai Rou County
101400 Beijing, China

Phone:

+86 (0)10 8119 1011 (Tourist Information Center)


3

Ming Tombs

Location:

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Jundushan
Chang Ping District
102213 Beijing, China

Phone:

+86 10 6076 1334 (Beijing Tourist Information Center)


4

Green T. House

Location:

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6 Gonti Xilu
Behind Bellagio
Beijing, China

Phone:

86 10 6552 8310


5

Bellagio

Location:

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6 Gonti Xilu
Opposite Destinations
Beijing, China

Phone:

86 10 6551 3533


6

Dragonfly Retreat

Location:

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6 Baijiazhuang Lu
1F Eastern Inn
100027 Beijing, China

Phone:

+86 (0)10 6593 6066


7

Q Bar

Location:

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Top floor of Eastern Inn Hotel, 6 Baijiazhuang Lu
Nan Sanlitun Lu (on top floor of Eastern Inn Hotel)
Beijing, China

Phone:

010/6595-9239

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