Beijing, China

Evergreen city guide with quick facts, travel, business, and culture.

ChinaBeijing

Overview

Beijing is China's capital and cultural heart — a city where the Forbidden City's 980 imperial buildings, the hutong alleyways of the old quarters, and the futuristic CCTV Tower share a skyline, and where several of the world's most visited Great Wall sections lie within day-trip reach.

Imperial Heritage & World Heritage Sites

The Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Ming Tombs — Beijing holds more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than almost any city on earth, spanning five millennia of continuous civilisation.

Great Wall Day Trips

Four distinct Wall sections within day-trip range: Badaling for accessibility, Mutianyu for balance, Jinshanling for hiking and photography, Simatai for night walks under the stars.

Hutong Exploration & Old Beijing

Rickshaw rides through courtyard-house lanes, lakeside teahouses in Shichahai, creative studios in converted siheyuan, and the human-scaled fabric of a city that predates its boulevards.

Peking Duck & Street Food

Lacquered duck carved tableside, jianbing breakfast crepes, Muslim Hui lamb skewers on Niujie, copper-pot hotpot with sesame dipping sauce, and candied hawthorn berries on a stick.

Contemporary Art & Architecture

The 798 Art District in decommissioned factories, UCCA gallery, the Bird's Nest and Water Cube, CCTV Headquarters, and a gallery scene rivalling any Asian capital.
Travel Overview

The Forbidden City anchors Beijing's imperial axis — 980 buildings across 72 hectares where 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties ruled for five centuries, now a museum complex that draws tens of millions of visitors annually (daily cap of 80,000; online booking mandatory). Immediately south, Tiananmen Square opens into one of the world's largest public plazas, flanked by the National Museum and the Great Hall of the People. North of the Forbidden City, Jingshan Park's artificial hill delivers the definitive panorama over the palace's golden rooftops. The Temple of Heaven, where emperors performed solstice rituals for five centuries, sits in a park where retired Beijingers practise tai chi, fly kites, and play erhu at dawn — one of the city's most atmospheric morning experiences. Beijing's hutong neighbourhoods — the narrow lane networks of traditional courtyard houses — survive in the Shichahai, Nanluoguxiang, and Dashilar districts, offering a human-scaled counterpoint to the eight-lane boulevards. The 798 Art District in a converted military electronics factory complex has become one of Asia's most important contemporary art quarters. The Summer Palace, an imperial garden and lake retreat on the city's northwest edge, rewards a half-day visit. And the Great Wall: Badaling (most accessible, cable car, heavy crowds), Mutianyu (best balance of access and atmosphere, cable car and toboggan), Jinshanling (for hikers, spectacular sunrise photography), and Simatai (the only night-lit section) all lie within 70-130 kilometres of central Beijing.

Discover Beijing

The Forbidden City (Palace Museum) is the world's largest palace complex — 980 surviving buildings arranged along a precise north-south axis that extends from Yongdingmen Gate through Tiananmen to the Bell and Drum Towers. Enter through the Meridian Gate (Wumen), cross the Golden Water Bridge, and the Hall of Supreme Harmony rises ahead — the largest wooden structure in China, where coronations and imperial audiences took place on a marble terrace carved with dragon motifs. The inner court behind it contains the emperor's living quarters, the empress's palace, and the treasure galleries housing jade, ceramics, paintings, and calligraphy spanning millennia. Allow a minimum of three hours; serious visitors return multiple times. The Palace Museum's collections rotate constantly — the ceramics gallery and the clock gallery (European timepieces gifted to Qing emperors) are perennial highlights. Combine with Jingshan Park directly behind for the rooftop panorama, and the adjacent Zhongshan Park for a quieter garden setting.

Frequently asked questions

Beijing is in mainland China, whose entry rules change periodically. Many nationalities can now enter visa-free for short stays under unilateral or transit-visa-free schemes, while others need a tourist (L) visa arranged in advance through a Chinese visa centre. There are also 24-, 72- and 144-hour visa-free transit options at major airports for onward international travel. Check the current rule for your nationality and trip before booking — and note that mainland China and Hong Kong have separate entry systems.

Autumn (September–October) is the prime season — the clearest skies of the year (the famous 'Beijing blue') and comfortable temperatures. Late spring (April–May) is also good. Summer (June–August) is hot, humid and hazy; winter is cold but uncrowded, with occasional snow that makes the Forbidden City and the Great Wall spectacular; early spring can bring dust from the Gobi.

Three to four days suit the city: one for the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Jingshan Park panorama; one for a Great Wall day trip (Mutianyu offers the best balance); one for the Temple of Heaven, the hutongs and the Summer Palace; and one for the 798 Art District and modern Beijing. The city sprawls, so budget generous travel time between sights.

Diplomatic missions in Beijing

18 embassies based in this city, grouped by region.