©Matt Munro/Lonely Planet
Beijing
From ancient walled capital to showpiece megacity in barely a century, Beijing (Běijīng, 北京), spins a breathless yarn of triumph, tragedy, endurance and innovation.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South
An oasis of methodical Confucian design, the 267-hectare Temple of Heaven Park is unique. It originally served as a vast stage for solemn rites performed…
Beijing
A marvel of Chinese garden design and one of Beijing's must-see attractions, the Summer Palace was the royal retreat for emperors fleeing the suffocating…
Beijing
Beihai Park, inside the old Imperial City, looks much as it would have done in the 18th century when it served as Emperor Qianlong's private gardens. The…
Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South
This immense fortress, part of the Ming City Wall Ruins Park, guarded the southeast corner of Beijing's city walls. Originally built in 1439 but repaired…
Beijing
Contemporary art meets communist history at this thrilling enclave of international galleries installed within China's model factory complex of the 1950s…
Beijing
Converted from a princely residence to a lamasery in the 18th century, the Lama Temple extends through a crescendo of ever more divine halls in a whirl of…
Beijing
Venerable bastions of time-keeping, the Drum Tower and its counterpart the Bell Tower were for centuries the tallest buildings in Beijing, lording it over…
Beijing
Though it dates back to the Yuan dynasty, this enchanting Buddhist temple complex was enlarged to its current splendor by Emperor Qianlong in 1748, adding…
Top picks from our travel experts
14 things you can do only in Beijing
Beijing
Originally built in 1271 under the reign of Kublai Khan, the serene Miaoying Temple slumbers beneath its astonishing high dagoba, the tallest in China. A…
Beijing
The restrained, grey-stone edifice of the Bell Tower (Zhonglou) is arguably even more charming than its resplendent other half, the Drum Tower (Gulou),…
Beijing
A marvel of Chinese garden design and one of Beijing's must-see attractions, the Summer Palace was the royal retreat for emperors fleeing the suffocating…
Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South
An oasis of methodical Confucian design, the 267-hectare Temple of Heaven Park is unique. It originally served as a vast stage for solemn rites performed…
Beijing
Beihai Park, inside the old Imperial City, looks much as it would have done in the 18th century when it served as Emperor Qianlong's private gardens. The…
Beijing
Serving imperial banquet fare such as Peking duck, braised sea cucumber and sweetmeats incuding sugared crabapples, this intriguing restaurant was once a…
Beijing
A curio hunter's heaven or an Everest of fakery? Panjiayuan is both, and marvellous fun to boot. Picking over the wares of some 4000 dealers, you won't…
Beijing
Venerable bastions of time-keeping, the Drum Tower and its counterpart the Bell Tower were for centuries the tallest buildings in Beijing, lording it over…
Beijing
Known locally as Da Kucha (大裤衩, Big Pants), the 234m-tall CCTV Tower is an architectural fantasy that appears to defy gravity. Designed by Rem Koolhaas…
Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South
This wistful stretch of brick and stone is all that remains (besides a couple of other denuded nubs) of Beijing's once formidable city walls, girding the…
Beijing Natural History Museum
Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South
New York and London needn't fret: Beijing's Natural History Museum isn't going to rival their august institutions any time soon. Not with exhibits that…
Beijing
It's a case of 'so near and yet so far' for Beijing's flagship museum, which, on architecture alone, promises so much. A neat timeline exhibit charts the…
Beijing
This cathedral-like Bauhaus space, ceilings emblazoned with red Maoist slogans, makes for the quintessential 798 photograph whether or not an exhibition…
Beijing
Known colloquially as the Bird’s Nest (鸟巢, Niǎocháo), the spectacular showpiece of the 2008 Olympics Games was designed by Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron…
Overseas Chinese History Museum
Beijing
Charting the history of Chinese emigration from the era of the Silk Road to the present day, this is a terrific museum with full English captions…
Beijing
This modern, two-storey museum presents in great detail the life of Lu Xun (1881–1936), considered the greatest Chinese writer of the 20th century…
Beijing
Next to the Bird's Nest, the bubble-covered National Aquatics Center (aka Water Cube) was another of Beijing's 2008 Olympic icons, hosting the swimming…
Beijing
A curio hunter's heaven or an Everest of fakery? Panjiayuan is both, and marvellous fun to boot. Picking over the wares of some 4000 dealers, you won't…
Planning Tools
Expert guidance to help you plan your trip
Transportation
Getting around Beijing can be daunting. We demystify how to get around the Chinese capital.
Read articleFree Things to Do
It’s not hard to take in the scope of Beijing without spending a single yuan, thanks to our list of the city’s 10 best free experiences.
Read articleArticles
Latest stories from Beijing
- HistoryForbidden City and other popular Chinese sites re-open to the public
May 4, 2020 • 2 min read
ArticlesTrailblazers: crossing into China as a Lonely Planet writer in the 1980sJul 7, 2019 • 8 min read
- MusicBeijing’s Forbidden City hosted an epic classical music gala for the first time in 20 years
Oct 18, 2018 • 1 min read
in partnership with getyourguide