At the centre of this paradoxical hub lies one of the oldest and most celestial edifices – the Forbidden City. Built in the 15th century this imperial complex was off limits to all but the emperor and his entourage until 1949. The Roger Moore audio tour of the city is a must. Jingshan Park immediately to the north provides a breathtaking view back over the golden rooftops.

To rival the imperial extravagances of the Forbidden City, the communists cleared bare the area to the south, Tiananmen Square. This awesome concrete desert needs to be seen to be believed and hardly reflects its name, the ‘Square of Heavenly Peace’. The flag at the northern end is raised and lowered daily at dawn and sunset. The guards are trained to drill at exactly 108 paces per minute, each pace measuring 75cm.

For a look beyond the wide boulevards, an afternoon exploring the lanes around the lakes north of the Forbidden City is a must. The four-sided courtyard houses, Siheyuan, are slowly being eroded in the dash to 2008 but this area affords a rare opportunity to glimpse a Beijing of the past. Rickshaw tours in English are also available and usually visit the Bell Tower, a courtyard house and Prince Gong’s Palace (they take about three hours and cost RMB180 each, call the Beijing Hutong Tourist Agency on +86 (0)10 6615 9097). In this area, the cluster of lakes includes a small, idyllic social centre called Hou Hai Lake. It has, within just several years, become a centre for small cafés, bars and restaurants, all without sacrificing its quiet, leafy nature. If you arrive early in the morning, it is still possible to glimpse locals fishing and swimming (during all seasons) and practising tai chi. By afternoon, lake-side chats, walks and shopping in the small lanes is a must. All day – but especially at night – small restaurants and lounges such as South Silk Road, No Name Bar and Nu Age are worth hunting out.

Local history

What we know as Beijing today roots back to the Yuan Dynasty and Kublai Khan in the 13th and 14th centuries. Among his visitors was Marco Polo, who was hosted as his guest for almost two decades. Structurally and in terms of lay out, today’s Beijing began during the Khan Era and was fully built through the Ming Dynasty in the 14th to 17th centuries. It is a true imperial city in that it was built with the emperor’s mandate in order to show power – and in order to inspire. Though only monuments such as the Forbidden City and several old gates remain (marked by directions they face), the wide avenues, ring roads, and towering buildings installed by the Communist Party continue this spatial philosophy today.

Local politics

The Communist Government is firmly in control of the city of Beijing, though there is of course a local branch and mayor. But this is the Chinese capital and it is the Chinese capital pre-Olympics, which means every street, every building, every decision behind development, every cab driver and how they upgrade their car will fall under the watchful eye of the party and the central government. If Shanghai is the city looking out into the world, Beijing is where the world is meant to come and see China. That power, the official party presence, is definitely something felt here.

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Source: Expedia