Beijing
Rock star Cui Jian’s saxophonist, whose quartet plays here, opened this dark and moody upstairs jazz den overlooking Qianhai Lake. It’s the best place to hear local jazz cats showing off their chops, with live performances Wednesdays to Sundays (from 10pm).
There’s also a small roof terrace open in summer with a nice view of the lake. No cover charge.
1.14 MILES
Enclosed by 3.5km of citadel walls at the very heart of Beijing, the Unesco-listed Forbidden City is China’s largest and best-preserved collection of…
3.95 MILES
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…
7.75 MILES
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…
2.23 MILES
Flanked by triumphalist Soviet-style buildings, Tian'anmen Sq is an immense void of paved stone (440,000 sq metres, to be precise) at the symbolic centre…
0.64 MILES
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…
3.2 MILES
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…
1.89 MILES
Instantly recognisable by its giant framed portrait of Mao, and guarded by two pairs of Ming dynasty stone lions, the double-eaved Gate of Heavenly Peace …
6.03 MILES
Contemporary art meets communist history at this thrilling enclave of international galleries installed within China's model factory complex of the 1950s…
0.23 MILES
Tourist bottleneck and historic view, this stumpy bridge (rebuilt several times), divides Houhai and Qianhai lakes. On a perfectly clear day looking west…
2. Qi Baishi's Former Residence
0.28 MILES
Known for the whimsical, often playful style of his watercolours, Qi Baishi (1864–1957) was an influential Chinese painter who lived in Beijing from 1917…
0.32 MILES
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…
0.41 MILES
Built in 1757, 'Studio of the Quiet Heart' was a favourite retreat of Emperor Qianlong, who would sip tea, listen to the melodic plucking of the guqin …
0.43 MILES
Beijing's most touristy hutong, Nanluogu Xiang is a north–south strip of snack stalls, small food courts, souvenir shops and more people than you can…
0.43 MILES
The restrained, grey-stone edifice of the Bell Tower (Zhonglou) is arguably even more charming than its resplendent other half, the Drum Tower (Gulou),…
0.46 MILES
Located on Beihai's northern shore, Xitian Fanjing (Western Elysium) was a lamasery during the Ming dynasty, and was subsequently rebuilt in 1759 by…
0.48 MILES
The sprawling residence of Prince Gong (1833–1898), half-brother of the Xianfeng emperor, is most notable for its marvellous gardens, which feature…