Top choice in Beijing
Formerly the mansion of a Qing dynasty official, this hutong hotel has put a lot of effort into its ornamental Chinese styling, with wooden furniture, silk screens and four-poster beds. Most rooms open on to a central courtyard, which hosts regular cultural activities including calligraphy and dumpling-making.
Note that the cheapest rooms don't have windows.
1.33 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…
4.11 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…
7.18 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…
2.3 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…
0.6 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…
3.69 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…
1.99 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 …
6.74 MILES
Contemporary art meets communist history at this thrilling enclave of international galleries installed within China's model factory complex of the 1950s…
1. Mei Lanfang's Former Residence
0.09 MILES
A place of pilgrimage for Peking opera aficionados, this sleepy sìhéyuàn (courtyard mansion) belonged to Mei Lanfang (1894–1961), acclaimed as the 'queen…
0.32 MILES
The sprawling residence of Prince Gong (1833–1898), half-brother of the Xianfeng emperor, is most notable for its marvellous gardens, which feature…
0.38 MILES
This is the largest square pavilion-style palace in China. It was built in secret as a gift for Emperor Qianlong's mother on her 80th birthday. Inside the…
0.4 MILES
To the west of Western Elysium, set back from the lakeshore, is this 5m-high, 27m-long spirit wall emblazoned with writing and coiled dragons, picked out…
0.43 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…
0.43 MILES
Built in the Ming Dynasty as a fishing spot for emperors, the five ornate pavilions over the water are joined by a corridor said to resemble a swimming…
0.47 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 …
0.56 MILES
A grand sweep of willow-lined waterways enclosed by invitingly maze-like hutong lanes, this trio of lakes is one of Beijing's best-loved outdoor spots,…