Temple of Heaven, Great Wall (obviously :P), Tiananmen, Fuxingmen shopping district (little markets there as well as big shops), Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Ming Tombs… Well, that’s what I did, anyway! And World Park’s pretty cool, although when I went it was the middle of off-peak season and so it was pretty dull. Looks like it could have been cool if there was more of a tourist vibe! So give it some thought if you’ve got time :)

Oh, and foodwise, go to a hotpot. Those are fun and social!

If you are after art then you have to pay a visit to factory 798 – it was one of my favourite things in Beijing. You can read more about it here.

Beijing hotpot is warm and satisfying. The best stuff to put in is the lamb, which is also what you should be looking for at any street vendor – lamb kebabs! They’re called yang you chuanr and if you go to Beijing and don’t have a big handful of yang rou chuanr with extra chili powder… you don’t know what you’re missing out on. I also recommend a greasy jian bing for breakfast (sort of a salty thin eggy pancake with crunchy bits and chives) and, since you’ll get there when it’s cold, the tang hulu should be out on the street. That’s the tasty fruit (usually hawthorn, but I like the mandarin orange slices) on a stick, coated in gooey crunchy sugar that’ll melt as soon as you get inside. If you’re in Chaoyang, check out the Chaoyang Cultural Centre, they had lots of cool plays and stuff going on while I was there. And, of course, just pick an old part of town and get lost in it. You won’t regret it.

PS If you want to see the Great Wall, go to Mutianyu, to the north. The guidebooks drastically underestimate how long it takes to get there, but it’s cheap, and the 2-3 hourish ride it’ll probably take you to get there all told, with buses to get to Dongzhimen, the bus itself up to the village, and then a minibus up to the wall, is totally worth it. Stunning views, not very crowded at all, a hell of a lot cheaper and less commercial than some other places, and some definite challenging and interesting hikes in either direction. Go for the cable car ride up, see if you get Bill Clinton’s car!