Beijing

Beijing (北京 pekin) is tops.

Places to See

Aside from the "must-see" Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and Temple of Heaven...I'd throw in the following:

• Mao's Remains

  If you want to see the waxy remains of Mao (or what's purported to be his remains), note that it's only possible between 8am-12pm, Tues-Sun. It's free but you'll have to leave your camera/bag in in luggage storage to the east of the memorial hall.

• Temple of Heaven Park

  A great place to hang out for a few hours. You could bring a food and have a bit of a picnic here, watch the locals practise their tango, enjoy a bit of choral singing, watch the old men play cards/mah-jong. Across the road is a big pearl market/animal market. Didn't make it to either, but they are there and could be worth checking out.

• Lama Temple

  One of Beijing's most famous, and loveliest temples. The restaurant next door is pretty amazing. Vegetarian buffet!!

• Confucian Temple

  Just down the road from the Lama temple. It's pretty and interesting. Check out Xu Xiang Zhai, the veggie restaurant next door. It's a superb place for a meal, and at 68RMB for the lunch buffet, excellent value. The food is terrific! Both Lama and Confucian temples are in an interesting part of town so not a bad place to freely roam about.

• Donghuamen Night Market

  In Wangfujing, this is a great place to go to try some interesting Chinese food. There are also knick-knacks there but it's mostly crappy and overpriced as it's in a very touristy area. If you want to buy jade or buddha statues etc. you could get better quality for not too inflated prices at temples.

• Summer Palace

  You could easily spend a day here. You can get here by the bus or via the subway and then a taxi. If you go by subway, you need to get to Bagou (巴沟) station at the Western end of Line 10. It should cost no more than about 10RMB for a cab to the Summer Palace Gate. Make sure you WRITE DOWN BAGOU in Chinese i.e. 巴沟 to show to the cab driver if you want to get back to the station without too much hassle. It's a fairly short hop and we had trouble getting a driver who a) knew where we were going and b)wanted to take us such a short distance. There are buses that go from the Summer Palace back into town but I'm not sure which ones.

• Olympic Park

  It's pretty awesome for a wander at night-time.

• Hutongs

  Check out the ones around Shichahai area in Dongcheng District, Qianmen area in Xuanwu District or the ones near the Bell Tower and Shichahai Lake. Ask at your hostel/hotel for nearby ones too.

Food and Drink

• Xu Xiang Zhai - 26-1 Guozijian Dajie, Hutong (at opposite Lama temple, next to Confucian temple)

  Amazing food at a good price. 68RMB for an all you can eat buffet.

• Ganges

  Terrific Indian restaurant (actually 3 of them scattered around town). a little pricey but top quality food with excellent service Ganges

• Pure Lotus

  A couple of these around town. Great food.

• Rumi Grill

  An Iranian restaurant. There aren't so many veggie mains on offer, but you can make a pretty decent meal out of combining starters. And....they have HUMMOUS!!!

• 1001 Nights

  Looks like it has a stack of veggie options too, though my cousin doesn't seem to think it's nearly as nice.

Accommodations

• Wangfujing International Youth Hostel

  180RMB (160RMB if you are a member of HI) for a twin room (bathroom down the hall). Rooms are decent with comfortable beds and air-con. You need to bring your own towel/sarong or rent one there. It's a well-located hostel with good facilities (travel agency, internet, restaurant, bar etc.). It's a pretty well run place and staff are friendly and helpful. It's centrally located and within easy walking distance of Tiananmen Square.