What to do in Beijing

There is a saying goes “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”. Then, What to Do in Beijing, when you stay here and try to find a way to access the local culture or just have some fun? TopChinaTravel has listed several recommended activities and entertainments for you to see and explore a real Beijing with your own eyes.

Sightseeing in Beijing
Recommended Attractions: Great Wall, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Hutong

Badaling Great Wall, located in the northwestern suburbs of Beijing, is one of the best-preserved and most accessible Great Wall section.

Mutianyu Great Wall, has the largest construction scale and best quality among all sections of Great Wall.

Forbidden City, located in the very heart of Beijing, magnificent, is the symbol of imperial power.

Temple of Heaven in ancient times was the venue for the Ming and Qing emperors to offer sacrifices to the Heaven and pray for harvest.

A leisure stroll in winding Beijing hutongs will give you an insight into the lives of ordinary Chinese people and reveal their social culture in today's Beijing City.

More info about What to See in Beijing please click: Beijing Attractions

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Taste the Pecking Roast Duck
Recommended Restaurant: Quanjuede Roasted Duck Restaurant
ADD: No.32 Qianmen Street

Pecking Roast Duck is absolutely the most famous dish in Beijing. It was an imperial dish during the ancient China. While in the late 1800s, the public got its first whiff of the dish when chefs began opening restaurants outside palace walls.

The roast duck is renowned for its bright color, crispy skin and the tender and juicy meat. Have a roast duck meal is somehow, becoming a highly recommended thing to do for those first-time consumers during their Beijing tour.

Originally a dish reserved for the emperors table, with the passing of time, Beijing roasted duck entered into the international cuisine, its unique and delicious taste favored by foreign tourists as well as by Chinese people.

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Enjoy the Shaolin Kungfu Show
Venue: The Red Theatre
Time: Daily 7:30 p.m.
Duration: about 1.5 hours

Shaolin Kungfu Show performed in Red Theatre every day will be a breathtaking experience and unforgettable memory of you Beijing tour. Shaolin Kungfu with its international fame will be performed by many artistes here to tell you what is the strong spirit melted in Chinese souls.

Kung Fu is a commonly used term for all the martial arts styles in China. Perhaps more than any other practitioner, Bruce Lee opened the eyes of the Western world to the fascinating practices of Chinese martial arts, now the worldwide followers of the various related disciplines number in the millions.

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Enjoy the Pecking Opera
Venue: Liyuan Theatre
ADD: Qianmen Hotel, 175 Yong'an Lu, Xuanwu District
Duration: 1.5 hours (daily 19:30)

Peking Opera is a traditional style of Chinese theatre performance that combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and particle acrobatics. It is regarded as the quintessence of Chinese culture, enjoying a history of more than 200 years.

It enjoyed its greatest popularity beginning some two hundred years ago and was extremely popular in the Qing Dynasty court where it came to be regarded as one of the cultural treasures of China.

Beijing opera features four main types of performers; with their elaborate and colorful costumes, performers are the only focal points on Beijing opera's characteristically sparse stage.

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Enjoy the Acrobatic Show
Venue: Chaoyang Theater
Duration: 1 hour (daily 1515 and 1915)

Acrobatic is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility and motor coordination. It can be found in many of the performing arts, and in many sports. In China, acrobatics have been a part of the culture since the Western Han Dynasty, over 2,500 years ago.

Acrobatics is now an important part of modern Chinese variety art, where items include the universally recognized Lion Dance, oral stunts, pagoda of bowls, juggling, wire walking etc. Unlike western magicians, whose props are part of a stage set, and employ smoke, mirrors, electronics and lighting effects, a Chinese acrobatic conjurer has to carry these items upon their person throughout their act, concealed beneath a loose gown till the climactic moment when they produce them to a stunned audience.

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Wandering in Beijing Hutong
Venue: Beijing Hutongs

There are more than 7000 Hutongs in Beijing; most of them are surprisingly well ordered either oriented East-West or North-South to comply with Feng-shui custom.

A leisure stroll in winding Beijing hutongs will give you an insight into the lives of ordinary Chinese people and reveal their social culture in today's Beijing City. Hutong means a lane or alley, is in fact the passage formed by lines of Siheyuan (a compound with houses around a courtyard) where old Beijing residents live. The gray-tiled houses and deep alleys crossing with each other in identical appearance like a maze, you will find it much fun to walk through but be care not to lost yourself.

You can also choose a rickshaw-riding way to explore the hutongs and alleys in this city.

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More popular activities to do please check Things to do in Beijing & Beijing Activities

Highly Recommended Tours: Classic Beijing Tours