14 things you can do only in Beijing

23.02.2024 - 23:17 / lonelyplanet.com

It's incredible to think that a little over a century ago, Beijing was a kind of low-rise walled fortress, its nine humongous gates locked shut every night. 

Today, it's the very model of a modern megacity, hurtling toward a brave new future – though with one foot planted in the past. To put it simply, Beijing does things its own way: it's a city of 9 million gig-economy e-bikes and about as many tech workers, of historic hutong lanes overhung with facial-recognition cameras, of endlessly inventive ways to get your foodie fix.

Things move forward so quickly in China's capital, so it's almost futile trying to pin down exactly what the city is. What is Beijing known for? It's better to go there and figure it out for yourself.  Here's our guide to the most memorable, unusual things to do in Beijing.

Beijing's highly wander-able matrix of residential lanes has been shrinking for decades, but despite the demolitions, it's still possible to lose yourself in neighborhoods that time (almost) forgot, where old folks play xiangqi (Chinese chess), walk their songbirds and haggle over a few jin of persimmons from a handcart seller.

Head to Xisi to stroll the alleyways, hear  Beijinghua (the local dialect) and marvel at the majestic White Dagoba Temple rising up over tapering tiled rooftops. After dark, a stroll through hutong streets is one of the best things to do at night in Beijing.

Take one giant crepe-style pancake, crack an egg or two on top, lather on some furu (fermented bean curd) and chili sauce, sprinkle with cilantro and scallions, fold around a shatteringly crisp sheet of fried dough… and eat! Jianbing is a Beijing street snack you can get all over the city for around a dollar – and it's so tasty that it's now trending as far away as London and New York.

Full disclosure: the dish actually originates in the neighboring city of Tianjin, where locals use chewy crullers called youtiao instead of the crispy dough. Tianjin's version may be slightly more authentic, but Beijing's is better.

Seeing the Great Wall in its naturally eroded state, snaking away over the ridgelines of mountains with trees erupting from buckled watchtowers, is a sight more fantastical than anything the Game of Thrones art department could dream up.

It takes a bit of planning to skip the cable-car stretches rebuilt for tourists (and avoid the security guards posted at popular wild wall-hiking spots near the city), so it's a good idea to sign up for a day hike with Beijing Hikers. Let them handle the details so you can concentrate on the photographs.

Most visitors to Beijing's UNESCO-listed centerpiece focus their energies on the Three Great Halls and parade grounds that comprise the outer court, and they are indeed