Beijing is a city with more than 3,000 years of recorded history and a glorious cultural heritage; yet it is also a bustling metropolis that has given birth to an artistic youth movement in recent years. The slick new veneer and upbeat energy from the 2008 Olympics remains, along with the new urban development and boom in upscale shopping and dining. Today’s Beijing is a place where ancient historical sights stand side-by-side with a thriving avant-garde culture.

SLEEP

For modern, cutting-edge style where all the action is, Opposite House is a cube of green glass that sits opposite a traditional Chinese courtyard home—the perfect metaphor for the city itself. The hotel is fun and warm, enlivened with a rich use of color and natural materials.

If you want to venture out of the city for a visit to China’s most famous attraction, the Great Wall, you can do no better than the Commune by the Great Wall Kempinski. This incredible compound of 42 contemporary villas also sits at a private, unrestored part of the Wall, giving you access to the original architectural marvel with no one else around.

EAT

Peking Duck is the ubiquitous dish from this city, and its preservation as both a delicacy to eat and art form in its preparation is alive and well. This famous dish has been made since the Imperial era and is a national food of China. Roasted in an open-flame wood oven for hours to achieve the crispy skin and flavor, the duck is then traditionally sliced in front of diners and eaten with a rich Hoisin sauce and spring onions on thin crepes. Try Duck de Chine at 1949 The Hidden City. A chic enclave of restaurants, coffee/sweet shop and art gallery is located in the restored China Machinery factory.

The Donghuamen Night Market near Forbidden City is an almost psychedelic scene not to be missed. If you love street food, this stretch of pavement will provide you one of the best such experiences to be found anywhere. Under brightly lit awnings, dozens of vendors hawk their delicacies like barkers at a state fair—and what delicacies they are. Along with more sedate dishes such as dim sum and soup, you can also find bamboo skewers of silkworms, scorpions, seahorse, snake and starfish. If insects or innards aren’t your thing, a huge variety of fresh vegetables are on offer. Half the fun of this market, however, lies in simply checking out the food on gorgeous display and bantering with the vendors and other patrons.

PLAY

The bohemian Houhai Lake is one of the hippest spots in Beijing. One of several lake areas near Tiananmen Square, Houhai is also known as the “back lake” and is home to scores of restaurants, bars, coffee houses and boutiques set along cobblestone lanes. Stroll along the water and over charming arched bridges as you hop from hotspot to hotspot, or hire one of the numerous rickshaws that ply the area. Even more fun, rent a two or three person bicycle to ride down Lotus Lane, the most happening street in Houhai. The be-seen nightspot is No Name Bar, owned by cellist Bai Feng and known as the “Cathedral of Cool.” It has no address, either, but look for a vine-covered wooden structure by the Yinding Bridge.

SHOPPING

The Shanghi Xu district is the place to go shopping for clothes, from traditional Asian silks to contemporary fashions. You can also have garments custom-made, selecting your own fabrics at a very reasonable cost and usually within a day or two. If you’re in the market for silk, head to Silk Alley, a friendly tourist shopping area where everyone speaks English. Be prepared to bargain.

SEE/DO

The Forbidden City and Imperial Palace remain must-see sights in Beijing, and are amazing places of grandeur and history. Built from 1406 to 1420, the immense complex includes 980 surviving buildings spread over nearly eight million square feet. It served as the imperial residence and court for 24 emperors from the Ming Dynasty through the Qing Dynasty.

The Beijing Art Museum of the Imperial City houses an extensive collection of priceless historical treasures, including bronze and jade pieces from the Third century B.C. to the 17th century as well as paintings, calligraphy, ivory and wood carvings, porcelains, ancient pottery and Buddhist scriptures. The building itself is located in the Wanshou Temple, the temple of longevity, built in 1577 and serving as the place for birthday celebrations during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

SECRETS/FINDS

The 798 Art District is a huge haven for the creative class, housed in once decaying state-owned factories and warehouses from the 1950s. Expanding outward from Originality Square, 798 is home to hundreds of art galleries, studios, boutiques selling everything from high fashion to Mao kitsch, bookstores, restaurants and bars, all housed in the Bauhaus-style buildings. Simply walking around can lead to fascinating discoveries.

Summer is both a time for making new memories and reflecting on those from years past. We want you to share your Best Summer Travel Story (in 100 words or less) with us for the chance to win a free $250 (USD) Visa gift card. Click here for full contest rules and to find out how to enter.

_______________________

All Photos: Shelley Seale
Photo 1: Forbidden City
Photo 2: Donghuamen Night Market
Photo 3: Houhai Lake