‘Bei’ is for ‘north’ and ‘Jing’ is for ‘Capital’, thus Beijing is the ‘northern capital’, and was one of the for great ancient capitals of the Middle Kingdom. The southern one is Nanjing, the western Xi’an and the eastern Dongjing (Tokyo). Beijing was made the capital of the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368 AD) by Kublai Khan who named it Dadu, and it since served as the political and cultural centre of China.

Beijing is enormous, with over 10 million inhabitants. Travelling around the city is a nightmare due to the traffic, and by far the best way to get around is using the efficient subway system. The main avenue, Chang An, cuts through the city and stretches for over 40 kilometres from east to west. At its centre it has the Tiananmen Square to the south and the Forbidden City to the north. There is so much to do and see in Beijing, from taking a guided tour through the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and the Lama Temple, to flying a kite at Tiananmen Square or enjoying interesting street food at one of the night markets. Shopping is superb, and you can find some great Chinese antiques at the ‘Dirt’ market or bargain hard for branded adventure clothing.

Although many of the old areas (Hutongs) of town have been demolished making place for new high rises, there are still pockets of Beijing where you can disappear in the maze of small alleyways and rub shoulders with the locals. Great little restaurants can be found local serving delicacies like Beijing Duck and delicious dumplings. Those who know Beijing well and can find these hidden gems love the city. If you don’t it is not a very charming place. So, do contact us for an experience of Beijing that others most likely will miss.