Beijing is both the capital of the People's Republic of China and an ancient city boasting renowned historical and cultural attractions.  In addition to the palaces, imperial gardens, museums, temples and tombs of the former Peking, today's visitor will find a rapidly changing skyline, brand new amenities and an open, welcoming attitude towards foreigners. Already home to more than 15 million of the country's 1.3 billion residents, Beijing continues its futuristic sprawl. Families should allow at least five days to see the "classic" sights, then add time to revel in the imaginative newness of so much expansion.

Because I had been to Beijing in 1980 (and even co-authored a piece about independent travel for the brand new China Daily), I wasn't too worried about entertaining my husband and 10-year-old son on our summer visit. But I did want to be sure that each day's experience was as intense as those I remembered in a long-ago China, one which for political and economic reasons no longer exists.  Go to Beijing now and you'll be confronted by today, tomorrow and 2008, the year in which the Olympics (and ultimate acceptance by the West) will finally arrive in this once forbidden city.

Beijing's Major Attractions

Here's our family's short list of the very important experiences one should have in Beijing, but communications in the new China are so improved that you can really let your own interests guide you. There are as many art galleries and military museums as Buddhist shrines, and as many upscale malls and fast food restaurants as Imperial palaces. With the comprehensive guide training and English language seminars being dispensed by tour operators, tourist offices, hoteliers and taxi cab owners to their staff, you won't have any trouble finding out about the location, hours, admission fees, etc. of sights that pique your interest. 

However, be sure that every family member carries the hotel's business card (written in both English and Mandarin) at all times, and request of your hotel concierge that every destination you plan to visit be written out in Chinese, with a Mandarin pronunciation key, so you can ask passersby for directions if you get lost. Although Beijing has inexpensive subways and public buses, those traveling with children will probably prefer taxis (also a bargain).  Note that heavy traffic has made bicycles, while still used by locals, too dangerous for most tourists.

Tiananmen Square - Anyone who remembers the televised image of a young man playing cat 'n mouse with an army tank during the student uprisings of 1989 will want to see Tiananmen - at 440,000-square-meters, it is the world's largest public square. On this site on October 1st, 1949, Mao proclaimed the People's Republic of China, making National Week celebrations and many other holidays a very crowded time to visit. Since those days though, the famed Tiananmen Square (Square of the Heavenly Gate) has been broken up by traffic circles, subway entries and crosswalks, diminishing the enormous power of its huge former void. Yet it is still a popular kite-flying ground, the south gateway to the Imperial Palace at the Forbidden City and the site of Mao's Tomb, making it our choice for your Day One sight. 

Forbidden City (Imperial Palace Museum) - If only to see where "The Last Emperor" was filmed, you must go to the enormous compound of walled palaces once forbidden from public view. Built between 1407-1420 by up to 200,000 laborers, the red-painted palaces with gold-shingle roofs were constructed of wood shipped from all over the country along China's 6th-century canal system. Bronze cauldrons too large to peer into are mounted throughout to collect rain water against fire damage. Unlike the centuries preceding Pu'Yi's departure as the last emperor in 1924, there are now reproduction furnishings in some pavilions but little of the artwork, classically painted screens, woven rugs, feather ornaments or fragrant censers of its heyday. In recent years, commercialization has creeped its way in-- there is now a Starbucks in the Forbidden City, as well as several souvenir shops. In March 2006, The World Monuments Fund announced plans to fund the restoration of the Qianlong Garden's architectural and landscape elements, ensuring that will be another focal point of your visit.

Just inside the north door (Jingshan Qianjie) is a booth where families can arrange for a private, guided two-hour tour.  We made our request for an English-speaking guide and within 20 minutes, a young university student had arrived, charging us a minimal amount for a tour in less-than-fluent English. As at many Chinese sights today, the monumental scope of the 180-acre space, its gardens, architecture and the unusual traditions told of the Imperial court are more stunning than what's inside any building. Starting at the end opposite Tiananmen Square was like seeing its 8,707 rooms back to front, but it was less crowded and our son thrived on the attention of the young woman, who insisted we take our picture together in dozens of spots.  When the guide wore out, we lingered to admire the thousands of Chinese posing for photos.

Temple of Heaven (Tian Tan) - This magnificent architectural gem, where the Emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties prayed for a good harvest, lies about a half-mile south of Tiananmen, deep within a landscaped park where many dance and exercise groups work out to pre-recorded music. Guidebook in hand, we carefully explained to our son what each circular chamber and square courtyard represented, and why the Emperor's prayers could be more easily heard with this proximity to heaven. Of most interest to him were the arms and swords for sale.  One souvenir vendor, who spoke commercial English with great style, taught him more about Imperial history while pitching a sword set than we had in the previous hour.

Many temples as well as attractions all over Beijing underwent a facelift in preparation for the 2008 Olympics. The most noted of the temples in this complex, the Hall for the Prayer of Good Harvests, was built without a single nail and it was reopened in 2006 after undergoing repairs.  

Public Parks - Thanks to jet lag, we arose very early our first morning and so chose that day to visit Jingshan Park, one of Beijing's largest and prettiest public parks, to watch some sunrise Tai'Chi and dance classes. It is centrally located behind the Forbidden City.  When our taxi pulled up to the entrance on broad Jingshan Qianjie boulevard about 6am, there were literally hundreds of men, women and children out and about, strolling or working out in unison under volunteer leaders. We had a delightful breakfast of dumpling soup and tea for about 20 cents each, joined an exercise class, and walked around the park. What a remarkable experience for all of us.  It's easy to spot the highest peak, Prospect Hill with its small pagoda-like tip, from which you have an amazing aerial view of the Forbidden City.  Back at the main entrance, the one opposite the Forbidden City's "back door" we stopped at a photographer's booth to pose in Imperial raiment for a priceless family portrait. By 7am we felt we'd been in China all our lives and we loved it.

The Summer Palace - Set in acres of parkland, this is a worthwhile and pleasant afternoon excursion to see the remnants of the Ming and Qing dynasties summer estate and rent a rowboat on scenic Lake Kunming. The palace served as a summer resort for the Empress Dowager, who is said to have diverted millions of government silver towards the reconstruction and enlargement of the Summer Palace.

Two Temples of Interest - We briefly visited the Confucius Temple, which houses huge stone tablets inscribed with the names of winners is the imperial examination in Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasty. The Lama Temple (Yonghe Lamasery) is the former Yong He Palace, constructed in 1694 for the royal family. Interestingly in light of recent politics, this palace was rededicated as a Buddhist Temple in 1723 then given over to Lamaist practitioners in 1744.

Shopping

Silk Alley - With little silk and no alley in sight, this is the Beijing attraction we returned to twice during our too-brief stay. True, it was within walking distance of our hotel, but the truth is our son loved eyeing the knock-off Nike sneakers, the Shanghai-made Quiksilver Tshirts, the myriad Pashmina shawls, watches, ball caps and other pirated "brand name" sportswear. No prices are posted. He immediately understood that he could bargain fiercely by punching ever-lower numbers into a calculator and waving it at the aggressive young vendors, and he relished walking away when he felt a better bargain could be had elsewhere. The dozens of small stalls lining Xiushui Jie (also called The Silk Market) are known by "plus-size" locals for carrying larger size clothing and footwear than commonly found in stores. (The free market at Sanlitun is also popular with expats and locals.)

Shopping Streets - Roaming these streets is one of the great family pleasures in China, because your child's allowance goes such a long way. A trendy pair of knock-off sneakers at a street market can cost as low as $5. Visitors who enjoy crowds should stroll along Wangfujing, Beijing's original shopping street lined with hotels and every type of store.  Xidan is a newer shopping street which has followed suit.  Liulichang in Hepingmen boasts antiques and old bookstores, Silver Street hosts foreign designer shops, and the new shopping centers and plazas are fun just for their decor.  The best value may be at the old-fashioned department stores (where each "boutique" has its own sales people and cashier so you have to keep paying as you go) because locals shop there. Contemporary goods such as sportswear, cashmere sweaters and cotton goods are excellent value. Bargaining is encouraged at the outdoor markets, condoned in some shops and frowned upon at the high-end boutiques. By the way, the unit of money is Renminbi and written RMB. As a rule of thumb, assume that credit cards are only accepted in major hotels and some of the high-end shops; Visa and Mastercard are more likely to be accepted than American Express. Cash is the currency which talks.

Shopping for Crafts - As the capital, Beijing prides itself on the caliber of its cuisine, performing arts, cultural venues and traditional Chinese crafts.  Those interested in Chinese antiques; Cloisonne and ivory; porcelain or  lacquerware; gold, pearl or jade jewelry; carpets and silks; fine arts such as painting and  calligraphy; and traditional Chinese medicine will find excellent quality and variety, though perhaps not the cheapest prices, in Beijing.

Pearl Market - Unlike many of the markets which are a collection of outdoor stalls, here the pearls are found on one floor of a huge indoor department store. Hundreds of pearl vendors man small booths draped in strands of different color and size pearls. They distinguish themselves by the finished bracelets and necklaces on display, which indicate the quality of their clasps and their design sensibility. Perhaps because we were tourists, we could not find a big difference in the price of pearls, which seemed fixed depending on their size and color. All fresh water cultivated pearls, they were a magnificent sight and a super value souvenir for grandparents and those special friends back home.
 

Old Peking Hutong - In the way that Manhattan's cast iron warehouses became the fashionable SoHo district, Beijing's old, narrow alleyways or hutong lined with stone courtyard homes have evolved from dreaded slums to the most expensive and fashionable of traditional housing. (Return after dark and see they're adjacent to a hip youth scene with great clubs and restaurants.) After the hutongs' restoration was supported by the Beijing government, several local tour operators enlisted willing homeowners to open their abodes for a fee, and it's well worthwhile to have a look at the daily life of relatively prosperous Chinese. We took a "To The Hutongs" Bicycle Tour, a safe escorted way to bike in the city of bicycles, and enjoyed pedaling two-seaters with cotton canopies between three different homes, the historic Drum Tower and Prince Gong's Mansion, all located in the Shichahai neighborhood. Some companies do this tour by canal boat, an option for the less active, and also offer evening tours combined with supper in one of the homes.

Peking Nights - Peking Opera is considered a must-see, but having heard this music on CD before departure, and watching our son's eyes roll in his head at all the "wailing," we decided instead to catch the impressive "Crouching Dragon, Hidden Tiger" martial arts show.  Again, our concierge called ahead for tickets and arranged a taxi to take us there. The comfortable and contemporary theatre housed many tour bus groups, but even the unenthusiastic appreciated the live music, colorful silk costumes and displays of elegant kung fu fighting. A big kid-pleaser.  If you're truly interested in the operatic arts, guided tour groups are welcome at the Beijing International Arts College, where kids are trained in dance, music, art, martial arts and traditional performing arts. Here, visitors can watch demonstrations and learn how children are schooled in these traditional arts. 

Peking Duck - Leaving Beijing without a Peking Duck feast would be like leaving Italy without having pizza.  Yeah, yeah, it's not exactly the same, but the Chinese are very proud of the slow roasting process used to cook the northern breed of duck specially raised for this dish. There are hundreds of duck restaurants, ranging from the legendary "Big Duck" Quanjude to flourescent-lit counters, so let your hotel concierge suggest the best of the current crop. Remember, it's the service of crisp duck skin, fat slices and succulent duck meat, accompanied by sliced spring onions (scallions), hoisin sauce (a sweetish roast plum sauce) and thick rice flour pancakes, that distinguishes one restaurant from another in the mind of the connoisseur. Fussy eaters can always have rice and soup for dinner.  

Day Excursions

We did not spend too much time in the Bejing Zoo (6831 4411) looking at its famous pandas because we were headed to Sichuan province to see them in the wild. (Read about our trip to Sichuan province here.) We were saddened by the old metal cages most animals were in and found it rather disappointing during the heat of summer; however, the garden setting was refreshing and cool.

We heard about the Garden of China's Ethnic Minorities, but did not see this cultural theme park which has several ethnic groups performing in reproduction village settings from around the country. Alternatively, World Park in the southwestern suburbs has 17 zones with 100 miniature buildings from around the world.  We read about two waterparks with great interest: Seaview and Lakeview, the former boasting beach volleyball coaches to help you improve your game, plus a faux sand beach under real palms, the latter designed by a Canadian group who worked with Disney, to accommodate 15,000 patrons at a time.  Both require assistance with public transportation to get there.

The Great Wall - Certainly a must-see site, this requires a full day's excursion and should be thoughtfully planned.  Click here to read about our family's private excursion; you'll also find many local companies offering guided bus tours to Badaling or Mutianyu, sites where the wall has been restored.  Many of the organized tours also make a brief stop at the Ming Tombs, burial site of the Ming Dynasty's royalty, but we chose to forego this, knowing that in Xi'an we would be at the greatest excavated tomb complex in all of China. (Read more about Xi'an here) If Beijing will be your only stop in this fascinating country, by all means, see the Tombs. 

There are a few other fun places to take kids in Beijing. The Badaling Wild Park (6912 1842) allows you to see wolves, lions, tigers, bears and more, roaming free on the park grounds.  It's a safe adventure, as visitors observe the wildlife from inside a vehicle. The Beijing Aquarium (6217 6655) and Beijing Planetarium (6835 2453) are modern facilitates that educate as well as entertain. For local children's entertainment, check out the China Puppet Theater (6422 9487); shows are on Saturdays and Sundays mornings.

Details, Details

Pacific Delight World Tours, Thomson Family Adventures and other tour operators organize family-oriented tours to Beijing from the US. To do more research for your trip or check out the city's hotels, visit the sites of the China National Tourist Organization; the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Tourism and the comprehensive listings of budget hotels and youth hostels at the Hostel Beijing website. For information on current events, local news and other items of interest to the English-speaking community, visit the site of the local magazine, City Weekend.