Beijing Things to Do

Adventurous foodies who find themselves in Beijing would be remiss to skip out on the Donghuamen Night Market, located at the northern end of the Wangfujing business district. Since 1984, stalls at the market have been opening up at nightfall to shock visitors with bizarre treats from both northern and southern China.

Constructed for the 2008 Summer Olympics, the Olympic Green in Beijing is a massive park containing ten distinctive facilities for sports as various as handball, hockey, soccer, and archery.

Beijing is a city that embodies China’s ancient civilization and rich political and cultural history. Alongside all of the historical buildings, temples, and gates is the juxtaposition of a modern China filled with skyscrapers, luxury shopping malls, and a vibrant art and music scene. Here are suggestions of what to do when you come to the capital of one of the world’s oldest civilizations.

An obvious choice, perhaps, but the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, otherwise known affectionately as the egg (because of its shape) is a masterful structure made of titanium and glass, housing a plethora of world class opera, concerts and theatre.

Tickets for the new Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway have been selling hot cakes. The 1,318-kilometer railway officially started operating on July 1 this year with promises to whisk passengers between the two cities in a little under five hours.