North · DESTINATION GUIDE

Beijing 北京

Beijing brings together the ceremonial spaces of an imperial capital and the neighbourhood life of a vast contemporary city. Its historic centre lies on the North China Plain, while the municipality reaches into mountains to the north and west. That geography creates two different kinds of visit: days among palaces, gardens and hutongs, and dedicated journeys to the Great Wall. Choose a few substantial heritage visits, then leave space for the residential streets, parks and meals that give the capital a more everyday scale.

Location of Beijing in China

About Beijing

Beijing at a glance

Population
21,800,000Year-end resident population, entire provincial-level administrative area · 2025Source ↗
Income per person
89,090Mean annual disposable income per person, all residents · 2025 · CNYSource ↗
Languages & dialects
Mandarin (普通话), with local Beijing speech (北京话).Source ↗
Geography
Northern edge of the North China Plain; mountains to the west and north, lower plains to the southeast.Source ↗
Elevation
Plain areas roughly 20–60 m; mountain districts rise above 2,000 m.A terrain range, not a single elevation for the whole municipality.Source ↗
Main gateway
BeijingDirect-administered municipality
Mutianyu Great Wall · 慕田峪长城
Mutianyu Great Wall · Beijing · Velatrix · CC0

Discover Beijing

Read the city through its historic centre

The Central Axis provides a useful starting point for understanding Beijing's layout. The Forbidden City and the view from Jingshan reveal the relationship between formal courtyards, gates and the surrounding city. The Temple of Heaven introduces imperial ritual in a different setting, while the Summer Palace moves the experience toward lakes and gardens. Each is a substantial visit; selecting one as the day's main focus leaves more time to understand what you see.

Make room for neighbourhood life

Shichahai combines lake edges, bridges and lanes around the Bell and Drum Towers. Walk with consideration for the homes behind the courtyard doors, and use a meal or park stop to slow the pace. Qianmen offers a more commercial setting south of the former imperial centre. Beijing's food also changes the rhythm: a bowl of bean-sauce noodles, a shared lamb hotpot and a roast-duck meal are different occasions rather than interchangeable checklist stops.

Give the mountains their own travel plan

Mutianyu lies in the outer district of Huairou, where the Great Wall follows steep mountain terrain. Treat the section you choose as a separate excursion, with a clear outward and return journey. Within Beijing, a well-connected metro base usually matters more than being close to one monument. Check the precise airport and railway station on every booking: the capital has multiple gateways, and crossing the city adds a different travel commitment from walking within one district.

Explore Beijing

Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.

Beijing local specialties

北京特色美食 · 51 specialties to discover

Photograph of Peking duck (北京烤鸭).Peking duck 北京烤鸭

The pleasure comes from brittle skin against tender meat, with fresh vegetables cutting through the rich fat.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Photo: City Foodsters · CC BY 2.0
Photo adjustments

EXIF orientation applied where present; resized proportionally to at most 640 px on the long edge and encoded as WebP. No crop, retouching, recoloring or subject changes.

Photograph of Zhajiangmian (炸酱面).Zhajiangmian 炸酱面

The sauce is salty, deeply savory and oily; fresh vegetables lighten the mouthful while firm noodles supply chew.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Photo: Zheng Zhou · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo adjustments

EXIF orientation applied where present; resized proportionally to at most 640 px on the long edge and encoded as WebP. No crop, retouching, recoloring or subject changes.

Photograph of Lamb hotpot (涮羊肉).Lamb hotpot 涮羊肉

The meat should stay tender, with lamb fat lending richness to each bite. The creamy dip supplies much of the salt and nuttiness.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Photo: N509FZ · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo adjustments

EXIF orientation applied where present; resized proportionally to at most 640 px on the long edge and encoded as WebP. No crop, retouching, recoloring or subject changes.

Photograph of Douzhi (豆汁儿).Douzhi 豆汁儿

Expect a distinctly sour, earthy aroma and a thin texture, quite different from sweet soy milk. The pickles and fried dough change the balance of each mouthful.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Photo: Snowyowls · CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo adjustments

EXIF orientation applied where present; resized proportionally to at most 640 px on the long edge and encoded as WebP. No crop, retouching, recoloring or subject changes.

Photograph of Jiaoquan (焦圈).Jiaoquan 焦圈

A jiaoquan shatters with a brittle crunch and leaves a toasted, lightly oily finish.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Photo: Vchan0120 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo adjustments

EXIF orientation applied where present; resized proportionally to at most 640 px on the long edge and encoded as WebP. No crop, retouching, recoloring or subject changes.

Photograph of Chaogan (炒肝).Chaogan 炒肝

Expect soft offal, a gelatinous gravy and a pronounced garlic aroma. It is richly savory rather than delicately seasoned.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Photo: N509FZ · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo adjustments

EXIF orientation applied where present; resized proportionally to at most 640 px on the long edge and encoded as WebP. No crop, retouching, recoloring or subject changes.

Photograph of Tanghulu (冰糖葫芦).Tanghulu 冰糖葫芦

The shell shatters before the juicy, sharply tart fruit comes through. Warm weather and moisture soften the coating.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Photo: Zhu Jian / Flickr user: zhu4905jian ( https://www.flickr.com/photos/7672101@N06/ ) · CC BY 2.0
Photo adjustments

EXIF orientation applied where present; resized proportionally to at most 640 px on the long edge and encoded as WebP. No crop, retouching, recoloring or subject changes.

Soybean-dusted rice rolls · 驴打滚 · AI dish illustrationSoybean-dusted rice rolls 驴打滚AI illustration · AI 示意图

Each piece combines a soft, elastic wrapper, smooth filling and dry, nutty coating.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
All dish names · 全部菜名 (51)

Top sights in Beijing

Trip.Best · Best Things to DoChecked 2026-09-20

  1. The Palace Museum · 故宫TOP1

    Forbidden City故宫

    Show on map
    东城区

    4.9 / 5 · Trip.com

    The Forbidden City is the former imperial palace at the centre of Beijing, now visited as the Palace Museum. Its successive gates, ceremonial courtyards and palace buildings make the north–south axis a useful way to understand…

    View guide →
  2. Badaling Great Wall · 八达岭长城TOP2

    Badaling Great Wall八达岭长城

    Show on map
    延庆区

    4.7 / 5 · Trip.com

    Badaling is a restored mountain section of the Great Wall in Yanqing, guarding the approach toward the Juyongguan corridor.

    View guide →
  3. Universal Beijing Resort · 北京环球度假区TOP3

    Universal Beijing Resort北京环球度假区

    Show on map
    通州区

    4.6 / 5 · Trip.com

    Universal Beijing Resort combines the Universal Studios Beijing theme park with Universal CityWalk and resort hotels. The park is organised around film worlds rather than a single linear sightseeing route. Its named lands…

    View guide →
  4. National Museum of China · 中国国家博物馆TOP4

    National Museum of China中国国家博物馆

    Show on map
    东城区

    4.8 / 5 · Trip.com

    The National Museum of China occupies the east side of Tiananmen Square. Its Ancient China exhibition provides a chronological route from prehistoric cultures to the late Qing dynasty, while specialist galleries let visitors…

    View guide →
  5. Prince Kung's Palace Museum · 恭王府TOP5

    Prince Kung's Palace Museum恭王府

    Show on map
    西城区

    4.8 / 5 · Trip.com

    Prince Gong Mansion combines a Qing aristocratic residence with a garden behind it in the Shichahai neighborhood.

    View guide →
  6. Temple of Heaven · 天坛TOP6

    Temple of Heaven天坛

    Show on map
    东城区

    4.7 / 5 · Trip.com

    The Temple of Heaven combines imperial ritual architecture with a large wooded park southeast of Beijing’s old central axis. Its main sequence links the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests with the Imperial Vault of Heaven and the…

    View guide →
  7. Summer Palace · 颐和园TOP7

    Summer Palace颐和园

    Show on map
    海淀区

    4.7 / 5 · Trip.com

    The Summer Palace is organized around Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill, combining imperial buildings with an extensive garden landscape. Along the hill’s southern foot, the painted Long Corridor links views across the water with…

    View guide →
  8. Mutianyu Great Wall · 慕田峪长城TOP8

    Mutianyu Great Wall慕田峪长城

    Show on map
    怀柔区

    4.8 / 5 · Trip.com

    Mutianyu follows a wooded ridge in Huairou, with closely spaced watchtowers and a distinctive pass formed by three connected towers. Parapets on both sides of the wall reveal how defenders could operate in more than one…

    View guide →
  9. POP LAND · 泡泡玛特城市乐园TOP9

    POP LAND泡泡玛特城市乐园

    Show on map
    朝阳区

    4.5 / 5 · Trip.com

  10. Sun Park · 朝阳公园TOP10

    Sun Park朝阳公园

    Show on map
    朝阳区

    4.7 / 5 · Trip.com

    Chaoyang Park is a large urban green space between Beijing’s eastern ring roads, with lakes, flower planting, landscaped lawns, and recreation areas.

    View guide →
View more on Trip.com →

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Ranking source & photo credits

The first ten entries of Trip.Best Best Things to Do. Rankings reflect platform recommendations, not counts of international visitors. Read on 20 September 2026; platform pages may use cached snapshots.

  • Forbidden City: Source: Trip.com · Resized and WebP compressed; fitted to the ranking card.
  • Badaling Great Wall: Source: Trip.com · Resized and WebP compressed; fitted to the ranking card.
  • Universal Beijing Resort: Source: Trip.com · Resized and WebP compressed; fitted to the ranking card.
  • National Museum of China: Source: Trip.com · Resized and WebP compressed; fitted to the ranking card.
  • Prince Kung's Palace Museum: Source: Trip.com · Resized and WebP compressed; fitted to the ranking card.
  • Temple of Heaven: Source: Trip.com · Resized and WebP compressed; fitted to the ranking card.
  • Summer Palace: Source: Trip.com · Resized and WebP compressed; fitted to the ranking card.
  • Mutianyu Great Wall: Source: Trip.com · Resized and WebP compressed; fitted to the ranking card.
  • POP LAND: Source: Trip.com · Resized and WebP compressed; fitted to the ranking card.
  • Sun Park: Source: Trip.com · Resized and WebP compressed; fitted to the ranking card.

Our place guide directory →

EXPLORE THE NEXT LEVEL

Cities, counties & districts in Beijing

16 areas belong directly to Beijing.

16 areas

District

Dongcheng District东城区

Dongcheng is a district of the city of Beijing. It covers the eastern half of Beijing's urban core region, including all of the eastern half of the Old City inside of the 2nd Ring Road with the northernmost…

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Xicheng District西城区

Xicheng is a district of the city of Beijing. Its postal code is 100032. Xicheng is subdivided into 15 subdistricts of the city proper of Beijing.

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Chaoyang District朝阳区

Chaoyang is an urban district of Beijing. It borders the districts of Shunyi to the northeast, Tongzhou to the east and southeast, Daxing to the south, Fengtai to the southwest, Dongcheng, Xicheng, and…

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Fengtai District丰台区

Fengtai District is a district of the city of Beijing. It lies mostly to the southwest of the city center, extending into the city's southwestern suburbs beyond the Sixth Ring Road, but also to the south and…

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District

Shijingshan District石景山区

Shijingshan District is an urban district of the city of Beijing. It lies to the west of the urban core of Beijing, and is part of the Western Hills area, bordering the districts of Haidian to the northeast…

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Haidian District海淀区

Haidian is a northwest urban district of Beijing, bordering Xicheng and Fengtai.

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Mentougou District门头沟区

Mentougou District is a district of the city of Beijing. It is at the western part of the city. Spanning 1,321 square kilometres (510 sq mi), with 392,606 inhabitants (2020 Census), it is subdivided into 4…

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Fangshan District房山区

Fangshan District is a district of the city of Beijing. It is situated in the southwest of Beijing, 38 km (24 mi) away from downtown Beijing.

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Tongzhou District通州区

Tongzhou, historically romanized as Tong-Choo-Foo in 18th-century British accounts,

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Shunyi District顺义区

Shunyi District is a district of Beijing. Shunyi borders the Beijing districts of Pinggu to the east, Tongzhou to the south, Chaoyang to the southwest, Changping to the west, Huairou to the north, and Miyun…

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Changping District昌平区

Changping District, formerly Changping County (昌平县), is a district situated in the suburbs of north and northwest Beijing.

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Daxing District大兴区

Daxing District is a district of Beijing, covering the southern suburbs of the city. It borders the Beijing districts of Tongzhou to the east/northeast, Fangshan to the west, Fengtai to the northwest…

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Huairou District怀柔区

Huairou District is situated in northern Beijing about 50 kilometres (31 mi) from the city centre.

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Pinggu District平谷区

Pinggu District, formerly Pinggu County (平谷县), lies in the far east of Beijing Municipality. It has an area of 950 km² (370 sq mi) and a population of 457,313 (2020 Census).

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Miyun District密云区

Miyun District (simplified Chinese: 密云区; traditional Chinese: 密雲區; pinyin: Mìyún Qū) is situated in northeast Beijing. It has an area of 2,227 km² (860 sq mi) and a population of 527,683 (2020 Census).

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Yanqing District延庆区

Yanqing District, formerly known as Yanqing County before 2015, is a district of the municipality of Beijing located northwest of the city proper of Beijing, 74km away from the city center.

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Arrive, stay & get around Beijing

交通枢纽、住宿与天气

YOUR ARRIVAL GATEWAY

Beijing北京

Transport gateways for Beijing; check the named terminal or station on the ticket.

Airports

Railway stations

Metro & city transport

GET AROUND BY METRO · 地铁出行

Beijing Metro Network 北京轨道交通线路图

Zoomable map · 可放大

Use the operating network map for central sights and station transfers. Airport rail services have their own routes and ticket arrangements.

  1. 1Find your stations确认起点与终点站
  2. 2Check interchanges查看换乘线路与站点
  3. 3Follow exit signs到站后按站内标识出站
Beijing rail network diagram · 北京轨道交通线路图Explore the full network查看站名、线路与换乘Enlarge map点击放大线路图

Check the legend for closed, reserved or future sections. 停运、预留与规划区间，请按图例辨识。

Map edition: 2026-06-29 · Diagram reviewed 2026-09-06

Map: Painjet · CC BY-SA 4.0

Map coverage & sources 图示范围与来源说明

Complete Beijing Subway operating network in the 2026-06-29 Chinese map revision, including Tongyunmen (opened the next day). It is a metro network map, not a complete national/suburban railway map. Temporary closures and station facilities require operator checks.

White background and WebP conversion; no route edits.

Official information ↗
Amap · 高德地图Apple Maps · 苹果地图

Coaches, ferries & onward travel

Transport reference review: 2026-09-06. Consult the operator for current services and timetables.

More about getting around

Use the metro for city journeys, then walk within one neighbourhood at a time. Beijing has several major railway stations and two widely separated international airports. Check the exact station or airport on your booking before arranging the final transfer.

Stay in Beijing

Dongcheng suits access to the old city and central sights; a hotel near a useful metro interchange reduces daily travel. Courtyard accommodation can be atmospheric, but check room access, heating, and luggage arrangements. Choose a northern mountain base only for a dedicated Wall outing.

Find hotels on Trip.com →

Change your destination, dates and guests on Trip.com.

Beijing weather

The current-hour forecast loads when this section is visible. It uses MET Norway model data for the named city, not station observations.

Seasons & when to go

Summer can be hot and humid, with rain interrupting outdoor plans. Winter is cold and generally dry; wind makes exposed courtyards feel colder. Spring and autumn favour walking, although spring can be dusty and mountain weather differs from downtown.

Local life & communication

Monumental order meets intimate residential lanes. Northern wheat foods, lamb hotpot and roast-duck traditions give the day a local rhythm.

Read Beijing through the relationship between ceremonial buildings and everyday streets. At the Temple of Heaven, architecture reflects imperial ritual; in residential hutongs, daily routines continue around visitors. Keep voices low near homes and ask before photographing people or private courtyards.

Language & communication

Mandarin is the main language, with a distinctive local accent. English signage helps at major transport hubs and attractions, but small restaurants vary. Save your hotel address and each attraction's Chinese name so you can show them when directions become complicated.

Useful local tips

  • Check each major heritage site's current official entry rules; adjacent places may require separate arrangements.
  • Hutongs are residential: keep doorways clear and ask before photographing people or entering courtyards.
  • Save exact station, airport and Chinese hotel names before arranging transfers.
  • Douzhi is fermented mung-bean drink, not ordinary sweet soy milk.

Written by China Revealed · Editorially updated 2026-09-07

Sources & useful links