Beijing History Tour
- Tiananmen Square
- The Forbidden City
- Jingshan Park
Běijīng 北京
The City
Beijing is the capital of China, and the second-largest city in the country by population after Shanghai. Situated in Northern China, Beijing is one of the oldest cities in the world, with over 3,000 years of history.
What to see
No first trip to Beijing is complete without seeing 天坛 Tiāntán (the Temple of Heaven), 故宫 Gùgōng (the Forbidden City), 颐和园 Yíhéyuán (the Summer Palace), and 天安门广场 Tiān'ānmén Guǎngchǎng (Tiananmen Square).
But don’t forget to also check out 圆明园 Yuánmíngyuán (the Old Summer Palace – actually newer than Yíhéyuán, but destroyed during the Second Opium War in the late 1800s), catch the view over the Forbidden City from 景山公园 Jǐngshān Gōngyuán (Jingshan Park), visit 鼓楼Gǔlóu (the Drum Tower) and 钟楼 (the Bell Tower), and see the beautiful 雍和宮 Yōnghégōng (Yonghe Lama Temple).
What to do
Visiting Beijing gives you the perfect opportunity to travel to some of the more accessible sections of 长城 Chángchéng (the Great Wall), which are an hour or two away from the city centre. The two most popular sections are 八达岭 Bādálǐng and 慕田峪 Mùtiányù.
For less strenuous activities, stroll along trendy hutongs in Beijing city centre like 五道营胡同 Wǔdàoyíng Hútòng, take a leisurely boat trip on the lake at 北海公园 Běihǎi Gōngyuán (Beihai Park), hire Qing dynasty clothing for a day, and get dressed up in hanfu for a banquet and a show at 北京宫宴 Běijīng Gōng Yàn.
For a little retail therapy, go shopping at popular 王府井步行街 Wángfǔjǐng Bùxíngjiē (Wangfujing Pedestrian Street) and 前门大街 Qiánmén Dàjiē (Qianmen Street).
What to eat
北京烤鸭 Běijīng kǎoyā (Beijing roast duck) is an absolute must for any trip to Beijing. The most famous brand is 全聚德 Quánjùdé, which has been around since the 1800s, and now has multiple branches within the city.
炸酱面 zhajiàngmiàn is also a signature dish of the city, featuring a delicious savoury sauce of pork mince and soybeans over springy noodles.
For dessert, buy ancient royal pastries from any branch of 北京稻香村 Běijīng Dàoxiāngcūn – a bakery that’s been around since the Qing dynasty.
And if you’re adventurous or appreciate fermented foods, try 豆汁 dòuzhī – a fermented green bean breakfast drink that people either love or hate.
Did You Know?
‘Beijing’ was formerly romanised as ‘Peking’. This is why you’ll still sometimes see Beijing roast duck called ‘Peking roast duck’ in the West.
Tours
Combine your one-on-one classes with exciting tours accompanied by your teacher in Beijing. This is your opportunity to experience the city with a local while improving your Chinese skills.
Each tour has a five-hour duration and you can customise it as you wish, choosing where to visit and counting on your teacher’s help to decide the best itinerary for the day.
Our teachers have selected interesting places they would love to show you around. Here are their suggestions for a one-day tour in Beijing
Gardens, Temples and Houtongs
- Summer Palace
- Old Summer Palace
- Yonghe Temple
- Wuyaoding Hutong
The Great Wall
- Day trip to Mutianyu
- Toboggan slide
- Chair lift
- Cable car
Volunteering
Would you like to make a difference while visiting Beijing?
We’ve partnered with organisations that will offer you the opportunity to volunteer in a range of activities, from teaching English to supporting disadvantaged children.
This unique experience will allow you to have a positive impact while learning more about local culture and practising the language.
