A guide to nearly 100 sights within Běijīng’s Third Ring Road, plus five walking routes and 28 background stories, all from A Better Guide to Běijīng

IMPERIAL CITY

Introduction to the Imperial City and Tiān’ān Mén Square
Palace Museum or…

A directory of practical advice from A Better Guide to Běijīng

Books and Maps
Crime, Scams, and Nuisances
Electricity
Embassies and Consulates
Entertainment
Festivals and Public Holidays, Potemkin Běijīng
Guides
Health
Internet and Other Digital Resources, Just My Fifty Cents…

Beyond the Third Ring Road: 58 Běijīng sights, 11 background stories, and two Great Wall walks, all from A Better Guide to Běijīng

Introduction

SUMMER PALACES

History and Background from A Better Guide to Běijīng

Introduction to Běijīng
A Brief History of Běijīng
Emperors Ruling from Yuán Dàdū or Míng and Qīng Běijīng
Hútòng Walking
Where’s the Loot?
Ancient Pastimes
World Heritage in China

Part of A Better Guide to Beijing’s Practical A-Z

220 volts, 50 cycles AC. Most modern portable electronic devices such as cameras, phones, laptops, and tablets are indifferent to voltages, while hairdryers, curling tongs, and shavers are not. Refer to the panel on the power…

Part of A Better Guide to Běijīng’s Practical A–Z

The situation with wildlife is less unpromising than you might imagine, particularly as regards birds. While sparrows and magpies are the most common the variety of other species has been increasing in number…

Part of A Better Guide to Běijīng’s Practical A–Z

In 1977, even with the Cultural Revolution over, postal workers in the largest post office in downtown Hefei didn’t know how to send a letter outside the country. People who asked about doing such a thing were met with stares of…

Part of A Better Guide to Běijīng’s Practical A–Z

The Nationalist government introduced five time zones to China during its rather uneven rule from 1912. But as far as the Communists was concerned, time restarted on 1 October 1949 when the creation of the People’s Republic was announced by…