B e iji ng i s a huge city with s e v e r a l d i s tr i c t a rt i c l e s c on t a i n i ng s i gh t s ee i ng, restaurant, n i gh t li f e and a cc o mm od a t i on li s t i ng s — c on s i d e r p r i n t i ng them a ll .B e iji ng (北京 B ěij īng ) i s the c a p i t a l ofthe most popu l ou s country in the world, theP e op l e 's R e pub li c of Ch i n a , a nd a l s o i t ssecond l a r g e s t city a f t e r S h a ngh a i . It wasa l s o the seat of t h e Ming and Qing dynastyemperors until the f o r m a t i on of a r e pub li cin 1911. B e iji ng i s the po li t i c a l ,e du c a t i on a l a nd c u l t u r a l centre of thecountry and a s such it i s rich in h i s t o r i c a ls i t e s a nd i m po rt a n t government and c u l t u r a li n s t i t u t i on s .The city i s w e ll known for i t s f l a t n e ss and r e gu l a r c on s tr u c t i on. There are only three h ill s to b e found in the city li m i t s (in J i ng s h a n Park to the north of the f a m ou s Fo r b i dd e n City). L i k e t h e c on f i gu r a t i on of the Fo r b i dd e n City, B e iji ng has c on c e n tr i c "ring r o a d s ", which are a c t u a ll y r e c t a ngu l a r , that go around the m e tr opo li s .B e iji ng was host to the 2008 Summer O l y m p i c G a m e s .LandmarksThe centre of the city and most i m po rt a n t l a nd m a rk i s T i a n a n m e n Square in Dongcheng D i s tr i c t . T h i s i s the w o r l d 's l a r g e s t public square and a must see for a ll v i s i t o r s from abroad and from e l s e w h e r e in Ch i n a . The square i s surrounded by grand bu il d i ng s i n c l ud i ng the Great H a ll of t h e P e op l e , the Museum of Ch i n e s e H i s t o ry , the Museum of the Ch i n e s e R e v o l u t i on, the Q i a n m e n Gate and the Fo r b i dd e n City. It i s a l s o home to the Ch a i r m a n Mao M e m o r i a l H a ll and t h e Monument to the P e op l e 's M a rtyr s .The N a t i on a l S t a d i u m or B i r d 's Nest in Chaoyang D i s tr i c t i s a new m a j o r l a nd m a rk and t h e s y m bo l of the 2008 Olympic Games. Two contemporary bu il d i ng s in Chaoyang D i s tr i c t a r er e m a rk a b l e l a nd m a rk s : the CCTV Building and the World Trade Center Tower III. Both a r e ou t s t a nd i ng e x a m p l e s of contemporary a r c h i t e c t u r e .There are a l s o a number of r e m a rk a b l e r e m a i n s from the m e d i e v a l city including the Ming Dynasty City W a ll S i t e Park (the only r e m a i n s of the city w a ll ) inChongwen D i s tr i c t , the Drum and B e ll Towers in D ong c h e ng D i s tr i c t ,and Q i a n m e n in Chongwen D i s tr i c t .Palaces, temples and parksThe c i ty 's many green oases are a w ond e r f u l break from w a l k i ng a l ong the never e nd i ng bou l e v a r d s and n a rr o w hutongs. L o c a l s s i m il a r l y flock to B e iji ng 's p a l a c e s , t e m p l e s and parks whenever they have t i m e . T h e green areas are not only used for r e l a x i ng but a l s o for sports, d a n c i ng, s i ng i ng and g e n e r a l r e c r ea t i on.The most i m po rt a n t p a l a c e , bar none, i s t h eFo r b i dd e n city in Dongcheng D i s tr i c t . T h e Fo r b i dd e n City was home to the I m p e r i a l Court during the Ming and Qing Dy n a s t i e s . U n li k e many other h i s t o r i c a l s i gh t s , the Fo r b i dd e n City was r e l a t i v e l y untouched during the c u l t u r a l r e v o l u t i on due to the t i m e l y i n t e rv e n t i on of p r e m i e r Zhou En l a i , who sent h i s troops to guard t h e p a l a c e from the o v e r-z ea l ou s Red Guards. The T e m p l e of Heaven (天坛) in Chongwen D i s tr i c t i s the s y m bo l of B e iji ng and i s surrounded by a li v e l y park ty p i c a ll y packed with hordes of l o c a l p e op l e drinking tea, p r a c t i c i ng c a lli g r a ph y or t a i -c h i or j u s t w a t c h i ng the world go by. T h e Yonghegong (Lama T e m p l e ) ( 雍 和 宫 ) in Dongcheng D i s tr i c t i s one of the most i m po rt a n t a nd b ea u t i f u l t e m p l e s in the country.Other parks are scattered around B e iji ng. Some of the best are Zhongshan Park ( 中 山 公 园 ) in X i c h e ng D i s tr i c t , B e i h a i Park ( 北 海 公 园 ) in X i c h e ng D i s tr i c t , Chaoyang Park ( 朝 阳 公 园 ) in Chaoyang D i s tr i c t and R i t a n Park (日坛公园) in Chaoyang D i s tr i c t . The B e iji ng Zoo (北京动物 园 ) in X i c h e ng D i s tr i c t i s f a m ou s for i t s tr a d i t i on a l l a nd s c a p i ng and g i a n t pandas, however li k e many zoos, the c ond i t i on s for the a n i m a l s have been qu e s t i on e d.H a i d i a n D i s tr i c t i s home to the Summer p a l a c e (颐和园), ther u i n s of the Old Summer P a l a c e ( 圆 明 园 ), F r a g r a n t H ill s(香山), and the B e iji ng B o t a n i c a l Garden (北京植物 园). Allare qu i t e c l o s e together and worth a v i s i t .Museums and galleries The museums in B e iji ng are g e n e r a ll y not yet up to the standard seenin c i t i e s such as P a r i s , Ro m e and New York. However the city c on t a i n s one of the l a r g e s t and most w e ll known museums in A s i a , the P a l a c e Museum a l s o known as the Fo r b i dd e n City. It i s a l s o a UNESCO World H e r i t a g eS i t e.Ch i n a's government i s d e t e r m i n e d to change the backward p e r c e p t i on of i t s museums and h a s i n v e s t e d h ea v il y in t h e i r d e v e l op m e n t. It has a l s o made most of them (not the Fo r b i dd e n City) f r ee to v i s i t.However, for some museums t i c k e t s must be reserved three days in a d v a n c e.One of the most w e ll-k no w n museums in B e iji ng i s the N a t i on a l Museum ( 国家博物馆) in Dongcheng D i s tr i c t,w h i c h has been c l o s e d for r e no v a t i on s i n c e2007 and i s expected to reopen in2010. The M ili t a ry Museum (军事博物馆 ) in H a i d i a n D i s tr i c t has long been a f a v o r i t e with do m e s t i c and f o r e i gn t ou r i s t s.The C a p i t a l Museum (首都博物馆 ) in X i c h e ng D i s tr i c t i s a n e w high p r o f il e museum with h i s t o r i c a l and art e x h i b i t i on s.F i n a ll y,a number of restored f o r m e r r e s i d e n c e s of f a m ou s B e iji ng e r s,e s p e c i a ll y in X i c h e ng D i s tr i c t,g i v e a good i n s i gh t into d a il y li f e in f o r m e r t i m e s.The contemporary art scene in B e iji ng i s boo m i ng and a l a r g e number of a rt i s t s e x h i b i t and s e ll t h e i r art in g a ll e r i e s around the city. The g a ll e r i e s are concentrated in a number of art d i s tr i c t s, including the o l d e s t and ea s i e s t a cc e ss i b l e, but a l s o i n c r ea s i ng l y c o mm e r c i a l and m a i n s tr ea m, D a s h a n z i Art D i s tr i c t in Chaoyang D i s tr i c t.Other newer and perhaps more cutting edge a rt d i s tr i c t s i n c l ud e C a o c h a ngd i in Chaoyang D i s tr i c t and Songzhuan A rt i s t's V ill a g e in T ong z hou D i s tr i c t.The languages of BeijingStandard M a nd a r i n i t s e l f was the a d m i n i s tr a t i v e l a ngu a g e of the Ming and Q i ng d y n a s t i e s and w a s based m a i n l y on the B e iji ng d i a l e c t. For l a ngu a g e students t h i s makes s t ud y i ng in B e iji ng a n e x c e ll e n t chance to l ea r n the l a ngu a g e in a r e l a t i v e l y pure form. That b e i ng s a i d,B e iji ng d i a l e c t c on t a i n s n a s a l "e r"sounds at the end of many words. Hence the ub i qu i t ou s l a m b kabobs (羊肉串yán g ròu c h uàn) become "yán g ròu c h uàn r". In a dd i t i on,the B e iji ng d i a l e c t c on s i s t s of many l o c a l s l a ng s which have not been i n c o r po r a t e d into standard M a nd a r i n.B e iji ng t a x i d r i v e r s are f a m ou s l y chatty and will g l a d l y engage students of the l a ngu a g e o ff e r i ng e x c e ll e n t chances to p r a c t i c e the l a ngu a g e and get a f ee l for the changes in the city and country from an "Old B e iji ng e r".Eng li s h i s spoken by s t a ff at the m a i n t ou r i s t a ttr a c t i on s,as w e ll as at m a j o r ho t e l s.O t h e rw i s e, Eng li s h speakers are not common, so a l w a y s get your ho t e l's bu s i n e ss card to show the t a x i d r i v e r in case you get l o s t.L i k e w i s e,have s t a ff at your ho t e l wr i t e down the names of any t ou r i s t a ttr a c t i on you p l a n to v i s i t in Ch i n e s e,so l o c a l s can po i n t you out in the right d i r e c t i on.Scenic and Historic Interest Areas* The Great W a ll of Ch i n a (长城Chángchéng) about a 1 hour tr a i n trip or 1.5 hour bus r i d e from the city (be aware of bus scams). See Great W a ll for g e n e r a l i n f o r m a t i on on the Great W a ll and see the suburb a rt i c l e for i nd i v i du a l li s t i ng s.The B a d a li ng s e c t i on i s the most f a m ou s,but a l s o over-restored and crowded. J i n s h a n li ng,Huanghuacheng and S i m a t a i are more d i s t a n t but o ff e r a better v i e w of the w a ll away from the crowds. M u t i a n y u has been restored, but i s f a r l e ss c r o w d e d than B a d a li ng.Crowds are a d e f i n i t e i ss u e with the Great W a ll:at popu l a r s e c t i on s at popu l a r t i m e s,it becomes not the Great W a ll of Ch i n a,but rather the Great W a ll of T ou r i s t s.It i s po ss i b l e to rent a t a x i for ¥400-800 for the round trip including w a i t i ng t i m e.You may want to bring a j a c k e t a g a i n s t the wind or cold in the c h illi e r season - in the summer you will need l o t s of w a t e r,and it will be cheaper if you b r i ng your own.* Hutongs ( 胡 同 Hútòng). B e iji ng 's a n c i e n t a ll e yw a y s , where you can find tr a d i t i on a l B e iji ng a r c h i t e c t u r e . They date back to when B e iji ng was the c a p i t o l of the Yuan d y n a s ty (1266-1368). M o s t bu il d i ng s in hutongs are made in the tr a d i t i on a l courtyard (四合院 s ìh éy u àn ) s ty l e . Many of these courtyard homes were o r i g i n a ll y o cc up i e d by a r i s t o c r a t s , though a f t e r t h e Co mm un i s t takeover in 1949 the a r i s t o c r a t s were pushed out and r e p l a c e d with poor f a m ili e s . Hutongs can s t ill be f ound throughout the area within the 2nd Ring Road, though many are b e i ng d e m o li s h e d to make way for new bu il d i ng s and w i d e r roads. M o s t popu l a r among t ou r i s t s are t h e hutongs near Q i a n m e n and H ouh a i . The hutongs may at f i r s t f ee l i n t i m i d a t i ng to tr a v e ll e r s used to the new w i d e streets of B e iji ng, but the l o c a l s are very f r i e nd l y and will o f t e n try to h e l p you i f you look l o s t .Theaters and concert hallsN a t i on a l Centre for the P e r f o r m i ng A rt s in X i c h e ng D i s tr i c t wasf i n a li s e d in 2007 and f i n a ll y gave B e iji ng a modern th ea t e r c o m p l e xc o v e r i ng opera, m u s i c and theater. T h i s i s worth a v i s i t even ifyou do not go to a p e r f o r m a n c e .The B e iji ng Opera i s c on s i d e r e d the most f a m ou s of a ll the tr a d i t i on a l opera p e r f o r m e d a r ound Ch i n a .T h i s kind of opera i s no t h i ng li k e western opera with costumes, s i ng i ng s ty l e , m u s i c a nd spectator r ea c t i on s b e i ng d i s t i n c t l y Ch i n e s e . The plot i s u s u a ll y qu i t e s i m p l e , so you m i gh t be a b l e to understand some of what happens even if you do not understand the l a ngu a g e . Some of the b e s t p l a c e s to watchB e iji ng Opera are found in X u a n w uD i s tr i c t including Huguang Huguang Theatre and L a o SheTeahouse. There are a l s o a number in D ong c h e ng D i s tr i c ti n c l ud i ng Chang'an Grand T h ea tr e .A c r ob a t i c s shows are a l s o worth a v i s i t if you want to s ee sometr a d i t i on a l Ch i n e s e e n t e rt a i n m e n t . Some of the b e s t shows arefound in T i a nq i a o A c r ob a t i c s Theatre in Xuanwu D i s tr i c tand in Chaoyang Theatre in Ch a o y a ng D i s tr i c t .Drama p l a y s has had a s l o w start in B e iji ng and i s s t ill notas w i d e s p r ea d as you might expect for a city li k e B e iji ng,and you will most li k e l y not be a b l e to find m a n y Westernp l a y s . However, some good p l a c e s for contemporary Ch i n e s ep l a y s do e x i s t including C a p i t a l Theatre in DongchengD i s tr i c t and Century Theater in Chaoyang D i s tr i c t .C l a ss i c a l m u s i c has got a much stronger foothold inB e iji ng than drama p l a y s . Some of the best p l a c e s to go are the N a t i on a l Centre for the P e r f o r m i ng A rt s andthe Century Theater both m e n t i on e d above as w e ll as B e iji ng Concert H a ll in X i c h e ng D i s tr i c t .ShoppingThroughout n ea r l y a ll markets in B e iji ng, h a gg li ng i s e ss e n t i a l . E s p e c i a ll y when b r o w s i ng through l a r g e ,"t ou r i s ty " s hopp i ng areas for common i t e m s , do not put i t beneath yourdignity to start b a r g a i n i ng at 15% off the vendor's i n i t i a l a s k i ng p r i c e . Inf a c t , in the most "t ou r i s ty " markets f i n a l p r i c e s c a n o f t e n be as low as15%-20% of the i n i t i a l a s k i ng p r i c e , a nd "r e m o v i ng a z e r o " i s n 't abad entry point in the b a r g a i n i ng p r o c e ss . A f t e r s p e nd i ng some t i m eh a gg li ng, never h e s i t a t e to t h r ea t e n w a l k i ng away, as t h i s i s o f t e n thequ i c k e s t way to see a vendor l o w e r h i s or her p r i c e s to a r ea s on a b l e l e v e l .Buying in bulk or in g r oup s may a l s o l o w e r the p r i c e . Beware that if youstart your b a r g a i n i ng a t too low of a p r i c e , such as 50% off the a s k i ng p r i c e , the vendor may j u s t i mm e d i a t e l y g i v e up on tryingto s e ll the i t e m to you. How high or low the vendor sets the a s k i ng p r i c e depends on t h e customer, the vendor, the product's popu l a r i ty , and even the t i m e of day. Vendors a l s o tend to target v i s i b l e m i no r i t i e s more, such as C a u c a s i a n s or p e op l e of A f r i c a n d e s c e n t .The are a number of i n t e r e s t i ng markets around B e iji ng where you can find a ll kind of cheap (a nd o f t e n f a k e ) s t u ff . Some of the most popu l a r p l a c e s are X i z h i m e n in X i c h e ng D i s tr i c t , S il k Street or P a n ji a y u a n in Chaoyang D i s tr i c t and Hong Q i a o M a rk e tin Chongwen D i s tr i c t .A s an a l t e r n a t i v e to the markets you can go to some of t h es hopp i ng areas li n e d with shops. T h i s i n c l ud e s N a n l uoguo x i a ngin Dongcheng D i s tr i c t and Q i a n m e n D a ji e P e d e s tr i a n Street,D a s h il a n and L i u li c h a ng in Xuanwu D i s tr i c t .If you are looking for tr a d i t i on a l Ch i n e s e food shops tryY i nh e hu a V e g e t a r i a n in Dongcheng D i s tr i c t ,D a o x i a ng c un, Liubiju or The Tea Street in Xuanwu D i s tr i c t and Chongwenmen Food Market in Chongwen D i s tr i c t .V i s i t i ng ho t e l shops and department stores i s not the most c h a r a c t e r f u l s hopp i ng in Ch i n a , but worth a look. W h il e g e n e r a ll y s i gn i f i c a n t l y more e x p e n s i v e , they are l e ss li k e l y to s e ll truly low qu a li ty goods. The old s ty l e of Ch i n e s e r e t a ili ng i s g r a du a ll y b e i ng tr a n s f o r m e d by shops with a better d e s i gn sense and s ou v e n i r i t e m s are g e tt i ng better each year. S il k c l o t h i ng, t a b l e s e tt i ng s a nd so on and other spots around town, are worth a look, as are po r c e l a i n, s p e c i a l ty tea and o t h e r tr a d i t i on a l i t e m s . Some of the most popu l a r areas for t h i s kind of s hopp i ng are W a ng f u ji ng a nd The M a ll s at O r i e n t a l P l a z a both in Dongcheng D i s tr i c t as w e ll as X i d a n in X i c h e ng D i s tr i c t .CuisineThe best way to eat w e ll and c h ea p l y in B e iji ng i s to enter one of the ub i qu i t ou s restaurants w h e r e the l o c a l s are ea t i ng and pick a f e w d i ff e r e n t d i s h e s from the menu. Truth be told, anyone f a m ili a r with Western currency and p r i c e s will find B e iji ng a very i n e x p e n s i v e city for food, e s p e c i a ll y c on s i d e r i ng that t i pp i ng i s not p r a c t i c e d in Ch i n a .Some of the cheapest and most d e li c i ou s m ea l s can be had on the streets. Savory pancakes (煎饼果子 J i ānb ĭng gu ŏz i ) are one of the most popu l a r street snacks, eaten from m o r n i ng till n i gh t with most carts op e r a t i ng during the morning commute and then op e n i ng a g a i n at night for t h e a f t e r-c l ub crowds and n i gh t-o w l s . T h i s d e li c i ou s pancake i s cooked with an egg on a g r i dd l e , a f r i e d dough c r i s p i s added, and the w ho l e thing i s d r i zz l e d in s c a lli on s and a savory sauce. Hot sauce i s op t i on a l . D i e h a r d f a n s o f t e n go on a quest for the best cart in the city. T h i s treat s hou l d only cost ¥2.50, with an extra egg ¥3.Lamb kebabs ( 羊 肉 串 儿 yángròu chuànr) and o t h e r kebabsare g r ill e d on m a k e s h i f t stands a ll around B e iji ng, from thel a t e a f t e r noon to l a t e at n i gh t . W a ng f u ji ng has a "s n a c k s tr ee t "s e lli ng such mundane f a r e li k e l a m b, c h i c k e n, and b ee f as w e llas m u l t i p l e s ty l e s of nood l e d i s h e s , such as S i c hu a n s ty l e r i c enood l e s , but the b r a v e can a l s o s a m p l e s il kw o r m , s c o r p i on, and v a r i ou s o r g a n s a ll skewered on a s t i c k and g r ill e d to o r d e r .A w i n t e r s p e c i a l ty , c a nd i e d haw b e rr i e s ( 冰 糖 葫 芦 b īngtáng húlu) a r ed i ppe d in m o l t e n sugar which i s l ef t to harden in the cold and s o l d on a s t i c k .You can a l s o find v a r i a t i on s with oranges, grapes, s tr a w b e rr i e s , a nd bananas, ord i ppe d in c r u m b l e d peanuts as w e ll as sugar. T h i s s w ee t snack can a l s os o m e t i m e s be f ound in the s p r i ng and the summer, but t h e haw b e rr i e s are o f t e nfrom l a s t season's crop.The most f a m ou s street for f ood in B e iji ng i s p r ob a b l y G u iji e (簋街/鬼街 G u ǐji ē).B e iji ng Roast Duck i s a f a m ou s B e iji ng s p e c i a l ty served a tmany restaurants, but there are qu i t e a f e w r e s t a u r a n t s d e d i c a t e d tothe art of r o a s t i ng the p e r f e c t duck. Expect to pay around ¥40per w ho l e duck at budg e t-r a ng e e s t a b li s h m e n t s , and ¥160-200 ath i gh -e nd restaurants. B e iji ng duck (北京烤鸭 B ĕij īng k ăoy ā) i sserved with thin p a n c a k e s , p l u m sauce (甜面酱 t i án m i àn ji àng )，a nd s li v e r s of s c a lli on s and cucumbers. You dip the duck in the sauceand roll it up in the pancake with a f e w s li v e r s of s c a lli on s and/orc u c u m b e r s . The end re s u l t i s a m ou t h w a t e r i ng c o m b i n a t i on of thecool c r un c h i n e ss of the cucumber, the sharpness of the s c a lli on s ,and the rich f l a v o r s of the duck. B e iji ng i s a l s o known for i t s mutton hotpot (涮羊肉 shuàn yáng ròu), w h i c h o r i g i n a ll y came from the Manchu p e op l e and e m ph a s i z e s mutton over other meats. L i k e v a r i a t i on s of hotpot (g e n e r a l name 火锅 hu ŏ gu ō) from e l s e w h e r e in Ch i n a and Japan, hotpot i s a c oo k-i t-y ou r s e l f a ff a i r in a s t ea m i ng pot in the center of the t a b l e . U n li k e S i c hu a n hotpot, mutton hotpot f ea t u r e s a s a v o ry , non -s p i c y broth. If that's not e x c i t i ng enough for you, you can a l s o request a s p i c y broth (be a w a r e that t h i s i s f l a m i ng red, f ill e d with peppers, and not for the w ea k !). To p l a y it s a f e and s a t i s f yeveryone, you can request a y i ng-y a ng(阴阳yīnyáng) pot d i v i d e d down the m i dd l e, with s p i c y broth on one s i d e and r e gu l a r broth on the other. Raw i ng r e d i e n t s are purchased by the p l a t e, i n c l ud i ng other types of meat and s ea f ood,v e g e t a b l e s,mushrooms, nood l e s,and tofu, so i t's a l s o p e r f e c t l y po ss i b l e to have v e g e t a r i a n hotpot. A d i pp i ng sauce, u s u a ll y sesame, i s served as w e ll; you can add c h ili s,g a r li c, c il a n tr o,etc, to c u s t o m i z e your own sauce. W h il e"r a w"s ound s dangerous, boiling the meat y ou r s e l f i s the best way to ensure that more r i s ky meats li k e pork a r e fully cooked and f r ee of germs. In the city center, hotpot can run as much as ¥40-50 per p e r s on, but on the ou t s k i rt s it can be f ound for as li tt l e as ¥10-25. Low-budget types may reuse the s p i c e s or c oo k i ng broth from p r e v i ou s guests, a l t hough it has been boiling for s e v e r a l hou r s.B e iji ng p r o v i d e s an i d ea l oppo rt un i ty to s a m p l e f ood from a ll over the country. Some of B e iji ng's best restaurants serve f ood from S i c hu a n,Hunan, Guangzhou, T i b e t,Yunnan, X i n ji a ng,and m o r e.For v e g e t a r i a n s,B e iji ng's f i r s t pure v e g e t a r i a n bu ff e t restaurant i s l o c a t e d a Con f u c i u s T e m p l e,s ee Dongcheng D i s tr i c t for f u rt h e r d e t a il.O r i gu s has numerous l o c a t i on s throughout B e iji ng,and o ff e r s an a ll-y ou-c a n-ea t p i zz a/p a s t a bu ff e t for ¥39, i n c l ud i ng s o f t d r i n k s and dessert bar. If you're in the mood for Texan f a r e,head for t h e T i m's Texas BBQ near the J i a nguo m e n subway s t a t i on.T h e y'll h a pp il y p r o v i d e you with your f a v ou r i t e A m e r i c a n food and drink. Tony Roma's has a l o c a t i on in W a ng f u ji ng(in the O r i e n t a l P l a z a).Korean restaurants are a l s o very common in B e iji ng.A f r e qu e n t m ea l i s the g r ill-i t-y ou r s e l f barbeque, i n c l ud i ng b ee f, c h i c k e n,and s ea f ood i t e m s as w e ll as some v e g e t a b l e s i n c l ud i ng g r ee n s and po t a t o e s.All luxury ho t e l s have at l ea s t one restaurant, w h i c h can be of any c u i s i n e they b e li e v e t h e i r guests will e n j o y. You will find French, I t a li a n,A m e r i c a n,and Ch i n e s e restaurants in most ho t e l s. Restaurants that serve a b a l on e and s h a rk f i n are c on s i d e r e d the most e x p e n s i v e restaurants in t h e city. Expect to pay upwards of ¥800 for a "c h ea p"m ea l at one of these restaurants, much more i f s p l u r g i ng.Places to drinkcity. A f e w years back, the only one was S a n li t un, but a l m o s t everyyear the l a s t f e w years have seen a new a r ea emerge. The mosti m po rt a n t areas a r e:* H ouh a i in X i c h e ng D i s tr i c t l o c a t e d around the l a k e,H ouh a i* N a n l uogu X i a ng in Dongcheng D i s tr i c t l o c a t e d in t h em i dd l e of the hu t ong s* S a n li t un in Chaoyang D i s tr i c t was once the centre of n i gh t li f e in B e iji ng and s t ill popu l a r withexpats but i n c r ea s i ng l y un i n t e r e s t i ng for tr a v e ll e r s and l o c a l s.* Workers S t a d i u m in Chaoyang D i s tr i c t has taken over part of the a c t i on in nearby S a n li t un.* West Gate of Chaoyang Park in Chaoyang D i s tr i c t i s one of the newest bar areas in B e iji ng* L a d i e s'Street in Chaoyang D i s tr i c t. By day it has some f a s h i on shops, as i t s name s ugg e s t s, but it i sa l s o home to some i n t e r e s t i ng new bars, restaurants and c l ub s.* Yuan Dynasty W a ll Bar Street in Chaoyang D i s tr i c t i s a new ready-made bar area l o c a t e d n i c e l ya l ong a s m a ll r i v e r and a park but with qu i t e un i n t e r e s t i ngb a r s.l o c a l un i v e r s i ty students hang out. There are a number of bars andrestaurants w h i c h serve a great v a r i e ty of w i n e,beer a nd liquor for cheap.T h i s area i s a l s o w e ll known for i t s huge K o r ea n popu l a t i on and a goodp l a c e to find Korean food.* D a s h a n z i in Chaoyang D i s tr i c t,B e iji ng's trendy art z on e, t h i sold warehouse and f a c t o ry d i s tr i c t has been taken over by a rt g a ll e r i e s,art shops and bars. W e ll worth the trip to e x p e r i e n c e t h e B e iji ng artscene. A l s o known as Factory 798 (798 工厂QījiǔbāGōng c hǎng).。