This is my third time in the city, except the polluted air, I love it all. You may know Beijing as the capital of China and it held the 2008 Olympic Games, but what I like the most is its two thousand years of history, culture and architecture. We suggest staying for at least 4-5 days so you can get a sense of both the ancient and modern side of the city. 

Always on top of the World Wonder list, the Great Wall is just something that has to be done at least once in your life time. The history of the Great Wall can be traced back to as early as 7th century BC. At the time, China was divided into several countries and the Great Wall was first built by emperor Qin Shi Huang to protect its state. Since then, the Great Wall has been a strategic defense for many dynasties. The majority of the existing wall you see today are from the Ming Dynasty.

There are different sections of the Great Wall which you can visit. 

Badaling (Pic 2 below) is among the most popular one among tourists as it can be easily accessed by train from Beijing city centre. However, I would try to AVOID this section if possible as it is cramped with tourists which makes it very difficult to get a decent picture. 

Mutianyu (Pic 1 below) is another section which I have visited and highly recommend everyone to do this over Badaling. This is a newly refurbished section with less tourists. The downside, however, is there is only public bus access which is quite difficult for tourist to navigate. Just book a transfer from your hotel in advance (cost us around RMB 500 return for a 5-seater car) and you are good to go!

Summer Palace covers as large as 2.9 kilometer square. Summer Palace is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and its history can be trace back to 11th century when Jin Dynasty moved its capital to Beijing. Here, you will be surrounded by fascinating architectures, beautiful lake, acient village and breathtaking view from the temple on the top of the hill.

Many people know this place from movies, period dramas or documentary. It is one of the biggest imperial palaces in the world and it was the home for many emperors for over 500 years. So there is no surprise that this site is also listed on the UNESCO list. For an birdeye view of the Forbidden city like you would in the movie, hike up to Jingshan Park which is right opposite to the North Gate exit of Forbidden City.

The Temple of Heaven is an imperial religious complex. It is the place where emperors visited for prayer ceremonies mainly asking for good harvest for the country. Here, every architecture, or just a pillar has its own meaning. You can definitely learn many interesting facts about ancient imperial lives and religion. 

  

Hutong was very important to Beijing's city planning. Hutong, meaning water well in Mogolian, are some narrow alleyways mainly built around water wells. As you could you have imagined, water is an essential for any development, hence these Hutongs played a very important role in the city development. Nowadays, these alleyways attract millions of tourists searching for local culture and history. 

Off the beaten road, we were suggested to visit the Muslim district in Beijing. Not only we found some of the most authentic Halal dishes, we were also very impressed by the history and architecture of the Niujie Mosque and how it connects with Beijing's past. 

Need not to say, there are just soooooo many good food in Beijing. Below insert few snapshots for your liking! =D