The capital of the People's Republic of China, Beijing (formerly Peking) is a very modern and exceedingly busy city (nearly 14 million people call it home) with high-rise buildings, international hotels and sprawling suburbs. The city is abuzz and bristling with cranes on the skyline as construction projects give rise to new skyscrapers and modernisation proceeds apace. However, Beijing also encompasses numerous attractions of cultural and historical interest, of which some, such as the Great Wall of China, the former Imperial Palace (known as the Forbidden City), the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and the remains of Peking Man at Zhoukoudian, are UNESCO-endorsed World Cultural Heritage Sites. Chinese history and culture fascinates Western visitors, and Beijing is a great place to start exploring it. The city abounds in palaces, temples, mansions, gardens and tombs that epitomise classical Chinese architecture. It also has roughly 120 museums and more than 100 public gardens.

The first port of call for most visitors is the Forbidden City, which lies at the heart of Beijing with the rest of the city radiating out from it in a grid pattern. For five centuries this massive palace complex with 9,999 rooms functioned as the administrative centre of the country and home to a succession of emperors, who lived in luxurious isolation, surrounded by courtiers and retainers. The Palace overlooks the infamous Tiananmen Square, site of so much Chinese history with political drama and dissent.

In preparing to host what they hoped were 'the best games in Olympic history', Beijing undertook many major renovations in 2008. Public transport was improved, environmental issues addressed and a general clean up of the city was ordered. The Chinese saw the games highlight its economic rise and emergence as a world power. Some of the infrastructure, such as the iconic 'Birds Nest' stadium, is still in use for different purposes, and contributes to Beijing's unique landscape.

Forbidden City

Address: Beijing

Admission: ¥60 (April to October); ¥40 (November to March) Daily 8:30am to 4:30pm (1 November to 31 March); 8:30am to 5pm (1 April to 31 October).

Tiananmen Square

Address: Beijing

Great Wall of China

Address: Beijing

Summer Palace

Address: Beijing

Admission: ¥20 (November to March), ¥30 (April to October) Daily 7am to 5pm (November to March), 6.30am to 6pm (April to October)

Zhoukoudian Cave

Address: Zhoukoudian, Fangshan Beijing

Admission: ¥30 (adults), concessions available 9am to 5pm

Chairman Mao Mausoleum

Address: South end of Tiananmen Square Beijing

Admission: Free

Beihai Park

Address: Wenjin Jie 1 Beijing

Admission: ¥10 April to October, ¥5 November to March Daily 6am to 10pm.

798 Space

Address: 4 Jiuxianqiao Road, Dashanzi Art District, Chaoyang District Beijing

Admission: Free Daily from 10:30am to 7:30pm everyday

Telephone: (0)10 5978 9180

Great Bell Temple

Address: Bei San Huan Xi Lu 31A Beijing

Admission: ¥10; ¥12 to climb the Bell Tower Open Tuesday to Sunday from 8:30am to 4pm

Telephone: (0)10 6255 0819

The Underground City

Address: Xi Damochang Jie 64 Beijing

Admission: ¥20 Open daily from 8:30am to 5pm

Telephone: (0)10 6702 2657

Beijing Aquarium

Address: Gaoliang Qiao Xiejie 18B Beijing

Admission: ¥120 adults, ¥60 children 9am to 5:30pm (October to May); 9am to 6pm (June to September).

Telephone: (0)10 6217 6655

The Beijing National Stadium

Address: Olympic Green, Beijing Beijing

Admission: ¥50 tour and ¥80 skiing on weekdays; ¥140 skiing weekends and public holidays 9am - 6pm weekdays; 9am - 9:30pm weekends and public holidays

Happy Valley Amusement Park (Beijing Huanle Gu)

Address: Xiao Wu Ji Bei Lu, Dong Si Huan (East Fourth Ring Road) Beijing

Admission: ¥160 (adults); ¥80 (children) Open daily from 1 April to 14 November from 9am - 7:30 pm; 15 November to 31 March from 10am - 5pm

Telephone: 010 6738 3333

Milu Park

Address: Nan Haizi Milu Yuan, Daxing Qu Beijing

Admission: Free Open daily from 9am – 4pm

Telephone: 010 8796 2105

Sony ExploraScience

Address: Inside Chaoyang Gongyuan (Chaoyang Park), Chaoyang Qul Beijing

Admission: ¥30 (adults); ¥20 (children) Open Monday to Friday 9:30am-6pm; Saturday and Sunday 9:30am-7:30pm.

Telephone: 010 6501 8800

Beijing World Park

Address: 158 Dabaotai, Huaxiang Township, Fengtai District Beijing

Admission: ¥65 per person Open daily 1 April to 31 October 8am–6pm; 1 November to 31 March 8am–5pm

Fundazzle

Address: Gongti Nan Road Beijing

Admission: Weekdays: ¥35 per child. Weekends: ¥15 per child. Adults free. Open Monday to Friday from 9am-5:30pm, Saturday and Sunday from 9am-7pm.

Telephone: 010 6500 4193

Longqing Gorge Ice and Snow Festival

Where: Longqing Gorge in Yanqing County, 56 miles (80km) north of Beijing,Beijing

When: 15 January to 28 February 2012

Great Wall Marathon

Where: Tianjin Province,Beijing

When: 19 May 2012

Beijing Music Festival

Where: Various venues in and around Beijing,Beijing

When: 11 - 31 October 2011

Meet in Beijing Arts Festival

Where: Various venues around Beijing,Beijing

When: April into Autumn, annually

Chinese New Year in Beijing

Where: ,Beijing

When: 23 - 29 January 2012

Spring Festival

Where: Various,Beijing

When: 31 Janury to 4 February 2012

Aria

Address: Jianguo Men Wai Dajie, inside the China World Hotel Beijing

Food Type: International

Lily Vegetarian Restaurant

Address: Bei San Huan Jimen Qiao, Jimen Fandian, Xicheng & Haidian Beijing

Food Type: Vegetarian

Otto's Restaurant

Address: Dongdan Dajie 72 Beijing

Food Type: Chinese

Xibei Youmian Cun

Address: Yayun Cun Anyuan 8 Lou Beijing

Food Type: Chinese

Dao Jia Chang

Address: Guangxi Men Beili 20 Beijing

Food Type: Chinese

Café Sambal

Address: Doufu Chi Hutong 43 Beijing

Food Type: Asian

Quanjude Kaoyadian

Address: 32 Qianmen Xi Dajie, Chongwen District Beijing

Food Type: Chinese

Fangshan

Address: Beihai Gongyuannei , inside Beihai Park's south gate Beijing

Food Type: Chinese

Maison Boulud

Address: Ch'ianmen 23, Qian Men Dong da Jie Beijing

Food Type: French

China Grill

Address: Park Hayatt, 2 Jianguomenwai Street, Chaoyang District Beijing

Food Type: International

Capital M

Address: 2 Qianmen Street Beijing

Food Type: European