Six centuries as an imperial capital: gates, lakes and alleys full of legends.
Beijing has been a capital since Kublai Khan laid out his city here in the 13th century, and it still keeps the great axis that lines up its gates, palaces and towers from north to south. Around it survive the hutongs, the Shichahai lakes and shops that have been open since the days of the emperors. Three free routes to explore it on foot, at your own pace: Qianmen and Dashilar, the area around the Forbidden City, and the lakes and towers of the north.
Choose your free tour
All routes are free and can be combined. If it’s your first visit, start with the mixed route.
From the old Legation Quarter to the antique dealers' street, by way of the great Qianmen gate and the centuries-old shops of Dashilar.
A greedy minister, a bomb under a bridge, a girl who leapt into molten bronze and a street shaped like a centipede, by the northern lakes.
From Tiananmen Gate to the White Dagoba of Beihai, circling the red walls and the moat of the imperial palace from outside.
The map
The routes cross in the old town. Tap a point to see which story awaits you there.
Filled points already have a published article; the rest are in the works.
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Itineraries
We’ve planned it day by day for you: which routes to walk and in what order, what else to see and where to eat.
All three routes in one full day: the highlights, the history and the legends at dusk.
See the itinerary 2A gentler pace: the three routes over two days, plus extra sights and where to eat.
See the itinerary 3The city in depth: one route a day, extra museums and neighbourhoods, and a day for good food.
See the itineraryWhat to eat
The dishes you can’t leave without trying, and the classic spots that have been serving them for years.
Little parcels of thin dough, open at the top like a flower, filled with pork, prawns or vegetables and steamed. Duyichu has been serving them on Qianmen Street since the 19th century, and they make the perfect lunch after the history route. The house likes to say its name was given by the Qianlong Emperor himself.
Where to try it
Thin slices of lamb marinated in soy sauce, spring onion and coriander, seared on a large iron griddle heated with firewood. It is the classic dinner of Shichahai: Kaorou Ji has been making it beside Yinding Bridge since 1848, right at the end of the mystery route.
Where to try it
Strips of lamb or beef tripe dipped for a few seconds in boiling water so they stay crunchy, then dunked in a sesame sauce. It is one of Beijing's oldest snacks. Baodu Feng, founded in the late 19th century, serves it next to Dashilar.
Where to try it
Duck with glossy, crackling skin, carved at the table and wrapped in thin pancakes with sweet bean sauce, spring onion and cucumber. Quanjude has roasted it in open ovens fired with fruitwood on Qianmen Street since 1864; Bianyifang, next door, keeps the older closed-oven method.
Where to try it
Beijing's favourite brew: green tea scented with fresh jasmine flowers, drunk at any time of day. Zhang Yiyuan has sold it since 1900, and its Dashilar shop is a good place for an afternoon break or to pick up a souvenir.
Where to try it
