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28.09.2011

24 hours in Beijing

bejing

2,000 works of design, 30 involved nations, over 130 projects, 8 days of events… Even …

2,000 works of design, 30 involved nations, over 130 projects, 8 days of events… Even Beijing, just like Milan, London, Berlin, Helsinki and Seoul, has its own international Design Week, which is taking place right now.

 

If you happen to be in town for that reason – or for any other reason, be it a leisure or a work trip – take your time to explore it: Beijing is a charming and mysterious city, looking to the future and yet deeply rooted in the past.

 

Although you certainly cannot miss its most popular sights  – from Tiananmen Square to the Forbitten City, from the futuristic World Trade Center to the ancient temples – try not to be just an average tourist. The new Beijing is a contemporary city, and the best way to experience it mixing with the locals . Here are a few tips.

 

BREAKFAST

Chasing youtiaos
In Beijing, breakfast is not breakfast without these delicious fried doughs served hot with a bowl of warm soy milk. Once it was very easy to find themat street vendors, but recently the chase has become harder. Good luck!

 

RELAX

Zenspa

Could there be a better reward after the youtiao-chase than a four-hands massage at Beijing’s most beautiful and prestigious spas?

 

LUNCH

Pure Lotus

Owned by genuine Buddhist monks, this vegetarian restaurant serves bean-curd based dishes along with natural energetic drinks. Don’t be overwhelmed by the magniloquent courses’ names, just sit back and enjoy the food.

 

ARCHITECTURE

National Grand Theatre

Also known as The Egg, this huge titamium ellipsoid dome has been designed by French architect  Paul Andreu and is rapidly becoming one of the city’s main landmarks.

 

DINNER

Da Dong
Time to try the famous Peking duck! Apparently, this is the best place to taste it, even according to locals. 

 

AFTER DINNER

Lan Club

As well as being the only work by Philippe Starck in China, this restaurant/bar/lounge is the best place in town for crowd-spotting: here you will find the young Chinese elite sipping on cocktails, eating oysters and dancing to lounge music. And it’s inside the LG Twin Towers.

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