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Beijing, Past, Present & Future

Dean Kaufman Tourists gather in the Forbidden City.

Photo: Dean Kaufman

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Beijing is a city in transformation, remaking itself for the 21st century at full tilt. At the same time, the importance of China's imperial heritage is being reevaluated and restoration efforts are gaining ground. Read the article

Destinations: Beijing · Chongwen

Inspired by: Reinventing Beijing — by Michael Z. Wise, Published Oct. 2007

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Hotels (4)

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    Hotel Kapok

    The hotel is a great value. More
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    Grand Hyatt, Beijing

    This enormous, curved glass tower just a stone’s throw from the shops of Wangfujing has a lot going for it: super-solicitous service; excellent in-

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    St. Regis, Beijing

    Beijing’s toniest hotel became even tonier in 2008, thanks to a $27 million refurbishment. Although the property had already cocooned guests in sum

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    The Peninsula, Beijing

    The opulence that greeted guests when the Pen opened almost two decades ago—the sweeping Busby Berkeley–style marble staircase and luxury boutiques

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Restaurants (1)

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    Kejia Cai

    Moderately priced with excellent vegetarian options. More
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Activities (9)

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    Gate of Heavenly Peace

    Chairman Mao himself is said to have surveyed Beijing from atop the Gate of Heavenly Peace and announced he wanted "the sky to be filled with smoke... More
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    China Central Television Headquarters

    The television headquarters will be the second-largest building in the world, after the Pentagon, and the architects Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren ... More
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    Bell Tower

    Climb the 18th-century tower for panoramic views. More
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    Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall

    The highlight of a visit to the new Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall is the extraordinarily detailed scale model of the city that projects what Chi... More
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    National Grand Theater

    Paul Andreu's delightfully zany China National Grand Theater, a.k.a. the Alien Egg, opened its doors in 2006.

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    Forbidden City

    It doesn’t have a street address—which is only fitting for a place that was once considered the center of the universe. The Forbidden City’s vast,

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    Olympic Park

    Set in the city’s northeastern Chaoyang district, the newly built Olympic Park is home to the fabulous “Bird’s Nest” national stadium (an inventiv

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    Temple of Heaven

    The Taoist temple where Ming and Qing dynasty emperors once prayed for good harvests has some of the most exquisitely graceful architecture in the

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    The Summer Palace

    It must have been quite a schlep for emperors of old—who traveled in slow-moving palanquins along with hundreds of courtiers to get to this beautif

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What's your favorite thing to do during an airport layover?

  • Browse duty-free
  • Read gossip mags
  • Grab a bite
  • Take a nap
  • Catch up on email
  • Listen to my iPod

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