If you are a first-timer in Beijing, your time will probably be limited and tours included. The tours are excellent and will visit the main attractions and highlights. The Forbidden City, Tienanmen Square, The Great Wall, Drum Tower, Wafujing Street, eat a duck dinner, Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao Zedong where Mao rests in his glass sarcophagus (if he’s not “traveling” to Russia for a little touch-up), Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace. This was our itinerary in 1989 and we’d return to the hotel at night completely zonked out and unable to move. Try (if at all possible) to hit one of the markets, walk down Food Street and see Beihai, Houhai or Jingshan Park in the early morning (doesn’t have to be 6:00 a.m., they are still lively around 9:00 a.m.). This may have to wait for a return to Beijing.

Don’t think you’ve seen it all. You haven’t. This is Travels With Sheila’s “must see” list for the “next time” (hopefully)…

The Lama Temple is a lively and functioning Tibetan Buddhist Temple built in 1694 as the residence of a prince in the early Qing Dynasty and converted (in 1744) into a lamasery. You can combine a visit to the Lama Temple with a visit to the Confucius Temple, only a five-minute walk away.

Chang Pu Park near Tiananmen Square
A Peking Opera performance. Sorry, but to my uneducated ear, most Chinese Opera resembles nails scraping across a chalkboard but Cindy recommended the “Peony Pavilion” if it is being staged. Peony Pavilion is a Kunqu Opera from the Ming Dynasty with 55 scenes. Kunqu Opera is one of the oldest operatic forms and was being performed in the Imperial Granary on this last visit. Unfortunately, not on the night we had free. If the Peony Paviliion isn’t available, we’ll try Liyuan Theatre that has performances every night. Audience members are allowed to visit the performer’s dressing rooms after the show.
Take a bicycle tour. There are two routes offered, one through the Imperial City and the other on a Hutong Tour.

Beijing street sights
The Great Wall at Simataiis 75 miles from Beijing and offers a more adventurous Great Wall experience. Parts are unrestored and stretches around 5 km/3 mi with 35 beacon towers. We enjoyed both previous experiences at Badaling and Mutianyu even though they are considered “touristy.” Simatai has a steep climb to the top and the sections past this are considered rugged, narrow and steep. There is a cable car that goes close to the top and a cable-suspended pulley from the halfway point to the parking lot. You can take a tour, public bus or hire a taxi to and from Simatai. If you do hire a taxi, double check exactly where he will be waiting when you come down. To live and learn, read about our Lost On The Badaling Great Wall experience…

Beijing’s Olympic Green is supposed to be easy to reach by Metro line D. There was a Russian circus troupe giving performances and a carnival in the Bird’s Nest while we were there but who had the time! There is an Olympic Venues Tour or do it yourself and walk through the Olympic Green central area, past the Bird’s Nest, Water Cube, National Indoor Stadium, Gymnasium and Sports Stadium, all in the immediate area.

Beijing Olympic area map
A person can only do so much unless you are a little Energizer Bunny that can keep on the move for 24 hours a day and we weren’t…Next time…