Plan your holiday to Downtown Beijing. Get information on tourist attractions, accommodation, and activities, as well as culinary recommendations that you can experience in Downtown Beijing.

Travel Guide to Downtown Beijing - Travel Tips, Where to Go, and Culinary Recommendations

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Downtown Beijing

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Built by Emperor Yongle in the early 15th century, the 720,000 square meters of Forbidden City was home to the imperial household. It was opened to the public in 1949. The well-preserved area boasts more than 800 buildings and 9,999 rooms. The Hall of Supreme Harmony, beautifully decorated with thousands of Dragons, was used to celebrate the Chinese emperor’s birthday. The Palace of Heavenly Purity served as the emperors’ living area and features several bedrooms.

The Forbidden City

The 400,000 square metres large area is the key historic centre of Beijing. It was here that the former Communist Party leader, Mao Zedong, declared the founding of the People’s Republic of China on 1st October 1949. With the famous red building and the giant signature portrait of Mao, this place is definitely the first thing come to might when speaking of Beijing. 
There are national flag raising ceremonies every day at the time of sunrise. On the first day of every month, the ceremony is the most solemn with a military band.

Tian'anmen Square

Beijing Capital Museum was formally open to the public in 1981, and the Confucian Temple was its original site. In order to accommodate a larger collection, a new museum was built in December 2001. There are more than 5000 pieces of cultural relics here like porcelain ware, calligraphy works, paintings, coins, jades, seals and Buddhist statues.

Beijing Capital Museum

Originally built in 1694 as the residence of the Yongzheng Emperor, this complex of beautifully designed buildings was transformed into a Tibetan Buddhist Temple in the mid-18th century. The Falun Dian, the temple’s teaching and assembly hall, features a large bronze statue of Tsongkapa, the founder of the Buddhist Yellow Hat sect.


Lama Temple

Beihai Park is one of the oldest and largest ancient imperial gardens in China which is located in the city centre, and one of its best-preserved parks. It has over 1,000 years of history and is located just behind the Forbidden City. This is a nice quiet park with a relaxing atmosphere.

Beihai Park

This enormous park was built in the early 15th century, around the same time the Forbidden City was constructed. The park hosts several intriguing buildings. In the north of the park, a stone carved stairway leads up to the entrance of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests with its cylindrical blue-tiled roof and a beautifully decorated ceiling. It was struck by lightning and burnt to the ground in 1889 but was carefully reconstructed the following year. The Hall of Abstinence was used by emperors for fasting. In the south, you will find the Round Altar—a three-tiered marble platform.

Temple of Heaven

Various travel destinations in Downtown Beijing, from nature, historical, and top picks curated for you.

Top Sights in Downtown Beijing

This café hides inside a beautiful old villa. The distinct style of the building makes it stand out from the surroundings and you can recognise is as soon as you see it even though no sign is present. The café has 3 storeys connected via wood staircases and decorated with antic furniture. This is also one of the expats' favourite hangouts. Don't give it a miss if you happen to be in the Houhai area.

1901 café

With its blue-and-white walls and well-crafted cocktails, Sirena Bar transports you straight to the seashore. Do not be misled by the cafe's mermaid-alluding name, however - this is essentially a cat cafe, with as many as a dozen furry resident cats ready to mingle with visitors on an average day.

Sirena Bar / 海妖餐吧

The two cities stand for Beijing and Taipei. The owner of this coffee bar comes from Taiwan, and showcasing Taiwanese culture is a motif that runs through the establishment. The first floor is an exhibition hall that often holds cultural events. The second floor is a loft where you can relax and have a drink. Apart from coffees, this café bar also has some authentic Taiwanese-style drinks such as plum wine and winter melon punch.

Two Cities Coffee Bar / 双城咖啡酒吧

Laoshe is an authentic traditional tea house named after the great Chinese author Laoshe and his timeless work Tea House. This is absolutely the most famous tea house in China. It has welcomed over 47 foreign heads of state and is a showcase of traditional Chinese culture. Here, you can have both exquisite royal desserts and snacks of ordinary folk.
They also have traditional performances such as the Beijing Opera, Bianlian (face-changing), acrobats as well as traditional magic tricks. So order a pot of tea, several snacks, and lay back, enjoy a traditional Chinese culture odyssey.

Laoshe Tea House /老舍茶馆

This popular small restaurant is located in an alley that may be difficult to find, but definitely worth seeking out. It features an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs cook good Chinese food. Be sure to come here with an empty stomach, they serve a 10 course menu. Due to the high demand and its popularity it is advised to book in advance.

Black Sesame Kitchen

There are a lot of high-quality independent cafés in Beijing and most of them lay in narrow alleyways and unremarkable-looking hutongs. Fu San is one of them. This café stands out for its Faema 59 Hand Pulling Machine produced in 1959; their signature coffee is called Dirty (脏). They also have sophisticated desserts (the quantity, however, is limited).


Fu San Restaurant

A vegetarian restaurant opened in 1922. This well-known and historic place offers Chinese vegetarian food at a reasonable price: steam buns with veggies, Chinese lamb skewers (fake meat), and Buddha's delight are the common dishes. The staff are kind and helpful.


Gong De Lin Vegetarian Restaurant

Set up more than 90 years ago by royal chefs, the Fangshan serves Chinese dishes such as Beijing Duck and other specialities of the Chinese Imperial cuisine. It is based inside a grand mansion in a beautiful location next to Lake Beihai. The traditional royal style of decoration features a bright yellow theme and exquisite pieces of China.


Fangshan Restaurant

Culinary delights you can't resist!

Popular Eateries in Downtown Beijing

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Downtown Beijing is located in China. Let us guide you to explore Downtown Beijing and uncover its beauty. Find inspirations about popular tourist attractions, travel tips, to the best accommodation in Beijing here. Plan your next adventure at Traveloka!

Downtown Beijing

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Downtown Beijing

Get to Know Downtown Beijing

Take a tour of this destination's highlights

Top Sights in Downtown Beijing

The Forbidden City

Tian'anmen Square

Beijing Capital Museum

Lama Temple

Beihai Park

Temple of Heaven

Popular Eateries in Downtown Beijing

1901 café

Sirena Bar / 海妖餐吧

Two Cities Coffee Bar / 双城咖啡酒吧

Laoshe Tea House /老舍茶馆

Black Sesame Kitchen

Fu San Restaurant

Gong De Lin Vegetarian Restaurant

Fangshan Restaurant

Planning an exciting vacation? Download the complete guide now!

More Destination Near Downtown Beijing

Pingyao Xian

Chengyang Qu

Shibei Qu

Zhongyuan Qu

Xinzheng Shi

Huishan Qu

Kunshan Shi

Songbei Qu

Xiangfang Qu

Caidian Qu

Nanxun Qu

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