Luxury holidays in Beijing
One of the four ancient capitals of China, Beijing is a flat urban checkerboard with the Forbidden City standing proud in the centre. Until the 20th century came around, the five fortified gates and high walls marked the city borders, but since then
shimmering skyscrapers have sprung up and the city has sprawled outwards. Traditional courtyard houses, siheyuan, occupy old Beijing, but among and around, striking modern architecture abounds. No longer content to remain Shanghai’s dowdier sister, Beijing is now a city that balances the best of both worlds — historic architecture and ancient monuments mingle with a buzzing cosmopolitan cityscape.
When to go
Unless you’re planning to venture into the cooler mountainous regions around Beijing, summer is not the ideal time to visit, as temperatures frequently soar beyond 40ºc. Equally, winter can be harsh, particularly in January and early February. The autumn months from September to early November, are ideal.