Dongcheng

A look around

What you’ll be living next to. Swipe through.

1/6

Where it sits

The circle is Dongcheng and roughly a 10-minute walk around it.

How far is everything?

From the middle of this area to the city's headline sights — pick your own on the city page and these become your list.

• Beihai Park22 min walk1.8 km
• Peking duck8 min taxi2.5 km
• A hutong rickshaw tour8 min taxi2.6 km
• The Houhai lakes & hutongs10 min taxi3.2 km
• Sanlitun nightlife12 min taxi4.1 km
• The Temple of Heaven13 min taxi4.2 km
• The 798 Art District31 min taxi10.3 km
• The Summer Palace44 min taxi14.5 km

On your doorstep

What you’re living next to if you stay here.

• 1.The Great Wall — One of the wonders of the world — the ancient fortification snaking dramatically along the mountain ridges north of the city, best seen at a restored-but-scenic section like Mutianyu (cable car and toboggan) or the wilder, crumbling Jinshanling. Awe-inspiring and unmissable; go early on a clear day, and pick a section beyond crowded Badaling.
• 2.The Forbidden City — The colossal imperial palace at the centre of the city — 9,000 rooms of golden-roofed halls, courtyards and gates behind a moat, home to 24 emperors over five centuries and now a vast museum. Overwhelming in scale; walk the central axis, then lose the crowds in the side courtyards. Book ahead — daily tickets are capped.
• 5.Tiananmen Square — The vast ceremonial square at the heart of the nation — the world's largest public square, flanked by the Great Hall of the People and the Mao Mausoleum, with the emperor's portrait over the Gate of Heavenly Peace. Come for the scale and the dawn flag-raising ceremony; bring your passport, as security is tight.
• 8.The Lama Temple — Beijing's most magnificent Tibetan Buddhist temple (Yonghegong) — clouds of incense, richly painted halls, and a breathtaking 18-metre Buddha carved from a single sandalwood trunk. Active, atmospheric and beautiful; a serene, sensory contrast to the imperial monuments, and paired well with the nearby Confucius Temple.
• 9.Jingshan Park — A hill of earth dug from the Forbidden City's moat, crowned with a pavilion that gives the classic view — the golden roofs of the whole palace laid out below, the city stretching beyond. The best vantage in Beijing, and a lovely park where locals sing and dance; climb it at sunset, right after the Forbidden City.
• 12.Wangfujing & snack street — Beijing's famous shopping street near the Forbidden City — big malls and department stores, and, down the side lanes, a lively snack market once notorious for its skewered scorpions and starfish (now more mainstream). Come for the buzz, the street food and the people-watching; touristy, but a fun evening browse.