Beijing started life as a provincial backwater before becoming a junction for traders and travellers journeying between Manchuria and Mongolia. As China’s capital city, these days it attracts people from all over the world.

For nearly 600 years, the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties ruled China from behind the imposing red walls of the Forbidden City.

Tiananmen Square is the symbolic heart of China and a gathering place for the masses. It is one of the largest public squares in the world and can hold one million people.

While many residents have called this area home for generations, it is also sprinkled with signs of contemporary life, with trendy bars, cafes, restaurants and boutiques lining the pedestrianised streets.

Step back in time to ancient China with a visit to the famed Great Wall, one of the most remarkable structures on Earth. This UNESCO-listed attraction is an incredible feat of engineering.

The hutong alleyways are the best place to see and feel Beijing’s authentic culture. These narrow lanes also hide many hidden treasures waiting to be discovered.

Step back in time to ancient China with a walk along the famed Great Wall, one of the most remarkable structures on Earth. This UNESCO-listed attraction is an incredible feat of engineering.

Day and night, Beijing moves. It is one of these perfect Asian examples where ancient history and a progressive move towards the future are woven into the capital’s transportation network.

The hutongs are a labyrinth of narrow lanes in the old quarter of Beijing that date back over 300 years. They are draped in history and the unique architecture offers an insight into past times in the capital, before glass…

The Temple of Confucius was built in 1302 and is the second largest temple constructed for Confucius, the great thinker and educationalist from the days of ancient China. People flocked here to pay homage during the Yuan, Ming and Qing…

The hutong alleys are the best place to see and feel Beijing’s authentic culture and these narrow lanes also hide many culinary treasures.

Built between 1750 and 1764, it is an outstanding masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. Dowager Empress Cixi took up permanent residence here for a while, giving rise to some wonderful tales of extravagance and excess.