Beijing Excursions

For a Half Day

Hutong tours: The hutong are fast-disappearing ancient areas of housing where small single-storey dwellings arranged around courtyards form a maze of narrow streets. The ideal way to see the hutong is by rickshaw or on foot. Taking along an English-speaking guide will ensure an opportunity to talk to the locals and maybe even see their homes. The Beijing Tourism Administration (tel: (10) 6515 8252; www.btta.gov.cn) lists some recommended tour companies. Most hotels can arrange rickshaw tours lasting 1 to 2 hours with an English-speaking guide. The Ritz-Carlton Beijing, Financial Street (see Hotels) arranges cycling tours of local hutong in the west of the city.

For a Whole Day

Great Wall and Ming Tombs: The Great Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage site, extends for thousands of miles across China, though the nearest section to Beijing is at Badaling. The wall stretches between watchtowers and was built wide enough for five horsemen. Badaling Great Wall (tel: (10) 6912 2222) is open daily (0700-1800) and there is an admission charge. A less busy stretch is at Mutianyu, about 2 hours' drive from Beijing. Here, chairlifts and cable cars provide spectacular panoramas of the wall and mountain scenery (0730-1800). The Ming Tombs are reached by the Spirit Way, which is guarded by huge statues of animals and men. The tombs are all open daily (times vary for each tomb but are generally 0800-1730) and admission is charged. Thirteen Ming emperors were buried around the valley but only one of the underground burial chambers, the Ding Ling Tomb (tel: (10) 6076 1424), is open to the public. It is best to go by taxi or on a coach tour arranged through one of the major hotels.

Tianjin: Just 97km (60 miles) from Beijing, this picturesque coastal city can be reached in 27 minutes by CRH ‘bullet' train from Beijing South Railway Station. Nicknamed the ‘Shanghai of the North', Tianjin shares many physical and architectural characteristics with its more famous east-coast cousin. The magnificent heritage buildings of the French, British and Italian concessions are the main draw, along with pleasant river cruises and the famed local street snacks, including goubuli - thin steamed dumplings filled with meat and soup.