Wherever you live in Beijing there are always shops and supermarkets nearby for your daily needs; below are some places for special shopping and entertainment.

Shopping area:
Hongqiao market (pearls & electrical goods, watches, 'famous label' clothes);
Yaxiu market (clothes)
Panjiayuan (weekend antique and flea market; everything from antique jade to Mao memorabilia)
Liulichang (Calligraphy, paintings, scrolls and antiques)

Eating/entertainment:
Sanlitun bar street (bars, many with live bands, and restaurants)
Houhai lake and surrounding streets (bars and restaurants)
Gongti (Worker's stadium) area (bars and dance clubs)
Chaoyang Park East Gate and surrounding area (bars, dance clubs and restaurants)
Dongzhimennei ('Ghost Street ') (all-night restaurants, some of them with Chinese music )
Quanjude Peking Roast Duck restaurant (in Qianmen, just south of Tiananmen Square , and elsewhere)

Parks:
Beihai; Ritan; Ditan; Chaoyang; Zhongshan; Jingshan

Hutong Tours:
In Beijing, although many of the 'hutongs' (alleys, with traditional courtyard houses) have been replaced by high-rises, some areas have been preserved. The most attractive and interesting areas to explore are Qianmen (just south of Tiananmen Square), and around Houhai Lake. You can also explore the hutongs just inside the North Second Ring Road.

Beijing Map:   view   print