International city means international cuisine in every possible way.  The best way to eat a delicious meal is to stumble upon a small Chinese restaurant in a Hutong and use pointing and miming to get what looks tasty to you.

Here are a few additional recommendations:

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Chinese

Da Dong (22 Dongsishitiao, Doncheng District, Beijing, +86-10-5169-0328) Without a doubt the most delicious duck you’ll ever taste.  Full presentation service as well as a 300-page menu make Da Dong a must-visit.  Free wine while you wait for your table.  Quite possibly the best meal this writer has ever had.  $18 per person including duck and a cocktail.

The Local (Everywhere) Look for neon lights and wooden numbered tables, then sneak in armed with either a food translation guide or a wandering eye.  Just point to what looks good on other tables.  The sweet and sour pork (pronounced: Goo-Laos-Row) is delectable.

Western

Element Fresh (The Village at Sanlitun, Sanlitun Road, Chaoyang District) Offering a mix of western and pan-Asian fair, their brunch menu definitely has the most rewarding entrees on offer.  Don’t miss the chocolate banana soy protein power shake.  It’s perfect after a big night out.  $13 per person.

Blue Frog (The Village at Sanlitun, Sanlitun Road, Chaoyang District, +86-10-6417-4030) The best burger in Beijing.  The Sanlitun branch has an enormous outdoor patio perfect for al fresco dining and stargazing (when stars decide to turn on).

Bits & Bobs

Sanlitun – This bustling bar district is also home to Vietnamese, Mexican and British cuisine as well as several kebob vendors.  Get it to go and eat on the street like the Chinese do.

Supermarkets – Chinese supermarkets are a tourist attraction in and of themselves.  Don’t miss the rice, tea and fish sections.  More “traditional” fare is also available.

Baozi – Stuffed buns are the perfect breakfast food.  Look for big round bamboo steamers.  They come in both meat and vegetable varieties.  20 cents per bun.

While Beijing does have a fairly extensive subway system, you could easily spend hours walking from station to site to station again.  Opt for taxis.  At about $3 for a ride across the center of town, good planning and efficient use make this the ideal way to see the city.  Grab a map when you arrive.  All suggestions are noted in their relation to the Forbidden City, which will be at the center of any map.

The Forbidden City

The Great Wall of China (Mutianyu, Jinshaling and Simatai access points.  Arrange transportation in Beijing for next-day visits.) No site on Earth quite compares to the size and scope of this awe-inspiring masterpiece.  Avoid Badaling at all costs unless you want to be chased by touts all day.  Mutianyu is an excellent choice for good views and easy trekking.  If you have the oomph in you, opt for the day-long, six-mile hike from Jinshaling to Simatai.  Bookable at The New Dragon Hostel even if you aren’t staying with them.  $45 all-day including round trip transportation, entry fees, chair lift, zip line and lunch.  Departs daily at 6am, returning at 7pm.

The Forbidden City & Tiannamen Square (City center) The Forbidden City was home to an innumerable number of China’s late dynastic rulers and is the largest complex of its kind in the world.  Opt for the GPS-led audio tour, but test it before you wander too far ($4 entry, $6 audio guide).  Tiannamen Square pours outward from The Forbidden City and while there is nothing in particular to “see,” wander from one side to the other.  It is the world’s largest central square.  You’ll be able to tell.

Mao’s Mausoleum (South side of Tiannamen Square) The man himself embalmed in a diamond-encrusted glass box.  Open 8 a.m. to noon almost daily, with frequent closures due to “special reasons.”  You can’t bring ANYTHING in with you, so leave it at the hotel or use the locker service just across the street.  Free.

The Temple of Heaven (Southeast of Tiannamen Square) This is where the emperor came to pray for good harvests and make sacrifices to the gods.  The round pagoda is otherworldly, as is the three-story marble altar.  Don’t miss the echo wall as well.  $4 entry, $6 audio guide.

The Summer Palace (Northwest Beijing, just outside the fourth ring road) Where the nobility dealt with the long hot Beijing summer.  Set on a lake and nestled into the side of a mountain, the Palace is markedly cooler than downtown.  Intricate paintings on every surface – as well as the marble sailboat – are gorgeous.  $4 entry, $6 audio guide.

Jinshan Park (Immediately north of the Forbidden City) This park is best on Sunday, when Chinese people pour in to karaoke, ballroom dance, sing, play accordion and even attend choir practice.  There is nothing quite like it.  Make sure to climb to the top of the pagoda for the Beijing’s best view – a panoramic look at the Forbidden City and beyond.

Hutongs By Bike (both North and East of the Forbidden City)  Rent a bike ($4 for the day) at one of the numerous shops lining the streets around the Forbidden City and get yourself good and lost in the Hutongs.  There is an abundance of both character and charm on this very different side of Beijing.

Houhai Lake (Northwest of the Forbidden City, immediately west of the Drum and Bell towers)  Paddle boats, western food and rooftop terraces line this picturesque lake.  Coffee-shop vibe by day, happening bar scene by night, Houhai is where you’ll find Beijing’s nouveau rich on a Saturday night.

Kyle got the travel bug after moving to China following graduation. He has since visited over 50 countries on 5 continents working in International Development. More online at www.kyletaylor.com.

The Pearl Market was one of the most interesting business I saw in China. It was a huge, five story building, jam-packed with vendor’s stalls yelling in English and Chinese and very forcefully trying to get you to buy their products.

The Pearl Market

The first floor was full of electronics, which were incredibly cheap, but would likely last about two weeks (just long enough for you to be unable to return them). They had everything from iPhones and speakers, to flash drives with huge amounts of memory. I quickly headed to the second floor, where I ended up spending about two hours.

The second floor was all name brand clothing knockoffs including True Religion jeans and Gucci handbags. I spent most of my time learning how to bargain with the ladies selling jeans. It was amazing how aggressive the people were in selling their product. Some went as far as actually grabbing your arm and pulling you toward their booth.

One time, while I was walking down one of the hallways between two booths, two women approached me and asked me to buy some shoes. After I had declined their offer multiple times, they linked arms with me on either side, and tried to pull me over to the booth again. I ended up having to dislodge my arms from theirs and retreat back in the direction I had come.

All of the salespeople repeated the same things about their products being “good quality”, and about how they would give you a “special price” because they liked you. The price they would initially offer was always obscenely overpriced. An example of this would be a pair of jeans I ended up buying for 110 Yuan ($15), that they initially had priced at 2000 Yuan ($285).

I quickly found that I was an excellent bargainer, primarily because I can be excessively cheap and stubborn. Before I bought an item, I would decide on the price that I was willing to pay (typically pretty low) and if they wouldn’t go that low, I would walk away. Usually they would pursue me and offer me slightly better prices until I walked away again. After about five iterations of this, they would give me my price. Within the first hour, I knew about how much they paid for their goods and what the lowest price they were willing to sell was.

Photo Credit: Ben Burkland/Carolyn Cook on Flickr

On the day we toured the Forbidden City, I woke up around 7:00 a.m. without any prompting; something I haven’t done in about twelve years. We headed out and reached the city in about twenty minutes. It was amazing to see how intricate even the tiniest piece of it was despite its size.

The Forbidden City

After about an hour, my fellow travelers and I found an area on the eastern side, which cost an extra admission fee of about one dollar. This was the best dollar we spent in China. The main section had been too crowded to completely enjoy the city. As soon as we walked in, we noticed that it was almost entirely empty.

In addition to it being less crowded, the eastern section was also home to some of the better rock gardens and the opera house (a four story building, filled with trap doors and interesting stage setups).

After leaving the Forbidden City, we headed across the street to a pagoda situated on top of a huge hill.

Once we reached the top, we had an amazing 360-degree view of Beijing. I looked all around, trying to pinpoint downtown, only to realize that the skyscrapers stretched out equally in all directions. It was at this point that I realized just how enormous Beijing truly was. I had never seen a city with such an immense sprawl. It reminded me of Los Angeles, except that the entirety of the city was full of skyscrapers, and had almost no areas with low buildings.

Brendan Morrell is traveling to China as part of the Foundation for Asia Pacific Education program.