Beijing Editor Picks

Located 37 miles outside Beijing at the foot of the Great Wall of China, this unique design hotel offers a luxurious way to experience China’s famous man-made wonder.

2008 SMART LUXURY WINNER
Private Access to a World Wonder

The original 11 über-chic villas and clubhouse are dotted across the picturesque Shuiguan Valley. The setting is stunning, particularly at sunrise and sunset, when you can stroll on a private section of the Wall. Each custom-designed villa offers private butler service, large contemporary rooms with plasma TV, broadband Internet, interior furnishings by designers such as Philippe Starck and Karim Rashid, and communal relaxation areas. In late 2006, several new villas and chalets were added, plus an Anantara Spa, Kids program, and café bar – making Commune a small luxury hillside village. See more Smart Luxury Award winners

 

Beijing’s formerly golden-roofed imperial palace was once off limits to mere mortals, but today it attracts thousands of visitors daily. The scale is astonishing; the high-walled compound contains six main palaces and 800 smaller buildings.

Learn about the genesis and enduring cultural significance of the fast-disappearing hutong neighborhoods that once comprised the capital. Most five-star hotels arrange private guided tours of hutongs for guests; Rickshaw Beijing also runs excellent guided visits.

This renovated industrial complex in north Beijing is the hub of China’s white-hot contemporary arts scene. Hip cafes and restaurants complement the labyrinth of galleries, art stores, and artists’ studios.

Unfairly dubbed the “Disney Hutong,” this renovated half-mile chunk of old Beijing real estate avoided the bulldozers to become a tourism hotspot. Its 700-year-old lanes have morphed into a happening district of bars, restaurants, cafes, stores, and small hotels.

This bustling diner serves home-style Beijing dishes, including a sizzling version of the...more

Beijing entrepreneur Zhang Lan hired Philippe Starck to design this 1.5-acre space, which comprises a restaurant, bar, and club. The result is eclectic – Mongolian yurts star in the dining room, while upside-down Regency-style portraits, ’50s Chinese memorabilia, and Starck’s eagle-winged thrones decorate the lounge.

Tibet enthusiast Chris Buckley sells exquisite handwoven Tibetan carpets, rugs, and antique furniture sourced in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital. The gallery-style store is located in the Kempinski Hotel.

Created seven centuries ago, the ponds of Houhai are lined with teahouses, trendy shops, and lantern-lit pubs – an idyllic Old Beijing backdrop for sunset cocktails, rickshaw rides, and sauntering with the locals.