Beijing

Of the shoulder seasons, autumn is optimal - the weather is gorgeous and fewer tourists are in town. Locals describe this short season as tiangao qishuang - literally 'the sky is high and the air is fresh' - with clear skies and breezy days. Spring is less pleasant - not many tourists but lots of wind and dust. Summer (June to August) is considered peak season, when hotels typically raise their rates and the Great Wall nearly collapses under the weight of marching tourists.

Winter is the extreme opposite but makes for pretty surrounds if you can stand the freezing temperatures; you'll have Beijing to yourself and many hotels offer substantial discounts. Everything is chock-a-block during the Chinese New Year (usually in January or February) and the week-long holidays of International Labour Day (May 1) and National Day (Oct 1).

Autumn is lovely, with clear skies and breezy days. Arid spring is ok, apart from the (worsening) sand clouds that sweep in from Inner Mongolia and the ubiquitous static electricity that discharges everywhere. Spring also sees the snow-like liuxu (willow catkins) wafting through the air like snow and collecting in drifts. From May onwards the mercury can surge well over 30°C (86°F). Beijing simmers under a scorching sun in summer (reaching over 40°C/104°F), and there can also be heavy rainstorms late in the season. In winter its glacial outside (dipping as low as -20°C/-4°F) and the northern winds cut like a knife through bean curd. Note that air pollution can be very harsh in summer and winter.

overview

The subway, or Underground Dragon, is definitely the best way of travelling quickly within Beijing. Oversized and overstuffed buses are the norm, and on the whole best avoided. Beijing taxis are multiplying fast: finding one is not difficult, but making yourself understood in English may be a bit more problematic. Costs are around 10.00 for the first 4km (2.5mi). Like much of China, Beijing looks so much better once you're pedalling. A bike shortens those long dreary stretches, avoids the footpath throng, and helps you feel a lot more like a local.

bus

Beijing's Capital Airport (PEK) is about 27km (17mi) north of the city. Numerous buses head into the city centre - buy a ticket at the service desk inside the terminal. From the city to the airport a shuttle bus leaves from the eastern end of the Aviation Building and the west door of the International Hotel. Major hotels also run shuttle buses.

taxi

Make sure to take official taxis. If you take an illegal taxi it could end up costing you three times as much. If you don't speak Chinese, bring a map or have your destination written down in Chinese characters. Telephone bookings are possible.

underground rail

The Underground Dragon can move at up to 70km (43mi) per hour - a jaguar compared to the lumbering buses. But while it's clean and easy to use, the trains are starting to show their age.

bicycle

Hotels - especially budget hotels - often rent out bikes at reasonable rates, or there are the numerous bike-hire outfits in the streets around hotels and tourist spots.

Take-away meets haute cuisine in a pot sticker.

Chinese cuisine is justifiably famous, memorably diverse and generally not for the squeamish. The Cantonese have a saying: 'Anything that walks, swims, crawls, or flies with its back to heaven is edible.' Mostly, however, it's a case of doing ingenious things with a limited number of ingredients.

From the po-faced 60s to the po-mo naughties.

It's not quite Swinging Shanghai or Highballing Hong Kong, but residents, both local and expat, now work and play hard. Increasingly large deposits of disposable capital are fuelling a revolution in leisure, and the entertainment industry is in full throttle.

From history to hysterical, Beijing by bike is best.

The spinsterish Beijing of old is having a facelift and the cityscape is changing daily. Within the city, however, you'll still find some of China's most stunning sights: the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven Park and the Lama Temple, to name just a few.

Beijing bargain Buddhas at Mao memorabilia markets.

Hunt for silks, jade, Mao memorabilia, pearls, chops, brushes, inks, scrolls, handicrafts, clothing and antiques. Small or light items to buy include silk scarves, embroidered purses, paper cuttings, wooden and bronze Buddhas, fold-up paper lanterns and kites.