Insider Guide: What to do in Beijing

Mon, 04/30/2012 - 00:00 — Anonymous by Zoe Li, Raemin Zhang, Tom
O'MalleyImportant things happen in Beijing. You can feel this everywhere in
the city of nearly 20 million people. There are the majestic imperial
buildings, perfectly preserved in their gold and blood-red, sharing the same
sidewalk with Soviet masterpieces designed to intimidate. In the last few
years, before and after the Beijing 2008 Olympics, modern wonders of glass
and chrome plucked from some architect's whimsical imagination have appeared.
It all makes Beijing's cityscape a study in superlatives; the grand scale of
the city planning a campaign for headlines. And yet, there is a Beijing that
is growing organically on a human scale, particularly within the narrow
hutongs (tiny alleys that separate traditional courtyard homes).read more