Thursday » August 21 » 2008 48 hours eating and shopping in Beijing
Ben Blanchard Reuters BEIJING - Got 48 hours to shop and eat in Olympic host city Beijing? Reuters correspondents with local knowledge help visitors make the most of a visit to China's capital. FRIDAY 5 p.m. - Ease yourself into the chaos that is Beijing with a pre-dinner cocktail at Yin, the rooftop bar of the newly opened boutique Emperor Hotel. Calming views over the Forbidden City as the sun sets, and if the mood grabs there is an open-air jacuzzi. (www.theemperor.com.cn/) 7 p.m. - The glamour continues over dinner at 1949 -- The Hidden City, a complex of restaurants in a one-time factory site close to the main Sanlitun bar district. There is a tiny noodle bar, where you can watch the chefs doing their thing right in front of your seat, a Chinese restaurant and a Western restaurant. Tasty fare in an industrial chic setting. (www.elite-concepts.com/) 9 p.m. - Close by is Q Bar for post-dinner cocktails. Sip frozen lychee daiquiris on the wooden deck out the back. (www.qbarbeijing.com/en/) SATURDAY 9 a.m. - Start your day with good coffee and fluffy eggs at Vineyard, a tranquil courtyard-cum-cafe in a hutong, or alley, near the splendid Lama Temple (Yong He Gong). The eggs Benedict are excellent, and the vegetarian options also come recommended. (www.vineyardcafe.cn) 10 a.m. - Flex those bargaining muscles and dive into the Silk Market, one of Beijing's most popular tourist attractions, for everything from knock-off designer clothes to pearls. There has been a crack-down on pirated goods of late, and if you do get tempted to partake, be aware you could be fined taking the stuff back into your home country. 11 a.m. - Head to The Village in Sanlitun, where the largest Adidas shop in the world, China's first Apple store and a host of other brand names gather here for your shopping pleasure. Lots of good restaurants are planned, so watch this space. (www.thevillage.com.cn). 1 p.m. - Late lunch at Brazilian new-wave favorite Alameda, hidden in an unremarkable lane off Sanlitun's central bar street. It doesn't really matter what you order, as it's pretty much all good. (6417-8084) 2:30 p.m. - Conveniently located next to Alameda is the cute Nali Mall. Small, but perfect, having a collection of unique hole-in-the-wall stores like Qiancaohua, with its floral belts and colorful cube cushions. 4 p.m. - No trip to Beijing is complete without going down the traditional hutongs that were once the city's signature. And no trip to Beijing is complete these days without picking up a T-shirt at Plastered, down the ultra-fashionable Nanluo Guxiang. The designs are a homage to Beijing's retro-past, mixed with a cheeky take on its present and future. (www.plasteredtshirts.com/) 5 p.m. - For a post-shopping pick-me-up, head to Face Bar which has recently expanded to Beijing from equally swish locations in Shanghai, Bangkok and Jakarta. Located in an old, Communist-era school, this bar is setting new standards in the city's drinking scene. The Cosmopolitans slip down very nicely. (www.facebars.com/) 7 p.m. - Eat at Han Cang, universally known as "the Hakka." Food from the southern Chinese Hakka minority is not well known outside of China, but it is delicious. Have the giant prawns steamed in a wooden bucket of unrefined sea salt. (6404-2259) 9 p.m. - Drinks at Bed Bar, in the hutongs north of the now touristy Houhai area. Hard to find, but relaxing and chilled out. Perch yourself on a traditional Chinese bed and admire the city's trendy young float by sipping mojitos. (8400-1554) SUNDAY 8 a.m. - The Panjiayuan or Dirt Market is probably China's largest antique market. Get there at dawn for the genuine Ming vases, otherwise much else on sale is far from authentic. The really fun section is the book stalls at the back. Everything from ancient Chinese classics to North Korean propaganda books in English and old copies of National Geographic. 11 a.m. - Early lunch at modern Japanese restaurant Hatsune. Sushi rolls with good sauces and fluffy tempura. Book ahead. (6581-3939) 1 p.m. - A relaxing way to walk off lunch is to wander through the flower market at Lady Street. Very cheap cut orchids and other tropical fronds abound. In the basement are silk-wrapped lamps and other household decor items. Then bring yourself crashing back down to reality among the trashy clothes market nextdoor. Always wanted a purple velour mini-skirt? You're in luck. 3 p.m. - Spin. The master craftsmen and women behind this store know how to whip up a storm with the clay. Simple, clean and understated is the order of the day. And it's not too expensive. Word on the street is that a well-known European fashion designer liked the shop so much he snapped up 20,000 sets of plates during a winter swirl through the city. (6437 8649) 6 p.m. - Dinner at "Axis of Evil" restaurant Pyongyang Haedanghwa. Run as a money-making venture by the North Korean government, the grilled beef, pickled cabbage and seafood pancakes are good. If you're lucky, the staff will serenade you with North Korean folk songs. 9 p.m. - One final drink at Drum and Bell. If the weather is good, sit on the roof and look at the floodlit drum tower, surprisingly well preserved amongst the chaos and pollution of a rapidly developing city. (6593 5050) © Reuters 2008 http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/story.html?id=c41e02dc-e090-4f3a-bb2d-e9bd3327194a
