Beijing, the superlative capital of China, offers endless adventure and inimitable, iconic attractions. From the UNESCO World Heritage Imperial Palaces to the Great Wall, incomparable cuisine to austere Taoist shrines, the city is without peer. Check out our top 10 in Beijing for visitors on a tight schedule.

10. Beijing Zoo

The Beijing Zoo houses hundreds of species including many endemic to China: Père David’s deer, South China tiger, Chinese alligator and everyone’s fave, the Giant Panda. Sprawling scenic grounds with flower beds and streams makes the zoo ideal for families.

9. Wangfujing Shopping

Wanfujing, the most famous shopping street in the city, boasts three huge shopping malls: Sun Dong An, Beijing Department Store, and Oriental Plaza. For ridiculous street grub, head to Wangfujing Snack Street for candied fruits, meat kebabs and more, shall we say, exotic delicacies.

8. Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen Square is the undeniable pulse point of Beijing and the third largest public plaza in the world (though arguably the most famous). Explore the Great Hall of the People, Mao Zedong Memorial Hall, Tiananmen Tower and the Monument to the People’s Heroes.

7. Forbidden City

A former residence of emperors and royal coteries, the Forbidden City now houses the extraordinary Palace Museum, which displays extensive collections of artefacts from the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

6. Temple of Heaven

The marvellous Temple of Heaven is a compound peppered with Taoist structures. This is where Ming and Qing rulers offered ceremonial prayers for bountiful harvests.

5. Olympic Village

The new must-see attraction in Beijing was built for the 2008 Summer Olympics and is home to the spectacular Bird’s Nest (National) Stadium.

4. Duck

No trip to Beijing is complete without that most emblematic of Imperial cuisine experiences: the duck banquet. A thorough nose to tail, or beak to flippers, blow out where every part of the fowl is put to delicious use, from stock to custard.

3. Nightlife

So Beijing is no Shanghai or Hong Kong but the capital has enough incendiary nightlife to induce the most avid punters. Just make a beeline for San Li Tun Pub Street after dark and follow the crowds.

2. Foot Massage

After an Amazing Race-like tour of the city, an authentic Beijing foot massage is just the panacea to set you right again. Any good hotel concierge worth his mettle should be able to set you on the path to reflexology bliss.

1. Great Wall of China

Forbidden City aside, the Great Wall of China is the ultimate star of the show and a paragon world wonder (that you cannot, alas, see from space after all).