Beijing

Beijing is a city of enormous set pieces: the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and the Great Wall a couple of hours out. The restored sections of the wall at Badaling are crowded; the quieter stretches take longer to reach and are worth the drive. The hutong lanes around the lakes are where the city feels least monumental. Spring and autumn are short and pleasant, summer is hot and humid, and winter is cold and dry with clear skies.