Beijing is loaded with big-ticket sights: the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and myriad small pleasures like alleyway bars, noodle shops and art galleries. Oh, and did anyone mention the Great Wall?

'The trusted companion for a generation of independent travellers' - The New York Times

• Includes handy pull-out map
• The only guide with Chinese script throughout the book and on maps makes navigating easy
• Special chapters on Beijing's historic hútòng (alleyways) and China's iconic Great Wall
• Meet some of the 17 million inhabitants through interviews with a bar owner, a rock star, a Peking duck master and more
• Experience Beijing's rich culture, from ancient history to medieval temples to modern literature