What to do in Beijing

The options available in Beijing of what to visit/do is mind blowing.

We will try our best to group things in areas.

Near the Temple of Heaven park is the HongQiao Pearl Market, and adjoining toy market, a little south-east the 'dirt' market with all sorts of goods. After the Temple of Heaven we could then take in the Natural History Museum (in the same park as the Temple of Heaven) that has dinosaur bones - and if there was any chance of any steam left there is the Tiandi acrobat theatre again very close.

Re the Great Wall we will take a bus from near a subway station and go to Badalong (the really steep overcrowded part), and then another bus to the next section which is not so bad.

Inbetween times we will visit various hutong areas, the HouHai lake area at night time not far from the hutongs, the summer palace, and the zoo to see the pandas of course.

In the Chaoyang district there is the Ya Chow market which is meant to be good, but that is also the area of the acrobatics so that would be best combined in one trip.

Charlotte's Chinese teacher has asked we buy some Beijing opera masks for the school.

Re night shows it seems there is also a wide choice: Kung Fu, numerous acrobatic troups, the Beijing Show (with a mix of all sorts) etc.

We have to factor in what is open on weekends, some down time and maybe some mummy and Charlotte time alone especially in her city.

There are number of areas that will look very beautiful at night time like the Olympic stadiums, the old traditional Qing dynasty buildings with lights decorating them etc (but don't expect anything as full on as when we visited YuYuan gardens just on CNY.

Oh and there is an artist area where will buy some camel hair, horse hair etc brushes as Anne Spudvillas had pointed out to us. OK more homework to do to find out where that is. In Charlotte's city we have arranged a guide/van to visit the SWI and will have one day to visit the shopping area and another day to visit the palace (a comparative holiday before/after Beijing).

We are all excited.

In reality a month would be better than a week or so, but plenty to do next time we visit.