It seems like only yesterday that Beijing had its much-ballyhooed “coming out” party — the 2008 Summer Olympics — but things don’t slow down much in China’s frenetic capital. Already, the city is eyeing another Olympics bid (it’s one of two finalists for the 2022 Winter Games) and planning a $13 billion airport that is expected to be among the busiest in the world when it opens in 2019. And yet compared with China’s other vertical megacities, Beijing is still a traditionalist at heart. The city may have fantastic new sculptural monuments designed by Zaha Hadid and Rem Koolhaas, but to truly understand Beijing, one has to delve into the remaining hutong neighborhoods — traditional alleyways lined with courtyard homes — and smell the sweet potatoes roasting on coal fires in the winter.
喧闹一时的2008年夏季奥运会堪称北京的“登场派对”, 令人记忆犹新，其后，中国狂热的都城亦未曾放慢步伐。这座城市已在进行另一场奥运会申办（它是2022年冬季奥运会的两个终选城市之一），计划投入130亿美元修建新机场，2019年建成后预计会成为世界上最繁忙的机场之一。不过与其他高楼耸立的中国大城市相比，北京从本质上仍是传统的。这座城市虽然拥有扎哈·哈迪德(Zaha Hadid)和雷姆·库哈斯(Rem Koolhaas)等建筑师设计的充满想象力和雕刻感的新大楼，但是要想真正理解它，就必须一头钻进留存下来的胡同里，在这些两边都是四合院的古老小巷里，闻一闻冬日路边碳烤红薯的香味。

1. Beads and Incense | 4 p.m.
1. 佛珠和香火 | 下午4点
In the new Beijing of star-architect towers and gleaming Porsches, the Lama Temple (also known as Yonghe Temple) stands as a reminder of a less material and more spiritual time. Built as a prince’s home in the 17th century, the complex was gradually transformed into a lamasery and is today one of the most active — and colorful — Buddhist temples in the city. Beijingers pray amid gnarled pine trees with burning joss sticks held aloft and shopping bags slung over wrists, while monks offer quiet blessings of beads brought by visitors in hidden corners. Outside the lovely gingko-lined entrance are shops crammed with Buddhist trinkets and incense, the sounds of Tibetan music floating down the street. Admission is 25 renminbi, or about $4 at the rate of 6 renminbi to the dollar.
在充满明星建筑师设计的大楼和闪亮保时捷的新北京，雍和宫让我们想起那个不那么物质、更注重精神的时代。这个建筑群建于17世纪，最初是一位皇子的宅邸，后来逐步改建成一座喇嘛庙，如今它是北京香火最旺、最华美的佛寺之一。北京人在长满节瘤的松树间祈祷，高举着点燃的香，手腕上挂着购物袋；在隐蔽的角落里，僧人们为游客带来的佛珠开光。入口两侧种着秀美的银杏树，门外有很多店铺，里面摆满佛教用品和香，藏族乐曲在街上飘荡。门票25元，按照1美元兑换6元人民币的汇率计算，约合4美元。
2. Beijing Brews | 6 p.m.
2. 北京精酿啤酒 | 下午6点
The traditional hutongs around the Lama Temple are a fantastic place to soak up Beijing street life. Avoid overly gentrified Nanluoguxiang, a crowded strip of T-shirt and snack shops, and head instead to the maze of alleys around quieter Baochao Hutong to the west. Here, locals gather for nightly mah-jongg games and sip beer at dumpling shops beneath gray-tiled rooftops sprouting tufts of grass. Grab a pint yourself in the tree-shaded courtyard at Great Leap Brewing, a pioneer in Beijing’s craft beer scene that makes unique ales like Iron Buddha Blonde, infused with tea from the mountains of Fujian province (40 renminbi). Continue the hutong pub crawl at nearby Slow Boat Brewery Taproom, which was opened a little over two years ago by a pair of Americans and has more than a dozen unpasteurized beers on tap, such as Helmsman’s Honey Ale (40 renminbi) brewed with honey from local bee farms.
雍和宫附近的老胡同是感受北京街头生活的绝佳去处。不要去改造一新的南锣鼓巷，那条狭长的街道异常拥挤，两旁大多是T恤店和小吃店。还是去西边更安静的宝钞胡同吧，附近的胡同如迷宫一般。本地人晚上聚在一起打麻将，在饺子店里喝啤酒，屋顶的灰瓦上长着一簇簇青草。不妨在大跃啤酒屋绿树成荫的院子里喝上一杯啤酒。此处堪称北京精酿啤酒界的先锋，酿制独特的麦芽啤酒，比如加入福建武夷山铁观音的金色铁观音啤酒（40元）。继续胡同酒吧漫步，便可来到附近的悠航鲜啤屋，它是一对美国夫妇两年前开的，供应十几种未经高温消毒的桶装啤酒，比如用当地养蜂场的蜂蜜酿制的舵手悠航蜜酿（40元）。
3. The Spice Is Right | 8 p.m.
3. 这里的辣味最正宗 | 晚上8点
It’s brightly lit and raucous and if you come too late, the indifferent servers may begin stacking chairs around you as you finish your meal. Beijing may have more refined Sichuan restaurants these days, but Chuan Ban has retained a loyal following among locals because of its authentically mouth-numbing food — to be expected of a restaurant run by the Sichuan provincial government. The novel-length menu contains some perplexing dishes like Spicy Duck Lips, but there are safer standouts like mapo doufu (cubes of tofu swimming in crimson chile oil and smothered in ground Sichuan peppercorns; 18 renminbi) and stir-fried shrimp balls heaped with ground pork, preserved vegetables and diced chiles (78 renminbi).
这里灯光明亮，人声鼎沸。如果你来得太晚，没等你吃完，冷漠的服务员可能已经开始收拾周围的桌椅。如今，北京可能有更精致的川菜馆，但是川办仍在当地人中拥有忠实拥趸，因为这里是四川省政府经营的餐馆，人们有理由期待它提供最正宗的麻辣食物 。超长的菜单上有一些令人迷惑的菜肴，比如香辣鸭唇，但也有一些更安全的美味，比如麻婆豆腐（豆腐块浸泡在深红色辣椒油和四川豆瓣酱里；18元）和芽菜炒虾球（78元）。
4. Gentle Gentrification | 11 a.m.
4. 温和的改造 | 上午11点
While many of Beijing’s hutongs have been demolished over the years, others have been leveled and replaced with prettified versions of their former selves, turning neighborhoods into theme parks. The Dashilar neighborhood, one of the oldest in Beijing, is following a different path, with architects and designers leading a more sustainable gentrification process to try to retain the fabric of the community. One former factory in a 1950s Art Deco building has been gorgeously renovated into a cafe, Spoonful of Sugar, that serves organic coffee from Yunnan province and chocolates infused with fiery Chinese er guo tou liquor. Down the lane, check out the Ubi Gallery for handmade designer jewelry and Chinese ceramics, and the Li+U Workshop for handsome leather bags and wallets, made right there in the store.
经过这么多年，北京的很多胡同都被拆除了，还有些胡同被拆除后，在原址上盖起了新的美化版，附近区域也变成了主题公园。大栅栏是北京最古老的区域之一，它的改造模式与众不同，建筑师和设计师们主导着更具可持续性的改造过程，努力保持社区的质感。壹勺子糖咖啡馆由一座20世纪50年代装饰艺术风格的建筑改造而来，这里本来是个工厂。这家咖啡馆供应云南有机咖啡和加入浓烈二锅头的巧克力。沿着胡同，你能找到Ubi艺廊(Ubi Gallery)，这里有手工制作的高档珠宝和中国瓷器，还有Li+U工坊(Li+U Workshop)，这里的漂亮皮包和钱夹都是在店里制作的。
5. Fit for a King | 1 p.m.
5. 炸酱面大王 | 下午1点
As the name suggests, Old Beijing Zhajiang Noodle King does one thing really well: zha jiang mian, a hand-pulled wheat noodle dish that’s just as evocative of Beijing as roast duck or hearty dumplings. So popular is this local chain that the lunch rush can feel manic: Waiters dash up and down stairs shouting orders and numbers of guests, while diners crowd around wooden tables slurping bowls of noodles topped with shredded cucumber and radish, bean sprouts and a tangy sauce made with minced pork and fermented soybean paste. It’s not only tasty, but lunch for two will set you back only 36 renminbi.
店如其名，老北京炸酱面大王的炸酱面真的很棒。炸酱面是一种手工面条，和烤鸭、营养丰富的饺子一样，也是北京的标志性食物。这个连锁店的生意太好了，午餐时分的场面简直有点疯狂：服务员在楼梯上跑上跑下，大喊客人的订餐和编号，食客们挤在木桌子边狼吞虎咽，面条上放着黄瓜条、萝卜丝、豆芽，以及用肉丁和甜面酱做的浓香肉酱。它不仅美味，而且便宜——两个人吃一顿午餐只需36元。
6. Suburban Cool | 3 p.m.
6. 郊区的艺术酷地 | 下午3点
The sprawling 798 Art District is still the hub of Beijing’s contemporary art scene, although the last decade has brought commercialization in the way of souvenir shops, boutiques and cafes, distracting from the galleries. Head farther afield — literally in the dusty suburbs beyond the Fifth Ring Road — to see experimental art in less-crowded spaces. Designed by the provocative Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, the Three Shadows Photography Art Center, a stark, gray brick and concrete space, is said to be the first gallery in China devoted to photography, exhibiting works that, at times, explore the grittier side of modern Chinese life (free admission). At the new Red Brick Art Museum, near an outlet mall in the countryside, the focus is on video and installation works — think of charred New Zealand milk cartons as a comment on China’s food safety concerns — though the real draw may be the tranquil Chinese garden and angular, modernist red brick building itself (20 renminbi).
不断扩张的798艺术区仍是北京当代艺术图景的中心，不过，过去十年的商业化让这里出现了很多纪念品店、服装精品店和咖啡馆，它们抢走了画廊的一些风头。往郊外走，一直走到五环外尘土飞扬的郊区，去不那么拥挤的展览空间看看实验艺术。三影堂摄影艺术中心由容易引发争议的中国艺术家艾未未设计，它是一个朴实的灰砖混凝土建筑，据说是中国第一个专门的摄影作品画廊，有时会展示探索现代中国生活现实一面的照片（免费参观）。新开的红砖美术馆靠近郊区的一个名牌折扣购物中心，它专注于视频和装置作品——烧焦的新西兰牛奶纸盒代表着对中国食品安全的担忧——不过也许真正吸引人的是安静的中式花园和棱角分明的现代主义红砖建筑本身（20元）。
7. Duck Dressed Up | 8 p.m.
7. 精心制作的烤鸭 | 晚上8点
Duck devotees face a tough choice in Beijing — with so much kao ya (roast duck) to choose from, how to pick the right place? Duck de Chine succeeds in elevating the dish to a higher plane. Set in a renovated factory with exposed beams and elegant red lanterns, this is the kind of place that has Bollinger on ice and a gong to announce the arrival of your bird. There’s even an art to preparing the duck: First, it’s crisped in an oven with date wood to enhance the flavor, then carved tableside and wrapped expertly in a pancake with a swirl of house-made tian mian jiang (sweet bean sauce) and radish, celery and leek slivers. Fortunately, the high production value doesn’t come with steep prices — a whole duck costs just 268 renminbi. Reservations are a must for a table and duck; it takes over an hour to cook.
烤鸭爱好者在北京面临着一个艰难的选择——有太多做烤鸭的餐馆，怎样才能找到合适的呢？全鸭季成功地把这道菜提升到了更高水平。店铺由工厂改造而来，房梁露在外面，悬挂着优雅的红灯笼，这里供应冰镇堡林爵香槟(Bollinger)，上菜时会敲一下锣。在这里，做烤鸭简直是一种艺术：首先将鸭子放在炉中，用枣木将皮烤脆，以增进其风味；然后在餐桌边切开鸭肉，将其和自制甜面酱、萝卜丝、芹菜丝、葱丝一起卷入薄饼。幸运的是，这里堪称物美价廉——一整只烤鸭才268元。必须提前预约才能订到桌位和烤鸭。要花一个多小时才能烤好。
8. Hutong Hooch | 10 p.m.
8. 胡同烈酒 | 晚上10点
Before a government-enforced austerity drive killed all the fun, banquets in China used to be riotous affairs fueled by copious shots of the blinding grain alcohol baijiu. With baijiu producers now seeking new markets, the liquor has moved from the banquet table to the low-lit cocktail bar. At Capital Spirits, a hutong speakeasy with antique wooden furniture and no sign on the door, a mostly young crowd sips shot glasses of the rocket fuel from a menu that varies by strength (from the lighter, rice-based Guilin Sanhua to the 106-proof Maotai Prince) and flavor (the bar infuses its own pomegranate, garlic and Sichuan peppercorn baijius.) An “intro flight” of four types is 40 renminbi. The ultimate challenge is the intimidating Five Snake Liquor (20 renminbi per glass) — a baijiu containing, yes, five dead snakes that’s supposedly good for arthritis and male virility.
在政府厉行节俭、扼杀乐趣之前，中国的宴会一度是杯筹交错的场合，一杯杯烈性白酒穿肠而过。现在白酒厂家正在寻找新市场，白酒离开宴会桌边，来到灯光昏暗的鸡尾酒吧。首都酒坊是胡同里的一个地下酒吧，里面摆着复古木家具，门上没有招牌。顾客大多是年轻人，他们用小酒杯一杯接一杯地啜饮这种烈酒。这里的菜单按照酒精度数（从度数较低的米香型桂林三花酒到53度茅台王子酒）和口味（这家酒吧自己酿制了一种含有石榴、大蒜和花椒的白酒）分类。“入门组”包含四种酒，价格是40元。终极挑战是吓人的五蛇酒（20元一杯）——没错，这种白酒里泡有五种死蛇，据说能壮阳，治疗关节炎。
9. Parks and Recreation | 8 a.m.
9. 公园和消遣 | 上午8点
The Forbidden City, the former imperial palace at the center of Beijing, can feel overwhelming with the sheer number of courtyards and rooms, not to mention the pushy tourists. A far more peaceful alternative on the weekend is the imperial family’s former country escape, the Summer Palace (30 renminbi admission). Yes, the park gets its fair share of tour groups and Jazzercising grannies, but it’s easy to ditch the crowds by hiking the pine-shaded hill behind the palace and taking in the view of the lake below. As you wander, follow the sounds of music; you might find a choir of hundreds in their Sunday finest belting out patriotic Communist tunes with a brass band, or a Peking Opera soloist performing in a pagoda for an audience of one.
提到北京市中心的故宫，光是想想众多院落和房间就让人望而生畏，更别提推来挤去的游客。周末，还不如去旧时的皇家别墅——颐和园（门票30元），这里要安静得多。是的，这个公园也有不少旅游团和跳广场舞的大妈，但是你可以躲开人群，到宫殿后面松柏成荫的小山上漫步，一览山脚下的湖景。漫步时，跟随音乐的声音，你也许能找到几百人的合唱团，他们身着周末盛装，在铜管乐队的伴奏下高唱共产主义爱国歌曲，或者你能在宝塔里找到京剧独唱者，做此人唯一的听众。
10. Designer Dumplings | 1 p.m.
10. 高档饺子 | 下午1点
The Opposite House hotel, with its green glass facade and soaring atrium draped in steel mesh, exemplifies the bold new architectural aesthetic taking root in Beijing. While staying at the hotel might be pricey (rooms start at 1,850 renminbi per night), the dim sum menu at Jing Yaa Tang restaurant (118 renminbi per person) is a real bargain. Feast on fluffy barbecued pork buns, pan-fried turnip cakes and homemade walnut milk (it tastes like a sweet soup) and then take in the Japanese architect Kego Kuma’s futuristic design in the lobby-cum-gallery space. The showstopper is a 19-foot-tall, 5,000-plus-drawer modern take on a traditional apothecary cabinet — a fitting symbol of how the traditional continues to influence the new in a city with thousands of years of history.
瑜舍酒店的正面是绿色玻璃幕墙，高高的中庭里悬挂着钢丝网，这表明大胆的新建筑审美正在北京扎根。在这家酒店住店可能过于昂贵（一晚房价1850元起），但是京雅堂的点心自助餐很是超值（每位118元）。先尽情享用松软的叉烧包、煎萝卜糕和自制核桃露（喝起来像甜汤），然后在兼作画廊的大堂里欣赏日本建筑师隈研吾的未来主义设计。最精彩的是一个有5000多个抽屉的19英尺高现代版中药柜——这恰好说明，传统仍在影响这座有几千年历史的城市。
Beijing saw a plethora of new hotels open for the 2008 Summer Olympics, so finding good deals is possible even in the peak travel times in the spring and fall.
为了迎接2008年夏季奥运会，北京修建了太多新酒店，所以即使在春秋旅游旺季也有可能找到划算的房间。
The 222-room Fairmont Beijing, opened in 2010, has excellent English-speaking service and is conveniently located a short taxi ride from the Forbidden City, Sanlitun and the Temple of Heaven. The top-of-the-line Gold Rooms offer great views from the skybridge on the 20th floor and 24-karat-gold rain showerheads. (8 Yong’an DongliCQ, fairmont.com/beijing; doubles from 1,250 renminbi)
2010年开业的华彬费尔蒙酒店有222个房间，提供很好的英语服务，地理位置优越，离故宫、三里屯和天坛都不太远。顶级金尊房可以让你在20层的天桥上欣赏极佳景观，莲蓬头是24K金的（永安东里，fairmont.com/beijing；双人房1250元）。
Set in a former factory inside the 798 Arts District, the 30-room Grace Hotel has more of a boutique feel, with a glass of sparkling wine at check-in, rooms with high ceilings and wooden floors, and brightly colored artworks on the walls. (Jiuxianqiao Lu, 2 Hao Yuan, 798 Art District, 706 Hou Jie, No. 1, gracehotels.com; from 792 renminbi).
格瑞斯酒店在798艺术区，由工厂改造而来，有30个房间。它更具一种精品酒店的感觉，入住时给你奉上一杯起泡酒，房间的天花板很高，有木地板，墙上挂着颜色鲜艳的艺术品（酒仙桥路2号院798艺术区706后街1号，gracehotels.com；792元起）。