Few cities on earth have changed so fast as Beijing! The city is at its best in late spring and, particularly, autumn when crisp, sunny days are accompanied by tree leaves turning glorious shades of red and gold. The heat and humidity of summer and the biting wind in winter can be extreme. There’s only one place to begin exploring the city – Tiananmen Square. To stand alongside thousands of visitors and see the imposing majesty of the Forbidden City to the north and the vast portrait of Mao Ze Dong on the Tiananmen Gate itself is to appreciate the awesome hold that China’s rulers have always had on the people. Beijing offers an exciting and vibrant nightlife and entertainment scene. Throughout the 1990s, numerous new nightclubs were set up to cater for a chic and affluent clientele and new ones continue to open all the time. The music at these Western-style clubs covers a wide range, with techno and house being hugely popular and international ‘superstar Djs’ performing with increasing regularity. Beijing offers fine and budget cuisine. New bar districts are opening up all the time, particularly in the lakeside area of Houhai and along Lotus Lane on the northern bank of the Ba River. Most bars open until about midnight. | 
