The Beijing dishes worth planning around, which duck restaurant justifies its queue, how to order from a QR code or a menu you cannot read, and a practical word on street food and your stomach.
Forbidden City tickets cost ¥60 (Apr–Oct) or ¥40 (Nov–Mar) and go on sale exactly 7 days ahead at 20:00 Beijing time. Here is how foreign visitors book with a passport, what happens when tickets sell out, and the refund rules most guides get wrong.
Beijing attraction reservations: which sights still need booking, when tickets are released, the official channels, and whether a foreign passport is enough.
Mutianyu admission is ¥45 for the postcard ticket or ¥40 for the plain e-ticket, plus ¥15 for the shuttle and ¥100/¥140 for a one-way or return cable car. This guide covers the MuBus coach from Dongzhimen, passport booking, the cable car versus the toboggan, and the crowd pattern around Chinese holidays.