Matador Travel: 6 Unusual Things to do in Beijing

[Shelley Seale]

My recent article on Matador Travel gives six offbeat adventures in Beijing, after you've visited the Imperial Palace and Tiananmen Square. For example:

Ride a Tandem Bike around Houhai Lake

Houhai Lake is one of the hippest spots in Beijing. It’s also known as the “back lake” and is surrounded by restaurants, bars, coffee houses, and boutiques set along cobblestone lanes.

To save on rickshaw fees, hit up one of the bicycle rental stands, which rent by the hour and day, and pedal yourself around the lake district. You can even pick up a three-person tandem. I’m happy to say it’s a whole lot of fun to wobble down the narrow streets with the locals cheering you on.

A word of warning: our bike seemed to date from Chairman Mao’s day. We quickly discovered the tires were half-flat and the brakes were shot, resulting in Fred Flinstone braking moves by three pairs of feet.

Read the full article here!