Once a 1950s military factory complex, 798 has been converted into Beijing’s best-known contemporary art district. The old concrete workshops and warehouses now house galleries, studios, and design shops, featuring everything from major exhibitions to small, experimental shows. You’ll find photography, video art, installations, and plenty of one-off pieces that change all the time. The area has also filled up with cafés, bars, and restaurants, so it’s easy to spend a few hours wandering, eating, and people-watching. It’s in the Dashanzi area, northeast of the centre, and the mix of Mao-era industrial buildings and modern art is half the experience.

One of Beijing’s oldest hutongs — the city’s traditional narrow alleyways lined with courtyard houses — Nanluoguxiang has kept its Ming dynasty street layout while changing completely in character. Today, the lane is dotted with cafés, bars, boutiques, and souvenir shops, drawing a mix of tourists and young locals. It runs from Drum Tower East Street down to Ping’an Street, and it’s usually packed in the evenings when the lights come on. The old courtyards are still there behind the modern shopfronts, so you get a contrast between Beijing’s past and its current street life.

Daan Park is a quiet escape from the big city life of Taipei, and a great place to catch a breath of fresh air. The park has a wide range of flowers, plants, bamboo trees and banyan trees. It is also full of activities such as a skating rink, basketball court and children's playground.

Xingtian Temple, also called Hsing Tian Kong, is a large Taiwanese temple where locals pray and conduct religious rituals. This temple might not be as popular as Longshan, but it is a very peaceful and beautiful place nonetheless.