Special Sub-Topic: The Northern Capital - Beijing Click Here To Play: The Northern Capital - Beijing

What is the name of Beijing's main street that runs East to West?

Chang'an Avenue. Literally translated as Avenue of Long or Eternal Peace, Chang An Avenue cuts through the heart of Beijing, passing some of Beijing's major sites.

Which major heritage site is located at the geographic heart of Beijing?

The Palace Museum. Often referred to as The Forbidden City, The Palace Museum covers a vast area of 720,000 square metres, measuring over 950 metres north to south and 750 metres east to west.

What is the name of Beijing's most famous shopping street?

Wangfujing. Wangfujing has been a major shopping destination for over 100 years. Now pedestrianized, it is being overtaken by more modern shopping malls, but is still a great place to go and 'people-watch'.

What is the name of the residential compound where most of China's senior leaders live?

Zhongnanhai. Zhongnanhai is located along Chang'an Avenue, to the west of the Palace Museum and Tian An Men Square, and opposite the Great Hall of the People.

If you went into a restaurant and asked for 'Kaoya' what tasty treat would you be tucking into?

Beijing Roast Duck. Beijing Roast Duck is roasted in a wood fired oven, and then sliced at your table. It is traditionally eaten wrapped in a pancake, with thin slivers of spring onion, cucumber and dabs of plum sauce. The perfect slice of duck should include meat, plenty of fat, and the skin of the duck.

After Beijing's Sixth Ring Road was completed in 2005, how many Ring Roads did Beijing have?

5. Although Beijing's farthest ring road was the Sixth Ring Road, there was actually no First Ring Road. The most central Ring Road was the Second Ring Road, so there were only 5.

What area in Beijing is well known for its night life scene?

Sanlitun. Although rapidly changing due to the amount of development in the area, Sanlitun is still one of the most popular night life districts in Beijing, with a host of bars and restaurants of all types. Doner kebab? no problem. Pizza? Sure. There's even a fish 'n chips joint here too!

What is the nickname for Beijing's 2008 Olympic Stadium?

The Bird's Nest. The Olympic Stadium features an amazing exterior design of seemingly randomly placed steel columns, bars and beams, which combine to create a staggering overall bird's nest effect.

What is the name of the traditional Chinese 'courtyard' house that once characterized Beijing's architecture?

Si He Yuan. The old courtyards are now few and far between, with only a few hundred remaingin across the city. The traditional design was for a series of rooms, aligned north to south, built around a central courtyard. Each of these sections is called a 'jing' or well. The more wells, the wealthier the household. A classic example of a traditional imperial courtyard is the home of the China Club, an upmarket venue for Beijing's business elite.

Where can you go in Beijing to see remnants of the ancient city wall?

Dongbianmen. The 24km long Ming City Wall was largely demolished in the mid-60s to make way for the Second Ring Road. Major junctions on the road are still named after the gates on the city wall. Only one small section remains, and is being renovated today and turned into a park area. The 1.5km stretch of wall is in the south-east of Beijing, close to the main railway station.