This metropolitan city is located in Beijing Province, northern China. Beijing is the second largest city next to Shanghai and a busy transportation hub with the subway, railways, expressways and busy airports. There is lots to see and do in Beijing from the comfort of your accommodation. Beijing, one of the six ancient cities in China, has been the heart and soul of politics and society throughout its long history and consequently there is an unparalleled wealth of discovery to delight and intrigue travelers as they explore Beijing's ancient past and exciting modern development.

It has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, with about 140 million Chinese tourists and 4.4 million international visitors in a year. Beijing is one of the few cities in the world which is very hard to capture at once. To fully enjoy, understand, feel and touch the city of Beijing stay a while in a vacation rental with close proximity to tube tours, bike tours, rickshaw tours, night tours, spa tours, target shooting, bird watching and many more exciting activities.

The best of Beijing is a study in contrasts -- from the ritzy elegance of restaurants located in the snazziest of accommodation to the humble yet lively fare available in local dining rooms. We give you a healthy dose of traditional Beijing life when you stay in our vacation rentals.

Several quiet teahouses offer you the chance to remove yourself temporarily from the tourist rush. The teahouse in the Sanwei Bookstore offers live traditional music with its bottomless cups of jasmine. For a little extra, The Teahouse of Family Fu in the Back Lakes area brews your oolong (wulong) in the Chinese version of the tea ceremony. Both teahouses are furnished with replica Ming dynasty tables and chairs and make ideal spots for reading, writing, or doing absolutely nothing. Visit the Forbidden City and the Imperial Gardens at the Summer Palace with your Owner Direct lodging as a base.

Hiking along the Great Wall at Jiankou is our favorite part of the wall without a ticket booth or postcard tout in sight. The 5-hour hike meanders along a vertigo-inducing stretch of wall that isn't for the faint of heart -- but it's an unforgettable experience. Afterwards you can relax in your vacation rental accommodations. Find your condo rentals or apartment accommodations in Beijing through Owner Direct Vacation Rentals.