A line runs through Beijing, and you can ride beside it for nearly eight kilometres, from the Yongding Gate in the south to the Bell and Drum Towers in the north. It is the central axis of the old city, and everything of importance in imperial Beijing was arranged along it or symmetrically on either side. The Forbidden City sits at its heart, with the great halls of the emperors, and the axis passes through Tiananmen, the Gate of Heavenly Peace, the artificial hill of Jingshan Park, and the old temple precincts. UNESCO listed the axis in 2024.
The axis shows how the city was meant to be understood. Visitors approached from the south, through a sequence of gates and courtyards that increased in grandeur, and the emperor sat at the centre, facing south. The design dates back to the Yuan dynasty in the thirteenth century, and was refined under the Ming and Qing. The Temple of Heaven and the Temple of Agriculture flank the southern part, and the Drum Tower and Bell Tower mark the northern end, where officials once announced the hours.
For motorcyclists, central Beijing is a complicated place. The city has more than eleven million people, traffic is heavy and motorcycles are subject to strict local controls, so foreign riders will generally find it simplest to explore on foot, by bicycle or by metro. The streets around the Forbidden City are among the busiest in the world, and security checks are common near the major sites. Fuel and everything else is plentiful, but rules change, so check before you plan.
The best seasons are spring and autumn, when the sky is clear and the temperature is mild. Summer is hot and humid, and winter is dry and cold, with pollution at times. Climb Jingshan Park at dawn if you can, because the view south along the axis, over the golden roofs, is one of the great sights of the capital. The neighbourhoods of narrow lanes, called hutong, to the north of the axis are a good place for a quiet walk and a bowl of noodles.