Flag raising on Tian'anmen Square

The flag of the People's Republic of China
When:Daily
Where:Tian'anmen
Cost:Free
Opening Hours:Varies every morning 4.48am-7.36am depening on the time of year

Every morning, 96 guards raise the flag above Tian'anmen Square in Beijing in 2 minutes and 7 seconds. That is the same amount of time it takes for the sun to rise above the horizon. The 56 poles in the balustrade around the base of the flag represent the 56 different ethnic nationalities living within China's borders. The flag is also lowered at sunset.

Beijing Opera at Liyuan Theatre

Classic opera in Beijing. Photo courtesy of Catherine Phillips
When:Daily
Where:Liyuan Theatre
Cost:Various
Opening Hours:Various

Beijing Opera, or Peking Opera, is the most celebrated of China's 300-400 different opera styles. For visitors, the Liyuan Theatre presents traditional opera excerpts designed in short programmes, yet true to the original style. You can also drink Chinese tea and, if you fancy, dress up for a photo in a Beijing Opera costume.
The theatre successfully attempts to revive the ambience of old Beijing by setting up Ming-style tables and ornate decorations that enable guests to sample snacks during the performances. With an interpretation in English for those who want it, the performances can be quite different from some those in more traditional venues.

798 District

When:Daily
Where:798 District

Galleries, art centres, artists' studios, design companies, restaurants, and bars proliferate in this area which is saturated in trendiness. It's a good way to see Beijing's most promising artists in an unusual setting. The district is the site of a cluster of state-owned factories, including Factory 798, which originally produced electronics. In 2002, artists and cultural organisations began to divide, rent out, and re-make the factory spaces, gradually developing them into what you can see today.

Panjiayuan Market

Panjiayuan Market, Beijing. Courtesy of Beijing Municipal Government
When:Daily
Where:Panjiayuan Market
Cost:Free
Opening Hours: Daily 8.30am-6.30pm (from 4.30pm Sat & Sun)

A fascinating mix of real and rip-off, Panjiayuan Market in Chaoyang is classic China. Stalls are crowded with bronze tripods, 1920s cigarette posters and black-and-white photos discarded from Cultural Revolution-era family albums. Be sure to bargain hard.
China's largest bric-a-brac market, some 3000 stalls offer a range of goods, from multi-coloured teapots to Buddha statues of all sizes and hues, Chairman Mao and People's Liberation Army memorabilia, paintbrushes and Chinese painting or calligraphy. You could come away with a fantastic real antique (or pay even more for a convincing fake...).

The name of the market means "Pan family Square" and ancient Beijing records show that the area was once the centre of a village for the Pan clan. Once only a weekend market (it was originally called Ghost, Sunday or Dirt Market), it has been so successful that it is now open throughout the week.

Prepare to haggle for anything you want, and for the best choice, get there early (it all starts from about 4am, with 10,000 stall-holders setting out the wares). However, late on Sunday you may find prices have tumbled, as vendors want to get rid of as much as they can.

For those wanting furniture, try the nearby Chaowai Antique Furniture Market, about five minutes' walk north from Panjiayuan Market. Here, there are four floors of antique and reproduction furniture. Whether it's an ornately carved bed you're looking for or just a footstool, you'll be bewildered by the variety on offer.

Silk Market (Xiushui)

When:Daily
Where:Silk Market (Xiushui)
Opening Hours:Daily 9am-9pm

The Silk Market (Xiushui) was once the world's most famous street market but the old stalls have been replaced by a multi-storey complex. The merchandise is the same but now this tends to be one of the pricier markets.
Be warned though, the salesmen here are pushy and the Gucci-branded clothes and Rolex watches are more than likely to be fake.

Flying Acrobatics at Chaoyang Theatre

When:Daily
Where:Chaoyang Theatre
Cost:RMB180-RMB680
Opening Hours:Daily shows 5.15pm & 7.15pm

The Chaoyang Theatre in Beijing stages twice daily shows of spectacular Flying Acrobatics. Prepare for your jaw to drop as troupe members hold ten spinning plates simultaneously and flexible contortionists twist and fold their bodies into unthinkable positions.
Other acts include diablo juggling, leaping through hoops and balancing on the nail-biting 'Loop of Death' (a hamster wheel-type contraption suspended on a wire). The mind-boggling 'Bicycle Acrobatics' make you question the laws of gravity - think ten smiling women in glittering costumes all balancing on one moving bicycle.

The art of Chinese acrobatics is around 2000 years old, and was one of the few art forms that Chairman Mao condoned. As a result, it excelled whilst other art forms declined, and a modern acrobatic show is one of the best entertainment deals in Beijing.

The Chaoyang Theatre also offers nightly shows of traditional Peking Opera.