Dongcheng District

Making the Most of Your Time

Most of Dongcheng can be seen in a day, but it's best to set aside two, because the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square will likely take the better part of one day. The climb up Coal Hill (also called Prospect Hill) in Jingshan Park will take about 30 minutes for an average walker. From there, hop a taxi to the Lama Temple, which is worth a good two hours, then visit the nearby Confucius Temple.