北京一日游 · 中轴线

天坛 1420 年建成，是明清两代皇帝祭天、祈谷的地方。最出名的是祈年殿：三层圆形蓝色屋顶，整座殿不用一根铁钉。清晨来最合适，长廊下有人唱歌、下棋、抖空竹，草坪边有人练太极。公园面积很大，从东门进离祈年殿最近。

Built in 1420, the Temple of Heaven is where Ming and Qing emperors prayed for good harvests. Its star is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests — three circular tiers of blue roof, assembled without a single nail. Dawn is the time to come: under the long corridor people sing, play chess and whirl diabolo, and tai chi is practised on the lawns. The park is large; the east gate is closest to the hall.

前门大街是北京最老的商业街之一，街上跑着复古的有轨电车「铛铛车」。往西拐进大栅栏（本地人读 Dàshílànr），胡同里挤着同仁堂、瑞蚨祥、内联升这些老字号，卖药、卖绸布、卖布鞋。再往里走，胡同安静下来，能看见老门楼和门前的石墩。

Qianmen Street is one of Beijing's oldest shopping streets, with a vintage tram running down the middle. Turn west into Dashilan (locals say Dàshílànr) and the lanes are packed with time-honoured shops: Tongrentang for medicine, Ruifuxiang for silk, Neiliansheng for cloth shoes. Deeper in, the lanes go quiet and you can see old gatehouses and the stone blocks that once held flagpoles.

烤鸭用果木明火烤，皮脆、肉嫩。上桌时师傅会在桌边把鸭子片成薄片，吃的时候用薄饼卷上鸭肉、甜面酱、葱丝和黄瓜条。两个人点半只通常就够，再配一道凉菜、一道青菜和一碗汤。中午比晚上便宜，也更容易有位置。

The duck is roasted over fruit-wood fire for crisp skin and tender meat, then carved into thin slices at your table. You roll the slices in thin pancakes with sweet bean sauce, spring onion and cucumber. Half a duck is usually enough for two, plus a cold dish, a green vegetable and a soup. Lunch is cheaper than dinner and much easier to book.

故宫是明清两代的皇宫，1420 年建成，南北长约 960 米，有九千多间房。沿中轴线走：午门进，穿过太和殿、中和殿、保和殿，再往北是乾清宫和御花园，从神武门出。只走中轴线大约两小时，想细看半天也不够。

Built in 1420, the palace runs about 960 metres north to south with more than 9,000 rooms. Follow the central axis: in at the Meridian Gate, through the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony and the Hall of Preserving Harmony, then the Palace of Heavenly Purity and the Imperial Garden, out at the Gate of Divine Prowess. The axis alone takes about two hours; a careful visit takes half a day.

景山公园在故宫北门对面，是一座人工堆起的小山，山顶的万春亭能俯瞰整个紫禁城：一片金色屋顶一直铺到天边，是北京最经典的画面。从南门上山大约十五分钟，台阶不难走，路上有树荫。

Facing the north gate of the palace, Jingshan is a man-made hill whose summit pavilion looks straight down over the Forbidden City — a field of golden roofs running to the horizon, the classic Beijing view. The climb from the south gate takes about fifteen minutes, with easy steps and shade most of the way.

什刹海是连在一起的三片老湖，湖边是成片的胡同和四合院。烟袋斜街只有两百多米，从鼓楼斜斜地连到湖边，两边都是小店和小吃。傍晚沿湖走一圈，能听见院里传出的电视声、鸟叫和自行车铃。

Shichahai is three old lakes joined together, edged with lanes and courtyard houses. Yandai Xiejie is a slanted lane of just over 200 metres linking the Drum Tower to the water, lined with small shops and snacks. Walk the lakeside at dusk and you hear televisions from the courtyards, birds and bicycle bells.

鼓楼和钟楼一前一后立在北京的中轴线上，元代就有了，是当年给全城报时的地方。现在可以上楼看展览，下午常有鼓乐表演：几面大鼓一起敲，声音能传出很远。站在楼上往南看，中轴线一直通到景山。

The Drum Tower and the Bell Tower stand one behind the other on Beijing's central axis, dating back to the Yuan dynasty, and once told the whole city the time. You can climb up for the exhibition, and most afternoons there is a drum performance — several big drums struck together, audible far across the rooftops. From the top, the central axis runs south to Jingshan.

南锣鼓巷是北京保存最完整的胡同街之一，从主巷往两边分出十几条更小的胡同，钻进去能看见完整的四合院门楼。主街商业化比较重，小吃和文创店很多；想安静一点，拐进雨儿胡同、帽儿胡同慢慢走。

Nanluoguxiang is one of the best-preserved hutong streets in Beijing: a dozen smaller lanes branch off the main one, and stepping into them brings you to intact courtyard gateways. The main street is heavily commercial, full of snacks and souvenir design shops; for quiet, turn into Yu'er Hutong or Mao'er Hutong.