After a long dry spell, the beast of rock 'n' roll is slouching back toward Beijing. Outdoor festivals are on, stadiums are humming, and there’s an explosive show every night. We talk to the local bands and international stars revitalizing the city’s rock scene.

By Jessica Beaton, Miranda ... Read more »

How to reclaim the city and make Beijing feel like Beijing again

Now that the Olympic Tourists are out of our hair, City Weekend takes back the city, visiting the hutongs, people, places and smells we love most about this city. From sunrise at Jingshan Park to sunset in Tiananmen ... Read more »

The Olympics are over, and we all need a break. Here are 15 great holidays in China, Asia and Beijing's own backyard.

By Daniel Allen, Michael Armstrong, Scott Browning, Erica Chen, Lily Kuo, Juliana Loh, Lee Mack, Robert Miles, Sienna Parulis-Cook

Asia

Olkhon, Russia | 3 days

Baikal Baby

The ... Read more »

Your definitive guide to all the Olympic action in Beijing

Gulou | Room 101

Popular with Europeans and hip ex-pats, this French-owned pub offers a relaxed atmosphere in which to watch the games during the day and chill out to live music at night. If the downstairs gets too crowded, check ... Read more »

Your go-to guide for those “what if” situations

What if you need money?

If you’ve got currency from your home country, exchange it for Renminbi (also known as the yuan or, more colloquially, as the kuai) at most hotels and branches of major banks such as Bank of China ... Read more »

Don't leave Beijing without trying these amazing restaurants

Hot Pot

Do It Yourself

”What kind of restaurant makes you cook your own food?” Bill Murray asked in Lost in Translation. Only the kind that always has a waiting list of devotees. At Haidilao, customers dip raw vegetables, meats and ... Read more »

Seven great Beijing dates you never thought of— but wish you had

Beijing’s summer sun and rising temperatures are the perfect catalysts for a spicy affair. But you're not going to win the great dating game with dinner and a movie. Make the first move with an innovative ... Read more »

Beijing expat cliques from Andingmen to Zhongguancun

We may all be “laowai” in the eyes of the locals, but foreigners in Beijing are no monolith. Depending on the hood we live in, the work we do and how we choose to drink to excess, we all seem to have a ... Read more »

Best Pizza

The Tree

Buzzfactor: Big, wood-fired ovens and perfect thin crust pizza are the secret behind The Tree’s number one position for the second year running in both the City Weekend and That’s Beijing dining awards. The place is perpetually packed with a crowd of families and ... Read more »

Best Budget Bar

Nan Jie

Buzzfactor: Nan Jie edged out Rickshaw by a handful of ballots. When it comes to drink prices, however, there’s no disputing Nan Jie’s title. Mixed drinks start at ￥10 and a tray of 12 shooters goes for ￥100. When Sara C spins, Nan ... Read more »

133

The number of online votes Hatsune and SALT received each for Restaurant of the Year. In the end, Hatsune pulled through with a surge of paper ballots.

873

Number of paper ballots thrown out for cheating. One venue went as far as to fill out 57 ballots with fake ... Read more »

Local Design Takes Root

Despite boasting one the world's most prominent art markets and a reputation as the hub of creativity in China, Beijing has long lacked a design scene. The past year, however, has seen an explosion of design boutiques throughout the capital. Long impressed with boutique expat ... Read more »

A dash through Beijing's top cinemas just in time for the summer movie season

Going to the movies should be an escape, a time when you are pulled from your couch to be swallowed by the biggest screen you can find. That's what I'm looking for in ... Read more »

Fab ideas for the last minute traveler this May Holiday

Our week-long May Holiday was usurped by The Man, and we now only have a three-day weekend. Though that week-long trip to Thailand may be hard to pull off, we’re still planning on enjoying the fruits and vistas of ... Read more »

Feast your eyes (and bellies) on Beijing's best open-air bites

The cold weather and sandstorms have passed (we think), and it's finally time to enjoy our favorite outdoor activity: eating! Here's a rundown of our favorite Beijing courtyards, terraces, rooftops and patios, homes to some of the ... Read more »

Beijing's Food Pros Take You Beyond the Expat Veil

Too few of us venture beyond the protective bubble of our favorite local Chinese restaurants. It's understandable. Even with a recent proliferation of quality bilingual menus (and websites like City Weekend's) the obstacles to finding and enjoying good ... Read more »

It's a new year, and City Weekend has a few alternative ways to move your thawing body. We're all familiar with the benefits of jogging, biking and joining a gym, but when City Weekend called me up and suggested I try out a few of Beijing's stranger ... Read more »

These women shine in Beijing's male-dominated scene

“Sorry, which one of their girlfriends are you again?” With a beer in his hand and a smile on his face, the club owner approaches the young woman talking to the sound engineer.

"Um," she gulps, "I actually organized the event."

This ... Read more »

Issue 4 of CW Magazine Beijing is due out tomorrow. We love this cover and hope you'll enjoy the cover story. As always, share you comments, thoughts and more here on www.cityweekend.com.cn Read more »

Get your laptop. These are the sites you're going to want to bookmark to make your life in Beijing easier.

We all have our internet addictions: Facebook connects us to friends back home, TMZ keeps us up to date with the latest Hollywood gossip, and Google Maps Street View ... Read more »

Chinese New Year: hate it or love it, it's going to change your life ... especially after you wed a local

When Jodi Hu's in-laws come to town five days before Chinese New Year, it's time to cook. "My husband's father is the kind that likes to ... Read more »