Wangfujing pedestratin street [Photo via tuchong.com]

Wangfujing Dajie is a bustling pedestrian shopping mall and a place where old and new perfectly blend together: it's a wonderful place to just sit, sip on a cool drink and "people-watch," because Wangfujing is home to people from all across the nation and across the globe.

As one of the oldest shopping streets in Beijing, Wangfujing features many "Time-Honored Brands" stores; most are more than 100 years old. International brands, fantastic shops, cinemas and restaurants, bookstores and an old, refurbished Western-styled church epitomize modern Beijing.

It is advised, in early evening to check out the "snack street" on the north side of Donghuamen Dajie, east of Wangfujing Dajie. Check out Wangfujing's bookstore to get the latest best-selling novels, works of literature, language books and audio tapes to read while traveling through the country's vast expanses after you leave the capital.

Address: Wangfujing Dajie, Dongcheng district

Means of transportation: Subway Line 1, Wangfujing Station; Bus No: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 37, and 728