Speed up to the minute with contemporary art at Factory 798 and a skyline that rockets to the future, or slow down to the past watching open-air mah jong and wandering the Ming Tombs - the Beijing Encounter guide gives you twice the city in half the time.

This pared-down number is ideal for quick trips - it's less accommodation, more neighbourhood highlights and the best local knowledge.

• Full-colour pull-out map and detailed neighbourhood maps
• Places and addresses in Chinese script to help you get around
• Interviews with locals reveal Beijing's secrets
• Special chapter on the Olympics