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One of the best things I did was to take a bicycle around the backstreet hutongs of the city, true Chinese style. The architecture is from Imperial times and it really feels like you're stepping back in time to when the Forbidden City was still really forbidden to mere mortals. This way you can escape the crowds too, and find some street markets where you can bargain to buy anything from knockoff designer clothes to Chairman Mao alarm clocks and the ubiquitous Little Red Book. And make sure you have your hotel's business card so you can show it to someone when you get lost!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17438