7AM : Enjoy Ritan Park, already buzzing with activity. You can join a group of smiling locals performing callisthenics and follow the leader’s instructions.

10 AM : Hunt for antiques in Panjiayuan. Every weekend, there is the exhilarating and tempting sight of statuettes by the thousands, ethnic finery, Tibetan jewelry, Maoist trinkets and 130-million-year-old fossilized bugs and ferns. Though they might be crafty fakes.

11AM : At Caicifang, give in to a pendant, ring, brooch or earrings, all made from antique Chinese porcelain chips. Between blue and white or celadon, and traditional or abstract motifs, everyone can find something to their liking.

NOON : Enjoy a gourmet lunch break in the heart of an ancient Buddhist temple. You’ll find yourself dreaming about the art of living in centuries past.

2PM : Visit UCCA Beijing’s finest contemporary art museum, whose spacious, dazzling-white galleries are empty at this time of the morning, and linger at the Wang Xingwei retrospective. After the museum, wander between art galleries in the 798 Art District.

3PM : Sip a coffee in this pocket-sized spot in on the hippest hutongs in the city.

4PM :Buy yourself a handmade fan crafted from bamboo and canvas. Each one is hand painted with typical Chinese motifs, such as animals, landscapes and flowers, on a white or pastel background.

6PM : Unwind at the YUSPA sensorial massage salon, which makes its own essential oils from imported natural ingredients.

8PM : Taste the Beijing speciality par excellence: Peking Duck, renowned for is meltingly soft meat and delicately crispy skin! The almost ritualistic carving of the bird highlights the refinement of this dish.

10PM : Kick off the evening in this glamorous cocktail bar with a Miami Vice vibe and a hip young clientele.