• Beijing, the capital city of the People's Republic China, is increasingly coming under the influence of the West, if the proliferation of fast food outlets, such KFC, McDonalds, Subway and Starbucks, is anything to go by. Nevertheless, there is a huge variety of traditional Chinese food on offer in Beijing and plenty of places to eat it, if you know where to look.
  
  

Beijing Street and Snack Food

• Street and snack food is very popular in Beijing and there are numerous snack bars and other eateries throughout the city where visitors can sample, the Ròujiamó or "Beijing Sandwich"--a pitted bread filled with sweet pork--or light, crunchy pancakes, known as Jian Bing, filled with sausage or spring onions and many other delicacies. Of course, you do not need to buy food straight off the street and there are many restaurants where you can sit and eat lighter Chinese food in comfort. One of these is a restaurant called Du Yi Chu Shao Mai, which was named by Emperor Qianlong during the Qing Dynasty and has a history dating back over 300 years; Shao Mai--a steamed dumpling stuffed with meat or vegetables--is a speciality of the house. Another is Xiao Chi Bu, in the Dongcheng District of Beijing, which serves authentic bean soup, known as Dou Zhii, and Jiao Quan (a fried bread ring) among other snacks.
  
  

Beijing Duck

• Beijing Duck--duck roasted over fragrant, fruit tree wood and served with pancakes, plum sauce and finely chopped cucumber and shallots--is the signature dish of the Chinese capital. Beijing Duck is served in many restaurants, but the oldest and most reputable are the 14 restaurants that make up the Quanjude restaurant chain. The best of these is located to the south of Tianamen Square in the area known as Qianmen ("Front Gate"), but others can be found in Hepingmen ("Gate of Peace"), south of the station of the same name on Line 2 of the Beijing Subway, and in other locations around the city. Prices are cheap, with a whole duck typically costing less than $3.
  
  

Imperial Court Cuisine

• As the name suggests, Imperial Court cuisine is based on the food once served to the Qing Imperial Family and uses carefully selected ingredients. The Fanshan Restaurant in Beihai Park--a former royal garden in the Xicheng District--was originally opened in 1925 and is famous for its Imperial Court delicacies. The traditional "Man-Han" banquet--featuring no fewer than 108 dishes favored by the Manchu and Han peoples--is a particular speciality.