Shouhuang Temple Forbidden City & Dongcheng Central

A counter-narrative to Beijing's poor record of heritage preservation is that once off-limits parts of the old capital are opening to the public all the time. Shouhuang Temple, built in 1749 under the reign of Emperor Qianlong to honour his royal ancestors, opened in 2018 after four years of restoration. Inside Jingshan Park on Beijing's central axis, it's a sublime slice of Qing-era imperial pomp well worth a side trip. Seek out the pair of yellow-and-green glazed tile furnaces, used for burning silk and spirit tablets as offerings to deceased ancestors.