3.Visit the former observatory
The former observatory is located very closed to Jianguomen subway station , the former astronomical observatory is not excessively touristy and is one of the most unique tourist attractions in the city along with the Lama Temple.Don't expect to find an epic monument like the Summer Palace or the Forbidden City. The observatory is a small tower surrounded by a park,where you can find an array of enormous instruments for astronomical observation displayed,which are made of bronze and mix occidental technology with Chinese art. The entrance is only 10 Yuan.I think this is another perfect spot to get away from the hordes of tourists which populate the city.
4.Go out at night in the university area
Maybe you are thinking about going out at night around Sanlitun when people ask you where to visit in Beijing, which is certainly one of the most popular spots.It is also the place where the majority of the expat community of the city groups together,which means the clubs and bars are filled mostly with expats.So if you come to China not for a purpose to see more foreigners,I will say Sanlitun is not the best place.The Drum Tower,Nanluoguxian Street and HouHai Lake are also popular places for foreigners to visit in Beijing.But these areas are chosed by many of alternative businesses and live music.When you play at the area of HouHai,watch out for the prices of these businesses because they could be ridiculously high.Here I have a new advice of a less popular area that is in the Haidan district, where the majority of the universities of the city are located.Most of students in Chinese university don't go out much at night and if they do it, it's mainly to KTV or Internetbar.So don't expect lots of crowds in these areas.I am going to recommend two areas to you.
One area is located around the Wudaokou subway station.It is the only area where there is a bunch of bars and clubs.This isa popular area among both Chinese and international students because of its convenient traffic and low prices.
The other recommendation doesn't have much to do with the going out to party, but that doesn't mean that it's less interesting.Pick a place near universities.You can go there at night and sit down on one of the temporary terraces to eat various kinds of street food, most of it on skewers, and drink a ton of cheap beer until the small hours of the morning.You can alsobuy cheap clothes or other thousands of accessories.But there is one thing that you should be aware:these night markets aren't all legal and the police may decide to come to pay a visit and force them to take everything down at any time.