Beijing

The 99-room Mandarin Oriental, Prague (+420.233.088.888, http://www.mandarinoriental.com) sits in the heart of the Czech city’s Malá Strana, or Little Quarter, on a slope that rises from the Vltava River to Prague Castle. Dating to the 13th century, the neighborhood is a maze of cobblestone lanes lined with restaurants, art galleries, and foreign embassies. The Mandarin […]

Beijing’s building projects—and the controversies they frequently entail—have not been confined to the city’s center. In 2002, about an hour north of the Forbidden City, Chinese real estate mogul Pan Shiyi opened a luxury resort on a 2,000-acre site along a stretch of the Great Wall. The project generated protests from preservationists, but rather than […]

By the time the torch ceremony commences the XXIX Olympiad in August 2008, China’s capital will be home to several upscale hotels. Following are our picks for the 10 most promising places to stay during the Games. THE RITZ-CARLTON BEIJING, FINANCIAL STREET Located in the heart of Beijing’s new $5.6 billion, Wall Street–inspired financial district, […]

As if by magic, an actor’s mask changes from the face of a red, gold, and white tiger into the battle-ready visage of a painted warrior. The illusion—part of a performance by the Peking Opera to mark the opening of Beijing’s newest luxury hotel—is one of roughly 25 instantaneous transformations that the actor completes during […]