With the Olympics kicking off today in Beijing, the entire world will be focusing on the city, and there is so much to take in. Beijing has been spruced up and now boasts some of the world’s most daring architecture, alongside ancient sites like the Forbidden City. The art scene in Beijing is buzzing as well; check out all the galleries and hip bars in the Dashanzi district. We’ll let everyone else cover the sports while we zero in on the city’s shopping. While Beijing doesn’t have the immediate appeal and buzz of Shanghai, if you dig a little deeper you’ll find the city’s charms, like the myriad of hutongs (the traditional alleys).

Looking for insider tips on where to eat in Beijing? The Telegraph this week ran a feature on Chinese actress Gong Li's favourite spots in Beijing. She reccommended the elegant Courtyard Restaurant (pictured), a beautifully preserved building near Tiananmen Square which serves salmon and tuna sashimi, seared Maine scallops and King prawns in a lemongrass caramel glace. Surprisingly she suggested Quannjude as the top place to try Peking duck- when we visited the restaurant last year we were less than impressed- I thought the flavours tasted fake and regretted not trying the duck at the Hyatt Beijing. Her final tip? The Lao She tea house where you can try tea made with an expanding jasmine flower.

Awana, one of London's top Malaysian restaurants, will open this spring in Beijing. The Beijing outpost will be located on Lady Street, which is chocka with trendy bars and restaurants. The restaurant is slated to open on May 10, 2007 with a big bash and the help of celebrities like Jimmy Choo and Michelle Yeoh. The menu will feature Malaysian specialties like satay, grilled lamb ribs and ikan panggang, a banana leaf wrapped butterfish with lemongrass, coriander and chilli served with shallot and cucumber salad. Awana Beijing, Chao Yang Distric 32, Tian Ze Lu, Nu Ren Jie. (Lady Street) Beijing, 100016 China.

Consuela Castiglioni's Marni label is known for its bright colours and funky patterns and counts Julia Roberts, Ashley Judd, Kirsten Dunst, Audrey Tatou, and Monica Bellucci among its celebrity fans. We're fans of her dresses, which are quirky and romantic and never too formal. Marni has just opened a new boutique in China, inside the China World Trade Centre, the city's most upscale shopping centre. This big, glossy shopping centre is also home to Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Cartier and Max Mara (but be warned, prices can be higher than they are in the US and UK because of high taxes). The store has been designed by the London firm Sybarite, and the store features glossy, grey walls and lacquered steps, with curvy garment rails.

It seems that every other week the Ritz-Carlton  announces the opening of a new hotel (not that we're complaining! We love their legendary service). The newest Ritz-Carlton to join the family is the Ritz-Carlton Beijing, Financial Street, set to open in mid-October. The brand-new glass and chrome building is ideally located for business travellers as well as those on holiday- and we're sure the hotel is already taking reservations for the 2008 Olympics. The hotel will have 253 guest rooms, as well as a Club Level lounge where guestrooms will overlook the Tibetan-style White Pagoda Temple. In addition to Italian and Chinese restaurants, there will also be a Tea Apothecary, offering 88 varieties of tea. For more information, call 800 234 000.