Shicha Lake. [Photo/China Daily]

Shicha Lake and Drum Tower

A short taxi ride will take you to the Shicha Lake and Drum Tower area, which is the oldest retail center in the city. Rows of restaurants and cafes line the main street and its alleys. You can taste a variety of local snacks and foods from all over the country and the world. It is a magnet for international visitors who have a choice of culinary adventure or familiar cuisines. To work off the extra calories, you can skate on the lake in winter or row a boat in summer. You can also rent a pedicab and meander along the narrow lanes (hutong), visit some of the courtyard houses (siheyuan) and see how people in Beijing used to live in their humbler abodes of perfect symmetry. Some still live there, but most have moved into apartment buildings.

The central axis ends at the Clock Tower, where bells chime in the morning, and its neighboring Drum Tower sounds the evening drum rolls. But your walking tour need not end there as the axis has now been extended farther north to encompass the Olympic venues. You can either take a taxi or, if you're in an adventurous mood, take subway Line 8 that corresponds to this portion of the central axis.