Beijing

With the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square at its heart, Beijing is the political and cultural "middle" of the Middle Kingdom, despite being marooned in China's arid northeast. Tellingly, two of the last three ruling dynasties came from the north – the Mongols (Yuan) and the Manchu (Qing) – herdsman who paid little heed to the Great Wall built to keep them at bay. Today, past and future collide in Beijing's vibrant neighborhoods; space-age retail developments abut the city's gentrifying hutong alleyways, increasingly home to craft beer bars, boutique hotels and fine dining. Ground zero for contemporary art in China, Beijing also has a thriving live music scene.