Most travelers to Beijing will stick close to the well-beaten paths of the Forbidden City and Wangfujing Street. For those lucky enough to visit Beijing on a second trip or have more time to spend in the city after seeing the Great Wall, I offer some interesting alternative suggestions:

Attend a service at Chongwenmen Church. The Chongwenmen Church is one of the largest Christian Protestant churches in Beijing. Many foreigners who visit Beijing end up seeing the Catholic Church at Wangfujing Street, but the Chongwenmen church is smaller and more intimate. President Clinton attended services here when he visited Beijing in 1998. Although a little difficult to find, the church warmly welcomes foreign guests and offers earphones to listen to an English translation of the service. Most interestingly, is seeing the number of Chinese congregants who arrive at the church as early as 6:00 am in hopes of getting a seat. You won’t know it but more people are sitting in the basement to watch the services via television.

Souvenir shopping at Lost & Found. Skip the mob scene that is known as the Silk Market and head to this small gift shop, located not far from the Yonghegong Lama Temple. The store offers unique t-shirts and vintage items such as old pencil boxes that were used by Chinese children. For those who are looking for one-of-a-kind gifts, this is the place to shop.

Take a cooking class. ChunYi Zhou offers small cooking classes in a hutong specializing in Guangzhou and Sichuan style dishes. Participants have commented that they learned more about Chinese cuisine after taking these hands-on classes. In addition to making food, an alternative “market tour” takes participants to local shops and vendors to introduce ingredients and spices that are vital to making Chinese food. All classes are taught in English.

Visit Beijing Railway Station. Because of very real language and cultural barriers, it’s difficult for tourists to Beijing to get a real sense of China’s rich diversity. A trip to Beijing Railway Station, conveniently located on Subway Line Two, can show visitors a broad swath of Chinese society. As a major destination for Chinese citizens of all stripes, the station is one of the few places to see people from across China. Visitors should be warned that the train station is filled with “sanzhishou” (pickpockets) and beggars. Nonetheless, an hour sitting in this station will tell you more about the Middle Kingdom than a visit to the 2008 Olympics venues.

Tour the Beijing Police Museum. The main reason to visit this museum is because most Chinese people don’t know it exists. When I tell them I went they usually respond, “There’s a police museum?” The museum offers an impressive display of guns and truthfully presents some heartbreaking history such as when the police department was dissolved during the Cultural Revolution and the number of officers who were killed during that period.

Eat at the International Food Warehouse. Even the most adventurous of diners will yearn for more familiar food while abroad. The International Food Warehouse, located off exit C at Guomao subway station, offers a mix of Western and Asian dishes. The concept is “open kitchen” so you see trained chefs preparing everything from dumplings to hamburgers. Food is served fast and service is rendered by professional English-speaking staff. Helpful hint: if your bill is more than 300RMB, request a “discount card” in order to save on your meal.

By Glen Loveland. Read more on Beijing things to do.