The ground has now been broken on what will become Beijing’s tallest building. It will be located directly southeast of the CCTV HQ on Guanghua Lu and is being built by Beijing’s very own CITIC Group. China Zun (so named as it is shaped like a zun, which we all know refers to an ancient Chinese wine vessel) will dominate the city’s skyline upon its completion in 2016.

At 510m tall it will spank Beijing's current tallest, China World Trade Center Tower Three aka the Summit Wing. My word, what a dressing down it is. China Zun will dominate by 180m – that’s 54% of Tower Three’s 330m height.

Qianmen Dajie

After extensive renovation Qianmen Dajie has arisen from the construction dust as a Qing Dynasty Disney with only a few laozihao shops and restaurants to keep it going. At the northern end two trams provide the first photo stop, with posing and cries of “qiezi” also culminating from outside the Quanjude further south of the Dang Dang Che. As over ninety percent of the shop fronts currently lie vacant, the street only really offers one very long photo opportunity, if you’re after some shopping turn right onto Dazhalan (Beijingers say da shi lan'r), however, card-carrying philatelists should continue down to number 84 for the China Post Philately Hall. Unfortunately, we found that the few restaurants on the strip had already been booked out for lunch by 11.30am on a Tuesday, so it’s best to eat elsewhere. Although tea and jade stores seek to be the main draw, we preferred the scattered old black and white photographs, birdcage streetlights and door stone trashcans.

Until recently, the local front in the Nike versus adidas war has been played out on the billboards lining Wangfujing and Xidan. The two global brands are also struggling to be the providers of whatever sporting apparel athletes choose, or are instructed, to wear at the Beijing Olympics. The competition between the two brands in the Chinese market heats up with the opening of adidas' flagship store at Sanlitun's village tonight. The Beijinger's Fashion and Beauty Editor Halla Mohieddeen got a chance to take a sneak peek at the store yesterday and gives us her take below. Images by Simon Lim

adidas Brand Center
Daily 10am-10pm. Bldg 11, South Area, Sanlitun Village, 19 Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District.
朝阳区三里屯南路19号11幢

Designed to create a village within a city, the striking development in the heart of Sanlitun is slowly taking shape. The boards have come down, and we're now starting to see more of the eclectic mix of structures that will make up the shopping and entertainment district. The first store to throw open its doors is the new adidas Brand Center, adidas' global flagship store.

Boasting 3,170 sqm of floor space, this new store will be adidas’ largest worldwide. What's more, it brings together all the brand's concept lines under one roof, another first for the brand. This means that whether you want shoes, kids clothing, accessories and apparel, or lines such as Y-3 or adidas by Stella McCartney, it's now all available under one roof.

Beijing isn’t lacking for hot pot spots, so when a new one appears, even enthusiasts might ask “Why bother?” Gao Gao answers that question with high-quality ingredients and a commitment to recreating the freshest Taipei hot pot.

The first thing that strikes you about Feast is that it’s a fine-looking restaurant. Of course, nobody really comes to a place like this to enjoy the design, so it’s just as well that the all-you-can-eat offerings deliver. Mix up your own salad to ease yourself in, and try not to overindulge in the bread and cheese selection – you’re going to need every inch your stomach allows.