Beijing is giving the smoking ban another go. The city last implemented tighter regulations on smoking in public spaces - particularly bars and restaurants - last May. However, officials failed to enforce the new law, leaving nights out the usual smoky affair. This new ban won’t add further restrictions, but will focus on actual enforcement.

Unless living in Beijing is part of an overall master plan that included language and cultural classes in college, there's probably a lot that you may not know about the city. How about the duality of Confucianism? Or politics behind contemporary art? Whether you're visiting or just want to know more, here are some new walking tours everyone can check out.

Beijing is no stranger to odd and niche museums, though many don't grab (or warrant) much attention – the Museum of Tap Water for example – but when a snack museum opened up at of all places Snack World, the prospects sounded like Disneyland for our stomachs. Located in Fengtai district, well outside of the expat bubble, Wanfeng Snack compiles the whole range of China's regional restaurants in one spot.

I should have known how this would turn out. My needlework had previously been limited to reattaching a button or two, and even those managed to come out looking pretty sad. But when I was growing up, domestic chores involved hammers, rakes and paintbrushes – not fabric swatches or yarn. Still, I figured knitting would be easy enough to learn, and surely leave me with a scarf in no more time than it took to floor an attic.

February's been on the quiet side for Beijing news ... unless you are married or planning on getting hitched. If you fall into either group, you may be facing problems: questioning your partner's sexuality, pondering your own views on sex before marriage or searching for ways to appear more innocent than you actually are. If none of that applies to you, you may be interested to find out where there’s a shortage of cab fares and what you’re not allowed to do in banks any more.

Tickets went on sale yesterday for Capital M’s Literary Festival. The restaurant’s fortnight of talks on writing, food and travel begins on February 25, which also serves as the unofficial kick-off date for Beijing’s book-based festival season. Here's a rundown of what to expect, where to purchase tickets, and the novelists, journalists, memoirists and adventurers who will be showcased at the Capital M Literary festival.

If the Drum and Bell Tower area were a person, they’d be a skittish, elderly worker constantly worrying about whether or not they will be fired. "Surely seniority counts for something?" they fret.

Well, after years of will-they-won’t-they debate about demolishing the hutongs that surround the towers, it looks like the pink slip is finally in the mail.

The start of February brings the end of the holiday period, fireworks and ... maybe your relationship? Meanwhile, Apple resumes online selling, and the Chinese government has their own answer to the iPad. It's also time again to plan for trips to the Rugby Sevens in Hong Kong. Just do not eat on the subway.

We’ve already got a glimpse of Warren Buffet and Shaquille O’Neil on China’s New Year’s gala but they aren’t the only international acts that graced the stage. While Buffet’s song choice probably confused Chinese and foreigners alike, the next song set is full of KTV-worthy tunes just waiting to be sung along to.

In a ranking of the world’s twenty most beautiful bookstores, Beijing appears twice as much as any other city. Amidst converted cathedrals and Greek isle hole-in-the-walls, The Bookworm and Poplar Kid’s Republic show that they have what it takes to stand up with the prettiest of them.