Where to See and Be Seen
In the heart of the CBD, the sleek lounge Centro continues its reign as cocktail king: Young diplomats, consultants, and bankers mingle with established telecom and investment-banking executives. Financial movers and shakers mix with Beijing's beautiful people at the new Lan Club, spread over 64,000 square feet. Its neo-Baroque Philippe Starck decor trumps the uneven contemporary Chinese menu. Tucked down a narrow hutong alley in a traditional courtyard house is Bed Bar, where an upscale clientele sip sangria and recline on traditional kang beds. Bankers prefer to unwind with Thai food and draft beer in the Asian antique-strewn interior of Face.

Where to Close a Deal
The China Club is housed in a beautifully restored, sprawling courtyard structure dating from the Qing dynasty. Nonmembers can dine in imperial-style luxury at the Szechuan restaurant. The American Club, in the heart of the CBD on the twenty-eighth floor of the China Resources Building, offers spectacular views of Tian'anmen Square and the embassy district. It is strictly members-only—angle for an invitation—with white linen tablecloths, wood paneling, an American grill, and a clubby cigar lounge. Brush shoulders with the American ambassador to China, Clark T. Randt, and members of the American Chamber of Commerce, like Google exec Dan Brody. In Beijing, there is no better way to cement a business connection than by warbling karaoke. Book a private room at Partyworld, which offers a long list of American hits.

Local Codes
From the moment you hand over your business card with two hands, maintaining mianzi, or face—both your own and your counterpart's—will be the key to your business relationship. In the simplest terms, face means having the respect of your peers and colleagues. Causing someone to lose face by criticizing him in public or teasing him, while acceptable in the United States, can be a deal breaker. The Chinese are notoriously frank. Don't be surprised if someone asks your age or how much money you make; these are not considered inappropriate questions. Meeting your Chinese counterpart for the first time? He or she will inevitably show up with a gift. It's a good idea to reciprocate, with even the simplest token: food from your city, such as chocolates or cookies, or anything with your corporate logo–hat, shirt, key chain, mug. During small talk, never ask anyone how many kids he has: The country's one-child policy is still firmly in effect.

Airport Intelligence
For food at the underserved airport, avoid the two overpriced Chinese restaurants and seek out the Starbucks. Skip the business-class lounge opposite it, and bring your coffee to the lounge across from gate 11, which offers more comfortable chairs and a better selection of English-language newspapers. Avoid the cabbies who lurk outside the arrival hall, and head outside to the well-marked official taxi queue. Make sure your taxi driver uses the meter; a ride into town should be about RMB 80–100 ($10–$13), including a toll of RMB 10.

The Three-Hour Tour
Take a taxi to the Forbidden City, where you can whip through the 90-minute audio guide given, bizarrely, by former James Bond Roger Moore. Then hop a five-minute cab to Houhai. Climb the venerable Ming-dynasty Drum and Bell Towers for striking views before strolling the charming, twisting hutong lanes, lined with traditional courtyard homes, for an increasingly rare glimpse into old Beijing. Bicycles whiz perilously close to pedestrians; vendors trundle along in three-wheeled carts calling out their wares; small storefronts sell cigarettes or fruit; children play on the streets with their grandparents; little dogs, quite a few of them Pekingese, scamper after their owners—scenes that have been played out for centuries.