Shanghai vs. Beijing: Part 7,367,129,534

A poster over at Metafilter posed the following question under the title "'shanghaied to beijing' hurts my brain":

Help me with my China vacation!

So it looks like my SO and I are taking a week off in April and visiting China. Originally we were going to Shanghai, but it sounds like Beijing would be more 'Chinese' and less a big ol' city. Sound like a good plan?

Any unforgettable sites or ones we won't mind missing? Since we're there for a week, what about a day trip somewhere?

Also, what about bespoke suits - you always hear about Thailand and Hong Kong, but can I get the same custom tailoring magic to happen for me in Beijing? It would be nice to leave with some well-done clothing, or have it shipped home to me. Help me out!

The comments that follow (at times) turn into a (very well behaved) Beijing vs. Shanghai debate. After 18 comments, it seems Beijing is winning. We agree with the commenter who suggests the guy visit both cities -- it's really hard to choose one over the other. We would add then that they should additionally take a train ride to the middle of nowhere and spend a couple days there, as well.

One week just isn't enough time.

NOTE: You can add your two cents as a comment to the original post on Metafilter, but to do so you need to be a member of the Metafilter community. And that costs US$5.

Image of the Beijing vs. Shanghai ice hockey match from beijinghockey.com.