Peking Duck (běi jīng kǎo yā 北京烤鸭), or Peking Roast Duck is a famous duck dish from Beijing that has been prepared since the Yuan Dynasty (yuán cháo 元朝), and is now considered one of China's national foods.

 
The dish is prized for the thin, crispy skin, with authentic versions of the dish serving mostly the skin and little meat, sliced in front of the diners by the cook. Ducks are bred specially for the dish, which after 65 days are slaughtered and seasoned before being roasted in a closed oven or a hung oven. The meat is often eaten with pancakes, spring onions, and hoisin sauce or sweet noodle sauce. A variant of the dish known as crispy aromatic duck has been created by the Chinese community in the United Kingdom. The two most notable restaurants in Beijing which serve this delicacy are Quanjude and Bianyifang, two centuries-old establishments which have become household names.
By the Qianlong Period (1736-1796) of the Qing Dynasty, the popularity of the Peking Duck spread to the upper classes, inspiring poetry from poets and scholars who enjoyed the dish. For instance, one of the verses of Duan Zhu Zhi Ci, a collection of Beijing poems was, "Fill your plates with roast duck and suckling pig". In 1864, the Quanjude (全聚德) restaurant was established in Beijing. Yang Quanren (杨全仁), the founder of Quanjude, developed the hung oven to roast ducks. With its innovations and efficient management, the restaurant became well known in China, introducing the Peking Duck to the rest of the world. 

By the mid 20th century, the Peking Duck had become a national symbol of China, favoured by tourists and diplomats alike. For example, Henry Kissinger, the Secretary of State of the United States met Premier Zhou Enlai in the Great Hall of the People on July 10, during his first visit to China. After a round of inconclusive talks in the morning, the delegation was served Peking Duck for lunch, which became Kissinger's favourite. The Americans and Chinese issued a joint statement the following day, inviting President Richard Nixon to visit China in 1972. The Peking Duck was hence considered one of the factors behind the rapproachement of the United States to China in the 1970s. Following Zhou's death in 1976, Kissinger paid another visit to Beijing to savour Peking Duck.
Fattened ducks are slaughtered, feathered, eviscerated and rinsed thoroughly with water. Air is pumped under the skin through the neck cavity to separate the skin from the fat. The duck is then soaked in boiling water for a short while before it is hung up to dry. While it is hung, the duck is glazed with a layer of maltose syrup, and the innards are rinsed once more with water. Having left to stand for 24 hours, the duck is roasted in an oven until it turns shiny brown.

Peking Duck is traditionally roasted in either a closed oven or hung oven. The closed oven is built of brick and fitted with metal griddles. The oven is preheated by burning Gaoliang wood at the base. The duck is placed in the oven immediately after the fire burns out, allowing the meat to be slowly cooked through the convection of heat within the oven.

The ducks are hung on hooks above the fire and roasted at a temperature of 270 °C (525 °F) for 30–40 minutes. While the ducks are cooking, the chef may use a pole to dangle each duck closer to the fire for 30 second intervals.
The cooked Peking Duck is traditionally carved in front of the diners and served in three stages. First, the skin is served dipped in sugar and garlic sauce. The meat is then served with steamed pancakes , scallions and sweet noodle sauce. Several vegetable dishes are provided to accompany the meat, typically cucumber and carrot sticks. The diners spread sauce, and optionally sugar, over the pancake. The pancake is wrapped around the meat with the vegetables and eaten by hand. The remaining fat, meat and bones may be made into a broth.

How to Eat
Take the pancaKe, spread plum sauce on it, scatter the onions, and stick in the tender, greasy, duck slices.
Expect more skin, less meat.
Where to Eat
Here are some restaurants listed that you can go with still more others for you to explore.
 

• Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant (quán jù dé全聚德)
• -  10:3Oam-1:30pm. 4:3Opm-9:00pm.
•   32 Qianmen Street,
•   6511-2418.
• -  10:30am-2pm, 4:30pm-8:30pm
•   14 Qianmen West Street
•   -11am-2pm, 4:30pm-9pm. RMB108 or RMB168/duck,
•   Wangfujing, 9 Shuaifu Hutong,
•   6525-3310
• Baiwanzhuangyuan ( Bǎi wàn zhuāng yuán百万庄园) 
•   RMB100-200, RMB90/duck.
•   28 Zhanlanguan Road, Xicheng District.
•   6831-5058.
• Beijing Roast Duck Restaurant (běi jīng kǎo yā diàn北京烤鸭店)
•   11am-2pm, 5pm-9:30pm
•   RMB100-200, RMB98/duck.
•   Building 3, Tuanjiehu Beikou
•   6582-2892, 65824003, 6582-4012.
•   Call ahead for reservations, even on the weekdays.
• Golden Peacock (jīn kǒng què 金孔雀)
•   11am-2:30pm. 5pm-10pm
•   RMB100-200.
•   13 Hepingle, Dongtucheng, (Dongtucheng, heping li shisan hao),
•   6427-4723
• Goose (sān lǐ hé shāo é 三里河烧鹅)
•   11am-2pm, 5pm-9:30pm
•   RMB218/duCk.
•   7 Sanlihe North Street, Xicheng District, (Xicheng qu, Sanlihe beijie qihao),
•   6858-8752.
•   Similar to duck. A unique restaurant for the freedom lover means no set menu. You   choose  from their large variety of raw material and tell them how you want it done.
• Jiuhua Shan Roast Duck Restaurant (jiǔ huá shān kǎo yā 九华山烤鸭)
•   11am-2pm, 5-9pm
•   RMB100-200. RMB88/duck.
•   Off of Zengguang Road, inside the Ziyu Hotel,
•   6848-3481.
•   Be one of the lucky ones to eat one of their 200 ducks roasted daily. Crispy skin and   no fat.