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| Forbidden City |
| This is the Palace Museum, also known as the Purple Forbidden City. It is the largest and most well preserved imperial residence in China today. Under Ming Emperor Yongle, construction began in 1406. It took 14 years to build the Forbidden City. The first ruler who actually lived here was Ming Emperor Zhudi. For five centuries thereafter, it continued to be the residence of 23 successive emperors until 1911 when Qing Emperor Puyi was forced to abdicate the throne. In 1987, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization recognized the Forbidden City as a world cultural legacy. |
| Opening Hours: |
8:30am - 4:30pm (Nov 1 - Mar 31) |
Recommended Time for a Visit: |
2 - 3 Hours |
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8:30am - 5:00pm (Apr 1 to Oct 31) |
Distance to City Center: |
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| Great Wall |
The Great Wall, symbolizing China's ancient civilization, is one of the world's most renowned projects. It was listed by the United Nation's Education, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as one of the World heritages in 1987.
Construction of the Wall first began during the period of the Warring States (476 - 221 BC) by different kingdoms to protect their northern territories. In 221 BC after the first Emperor of the Qin Dynasty unified China, he decided to have the walls linked up and extended. Historical records show that about 1 million people, one-fifth of China's population at the time, were involved in the project which took more than ten years. When it was finished we call it "Wan Li Chang Cheng" which means "Ten Thousand-Li-Long Wall". The Great Wall which we visit now was rebuilt during the Ming Dynasty in the 16th century witha total length of more than 6,700 kilometres. The Badaling section, 75 kilometres to the northwest of Beijing, is the best preserved part of the Wall. Several renovations have taken place since 1949. It is listed by the Chinese Government as one of the historical monuments to be preserved. Juyongguan & Mutianyu are the other two most often visited sections in Beijing area. |
| Opening Hours: |
6:30am - 7:00pm (Summer) |
Recommended Time for a Visit: |
2 - 3 Hours |
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7:00am - 6:00pm (Winter) |
Distance to City Center: |
75 KM |
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| Hutong |
| A typical street in a Bejing, Hutongs are narrow streets or alleys, most commonly associated with Beijing, China. The word hutong comes from the Mongolian hottog meaning "water well." During the growth of towns and cities, wells dug by villagers formed the centres of new communities.In Beijing, hutongs are alleys formed by lines of siheyuan, traditional courtyard residences. Many neighbourhoods were formed by joining one siheyuan to another to form a hutong, and then joining one hutong to another. The word hutong is also used to refer to such neighbourhoods. Since the mid-20th century, the number of Beijing hutongs has dropped dramatically as they are demolished to make way for new roads and buildings. More recently, some hutongs have been designated as protected areas in an attempt to preserve this aspect of Chinese cultural history. Today, visitors can take rickshaw ride to view this oldes tpart of the city and visit local family for a real insight into the Chinese way of life. |
| Opening Hours: |
On request |
Recommended Time for a Visit: |
2 Hours |
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Distance to City Center: |
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| Jingshan Park |
| The Jingshan Park is a public park of Beijing, China. It is located in Xicheng District, immediately north of the Forbidden City. The artificial hill of the park was constructed entirely from the soil excavated in forming the moats of the Imperial Palace and nearby canals. It is especially impressive when one considers that all of this material was moved only by hand labor and animal power.
According to the dictates of Feng Shui, it is favorable to site a residence to the south of a nearby hill (and it is also practical, gaining protection from chilly northern winds). The imperial palaces in both of the other capitals of the Ming dynasty were situated to the south of a hill. When the capital was moved to Beijing, no such hill existed at this location, so one was constructed. |
| Opening Hours: |
6:00am - 9:30pm |
Recommended Time for a Visit: |
1 Hours |
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Distance to City Center: |
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| Ming Tombs |
Standing in the Spirit Way at the Ming Tombs looking back towards the entry gate.The Ming Dynasty Tombs (Thirteen Tombs of the Ming Dynasty) are located some 50 kilometers due North of Beijing at an especially selected site. The site was chosen by the third Ming Dynasty emperor Yongle (1402 - 1424). After the construction of the Imperial Palace (the Forbidden City) in 1420, the Yongle Emperor selected his burial site and creating his own mausoleum. From the Yongle Emperor onwards, 13 Ming Dynasty Emperors were buried in this area.
Changling, the chief of the Ming Tombs, is the largest in scale and is completely preserved. The total internal area of the main building is 1956 square meters. There are 32 huge posts, and the largest measures about 14 meters in height.
Dingling is under ground and about 27 meters deep. It is the mausoleum of Emperor Zhu Yijun, the thirteenth emperor who occupied the throne the longest during the Ming Dynasty, and his two empresses. The main features are the Stone Bridge, Soul Tower, Baocheng and the Underground Place, which was unearthed between 1956 and 1958. |
| Opening Hours: |
8:30am - 5:30pm |
Recommended Time for a Visit: |
2 Hours |
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Distance to City Center: |
50 KM |
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| Prince Gong's Mansion |
| Prince Gong's Mansion is Beijing's largest and the best preserved Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) princely mansion and is located at Qianhai Xijie to the north of Shichahai. This fine example of ancient Chinese architecture with its cultural connotations is important not only for its aesthetic value but as an asset to those who wish to study the lifestyle of the privileged classes in the feudal society of a bygone era. |
| Opening Hours: |
8:30am - 5:00pm |
Recommended Time for a Visit: |
0.5 Hours |
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Distance to City Center: |
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| Sacred Way |
| In the front part of the imperial necropolises, there usually is a Sacred Way (or Divine Road) which means the road leading to heaven. The Emperor, known as the Son of the Heaven, who came from Heaven to his country through the Sacred Way, also deservedly would return to Heaven through this road. It is often lined with stone statues which are important decorations of the mausoleum. Among the many Sacred Ways, the one of Ming Tombs' is best preserved and complete. The Sacred Way starts with a huge stone memorial archway lying at the front of the area. Farther in, the Shengong Shengde Stele Pavilion can be seen. Inside it, there lies a 50-ton tortoise carrying a stone tablet. A white marble Huabiao (ornamental pillar) is positioned at each corner of the stele pavilion. At the top of each is stationed a mythical beast. Then come two Roof Pillars on each side of the road, whose surfaces are carved with the cloud design, and tops are shaped like a rounded cylinder. After the 18 pairs of stone statues which are all sculpted from whole stones, and larger than life size, comes the Dragon and Phoenix Gate. |
| Opening Hours: |
8:30am - 6:00pm |
Recommended Time for a Visit: |
0.5 Hours |
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Distance to City Center: |
50 KM |
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| Summer Palace |
| The Summer Palace was first built by the Mongolia Khubilakhan and then rebuilt By Emperor Qian Long in 1720 for Empress Dowagers, who loved the summer retreat. The palace had been razed by a joint Anglo-Fresh attack in 1860 in the Second Opium War. Then the controversial Empress Dowager Ci Xi, who loved the palace and moved national budget that was originally allocated to reform the Imperial Chinese Navy to refurnish it again. |
| The pleasure garden always delights the visitors. In its compact 70,000 square metres of building space, one finds a variety of palaces, gardens, and other classical-style architectural structures. Built around the shimmering waters of Kunming Lake are delicate pavilions, temples and pagodas, Towers and long corridor, stone bridges across the islands. |
| Opening Hours: |
7:00am - 5:00pm (Nov 1 - Mar 31) |
Recommended Time for a Visit: |
1.5 Hours |
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6:30am - 6:00pm (Apr 1 - Oct 31)
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Distance to City Center: |
15 KM |
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| Temple of Heaven |
Hall of Annual Prayer, the largest building in the Temple of Heaven(literally the Altar of Heaven) is a complex of Taoist buildings situated in southeastern urban Beijing, in Xuanwu District. Construction of the complex began in 1420, and was thereafter visited by all subsequent Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
The temple is formed in accordance with principles dating to pre-Confucian times, the architecture and layout of it are based on elaborate symbolism and numerology.
The Temple grounds covers 2.73 km2 of parkland, and comprises three main groups of constructions, all built according to strict philosophical requirements.The Earthly Mount is the altar proper. It is an empty platform on three levels of marble stones, where the Emperor prayed for favourable weather; The House of Heavenly Lord, a single-gabled circular building, built on a single level of marble stone base, where the altars were housed when not in use; The Hall of Annual Prayer, a magnificent triple-gabled circular building, built on three levels of marble stone base, where the Emperor prayed for good harvests.
The Temple of Heaven was registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998. |
| Opening Hours: |
6:00am - 8:00pm |
Recommended Time for a Visit: |
1.5 Hours |
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Distance to City Center: |
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| Tiananmen Square |
Tian'anmen Square is the largest public square in the world, named after the Tian'anmen (literally, Gate of Heavenly Peace) which sits to its north, separating it from the Forbidden City.
It has long been a political symbolization of People's Republic of China, where the Chinese imperial courts issued important instruction from the Heavenly Peace Rostrum facing the square at the north, and Mao Tsetong-the founder of People's Republic announced the establishment there in 1949.
The Monument to the People's Heroes, Chairman Mao's Mausoleum, the National Congress House of the Great Hall of People, and the National Museum, all are surrounding the square, and it is always gathering local and visitors alike.
The square is 880 metres south to north and 500 metres east to west, a total area of 440,000 square meters, which makes it the largest open-urban square in the world – considerably larger than Naghsh-i Jahan Square in Isfahan, Iran, its closest competitor. |
| Opening Hours: |
Whole day |
Recommended Time for a Visit: |
0.5 Hours |
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Distance to City Center: |
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| Yonghe Lamasery |
| Yonghegong is a famous lamasery located in the northeastern part of the old city of Beijing. It was a palatial residence built in 1694 by Qing Emperor Kangxi for his fourth son, Prince Yongzheng who later succeeded to the throne. This magnificent temple consists of five main buildings lying on the north-south axis, with annex halls standing on both sides. The temple is listed by the Chinese Government as one of the important historical monuments under special preservation. |
| Opening Hours: |
9:00am - 4:00pm |
Recommended Time for a Visit: |
1 Hours |
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Distance to City Center: |
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| Dashilan |
The oldest commercial street in Beijing is Dasilan, the most famous and peculiar prosperous street. Its history can be traced back to five hundred and eighty years ago when the Emperor ordered to build fences to prevent thieves from hiding. The fences built here were quite peculiar and kept for a long time. Later, Big Fences became the name of this street: Dashilan.
Dashilan is situated on south of Tiananmen Square, west of Qianmen Dajie, where many century-old shops and Restaurant stand. You can buy some traditional handcrafts as well. Note that bargaining is always needed. |
| Opening Hours: |
Whole day |
Recommended Time for a Visit: |
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Distance to City Center: |
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| Liulichang |
| Liulichang was reconstructed in 1984 and it adapted a Ching Dynasty architectural style. It is located on the southern side of Shinhwa Street, where there are many antique stores, bookstores, furniture stores and even handicraft and porcelain stores. Each store specializes in one item only. It used to be a place where used products were sold and where merchants gathered. After the Emperor Kangxi Ching Dynasty, it became a market for antiques, calligraphy products and paintings. People could buy art supplies at a very low price or they could see stores where their pictures were mounted. Liulichang has been loved by literary men for over 200 years, and many foreigners who love the Chinese culture visit this place. There is much construction going on at Liulichang Street. |
| Opening Hours: |
Whole day |
Recommended Time for a Visit: |
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Distance to City Center: |
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| Silk Alley (Xiushui Street) |
Silk Alley lies in Xiushuidong Jie off Jianguomenwai Dajie, near US Embassy. It is a good place to buy cheaper goods and the resident foreigners in Beijing come here frequently. Whatever you want to buy, like bags, shoes, handicrafts or sweaters, you can bargain with the owners.
This colorful market is a must for any new-comer to Beijing. Visitors can select from more than 400 booths, where some 1,000 vendors are happy to indulge in bargaining. First golden rule:never immediately pay the asking price. Shrewed negotiation will see you pay a good deal less. Second golden rule: smile and be courteous, and you 'll usually get a good response. Many "good buys" are available, especially in silk and other garments, plus accessories ranging from scarves to leatherwear. You will also find a huge array of souvenirs, but be ware of those claimed to be genuine antiques. Silk Alley can be a fun place, the more so if you have a Chinese friend with you to help you with bargaining. |
| Opening Hours: |
Whole day |
Recommended Time for a Visit: |
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Distance to City Center: |
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| Wangfujing |
| angfujing, a seven hundred-year-old commercial street, is located to the east of Tiananmen Square and stretches from Chinese Art Gallery to the Dongchan'an Avenue. It houses a wide variety of shops and boutiques where you can find all kinds of commodities, some of which are of world-famous brands. The recently finished Oriental Plaza (Dongfang Guangchang) adds more charm to Wangfujing. |
Besides modern department stores, the Foreign Language Bookstore is also in this area. The Old-Beijing-Street is now seated underground, which was built and decorated in Ming and Qing style. The outstanding characteristic of it is the centralized well-known longstanding stores selling shoes, caps, silk cloth, scissors, Chinese brushes and ink-stick, jade articles, tea, desserts, pickled vegetables, roast ducks and so on.
The most popular sites for souvenir photos are the sculptures on both street sides, reflecting life of old Beijing. |
| Opening Hours: |
Whole day |
Recommended Time for a Visit: |
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Distance to City Center: |
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| Sanlitun |
| Sanlitun Pub Street and the surrounding Embassy Area in Chaoyang District is also a must for many foreign visitors and young people. The various bars attract the staff from the Embassies and white-collar workers alike. Here you will find rock-and-roll, hip-hop and Jazz among the many activities. This is a good place to see first-hand something of modern China after a day of exploring its historical past. |
| Opening Hours: |
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Recommended Time for a Visit: |
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Distance to City Center: |
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| Acrobatic Show |
| hinese acrobatic troupes have traveled to many countries around the world and have amazed audiences everywhere. The usual tourist reaction to a Chinese acrobatics show is something like "whoa! that was so...." You are not sure what to say. The contortions and balancing acts are quite incredible and sometimes seem almost superhuman, or super rubber human. You will be at the edge of your seat through most of the show saying "don't fall, don't drop it!" And incredibly, they never do. |
| Opening Hours: |
7:15pm - 8:45pm |
Recommended Time for a Visit: |
1.5 Hours |
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Distance to City Center: |
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| Legend of Kung Fu |
| Exquisite Chinese Kung Fu ,breath-taking acrobatics, beautiful dance together with spectacular packaging and producing of Las Vegas fashion give the show national passion and international manner, widely accepted and acclaimed by both Chinese and foreign audience. |
| Opening Hours: |
7:30pm - 8:50pm |
Recommended Time for a Visit: |
1.5 Hours |
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Distance to City Center: |
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| Peking Opera |
| Originally a form of local theatre, Peking Opera spread all over the country and has become the national opera of China. It combines stylized acting with singing, dancing, musical dialogue, martial arts, colorful facial make up and fantastic costumes. In the Liyuan Theater (inside Jianguo Hotel, Qianmen, at No. 175 in Yongan Lu), there are nightly performances at 19:30 pm of genuine Beijing Opera and other folk performances. One need not be concerned about language difficulties with Chinese opera and drama as both make considerable use of mime. The opera often has subtitle boards displaying a translation. As a result they are quite easy to understand. |
| Opening Hours: |
7:30pm - 8:50pm |
Recommended Time for a Visit: |
1.5 Hours |
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Distance to City Center: |
0 KM |
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Beijing