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Beijing is one of the most famous cities in the whole of the People's Republic of China and home to some of the country's most outstanding sights and temples. A buzzing city where there is always plenty of action, during your trip to Beijing you can expect to visit the Forbidden City, the Great Wall of China, the Temple of Heaven Park and much more besides, whilst shopping and eating to your heart's content. Here we will take this opportunity to introduce you some of the best place you should go and things you should do while you are in Beijing.
Places to visit
Tian’anmen Square
Tian'anmen Square is the large plaza near the centre of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen literally, Gate of Heavenly Peace) which sits to its north, separating it from the Forbidden City. It has great cultural significance as it was the site of several key events in Chinese history.
The Tiananmen Gate was first built in 1417 in the Ming Dynasty. During the demise of the Ming Dynasty, heavy fighting between Li Zicheng and the early Qing emperors damaged (or perhaps destroyed) the gate. The Tian'anmen square was originally designed and built in Beijing in 1651.It was enlarged to its present size (four times its original size) and cemented over in 1958. More…
The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost five centuries, it served as the home of the Emperor and his household, as well as the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government.
Built from 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 surviving buildings with 8,707 bays of rooms and covers 720,000 m2 (7,800,000 sq ft). The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture, and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.More…
The Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven, literally the Altar of Heaven is a complex of Taoist buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing, in Xuanwu District. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. It is regarded as a Taoist temple, although Chinese Heaven worship, especially by the reigning monarch of the day, pre-dates Taoism.
The temple complex was constructed from 1406 to 1420 during the reign of the Yongle Emperor, who was also responsible for the construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The complex was extended and renamed Temple of Heaven during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor in the 16th century. The Jiajing Emperor also built three other prominent temples in Beijing, the Temple of Sun in the east (日坛), the Temple of Earth in the north (地坛), and the Temple of Moon in the west (月坛). The Temple of Heaven was renovated in the 18th century under the Qianlong Emperor.More…
The Olympic Park (the Bird Nest and the Water Cube)
The Olympic Park, known as the Olympic Green in Beijing, is where 50% of the competition venues were found in 2008, and is located at the north end of the central axis of Beijing City. A forest park, a central area including competition venues, Olympic Village, the Main Press Center (MPC), and the International Broadcasting Center (IBC) and so on for Olympic Games can be found at Olympic Green. There are several subway stations to connect the Olympic Green and the downtown area.
The Drum and Bell tower with rickshaws(The Old Beijing Tour)
Shichahai Lake, to the north of Di'anmen Xidajie and west of Di'anmen Dajie, belongs to the same water system as Beihai Lake and Zhongnanhai Lake. It consists of three lakes stretching from southeast to northwest, namely Qianhai Lake (Shichahai Lake), Houhai Lake, Xihai Lake (Jishuitan Lake) and there are many places of historical interest along the lakefront. The three lakes connecting together, with quiet and elegant environment around, make them famous places of interest in Beijing. Hutongs and Sihe Yards are the most typical specialty in Shichahai scenic area. There are also many gardens, the well-preserved Prince Mansions (Wangfu) and former residences of great figures. Here we will take the bicycle to explore this picturesque and cultural area at close hand, mainly the Hutongs around Houhai Lake which is the most beautiful part of Shichahai.
The Great Wall
The Great Wall is one of the wonders of the world that created by human being. It is not only the magnum opus of human being but also the soul of China. The Great Wall is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire from Xiongnu attacks during various successive dynasties. Since the 5th century BC, several walls have been built that were referred to as the Great Wall. One of the most famous is the wall built between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. The Great Wall is one of the few man made structures visible from space. From Beijing you can get to a few different pieces of the Great Wall within 2 or 3 hours by bus or car.
Shopping at silk market, pearl market and Sunday market
The Silk Market (Xiushui Market) attracts approximately 20,000 visitors daily (from 9am to 9pm) on weekdays and between 50,000 and 60,000 on weekends as of 2006. This 35,000-square-meter complex houses 1,700 retail vendors and over 3,000 salespeople spread over seven floors with three levels of basements. Many of the stalls have, over the years, gained local and international reputation for selling counterfeit luxury designer brands at relatively-low prices. Some have carried on this trademark despite growing pressures from the management, the Chinese government and famous brand-name companies.
798 Art District
The renamed 798 Art District (also know as Dashanzi Art District) functions for gallery owners, artists and visitors on many levels. The walled compound of red brick factories, warehouses and offices set on a tree-lined grid of streets and lanes offers a miniature sanctuary. Although a short distance away, the surrounding mayhem of Beijing's urban sprawl, which is throwing up forests of apartment blocks and traffic-choked flyovers, seems a far-distant world, unrelated to 798's creative cocoon.
Visitings and Tours (offered by China Sports Tour)
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