Beijing, the capital of China, lies just south of the rim of the Central Asian Steppes and is separated from the Gobi Desert by a green chain of mountains, over which The Great Wall runs. Modern Beijing lies on the site of countless human settlements that date back half a million years. Peking man was discovered just outside the city in 1929. It is China’s second largest city in terms of population and the largest in administrative territory.
The name Beijing – or Northern Capital – is a modern term by Chinese standards. It first became a capital in the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), but it experienced its first phase of grandiose city planning in the Yuan Dynasty under the rule of the Mongol emperor, Kublai Khan, who made the city his winter capital in the late 13th century. Little of it remains in today’s Beijing. Most of what the visitor sees today dates from either the Ming or later Qing dynasties. Huge concrete tower blocks have mushroomed and construction sites are everywhere. Bicycles are still the main mode of transportation but taxis, cars, and buses jam the city streets.
Here listed are 18 things you must see and never miss out in Beijing:
Tiananmen Square is the largest public square in the world. It has long been a gathering place for locals and visitors alike. On the north side of the square is Tiananmen Gate (the Rostrum). It was from the balcony of the Rostrum on October 1st, 1949 where Mao Zedong, chairman of the Communist Party, proclaimed the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Mao gazes south from a huge portrait on the south side of the gate onto Tiananmen Square.
Forbidden City: Lying at the center of Beijing and now known as the Palace Museum. It remained the residence of the emperors for nearly five hundred years, from the 15th century to the early 20th century, and was the actual and symbolic seat of imperial power. Popularly known as the Forbidden City, it was built in the Ming Dynasty between the 4th and the 18th years of the Yongle period (1406 – 1420 AD). It is the world’s largest palace complex and covers 74 hectares. Surrounded by a six meter deep moat and a ten meter high wall are 9,999 rooms. Join our group tour: Forbidden City and Mutianyu Great Wall Tour – USD40
The Temple of Heaven is the most holy of Beijing’s Imperial temples. For this is where the Emperor came every winter solstice to worship heaven and to solemnly pray for a good harvest. Since his rule was legitimized by a mandate from heaven, a bad harvest could be interpreted as his fall from heaven’s favor and threaten the stability of his reign. So, it was not without a measure of self-interest that the Emperor fervently prayed for a very good crop.
The Great Wall of China was built mainly to protect the Chinese Empire from the Mongolians and other invaders. The Wall has been periodically rebuilt and modified throughout history by each reigning Chinese dynasty. Credited with the consolidation of the Walls, Shi Huang Di created the Great Wall, which at the time was known as the Wan Li Chang Cheng (Ten Thousand Li Long Wall). Now it is one of the ‘Eight Wonders of the World’ and is enlisted in the World Heritage Directory.
The Summer Palace is one of the finest landmarks in Beijing. It has long been a royal garden and was considerably enlarged and embellished by Emperor Qianlong in the 18th century. It was later abandoned. Empress Dowager Cixi began rebuilding it in 1888 using money that was supposedly reserved for the construction of a modern navy. Three quarters of the area is occupied by the lovely Kunming Lake.
Ming Tombs : At a distance of 50 km northwest of Beijing stands an arc-shaped cluster of hills fronted by a small plain. Here is where 13 emperors of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) were buried, and the area is known as the Ming Tombs. Changling is the tomb of the 3rd emperor of the Ming Dynasty and is now a museum to house treasures excavated from neighboring tombs.
Way of Spirit : In the front part of the imperial necropolises, there usually is a Way of Spirit (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 Way of Spirit, also deservedly would return to Heaven through this road.
Hutongs came from the Mongolian language about 700 years ago. The original Mongolian word was hottog, meaning “water well.” In other words, it means a place where people live, because people always gather where there is water. Today in Beijing, the word hutong means a small alleyway or lane. They are typical of the old part of Beijing and are formed by lines of siheyuan (a compound made up of rooms around a courtyard) in which most Beijing residents used to live. A Hutong tour organized by local travel agency will be a good way to learn about it.
Shichahai is a famous scenic area that includes three lakes (Qian Hai, meaning Front Sea; Hou Hai, meaning Back Sea and Xi Hai, meaning Western Sea), surrounding places of historic interest and scenic beauty, and remnants of old-style Beijing residences, Hutong and Courtyard. It is located in the northwest part of Beijing, and covers a large area of 146.7 hectares (about 363 acres). Boating on the Shichahai Lake.Private wooden boat with some candles on the table. A Chinese girl sitting at the front part of the boat plays traditional Chinese music. People can also put some candles in a small paper boat and let the candles float on the lake.
Lama Temple a renowned lama temple of the Yellow Hat Sect of Lamaism, is situated in the northeast part of Beijing city. The Temple has a long and varied history. It was originally built in 1694 and originally used as official residence for court eunuchs of the Ming dynasty
and was converted to the royal court of Prince Yongzheng(Yin Zhen) a son of Emperor Kang Xi of the Qing Dynasty.
the National Stadium: Located at the southern part of the Olympic Green in Beijing, the National Stadium is the main stadium of the 29th Olympiad in 2008. The venue hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, the track and field competitions, and the football finals. After the Olympics, the stadium becomes a large-scale sports and entertainment facility for the residents of Beijing — an architectural landmark and Olympic legacy.
National Aquatics Center, the landmark building of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, is located inside the Beijing Olympic Green. It is axially related to the National Stadium on the north part of Beijing Central Axis and reinforces the historical and cultural features of Beijing city.
Nanluoguxiang is an ancient lane or hutong with a history of over 700 years dating back to Yuan Dynasty in 13th and 14th century. Running from north to south, this lane is about 800 meters long with 16 hutongs – 8 hutongs on each side of the lane. The lane is now famous for the cafes, bars, inns and clothing and handcraft shops that line its hutong lane-ways as well as its traditional hutong and courtyards (siheyuan).
Capital Museum is located at 16 Fuxingmenwai Dajie in the west extension of Chang’an Avenue, in Xicheng district. The new Capital Museum takes an area of 24,800 square meters (29,661 square yards); and with five floors above-ground and two floors underground, its floor area has reached up to 63,390 square meters (75,814 square yards), collecting and exhibiting cultural relics, together with doing research are the three main tasks of the Capital Museum.
Beijing 798 Art Zone, named after the 798 factory which was built in 1950s, is located in the northeast corner of Beijing city. The Dashanzi Art District (DAD) is its another name as it sits in Dashanzi zone. Beijing 798 Art Zone, characterized by modern art, has become the exhibition center of Chinese culture and art, and also the world- famous cultural and creative industries centralized area. Now Beijing 798 Art Zone has attracted a great deal of attention from the media at home and abroad; and it also has become the new regional mark of Beijing.
“The Legend of Kongfu”, this is a unique theatrical production celebrating the philosophy and skill of the martial art of Kong Fu through storytelling, choreography, breath-taking music and dramatic design. Kong Fu shows have traditionally been presented as demonstrations of technical skill. This production breaks the mold with its clear and delightful story-line and its unique blending of ballet, modern dance and Kung Fu movement.
Beijing Opera is deemed the national opera of China. The accompanying music, singing and costumes are all fascinating and artistic. Full of Chinese cultural facts, the opera presents to the audience an encyclopedia of Chinese culture as well as unfolding stories, beautiful paintings, exquisite costumes, graceful gestures and acrobatic fighting. It is generally accepted that Beijing opera gradually came into being after 1790 when the famous four Anhui opera troupes came to Beijing. Beijing opera underwent fast development during the reign of Emperor Qianlong and the notorious Empress Dowager Cixi under the imperial patron, and eventually became more accessible to the common people.
Peking Roast Duck The history of the roast duck can be traced back to as early as the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368). The first roast duck restaurant to bear the name Quanjude opened in 1864 during the reign of the Qing Emperor Tongzhi. Due to its high standards, the restaurant’s fame spread rapidly and for many years the supply of roast ducks could hardly satisfy the demand. In the restaurant, the roast duck, after being shown whole to the customers, is served in slices, which are eaten rolled in thin pancakes with a dish of sweet sauce made of fermented flour and scallion (or cucumber) cut in thin lengths. Few people, if any, could resist the temptation of the crisp and delicious taste of the Beijing duck.
