| Badaling Great Wall |
| The Great Wall (Changcheng), totaling more than 12,000 kilometers, is arguably the most famous image of China throughout the world. It is the only man made object visible from the moon, and as one of the Eight Wonders of the world, the Great Wall of China lives up to its reputation.
As the closest section of the wall to Beijing, Badaling is by far the most popular part of the site to visit ... |
| Baiyun Guan |
| The White Cloud Temple (Baiyunguan) has long been the most active Taoist temple in Beijing and remains this way today. The Temple was the First Taoist Monastery in the North when it was founded during the Tang Dynasty... |
| Beihai Park |
| West of the Forbidden City - Beijing sits Beihai Park (beihai gongyuan) which was originally built for Kublai Khan before the Imperial Palace was even imagined. The scale of the park is appropriately regal and the huge lake is divided into three parts: Beihai, the North Lake, Zhonghai, the Central Lake and Nanhai, the South Lake.... |
| Forbidden City |
| The Forbidden City (Zijincheng)(also known as the Imperial Palace (Gugong) and the Palace Museum) is the largest and best preserved collection of ancient buildings in China and most visited travel attarctions in Beijing as well as China. This site is an image of China relayed throughout the world on national days and at public events... |
| Guozijian |
| Guozijian or the Imperial College was once a stage for the Emperor, who frequently came here to read Confucian classics to thousands of students. The remaining College building is located in a particularly interesting district of old Beijing... |
| Mutianyu Great Wall |
| Located in Huairou County in the suburbs of Beijing, the section of wall at Mutianyu Great Wall is 70 km from the center of Beijing. Connected with Juyong Pass in the west and Gubeikou in the east, it is one of the best preserved parts of the Great Wall and was originally set up to attract some of the crowds away from Badaling... |
| Lu Gou Bridge |
| Lugou Bridge (Lugouqiao) or "Marco Polo Bridge" as it's more popularly known, is situated in the southeast of Beijing, about 15km outside the city center... |
| Jingshan Park |
| Jingshan Park (Jingshan gongyuan)has a dramatic history and offers equally dramatic views over the city and especially of the Imperial Palace of Beijing... |
| Peking Man Site |
| Peking Man site (Zhoukoudian) is 48 kilometers southwest of downtown Beijing near Longgushan (dragon skeleton mountain). Many artifacts related to Peking Man and Upper Cave Man (10 to 20 thousand years ago) have been found on the mountain since 1929... |
| The Ancient Observatory |
| The Ancient Observatory (Gu guanxiangtai) is a fascinating and curious place to visit . The Observatory today looks slightly surreal tucked away beside the Jianguomen Flyover, high rise blocks and the Jianguomen subway station! Its an unusual site and a great place to take a break when you need a change from the apparently endless temples and palaces in the Beijing... |
| The Fragrant Hills |
| The Fragrant Hills Park (Xiangshan gongyuan) is located 20 kilometers northwest of Beijing and not far from the Summer Palace... |
| The Great Bell Temple |
| The Giant Bell Temple (Dazhongsi) was built in 1733, the 11th year of the Yongzheng Reign of the Qing Dynasty. The name derives from the fact that the biggest and oldest bell in the world is now housed in this converted temple. This mammoth instrument is known (not surprisingly), as the "King of Bells"...as Beijing |
| The Ming Tombs |
| Beijing has been home to more than five feudal dynasties. Its no great surprise then, that 13 of the 16 Ming emperors have their tombs situated just outside the city.... |
| The Summer Palace |
| Originally known as the "Garden of Clear Ripples", the Summer Palace(Yiheyuan) is a magnificent imperial garden located 12 km west of Beijing City. This is the largest ancient preserved garden in China and a former summer retreat for Emperors and the chosen few...! |
| The Temple of Heaven |
| On leaving the Forbidden City, follow in the footsteps of emperors, court ministers and eunuchs and head south to the magnificent and colorful Temple of Heaven (Tiantan). Although the bi-annual procession consisting of thousands of eunuchs and ministers no longer takes place, The Temple of Heaven and Tiantan park are still a delightful place to visit while you are in Beijing... |
| Tian'anmen Square |
| At the very heart of Beijing, sits Tian'anmen Square, the largest urban square in the world. This vast space, measuring 40 hectares, has a historical significance to rival its size.... |
| Yonghegong |
| If you only have the time, energy or inclination to visit one Temple in Beijing, make it Yonghegong or the Lama Temple. This incredibly colorful and vibrant building contains gorgeous frescoes and even has its own gardens.... |
| Zhongshan Park |
| Zhongshan Park (Zhongshan gongyuan), was originally called the "Sheji Altar". While the emperor traditionally visited Tiantan to worship the gods in heaven, it was the "Sheji Altar" that he trekked to when he needed to offer sacrifices to the God of Earth and the God of Grain.... |
| Yuanmingyuan |
| Yuanmingyuan was Beijing's original Summer Palace for the Qing emperors and also known as "the Garden of Gardens", before it was destroyed in 1860 under the orders of the Earl of Elgin. When it was first built by a Qing emperor in the Eighteenth Century, the site consisted of three gardens: Yuanmingyuan, Changchunyuan and Wanchunyuan, covering 350 hectares... |
| Biyun Temple |
| The Biyun Temple (Biyunsi) was first built during the Yuan dynasty, and the area around the temple today has a few places of historic interest to offer, and some spectacular breathtaking scenery. Given that it is located near the North end of Fragrant Hills Park, it's a nice place to take a break from the hectic pace of city life of Beijing... |
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