Travel guide to flights & holidays in Beijing.
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Beijing Holidays Overview
Beijing is the last of the great four Chinese cities, the 2nd largest city in China and the capital of the People’s Republic of China. Also known as Peking, the city is the heart of traditional and modern Chinese culture politics and politics. Once the seat of Qing and Ming dynasty emperors, the city has a mix of the old and then new that is sure to strike any traveler. Beijing's extraordinary history is displayed by its many historical attractions. At the heart of the city is the impressive Forbidden City while the Great Wall can be found just north of Beijing. The Forbidden City is also home to the Palace Museum with its imperial Chinese art collection. Around it are many imperial gardens and parks like Zhongshan, Jingshan and Beihai. Among the various religious sites that can be found in Beijing, the Temple of Heaven is the best known. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is where emperors visited for annual religious ceremonies. Beijing has a bewildering number of museums. Other than the world class National Museum of China and Palace Museum, the National Art Museum, Capital Museum and Beijing Art Museum are also worth visiting. Perhaps the highest achievement of the Chinese culture is the Peking or Beijing Opera. This traditional theatre form is known all over the world and is performed through spoken dialogue, song and actions involving acrobatics, fighting, movement and gestures. Beijing takes its food very seriously and for visitors this means a dazzling variety of dishes that can be compared to no other place in the world. From its signature Peking duck to hotpot and dumplings, Beijing serves an array of dishes from every part of the country and beyond.
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Beijing
holidays - Top Places To Go
1. Forbidden City
www.dpm.org.cn/english/default.asp |
What is it? Lying at the centre of Beijing, the Forbidden
City, called Gu Gong in Chinese, was the imperial palace during the
Ming and Qing dynasties. It is the biggest and best preserved
complex of ancient buildings in China, and the largest palace
complex in the world. Construction of the palace complex began in
1407 and for 500 years this inner sanctum was off-limits to most of
the world as the emperors lived in luxury, secluded from the
masses, surrounded by their families, court officials, servants,
eunuchs, concubines and other members of court. The Forbidden City
and its centrepiece, the magnificent palace, have a permanent
restoration squad, which continually works to keep the 800
buildings and 9,999 rooms inside the Forbidden City complex in top
repair. The once Forbidden City is now open to all
visitors.
Hours of Operation: Daily 8.30am to 4.30pm (16 October to 15 April);
8.30pm to 5pm (16 April to 15 October)
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2. Tiananmen Square
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What is it? The famous square at the heart of Beijing,
recently renovated, is still not much to look at, but it attracts
curious tourists simply because it was the scene of so many
historic events and is the largest city square in the world. In the
ancient imperial days it was a gathering place and the site of
government offices, but more modern history, particularly the 1989
massacre of pro-democracy demonstrators, has made it a site of
great political significance. Major rallies took place in the
square during the Cultural Revolution when Mao Tse Tung reviewed
military parades up to a million strong. The square is surrounded
by several monuments, some ancient and some modern, including the
former gates to the Forbidden City, the Gate of Heavenly Peace and
Qianmen (the front gate); the Chinese Revolution Museum; and the
Mao Mausoleum where China's former leader lays preserved in
state.
Hours of Operation:
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3. The Great Wall
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What is it? Several sections of the Great Wall of China,
a man-made phenomenon that has become a symbol of Chinese
civilisation, can be viewed in the Beijing area. In Yanqing county
in northwest Beijing is the 600-year-old Badaling Fortification,
representative of the Ming dynasty sections of the Great Wall.
Other sections can be seen at Jinshanling, Mutianyu and Simatai.
The Great Wall, 4,000 miles (6,350km) long, was built in stages
from the 7th century BC onwards, snaking its way across the
mountains and valleys of five provinces in northern China as a
mammoth defence bulwark.
Hours of Operation:
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Beijing
holidays - Top Events
1. Longqing Gorge Ice and Snow Festival
From 2007-01-15
To 2007-02-28
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What is it? A magical winter wonderland provides a fun
day out for locals and tourists alike at the three-day ice
spectacle held annually north of Beijing. Try your hand at
ice-fishing or one of numerous other ice or snow sports, and finish
off the day marvelling at the intricately carved ice sculptures and
ice lanterns on display, while fireworks turn the icy gorge into a
colourful light show.
Where is it? Longqing Gorge in Yanqing County, 56 miles (80km) north of
Beijing
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