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Beijing Holidays, Hotels & Travel Guide
Travel guide to hotels & holidays in Beijing
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Beijing Holidays Overview
A guide to holidays in Beijing - The capital of the People's Republic of China,
Beijing (formerly Peking) is a very modern and exceedingly busy
city (nearly 14 million people call it home) with high-rise
buildings, international hotels and sprawling suburbs. The city is
abuzz and bristling with cranes on the skyline as construction
projects give rise to new skyscrapers and modernisation proceeds
apace. However, Beijing also encompasses numerous attractions of
cultural and historical interest, of which some, such as the Great
Wall, former Imperial palace (known as the Forbidden City), the
Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace and the remains of Peking Man at
Zhoukoudian, are UNESCO-endorsed World Cultural Heritage Sites.
Chinese history and culture fascinates Western visitors, and
Beijing is the place to start exploring it. The city abounds in
imperial palaces, temples, mansions, gardens and tombs that
epitomise classical Chinese architecture. It has 120 museums and
more than 100 public gardens.
The first port of
call for most visitors is the Forbidden City, which lies at the
heart of Beijing with the rest of the city radiating out from it in
a grid pattern. For five centuries this massive palace complex with
9,999 rooms functioned as the administrative centre of the country
and home to a succession of emperors, who lived in luxurious
isolation, surrounded by courtiers and retainers. The Palace
overlooks the famous Tiananmen Square, site of so much political
drama and dissent, the epitome of this capital
city.
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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:
Phone: |
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:
Phone: |
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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