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Beijing Maps & Attractions Guide
Beijing maps & Attractions - Things to do
in Beijing
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Beijing
Attractions - Things to do
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)
Phone: |
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: |
4. The Summer Palace
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What is it? The magnificent Summer Palace in northwest
Beijing at Kunming Lake was built in 1750 by the Emperor Qianlong,
and continued to be an imperial residence until the Empress Dowager
Cixi died in 1908. The palace and stunning gardens are open to
visitors, who enter through the East Palace gate, pass through a
grand courtyard into the Hall of Benevolent Longevity, the Hall of
Jade Ripples, and the Hall of Joyful Longevity. Empress Cixi's
private theatre in the Garden of Moral Harmony is a must-see, as is
the long corridor that skirts Kunming Lake's northern shoreline to
reach the marble boat, an elaborate two-storey structure of finely
carved stone and stained glass.
Hours of Operation: Daily 7am to 5pm (November to March), 6.30am to 6pm
(April to October)
Phone: |
5. Zhoukoudian Cave
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What is it? About 25 miles (40km) south of Beijing in the
Fangshan District is the Zhoukoudian Cave, source of the largest
collection of Homo Erectus fossils from any single site in the
world. The fossils recovered from Zhoukoudian represent about forty
individuals. Most famous of these remains is a cranium element
commonly known as the 'Peking Man', the world's earliest fire-using
primitive man who lived between 200,000 and 700,000 years ago.
German anatomist Franz Weidenreich studied the Peking Man remains
in the 1930s and recognised 12 anatomical features that he believed
Peking Man shared with modern Chinese, a milestone in the study of
paleoanthropology. Visitors to the Zhoukoudian site on Dragon Bone
Hill can view a comprehensive seven-room exhibition of fossils and
artefacts depicting human evolution and the lifestyle of primitive
man. Visitors can also enter the cave where the Peking Man cranium
and other homo erectus remains were found.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
Beijing Holidays guide
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Transport -Although Beijing's public transport system
is extensive, including a comprehensive bus network and the subway,
many visitors soon tire of hot overcrowded buses and rush hour
congestion underground and make use of taxis.
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