Beijing Attractions

What to See in Beijing

Beijing is crammed with traditional architectural attractions and for a city that suffered through the barren and anarchic years of the Cultural Revolution this is all the more surprising.

Locations such as Tiananmen Square, the imposing Forbidden City, Tiantan Park, Temple of Heaven, National Museum of China, Mao Zedong's Mausoleum, the Old Summer Palace Ruins and Liulichang Culture Street are but a few in the long list of fascinating places to visit in Beijing.

Take your time – it's worth it!

 

Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen Square is the largest city square in the world. It occupies an area of 440,000sqm (about 109 acres), and is able to accommodate an amazing ten million people at one time. World famous for the events of 1989, visitors should realise that Tiananmen Square has long been associated with protests in China as it symbolises the heart of the nation. The centrally located 38-metre high Monument to the People's Heroes was erected in 1958; its body is made of granite and is surrounded by white balusters. Tiananmen Tower in the south was built in 1417 during the Ming Dynasty. During this dynasty and the following Qing Dynasty this was where nationwide proclamations were issued.

To the east of the Square is the National Museum of China which is a great treasure trove. It is a comprehensive museum with an emphasis on Chinese art and history. The National Museum of Chinese History has more than three million precious articles which provide a vivid portrayal of Chinese history. The square is especially atmospheric at both sunrise and sunset when flag raising/lowering ceremonies are held. Be warned, they're crowded affairs. Tiananmen is equally beautiful after dark but visitors should be aware that it is cleared at 22:30 nightly.

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The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the mid-Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of the city, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost 500 years it served as the home of the Emperor and his household, as well as acting as the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, the Forbidden City is the world's largest palace complex and features 980 surviving buildings with 8,707 rooms with a total area of 720,000sqm (the equivalent of 20 football fields). It is a rectangular shape 961 metres from north to south and 753 metres from east to west.

Today, the site is most commonly known in Chinese as Gùgōng, which means the 'Former Palace'. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, some damage was done to the Forbidden City as the country was swept up in revolutionary zeal. Later on in the Cultural Revolution, however, further destruction was prevented when Premier Zhou Enlai sent an army battalion to guard the city. Each side has one gate. Tourists today enter through the southern Meridian Gate (Wu men) and exit through the northern Gate of Spiritual Valor (Shenwu men).

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The Great Wall

Many dynasties in Chinese history actively built walls in this area. Among many historical ruins of the Great Wall in Beijing, the wall built during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) is the most often seen and best preserved, running over 373 miles and containing about 827 city wall platforms, 71 passes and countless towers. Other famous 'great wall' sections include the Badaling, Huanghuacheng, Mutianyu, Jiankou, Gubeikou, Jinshanling and Simatai sections outside of the city.

Badaling Great Wall is situated in Yanqing County, over 70 kilometres (43 miles) north of Beijing. It is the most well-preserved section of the Great Wall, built during the Ming Dynasty. This section is at an average altitude of over 1,000 meters in the Juyongguan Pass. The mountain slope is very steep and the roads are tortuous. These features made it perfect as a military stronghold.

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Beijing's Hutongs

A hutong is an ancient alley or lane typical in Beijing, where they run into the several thousand. The word 'hutong' is Mongolian in origin, and means 'water well'. In the old days the digging of new wells resulted in new communities. Surrounding the Forbidden City, many were built during the Yuan (1206-1341), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1908) dynasties. In the prime of these dynasties the emperors, in order to establish supreme power for themselves, planned the city and arranged the residential areas according to the etiquette systems of the Zhou Dynasty.

The centre of the city of Beijing was the royal palace – the Forbidden City. In the urban district of Beijing alone hutongs still occupy one third of the total area, providing housing for half the population and many have been declared protected areas. In this respect, we see the old and the new alongside in Beijing once more underlining the fact that it is an ancient yet modern city. Visitors can take hutong rickshaw tours, rent a bike and explore or simply walk through them.

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The Summer Palace

The summer palace is located in northwest Beijing right next to Beijing University. Constructed as a place of rest and recreation for the Emperor of old, it is now open as a public park and is one of the most impressive places to visit in Beijing. The focus of the Summer Palace is a huge lake with a long walkway circling it with a series of towers, halls and temples climbing the hillside. Towards the top of the hill you can see the entire lake and its surroundings.

The park is dotted with many small architectural features such as a beautiful 17-arch bridge which leads to a small island as well as a large stone boat. It takes about 50 minutes to just over an hour to reach the summer palace by taxi from the centre of Beijing. Boat rental stops early at around 16:30 so get there early if you want to rent one.

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The Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven is a spacious park-and-temple complex situated in the south central area of Beijing. Its centrepiece is a large tower built, it is claimed, entirely of wood and not using a single nail. The park is filled with more than a thousand species of trees, some of which are hundreds of years old, despite their relatively small size. It also attracts local residents by the thousand each day that come to practice singing, martial arts, Peking opera, chess, dancing or calligraphy. There is also a circular 'echo wall' which actually works.

The Temple of Heaven is not only about serious stuff: It's also one of the most popular parks for local people to do their morning exercise. Many people do Tai chi exercises, and fly kites here. Best early morning.

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Tea Street (Maliandao)

This enormous indoor market has several hundred shops that specialise in tea. Stroll among the stalls and learn about the different types of leaves.

Each province has its own specialty – from Hangzhou's fragrant Longjin Dragon Well, to Anhui's gentle green tea, to Yunnan's Pu'er tea, aged over decades like fine wine.

You'll need an interpreter here as there isn't much English spoken, but vendors are eager to offer samples and advice. Also for sale here is tea paraphernalia - everything to make the perfect pot.

 

Panjiayuan Market

If you only go shopping once in Beijing, take a trip to this atmospheric outdoor bazaar. Also known as the 'Dirt Market,' (the name comes from the days when vendors would spread their wares on the ground), it's best on the weekends, when densely packed rows of stalls stock all kinds of antique (and antique-looking) curios.

There's everything from Communist-kitsch items (propaganda posters, Little Red Books and pastel-coloured statues of Mao), to faded silk 'qipao' dresses, to heavily embroidered fabrics made by minority tribal women from the southern provinces of Guizhou and Yunnan. Weekend early mornings are best for bargains.

 

The Olympic Park

The Olympic Park was built for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and Paralympics Games. It is home to the famous US$500 million 'Bird's Nest' stadium and the Water Cube swimming stadium in addition to other venues used for the Olympics.

The Chinese regard this building as on par with the Great Wall in architectural significance and it is even depicted on their currency. There are long extending paved walkways and a canal that runs through the park. It's especially appealing at night and is lit from 18:30 to 20:30. Tours available.

 

Kung Fu Show

This action-packed show is a must-see while in Beijing. The China Heaven Creation International Performing Arts has assembled some of the best Kung Fu artists and practitioners in China along with top designers and directors for this energetic spectacle. Located at the Beijing Red Theatre. Acrobatics There's an old Chinese saying, 'One minute on a stage costs a performer ten years of training,' and one is reminded of it when watching the skill and determination of Chinese acrobats.

Quite simply, Chinese acrobatics is stellar and to witness a dozen or so people on one bicycle or to see a contortionist do his/her stuff while balancing delicate objects is impressive to say the least.
Address: Chaoyang Theatre 36 East Third Ring Road, and Dongsishitiao Lijiaoqiao – both in the Chaoyang District
Tel:10 6507 2421 5 and 10 6502-3984

 

Beijing Planetarium

Composed of the old planetarium and the new planetarium, the old one has an optical projector and space exhibits. The new planetarium has SGI Digital Space theatre, a 4D theatre, Space Simulator 3D theatre, Sun exhibits, ancient Chinese astronomical instruments exhibits and telescope store.

However, all exhibits are presented in Chinese with a few words of English. With a 600-seat capacity, the new planetarium has a celestial body showing system which is composed of a large Star Projector and lots of special effect projectors. 138 Xizhimenwai Dajie.

 

Catch the view from the CCTV

The CCTV tower is one of the modern wonders of Beijing.  If the city had fewer attractions the tower would feature heavily on any list of tourist activities. As it is, there are so many things to see in Beijing, especially of historical and cultural interest, the tower tends to get overlooked. Home to many TV and radio stations, from the top you can see a wide view of western Beijing.

The tower is not near the centre so practically all major Beijing landmarks are not usually visible. There is a revolving restaurant at the top along with two observation levels. The tower is in the western suburbs of Beijing and can be reached by subway by getting off at the Gong Zhu Fen (110) Line 1 station and walking north 20 minutes.

 

Music

Beijing Concert Hall

The Beijing Concert Hall, just off Xi Chang’an Jie, is the best place to find classical music in the city. It regularly features concerts by Beijing’s resident orchestra, as well as visiting orchestras from the rest of China and overseas.
Address: 1 Bei Xinhua Jie, Xicheng District
Tel: (10) 6605 5812

Beijing Opera

Beijing Opera (not strictly opera but a form of traditional Chinese theatre which combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics) is still very popular and the best place to see it is Zhengyici Theatre, near Heping Men Subway Station. Built in the 17th century, the theatre was originally a Ming Dynasty temple before being converted by the Beijing Opera Company. Much of Beijing opera is carried out in an archaic stage dialect quite different from modern Standard Mandarin and from the Beijing dialect so don't worry – you're not the only one who doesn't understand.
Address: 220 Xiheyan Dajie, Xuanwu District
Tel: (10) 8315 1649

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