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FAQ: Beijing attractions

Q：What are the most celebrated attractions in Beijing?

    A: No1.The Forbidden City

    No2. The Great Wall

No3. Temple of Heaven

    No4. Summer Palace

    No5. Ming Tombs

    No6.Tian' anmen(Gate of Heavenly Peace)

    No7. Beijing Zoo

 No8. Yuanmingyuan

No9. Great Bell Temple

    No10. Zhoukoudian (The Cave of Peking Man)

Q: what about the basics of these attractions?

A:No1.The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City (Imperial Palace) in the heart of Beijing is the largest and most complete imperial palace and ancient building complex in China, and the world at large. Its construction began in 1406 and was completed 14 years later, having a history so far of some 580 years. Twenty-four emperors from the Ming and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties lived and ruled China from there. Most of the buildings in the Forbidden City were rebuilt many times, although they maintained the original architectural style.

No2. The Great Wall

The Great Wall of China, one of the greatest wonders of the world, was enlisted in the World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus stretching approximately 6,700 kilometers (4,163 miles ) from east to west of China.

With a history of more than 2000 years, some of the section of the great wall are now in ruins or even entirely disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical

No3. Temple of Heaven

The Temple was completed in 1420 and was originally a platform for the Son of Heaven (the emperor) to perform sacrifices and solemn rites. Among the gods worshiped were the god of earth, the god of water, the god of agriculture (who has his own hall in the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests), the god of the military, the god of religion and the god of civilians. Offering sacrifices was a serious task, as was atoning the sins of the people. The entire empire relied on the emperor for good fortune and abundant harvests so he had quite a responsibility! The Temple was opened to the public in 1912 and commoners who had previously been banned from even watching the bizarre procession pass through the city to Tiantan, were now permitted to visit the Temple themselves.

No4. Summer Palace

Situated in the western outskirts of Haidian District, the Summer Palace is 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) from central Beijing. Having the largest royal park and being well preserved, it was designated, in 1960 by the State Council, as a Key Cultural Relics Protection Site of China. Containing examples of the ancient arts, it also has graceful landscapes and magnificent constructions. The Summer Palace is the archetypal Chinese garden, and is ranked amongst the most noted and classical gardens of the world. In 1998, it was listed as one of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

No5. Ming Tombs

Some 50 kilometers northwest of the capital, the Ming Tombs are generally combined with a visit to the Great Wall.

No6.Tian' anmen(Gate of Heavenly Peace)

The symbol of New China, this gate was built in 1417 and renovated in 1981. It was originally called the Gate of Heavenly Succession. The late Chairman Mao proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China on the rostrum on October 1st, 1949. The gate has five passages, which were closed and used onlyon ceremonial occasions in the old days. The emperor alone was entitled to pass through the central passage. Before leaving on a journey he would make a sacrifice in front of the gate. At other times imperial edicts were sent down, in a gilded box shaped like a phoenix, to officials kneeling below. Hence the expression:" the Imperial Orders Given by the Gilded Phoenix." The edict was then taken to the Ministry of Rites where copies were made for dispatch to the whole country.

No7. Beijing Zoo

Beijing Zoo, situated to the west of Beijing Exhibition Center, was known for a short time after the founding of the People's Republic as the Western Suburbs Park (Xijiao Gongyuan). The grounds combine cultivated flower gardens with stretches of natural scenery, including dense groves of trees, stretches of grassland, a small stream, lotus pools and small hills dotted with pavilions and halls.

No8. Yuanmingyuan

The Old Summer Palace which is also known as the Ruins of the Yuanmingyuan (the Garden of Perfection and Light) is located northwest of Beijing and to the east of the (present-day) Summer Palace. The Garden was first constructed in the year of 1709 during the reign of the Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Over the next 150 years of the Qing Dynasty, this Garden was expanded to be a large-scale Chinese emperors' private pleasure garden, covering a total area of 350 hectares (over 864 acres).

No9. Great Bell Temple

The Great Bell Temple is located on the western outskirts of Beijing. The temple houses China's largest bell made in 1406 under the reign of emperor Yongle in the Ming dynasty. The bell is 7 meters (23ft) high, 3 meters (10ft) in diameter and 46.5 tons in weight. 17 Buddhist scriptures are inscribed on the entire surface of the Bell both inside and out, totaling 227,000 Chinese characters.

No10. Zhoukoudian (The Cave of Peking Man)

Zhoukoudian, situated 50 kilometers to the southwest of Beijing proper, is the former residence of Peking man, who lived here approximately 200,000 to 500,000 years ago. Since the discovery of a complete skull on December 2, 1929, Zhoukoudian, which had more recently been noted for its production of lime, became world-famous as the "home of the Chinese ape-man." After the establishment of the People‘s Republic of China, the number of sightseers and scientists increased rapidly, and Zhoukoudian has become a great tourist attraction.

Q: how about the fare of these attractions? And how to get to these sites?

A:

1. The Forbidden City

3. Temple of Heaven

4. Summer Palace

5. Ming Tombs

6. Tian' anmen(Gate of Heavenly Peace)

7. Beijing Zoo

8. Yuanmingyuan

9. Great Bell Temple

10. Zhoukoudian (The Cave of Peking Man)

Otherwise known as the "13 Tombs," this is the burial site of 13 out of 17 emperors of the Ming Dynasty. However, the only one you can get a good look at is the tomb of Emperor Wanli, who reigned from 1573 to 1620. This tomb was unearthed in 1956. There are two others that have been uncovered, but the rest remain illusive.