TRAVEL BEIJING
GENERAL INFORMATION- Beijing is the capital of the most populous country in the world. Beijing is among the most developed cities in China.Beijing is the most visited city of the world. Being capital of the People's Republic of China, it is the nation's political, economic, cultural, educational and international trade and communication center. Located in northern China. With a population of 21.5 million people. Beijing is one of the four ancient cities of China (together with Xian, Luoyang, Nanjing), and the best preserved, and famous around the world. It was also the seat of the Ming and Qing dynasty emperors until the formation of a republic in 1911. Beijing is home to 41 Fortune Global 500 companies, the second most in the world behind Tokyo, and over 100 of the largest companies in China. The Beijing central business district (CBD), centered on the Guomao area and has been identified as the city's new central business district. The Wangfujing and Xidan areas are major shopping districts. The city spreads out in concentric ring roads. The Second Ring Road traces the old city walls and the Sixth Ring Road connects satellite towns in the surrounding suburbs. Tian'anmen and Tian'anmen Square are at the center of Beijing, directly to the south of the Forbidden City, the former residence of the emperors of China. To the west of Tian'anmen is Zhongnanhai, the residence of China's current leaders. Chang'an Avenue which cuts between Tiananmen and the Square, forms the city's main east-west axis.
HISTORY-Beijing City was established over 3,000 years ago and was called Jin City during the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC - 771 BC). Emperor Qin united China in 221 BC, Beijing has played an important role in north China. It was the capital city during the Liao Dynasty (916-1125), Jin Dynasty (1115-1234). In 1153, the Jin made Beijing their "Central Capital", called Zhongdu . The city was besieged by Genghis Khan's invading Mongolian army in 1213 and razed to the ground. Two generations later, Kublai Khan ordered the construction of Dadu, a new capital for his Yuan dynasty to be located adjacent to the Jin ruins, Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The construction of the new imperial residence, the Forbidden City, took from 1406 to 1420- this period was also responsible for several other of the modern city's major attractions, such as the Temple of Heaven and Tiananmen. On 28 October 1420, Beijing is officially designated the capital of the Ming Dynasty on the same year that the Forbidden City is completed & Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). During these 800 years, 34 emperors lived and ruled here. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, World War I broke out. In the final phases of the Chinese Civil War, the People's Liberation Army seized control of the city peacefully on 31 January 1949. On 1 October that year, Mao Zedong announced the creation of the People's Republic of China from atop Tiananmen Tower. He restored the name of the city, as the new capital, to Beijing.
GEOGRAPHY-Beijing is situated at the northern tip of the roughly triangular North China Plain. Mountains to the north, northwest and west shield the city. The Great Wall of China across the northern part of Beijing Municipality was built on the rugged topography to defend against nomadic incursions. Beijing is also the northern terminus of the Grand Canal to Hangzhou, which was built over 1,400 years ago as a transportation route.
CLIMATE-
HISTORY-Beijing City was established over 3,000 years ago and was called Jin City during the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC - 771 BC). Emperor Qin united China in 221 BC, Beijing has played an important role in north China. It was the capital city during the Liao Dynasty (916-1125), Jin Dynasty (1115-1234). In 1153, the Jin made Beijing their "Central Capital", called Zhongdu . The city was besieged by Genghis Khan's invading Mongolian army in 1213 and razed to the ground. Two generations later, Kublai Khan ordered the construction of Dadu, a new capital for his Yuan dynasty to be located adjacent to the Jin ruins, Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The construction of the new imperial residence, the Forbidden City, took from 1406 to 1420- this period was also responsible for several other of the modern city's major attractions, such as the Temple of Heaven and Tiananmen. On 28 October 1420, Beijing is officially designated the capital of the Ming Dynasty on the same year that the Forbidden City is completed & Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). During these 800 years, 34 emperors lived and ruled here. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, World War I broke out. In the final phases of the Chinese Civil War, the People's Liberation Army seized control of the city peacefully on 31 January 1949. On 1 October that year, Mao Zedong announced the creation of the People's Republic of China from atop Tiananmen Tower. He restored the name of the city, as the new capital, to Beijing.
GEOGRAPHY-Beijing is situated at the northern tip of the roughly triangular North China Plain. Mountains to the north, northwest and west shield the city. The Great Wall of China across the northern part of Beijing Municipality was built on the rugged topography to defend against nomadic incursions. Beijing is also the northern terminus of the Grand Canal to Hangzhou, which was built over 1,400 years ago as a transportation route.
CLIMATE-
MONTH JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC
HIGH 2 5 12 20 26 30 31 30 26 19 10 4
LOW -8 -6 0.4 8 14 19 22 21 15 8 0.0 -6
RAINY
DAYS 1.8 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.8 9.7 13.6 12.0 7.6 5.0 3.5 1.7
HIGH 2 5 12 20 26 30 31 30 26 19 10 4
LOW -8 -6 0.4 8 14 19 22 21 15 8 0.0 -6
RAINY
DAYS 1.8 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.8 9.7 13.6 12.0 7.6 5.0 3.5 1.7
AREA- 1368Km2
POPULATION- 2, 11,50, 000 (2013)
CO-ORDINATES- 39°54′50″N 116°23′30″E (LONDON-51°30′26″N- NEW YORK CITY-40°42′46″N )
TIME ZONE-UTC+8
AIRPORT-Beijing Capital International Airport (IATA: PEK) in suburban district Shunyi (approximately 26 km to the northeast of the central districts), is the world's second-busiest (in 2013) and has three terminals. Travel between Terminals 1 and 2 is via a long corridor with travelators. A free shuttle bus runs between Terminal 2 and 3. It departs every ten minutes or so and the journey time is about 10 minutes.
In order to facilitate the international visitors' short stay in China, 72-Hour Visa Free Transit policy is carried out. At present, eighteen cities adopt this policy. This policy allows transit passengers with passport of 51 countries to stay for up to 72 hours without a visa on direct transit. Under the 24-hour visa-free transit rule, no visa is required for international flight, ship, or train passengers who transit directly through mainland China and will stay for less than 24 hours. This policy is applicable to almost all nationalities. Passengers should hold tickets to a third country or region and have a confirmed seat.
Terminal 1- T1 has been the operational base for Hainan Airlines' domestic flights. Currently, there is a convenient passage linking T1 and T2, which just takes 5 minutes on foot. It is served by Beijing-Shanghai Air Express, Capital Airlines (JD), Grand China Airlines Domestic (CN), Hainan Airlines Domestic (HU), Tianjin Airlines (GS).
Terminal 2- T2 is the busiest terminal taking on the domestic airlines to and from this city although the Air China in T3 supplies frequent domestic flights. It houses over 30 international airlines companies, this terminal is also one of the major ports for passengers to entry into and exit from China.
Terminal 3 – T3 is huge: it alone is bigger than all five of Heathrow (London)'s terminals. With a total area of 9, 68, 000m2 (about 239 acres). Terminal 3 is currently the second largest airport passenger terminal building of the world. Its title as the world's largest was surrendered on 14 October 2008 to Dubai International Airport's Terminal 3 which has 17,13,000 m2 of floor space and 2900 meters long from north to south. The terminal building has three functional sections: - T3-C, T3-D, and T3-E. T3-C is for check-in and domestic & international baggage claim, T3-D is for charter flight services and T3-E for international (including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) departures and arrivals. The APM refers to the small trains without human operators running between the 2nd Floor of T3-C and the 2nd Floor of T3-E, the distance between which is about 2.00 Km. Every 3 minutes, there is a train leaving from T3-C or T3-E and arriving at the other terminus in 3 minutes. After check-in at the 4th Floor of T3-C, passengers could take the APM (Automated People Mover) on the 2nd Floor to reach the International Departure Hall at T3-E. The passengers arrive at T3-E by international flights, they should take the APM on the 2nd Floor to reach the Baggage Claim Area on the 2nd Floor of T3-C. Terminal 3, the newest terminal, serves Air China, Star Alliance and Oneworld members, and some other domestic and international flights which do not operate from either Terminals 1 or 2.
Inter-Terminal Transportation-
Free Terminal Shuttle-Free ferry bus service is available between terminals. Shuttle buses connect all three main terminals Landside. Departures every 10 minutes from 6:00AM - 11:00PM. Buses run every 15 minutes after hours and every 30 minutes between the hours of 1:00AM - 5:00AM.
Route-Gate 5 F1 of T.3 -> Departure floor of T2 -> Departure floor of T1 -> Gate 7 of Arrival floor of T2 -> Gate 7 Arrival floor of T1 -> Departure floor of T3
Stops-T1: outside Gate 7 F1
T2: outside Gate 7 F1
T3: Gate 5 F1
Airport Express- The Airport Express railway runs between Terminals 2 and 3, and Dongzhimen and Sanyuanqiao Metro stations in 10 - 12 minute intervals daily from 6:00AM - 11:00PM. It carries passengers to the airport in twenty minutes from the city center, covering a distance of 28 kilometers. There are Airport Express stations located in Terminal 2 (B2 of Parking Garage 2) and Terminal 3 (F2 of Parking Garage 3). A one-way ticket is ¥25.Airport express has 4 stops: Dongzhimen, Sanyuanqiao, T3 and T2.
Sanyuanqiao Station connects to Subway Line #10.
Dongzhimen Station connects to Subway Line 2 and Subway Line #13
Fare-Single Trip: RMB 25/per person
Airport Transfers -Getting To /From the Airport-
Airport Shuttle- There are nine different shuttle bus routes connecting the airport with various locations in the downtown areas including Fangzhuang, Xidan, Beijing Railway Station etc.
Local Airport Buses-
Airport Coaches-Passengers of Capital Airport inter-provincial coach need to present their valid IDs when buying tickets and when boarding the coach.
Tickets Offices (From BCIA)
T1: Gate No. 7 (inside) on F1
T2: Gate No.11 (outside) on F1
T3: Gate No.7 or No.9 (Outside) on F1
Airport Express-Airport express has 4 stops: Dongzhimen, Sanyuanqiao, T3 and T2.
Sanyuanqiao Station connects to Subway Line #10.
Dongzhimen Station connects to Subway Line 2 and Subway Line #13
Fare-Single Trip: RMB 25/per person.
Nanyuan Airport-
Nanyuan Airport (IATA: NAY) is a former military airfield approximately 13 km from Forbidden City and 3 km to the south of Fifth Ring Road, currently used only China Eastern's budget operator, China United Airlines. China United runs flights (in cooperation with China Eastern) to major cities including Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Harbin, Sanya, Shanghai-Hongqiao, and Wuxi.
OTHER INFORMATIONS-
INDIAN RESTAURENTS -
i-Ganges Indian Restaurant, Location: B1, World Trade Business Center, No.9, Guanghua Road, Chaoyang District.
ii- Mirch Masala Indian Cuisine, Location: No.1-130, Building 2, Ritan Shangjie, Block 39, Shenlu Street, Chaoyang District.
POPULATION- 2, 11,50, 000 (2013)
CO-ORDINATES- 39°54′50″N 116°23′30″E (LONDON-51°30′26″N- NEW YORK CITY-40°42′46″N )
TIME ZONE-UTC+8
AIRPORT-Beijing Capital International Airport (IATA: PEK) in suburban district Shunyi (approximately 26 km to the northeast of the central districts), is the world's second-busiest (in 2013) and has three terminals. Travel between Terminals 1 and 2 is via a long corridor with travelators. A free shuttle bus runs between Terminal 2 and 3. It departs every ten minutes or so and the journey time is about 10 minutes.
In order to facilitate the international visitors' short stay in China, 72-Hour Visa Free Transit policy is carried out. At present, eighteen cities adopt this policy. This policy allows transit passengers with passport of 51 countries to stay for up to 72 hours without a visa on direct transit. Under the 24-hour visa-free transit rule, no visa is required for international flight, ship, or train passengers who transit directly through mainland China and will stay for less than 24 hours. This policy is applicable to almost all nationalities. Passengers should hold tickets to a third country or region and have a confirmed seat.
Terminal 1- T1 has been the operational base for Hainan Airlines' domestic flights. Currently, there is a convenient passage linking T1 and T2, which just takes 5 minutes on foot. It is served by Beijing-Shanghai Air Express, Capital Airlines (JD), Grand China Airlines Domestic (CN), Hainan Airlines Domestic (HU), Tianjin Airlines (GS).
Terminal 2- T2 is the busiest terminal taking on the domestic airlines to and from this city although the Air China in T3 supplies frequent domestic flights. It houses over 30 international airlines companies, this terminal is also one of the major ports for passengers to entry into and exit from China.
Terminal 3 – T3 is huge: it alone is bigger than all five of Heathrow (London)'s terminals. With a total area of 9, 68, 000m2 (about 239 acres). Terminal 3 is currently the second largest airport passenger terminal building of the world. Its title as the world's largest was surrendered on 14 October 2008 to Dubai International Airport's Terminal 3 which has 17,13,000 m2 of floor space and 2900 meters long from north to south. The terminal building has three functional sections: - T3-C, T3-D, and T3-E. T3-C is for check-in and domestic & international baggage claim, T3-D is for charter flight services and T3-E for international (including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) departures and arrivals. The APM refers to the small trains without human operators running between the 2nd Floor of T3-C and the 2nd Floor of T3-E, the distance between which is about 2.00 Km. Every 3 minutes, there is a train leaving from T3-C or T3-E and arriving at the other terminus in 3 minutes. After check-in at the 4th Floor of T3-C, passengers could take the APM (Automated People Mover) on the 2nd Floor to reach the International Departure Hall at T3-E. The passengers arrive at T3-E by international flights, they should take the APM on the 2nd Floor to reach the Baggage Claim Area on the 2nd Floor of T3-C. Terminal 3, the newest terminal, serves Air China, Star Alliance and Oneworld members, and some other domestic and international flights which do not operate from either Terminals 1 or 2.
Inter-Terminal Transportation-
Free Terminal Shuttle-Free ferry bus service is available between terminals. Shuttle buses connect all three main terminals Landside. Departures every 10 minutes from 6:00AM - 11:00PM. Buses run every 15 minutes after hours and every 30 minutes between the hours of 1:00AM - 5:00AM.
Route-Gate 5 F1 of T.3 -> Departure floor of T2 -> Departure floor of T1 -> Gate 7 of Arrival floor of T2 -> Gate 7 Arrival floor of T1 -> Departure floor of T3
Stops-T1: outside Gate 7 F1
T2: outside Gate 7 F1
T3: Gate 5 F1
Airport Express- The Airport Express railway runs between Terminals 2 and 3, and Dongzhimen and Sanyuanqiao Metro stations in 10 - 12 minute intervals daily from 6:00AM - 11:00PM. It carries passengers to the airport in twenty minutes from the city center, covering a distance of 28 kilometers. There are Airport Express stations located in Terminal 2 (B2 of Parking Garage 2) and Terminal 3 (F2 of Parking Garage 3). A one-way ticket is ¥25.Airport express has 4 stops: Dongzhimen, Sanyuanqiao, T3 and T2.
Sanyuanqiao Station connects to Subway Line #10.
Dongzhimen Station connects to Subway Line 2 and Subway Line #13
Fare-Single Trip: RMB 25/per person
Airport Transfers -Getting To /From the Airport-
Airport Shuttle- There are nine different shuttle bus routes connecting the airport with various locations in the downtown areas including Fangzhuang, Xidan, Beijing Railway Station etc.
Local Airport Buses-
Airport Coaches-Passengers of Capital Airport inter-provincial coach need to present their valid IDs when buying tickets and when boarding the coach.
Tickets Offices (From BCIA)
T1: Gate No. 7 (inside) on F1
T2: Gate No.11 (outside) on F1
T3: Gate No.7 or No.9 (Outside) on F1
Airport Express-Airport express has 4 stops: Dongzhimen, Sanyuanqiao, T3 and T2.
Sanyuanqiao Station connects to Subway Line #10.
Dongzhimen Station connects to Subway Line 2 and Subway Line #13
Fare-Single Trip: RMB 25/per person.
Nanyuan Airport-
Nanyuan Airport (IATA: NAY) is a former military airfield approximately 13 km from Forbidden City and 3 km to the south of Fifth Ring Road, currently used only China Eastern's budget operator, China United Airlines. China United runs flights (in cooperation with China Eastern) to major cities including Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Harbin, Sanya, Shanghai-Hongqiao, and Wuxi.
OTHER INFORMATIONS-
INDIAN RESTAURENTS -
i-Ganges Indian Restaurant, Location: B1, World Trade Business Center, No.9, Guanghua Road, Chaoyang District.
ii- Mirch Masala Indian Cuisine, Location: No.1-130, Building 2, Ritan Shangjie, Block 39, Shenlu Street, Chaoyang District.
BEIJING SHOWS-
i-The Legend of Kung Fu, Venue: Red Theater, Address: Workers' Cultural Palace, 44 Xingfu Dajie, Chongwen District, Show time: 19:30-20:30 daily, Ticket price: RMB 180-680. This wonderful mix of dance and Kung Fu arts. The show focuses on a young boy found wandering outside an ancient temple in China, who dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master.
ii- Peking Opera @ Liyuan Theater, Venue: Liyuan Theater, Address: 1/F Qianmen Hotel, 175 Yongan Road, Hufangqiao, Show time: 19:30-20:50 daily, Ticket Price: RMB 180-680. Peking opera was extremely popular in the Qing Dynasty court and has come to be regarded as one of the cultural treasures of China.
i-The Legend of Kung Fu, Venue: Red Theater, Address: Workers' Cultural Palace, 44 Xingfu Dajie, Chongwen District, Show time: 19:30-20:30 daily, Ticket price: RMB 180-680. This wonderful mix of dance and Kung Fu arts. The show focuses on a young boy found wandering outside an ancient temple in China, who dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master.
ii- Peking Opera @ Liyuan Theater, Venue: Liyuan Theater, Address: 1/F Qianmen Hotel, 175 Yongan Road, Hufangqiao, Show time: 19:30-20:50 daily, Ticket Price: RMB 180-680. Peking opera was extremely popular in the Qing Dynasty court and has come to be regarded as one of the cultural treasures of China.
iii- The Golden Mask Dynasty, Venue: OCT Theater in Beijing Happy Valley, show time: 19:30 daily (Suspended in winter), Ticket: RMB200, 260, 320, 380, 680. This theater was specially designed for the large-scale show. Set in the Golden Mask Dynasty, a legendary age in China, the story tells how a queen who wears a golden mask creates a splendid dynasty through wisdom, tolerance, trust and boundless love. In eight acts it tells stories of war, bountiful pastures, the forging of metal, ceremonies, the moon, floods, fetes and illusions. They even produce an amazing real flood on the stage.
iv- Beijing Acrobatic Show- Beijing Acrobatic Theatres (Chaoyang Theatre, Tiandi Theatre), The acrobatic shows are characterized by feats of strength and daring performed cleverly, precisely and accurately, and the ability of retaining balance in motion. Instruments of labor like tridents, wicker rings, tables, chairs, jars, plates, and bowls were used in their performances of "Lion Dance", "Flying Trident", "Spring-Board Stunts", "Balance on Chairs", "Jar Tricks", "Hoop Diving" and etc.
BEIJING RAILWAY STATIONS-
China High-Speed Trains-China refers to any trains with an average speed of 200 km/h or higher, as High-Speed Railway (HSR). You can identify different types of high-speed trains by their ‘letter prefixes’. ‘D’ trains are those with their highest speed below 300km/h; G-trains or ‘bullet trains’. The high speed rail network consists of eight main arteries running through the country both north–south and east–west, of which the most important ones are the Beijing–Shanghai Line, the Beijing – Hong Kong Line, the Beijing–Harbin Line, and the Xuzhou–Lanzhou Line. Providing three seat types: Business Class, 1st Class, and 2nd Class.
There are four major (out of five) railway stations in Beijing, namely, Beijing Railway Station (To Datong), Beijing South Railway Station (High-speed trains to Shanghai), Beijing West Railway Station (to Xian) and Beijing North Railway Station (to Badaling Great Wall). Beijing East Railway Station is the fifth station. Beijing East Railway Station serves a few trains only.
i-Beijing Station (Beijing) -The Beijing Central Railway Station is a transportation hub in Beijing. Located between Chongwen Gate and Dongbian Gate near the city center, this station, originally built in 1901, is the oldest one in the city. It now mainly operates routes to cities in the northeast and southeast provinces. Overnight sleeper trains to Shanghai and International routes to Pyongyang, Ulan Bator and Moscow also depart from here. International Trains-
K3/ K4: to/from Ulaanbaatar & Moscow
K19/ K20: to/from Manzhouli & Moscow
K23/ K24: to/from Ulaanbaatar
K27/ K28: to/from Pyongyang
Z5/ T6: to/from Hanoi
Bullet Trains- Beijing Station serves the HSR (High-Speed Railway) to Northeast China
Harbin D class, about 8 hours
Dalian D class, about 6 hours
Location: Beijing Railway Station is about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) from Tiananmen Square, 5.6 miles (9 kilometers) from South Station, 6.8 miles (11 kilometers) from North Station, 8 miles (13 kilometers) from West Station, and 16.8 miles (27 kilometers) from Capital International Airport.
China High-Speed Trains-China refers to any trains with an average speed of 200 km/h or higher, as High-Speed Railway (HSR). You can identify different types of high-speed trains by their ‘letter prefixes’. ‘D’ trains are those with their highest speed below 300km/h; G-trains or ‘bullet trains’. The high speed rail network consists of eight main arteries running through the country both north–south and east–west, of which the most important ones are the Beijing–Shanghai Line, the Beijing – Hong Kong Line, the Beijing–Harbin Line, and the Xuzhou–Lanzhou Line. Providing three seat types: Business Class, 1st Class, and 2nd Class.
There are four major (out of five) railway stations in Beijing, namely, Beijing Railway Station (To Datong), Beijing South Railway Station (High-speed trains to Shanghai), Beijing West Railway Station (to Xian) and Beijing North Railway Station (to Badaling Great Wall). Beijing East Railway Station is the fifth station. Beijing East Railway Station serves a few trains only.
i-Beijing Station (Beijing) -The Beijing Central Railway Station is a transportation hub in Beijing. Located between Chongwen Gate and Dongbian Gate near the city center, this station, originally built in 1901, is the oldest one in the city. It now mainly operates routes to cities in the northeast and southeast provinces. Overnight sleeper trains to Shanghai and International routes to Pyongyang, Ulan Bator and Moscow also depart from here. International Trains-
K3/ K4: to/from Ulaanbaatar & Moscow
K19/ K20: to/from Manzhouli & Moscow
K23/ K24: to/from Ulaanbaatar
K27/ K28: to/from Pyongyang
Z5/ T6: to/from Hanoi
Bullet Trains- Beijing Station serves the HSR (High-Speed Railway) to Northeast China
Harbin D class, about 8 hours
Dalian D class, about 6 hours
Location: Beijing Railway Station is about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) from Tiananmen Square, 5.6 miles (9 kilometers) from South Station, 6.8 miles (11 kilometers) from North Station, 8 miles (13 kilometers) from West Station, and 16.8 miles (27 kilometers) from Capital International Airport.
ii- Beijing West Railway Station (Beijing West)- Beijing West Railway Station is the city's main station with the largest passenger traffic. Located at East Lianhuachi Road near the 3rd West Ring Road, it is one of the largest railway stations in the country. Every day, there are over 200 trains passing through the station, transporting passengers mainly from / to destinations in the south, southwest and northwest regions of China including Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Zhengzhou, Chengdu, Kunming, Guilin, Hangzhou and Urumqi. They also include China’s southern most point: Sanya and highest point: Lhasa, respectively via Yuehai Railway and Tibet Railway.
Location- Beijing West Railway Station is 5 miles (8 km) from the Forbidden City, 7.5 miles (12 km) from Beijing Railway Station and 22 miles (36 km) from the Capital International Airport.
Location- Beijing West Railway Station is 5 miles (8 km) from the Forbidden City, 7.5 miles (12 km) from Beijing Railway Station and 22 miles (36 km) from the Capital International Airport.
iii- Beijing South Railway Station (Beijing South)- Beijing South train station is Beijing's main bullet train station for lines going east, south and northeast. It is one of the biggest in Asia, but not as big as Beijing West that handles lines that go west and southwest.
Covering an area of 123 acres (499,200 square meters), it is as big as 70 football courts. The Beijing South Railway Station is China’s largest passenger special class station, passenger flow volume ranked third in the world, known as “Asia’s first station “. Beijing South Railway Station architectural form of oval station for the main steel structure, divided into the main station house, awning two parts. It joins the main Beijing Railway Station and the Beijing West Railway Station as one of three main passenger rail hubs in the Chinese capital. It serves as the terminus for high-speed trains on the Beijing–Tianjin Intercity Rail and the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, which can reach speeds up to 350 km/h. It only takes about 5 hours traveling from Beijing to Shanghai, Qingdao and Suzhou, and about 6 hours to Hangzhou by G trains.
There are many high-speed trains running between Beijing and Shanghai, with G trains operating during the daytime and D trains during the nighttime. G trains are the faster train type, while D trains are slower but cheaper. It's one of the most popular rail routes in China.
Distance: 1,318 kilometers (819 miles)
Shortest duration: 4 h 48 min
Fare-Second Class-84USD
Number of trains: 46 pairs of high-speed trains (43 daytime trains and 3 overnight trains)
It is suggested that you come at the train station 2 hours before its departure because the stations in Beijing and Shanghai are very large and it takes time navigate and negotiate security checks and lines. Valid ID is required when buying a ticket AND boarding a train.
iv- Beijing North Railway Station (Beijing North)- The trains departing from Beijing North Railway Station: offering regular intercity train services to the north and northwest, including the Huhhot-Manzhouli Grasslands Express. It is also the southern terminus for the Trains of from the downtown Beijing to Badaling Great Wall.
Covering an area of 123 acres (499,200 square meters), it is as big as 70 football courts. The Beijing South Railway Station is China’s largest passenger special class station, passenger flow volume ranked third in the world, known as “Asia’s first station “. Beijing South Railway Station architectural form of oval station for the main steel structure, divided into the main station house, awning two parts. It joins the main Beijing Railway Station and the Beijing West Railway Station as one of three main passenger rail hubs in the Chinese capital. It serves as the terminus for high-speed trains on the Beijing–Tianjin Intercity Rail and the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, which can reach speeds up to 350 km/h. It only takes about 5 hours traveling from Beijing to Shanghai, Qingdao and Suzhou, and about 6 hours to Hangzhou by G trains.
There are many high-speed trains running between Beijing and Shanghai, with G trains operating during the daytime and D trains during the nighttime. G trains are the faster train type, while D trains are slower but cheaper. It's one of the most popular rail routes in China.
Distance: 1,318 kilometers (819 miles)
Shortest duration: 4 h 48 min
Fare-Second Class-84USD
Number of trains: 46 pairs of high-speed trains (43 daytime trains and 3 overnight trains)
It is suggested that you come at the train station 2 hours before its departure because the stations in Beijing and Shanghai are very large and it takes time navigate and negotiate security checks and lines. Valid ID is required when buying a ticket AND boarding a train.
iv- Beijing North Railway Station (Beijing North)- The trains departing from Beijing North Railway Station: offering regular intercity train services to the north and northwest, including the Huhhot-Manzhouli Grasslands Express. It is also the southern terminus for the Trains of from the downtown Beijing to Badaling Great Wall.
ATTRACTIONS & SIGHTS AT BEIJING-
001-THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA-The Great Wall is one of the greatest miracles created by the ancient people of China as well as the witness of China’s long history. The Great Wall is a symbol of Chinese civilization, and one of the wonders that the Chinese people have created. It was listed among the New Seven Wonders of the World. The Great Wall was the military project built to ward off invasion from the north in China. With the length of 8851.8km (5497 miles), the width of 4-5 meters (16.4 ft.) and the height of 6-7 meters (23 ft.), the Great Wall crosses 8 provinces including Hebei, Beijing, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu and Liaoning. The construction history of the Great Wall could be traced back to 9 B.C. Many dynasties in Chinese history actively built walls. 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. The famous sections include the Badaling, Huanghuacheng, Mutianyu, Jiankou, Gubeikou, Jinshanling and Simatai.
BADALING -Badaling Great Wall is situated in Yanqing County, over 70 kilometers north of Beijing. It is the most well-preserved section of the Great Wall, built and reinforced during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to defend the capital against the intrusion of these Mongolian people. This section with an average altitude of over 1,000 meters. Internally, the wall is about six meters (20 feet) wide, which would allow horses to gallop five abreast. A number of small holes have been drilled on the wall to allow archers to shoot arrows.
There are two ways entering the Great Wall if visitors do not want to spend too much time and energy on climbing the wall, by cable car or pulley.
The cable car station under the Wall is located in the rear hill, where the bus station of Bus No. 919 and 880 are located. A single trip costs CNY60 and a round trip costs CNY80. It takes passengers to No.8 North Tower. A cable car ride is more comfortable than a pulley ride because it is steadier.
BADALING -Badaling Great Wall is situated in Yanqing County, over 70 kilometers north of Beijing. It is the most well-preserved section of the Great Wall, built and reinforced during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to defend the capital against the intrusion of these Mongolian people. This section with an average altitude of over 1,000 meters. Internally, the wall is about six meters (20 feet) wide, which would allow horses to gallop five abreast. A number of small holes have been drilled on the wall to allow archers to shoot arrows.
There are two ways entering the Great Wall if visitors do not want to spend too much time and energy on climbing the wall, by cable car or pulley.
The cable car station under the Wall is located in the rear hill, where the bus station of Bus No. 919 and 880 are located. A single trip costs CNY60 and a round trip costs CNY80. It takes passengers to No.8 North Tower. A cable car ride is more comfortable than a pulley ride because it is steadier.
002-FORBIDDEN CITY (PALACE MUSEUM) - It was first built throughout 14 years during the reign of Emperor Chengzu in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Construction of the palace complex began in 1407, the reign of the third emperor (Emperor Chengzu, Zhu Di) of the Ming dynasty. It was completed fourteen years later in 1420, and then the capital city was moved from Nanjing to Beijing the next year. It was forbidden to enter without special permission of the emperor. Hence its name is 'The Forbidden City'. It was the imperial palace for twenty-four emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is to the north of Tiananmen Square. Rectangular in shape, it is the world's largest palace complex and covers 74 hectares. Surrounded by a 52-meter-wide moat which is 3800 meter long, it was built for security purposes and a 10-meter-high wall are more than 8,707 rooms. The wall has a gate on each side. Opposite the Tiananmen Gate, to the north is the Gate of Divine Might, which faces Jingshan Park. The distance between these two gates is 960 meters, while the distance between the east and west gates is 750 meters. There are towers on each of the four corners of the curtain wall. In this way, the palace becomes a strong and impregnable castle. It is divided into two parts. The southern section, or the Outer Court was where the emperor exercised his supreme power over the nation. The northern section, or the Inner Court was where he lived with his royal family. Until 1924 when the last emperor of China was driven from the Inner Court, fourteen emperors of the Ming dynasty and ten emperors of the Qing dynasty had reigned here. Since yellow is the symbol of the royal family, it is the dominant color in it. Roofs are built with yellow glazed tiles. The motifs of Color Painting are dragons and phoenixes. Dragon patterns were used to stand for the emperors and Phoenix patterns, standing for empresses. The Hall of Supreme Harmony has the highest level of the roof with ten mythical animals at each of its roof corners, which shows the superiority. It was constructed symmetrically along a central north-south axis, which is also the axis of the old Beijing City. The Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony, and the Hall of Preserving Harmony in the outer court together with Palace of Heavenly Purity, Hall of Union, and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility in the inner court were constructed on the central axis. Other palaces are in parallel with the central axis. The main frames of all palaces are built of wood. In 1911 the last feudal dynasty, the Qing, fell to the republic revolutionaries. The last emperor, continued to live in the palace after his abdication until expelled in 1924. On October 10, 1925, the Forbidden City became the Palace Museum and was opened to the public. Many parts of the palace were destroyed by the war, age and bad weather. After the establishment of People's Republic of China, the palace has been renovated in large scale by the government since 1950s.The important buildings of the palace are as follows-
i-Meridian Gate- It is the southern gate and the only entrance now to the Forbidden City from Tiananmen Square side. And it is after the walk through the Tianmenmen Tower (Gate of Heavenly Peace) to the Duanmen Gate. Meridian Gate has a height of 37.95 meters (124.5 feet). There are total five doors of the Meridian Gate. The central doorway was for the exclusive use of the emperor in Ming and Qing Dynasties. The smaller door to the east was used by ministers and officials while that to the west was used by the royal family. The remaining two doors at the corners were only used when there were grand ceremonies. Today, the three central doorways are available for all the tourists. The two side doors now are reconstructed as toilets.
ii-Gate of Supreme Harmony (Taihemen)- Behind The Meridian Gate, one can see five bridges with a courtyard, they are The Inner Golden River Bridges. The bridges have marble balustrades richly carved with dragon and phoenix motifs. The river served as a water reservoir as well as being a decorative feature. Gate of Supreme Harmony, north of the square, is the main gate of the Outer Court and which is fairly grand. It is guarded by two bronze lions. These symbolize imperial power. The lion on the east side is male. Its right front paw is placed on a globe denoting that imperial power extended world-wide. The lioness on the west side has its left front paw on a lion cub. This denotes a thriving and prosperous imperial family. It is important as it was here that the emperors' wedding ceremonies were usually held.
iii - Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihedian)- It is across the spacious square, which covers of 30,000 square meters. Standing on a three-tier marble terrace, this grandest timber framework ever in China. It is used to be the place where emperors received high officials and exercised their rule over the nation. Grand ceremonies would be held here when a new emperor ascended the throne. Celebrations also marked emperors' birthdays, wedding ceremonies and other important occasions such as the Winter Solstice, the Chinese New Year. There are a couple of gilded bronze vats, which were used to hold water in case of fire. It was the highest structure in the empire during the Ming and Qin dynasties. No other building was permitted to be higher anywhere in the empire. The heavily glazed hall is 35.02 meters high. It is 63.96 meters in width and 37.2 meters in length respectively. There is a total of 72 pillars, in six rows, supporting the roof. As a symbol of imperial power, the sandalwood throne, standing on a two-meter high platform, is located in the center and surrounded by six thick gold-lacquered pillars decorated with dragons.
iv-Hall of Central Harmony (Zhonghedian)- It is located between the Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihedian) and the Hall of Preserved Harmony (Baohedian). These three, known as the Three Great Halls of the Outer Court, are on the central axis of the Forbidden City. Of the three, it is the smallest. Covering a total area of 580 square meters, it is a square structure built like a pavilion, each side of which is five bays long, measuring 24.15m. It served as a place for rest for the emperor when he was on his way to hold ceremonies in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. When everything was ready, he would go to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to receive homage. It was here that he consulted with his ministers and officials. Inside it, visitors can see a pair of golden unicorns standing on each side of the throne in the center.
v-Hall of Preserved Harmony (Baohedian)- Similar in style but somewhat smaller than the Hall of Supreme Harmony, it is larger than the Hall of Central Harmony. The Ming Emperors would usually change into their ritual garments here prior to the ceremonial installation of an empress or crown prince. While during the Qing dynasty, it was usual for imperial banquets to be held here.
Stone Carving-Behind the Hall of Preserved Harmony, in the center of the stairway, is a huge marble relief of nine dragons playing with pearls. It is the largest stone sculpture in the Forbidden City. Anyone who was caught touching this holy stone would receive the death penalty. Weighing about 250 tons, the marble slab is 16.57 meters long, 3.07 meters wide and 1.7 meters thick. The huge stone was hauled into the palace all the way from Fangshan, up to 70 kilometers from Beijing. This difficult task took about a month employing twenty thousand men and thousands of mules and horses. It is said that a well was dug every 500 meters along the way and the well water was poured on the ground so as to form an icy road which could facilitate land boat transportation.
Stone Carving-Behind the Hall of Preserved Harmony, in the center of the stairway, is a huge marble relief of nine dragons playing with pearls. It is the largest stone sculpture in the Forbidden City. Anyone who was caught touching this holy stone would receive the death penalty. Weighing about 250 tons, the marble slab is 16.57 meters long, 3.07 meters wide and 1.7 meters thick. The huge stone was hauled into the palace all the way from Fangshan, up to 70 kilometers from Beijing. This difficult task took about a month employing twenty thousand men and thousands of mules and horses. It is said that a well was dug every 500 meters along the way and the well water was poured on the ground so as to form an icy road which could facilitate land boat transportation.
vi-Gate of Heavenly Purity (Qianqingmen)- It is on the central axis divides the Forbidden City into two parts, the Outer Court and the Inner Court, therefore, serving as the main entrance to the imperial household (inner court). To its east are Inner Light Gate (Neizuomen) and Ministry for Courtiers (Jiuqingfang) and to the west are Inner Right Gate (Neiyoumen) and Office of Grand Council of State (Junjichu). In the south, there is Qianqing Men Square, 200m long and 50m wide. To the east of the square is the Gate of Great Fortune (Jingyunmen) and to the west is the Gate of Great Ancestors (Longzongmen). In the east side inside the gate, there are Hall for Cultivating Princes (Shangshufang) and the Gate of Sun's Shine (Rijingmen). In the west side inside, there are the South Study (Nanshufang) and the Gate of Moon's Radiance (Yuehuamen). Ministers and officials would gather here at dawn waiting for the emperor to come.
vii-Palace of Heavenly Purity (Qianqinggong)- This was the sleeping quarters of the Emperors inside Forbidden City. It is the largest palace in the Inner Court of Forbidden City and it is superior to any other structures there. Qing Emperors lived in and attended to daily affairs of state. Here they also read, and signed documents, interviewed ministers and envoys. Occasionally, banquets and other ceremonies would be held here too. In the center, the throne is on a raised dais, surrounded by cloisonné incense burners, long red candles, and large mirrors, which were placed beside the throne to ward off evil spirits.
viii-Hall of Celestial and Terrestrial Union (Jiaotaidian)- It is one of the three main palaces in the Inner Court of the Forbidden City. It is between the other two main palaces, the Palace of Heavenly Purity (qianqinggong) and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility (Kunninggong). Here the empress held celebrations in it and received worship and congratulations from high-ranked concubines, princesses and other court ladies.
ix-Palace of Earthly Tranquility (Kunninggong)- It is the last of the three main palaces in the Inner Court of the Forbidden City, standing behind the Hall of Celestial and Terrestrial Union. It was where the empress lived in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
The Gate of Earthly Tranquility (Kunningmen) -Behind it is the Gate of Earthly Tranquility (Kunningmen) with the imperial doctors' duty room, dispensary and the eunuchs’ duty room flanking it.
The Gate of Earthly Tranquility (Kunningmen) -Behind it is the Gate of Earthly Tranquility (Kunningmen) with the imperial doctors' duty room, dispensary and the eunuchs’ duty room flanking it.
x- Imperial Garden (Yuhuayuan)- This was a private retreat for the imperial family and is the most typical of the Chinese imperial garden design. It is located outside of the Gate of Terrestrial Tranquility. Constructed during the Ming dynasty in 1417, it is rectangular in shape and covers approximately 12,000 square meters. You will see some of the footpaths are paved with varied patterns of colored pebbles, symbolizing good luck and fortune.
xi- The Hall of Imperial Peace-It is a dominant building in the garden and occupies the central position. Surrounded by a wall. Growing in front of the hall is a four hundred year old pine tree. Known as the Consort Pine, it symbolizes the harmony between the Emperor and Empress. The door to the hall is protected from evil spirits by two gilded unicorns. Inside the hall prayers were offered up to the Taoist God of Water, Zhenwudadi, for the protection of the Forbidden City from destruction by fire.
003- SUMMER PALACE- The Summer Palace is 15 kilometers from central Beijing. Being the largest and most well-preserved royal park in China. The construction started in 1750 as a luxurious royal garden for royal families to rest and entertain. It later became the main residence of royal members in the end of the Qing Dynasty. It occupies an area of 742.8 acres.
Most of the major sights are concentrated in the northern part of compound. Near the East Palace Gate, the entry point for most tourists, is the Hall of Benevolent Longevity where Cixi held court on her hardwood throne. A short walk away, on the shore of Kunming Lake is the Hall of Jade Ripples where Emperor Guangxu, Cixi 's nephew, was placed under house arrest by Cixi for daring to undermine her authority. The Hall for Cultivating Happiness is the name of Cixi 's delightful private theater that was built for her 60th birthday. She lived in the Hall of Happiness and Longevity, which is decorated with many period pieces. These private apartments open up to the most captivating construction in the Summer Palace.
The climb will be rewarded with sweeping views of the Summer Palace and the Fragrant Hills.
a-Long Corridoor- The Long Corridor, more than 700 meters (0.46 miles) long and ending at the Marble Boat, this shaded walkway is decorated with some 10,000 painted scenes. Each one has its own unique design. There are hundreds of painted stories inside the Long Gallery, and the themes taken from historical figures, landscapes, flowers and birds can be seen as a miniature representation of the breadth of Chinese art. Paths lead off from the Long Corridor to the temple complex atop Longevity Hill, which includes the Buddhist Incense Tower and the tiled Temple of the Sea of Wisdom.
b-Kunming Lake-The vast Summer Palace compound is centered on Kunming Lake. In summer, visitors can explore the lake on boat, and in the winter they can skate across its frozen expanse.
c-Seveteenth Arch Bridge-The highly attractive 17 Arch Bridge links the lake 's eastern shore to South Lake Island. This is the largest one, with a length of 150 meters and a width of 8 meters. The Seventeen-Arch Bridge looks like a rainbow arching over the water.
d-The Marble Boat -It is located in the northwest corner of Kunming Lake and close to the western foot of Longevity Hill at the Summer Palace. The boats are as part of the decoration in classical gardens to enrich the beautiful scenery, as well as provide a seat for people to enjoy the sight and feast. The boat is now the only western-style structure in the Summer Palace. Inlaid with colorful glass windows and wheels and paved with colored bricks, the boat is 36 meters long, and two stories and eight meters high. Using the huge mirrors fixed on each deck, Cixi could enjoy the exquisite lake scene while having tea. The roof of the two-decked pavilion is made from brick carvings. Visitors can view the boat by walking the length of the Long Gallery that begins at the Gate of Inviting the Moon (Yaoyuemen) close to the eastern gate of the Summer Palace.
Most of the major sights are concentrated in the northern part of compound. Near the East Palace Gate, the entry point for most tourists, is the Hall of Benevolent Longevity where Cixi held court on her hardwood throne. A short walk away, on the shore of Kunming Lake is the Hall of Jade Ripples where Emperor Guangxu, Cixi 's nephew, was placed under house arrest by Cixi for daring to undermine her authority. The Hall for Cultivating Happiness is the name of Cixi 's delightful private theater that was built for her 60th birthday. She lived in the Hall of Happiness and Longevity, which is decorated with many period pieces. These private apartments open up to the most captivating construction in the Summer Palace.
The climb will be rewarded with sweeping views of the Summer Palace and the Fragrant Hills.
a-Long Corridoor- The Long Corridor, more than 700 meters (0.46 miles) long and ending at the Marble Boat, this shaded walkway is decorated with some 10,000 painted scenes. Each one has its own unique design. There are hundreds of painted stories inside the Long Gallery, and the themes taken from historical figures, landscapes, flowers and birds can be seen as a miniature representation of the breadth of Chinese art. Paths lead off from the Long Corridor to the temple complex atop Longevity Hill, which includes the Buddhist Incense Tower and the tiled Temple of the Sea of Wisdom.
b-Kunming Lake-The vast Summer Palace compound is centered on Kunming Lake. In summer, visitors can explore the lake on boat, and in the winter they can skate across its frozen expanse.
c-Seveteenth Arch Bridge-The highly attractive 17 Arch Bridge links the lake 's eastern shore to South Lake Island. This is the largest one, with a length of 150 meters and a width of 8 meters. The Seventeen-Arch Bridge looks like a rainbow arching over the water.
d-The Marble Boat -It is located in the northwest corner of Kunming Lake and close to the western foot of Longevity Hill at the Summer Palace. The boats are as part of the decoration in classical gardens to enrich the beautiful scenery, as well as provide a seat for people to enjoy the sight and feast. The boat is now the only western-style structure in the Summer Palace. Inlaid with colorful glass windows and wheels and paved with colored bricks, the boat is 36 meters long, and two stories and eight meters high. Using the huge mirrors fixed on each deck, Cixi could enjoy the exquisite lake scene while having tea. The roof of the two-decked pavilion is made from brick carvings. Visitors can view the boat by walking the length of the Long Gallery that begins at the Gate of Inviting the Moon (Yaoyuemen) close to the eastern gate of the Summer Palace.
004- TIAN'ANMEN SQUARE -Tian'anmen Square measures 500 meters from east to west and 880 meters from north to south. Covering an area of 44 hectares, the square is big enough to hold half a million people. It is the largest city square in the world. Construction began in 1417, during the reign of Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), at the same time as the construction of Beijing City and the Forbidden City began.
i- Tiananmen Tower-At the north end of the Square is Tiananmen Tower, the gate leading to the supreme power in imperial times. Initially built in 1417A.D. during the Ming Dynasty (1368 A.D.-1644 A.D.), the Square was the front door of the Forbidden City. The most important use of it in the past was to declare in a big ceremony to the common people who became the emperor and who became the empress. Until 1911 when the last feudal kingdom was over, no one could enter the Tower except for the royal family and aristocrats.
In modern China, it is also a symbol of power. From the tower of Tian'anmen, on October 1, 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China. The square lies between two ancient, massive gates: the Tian'anmen to the north and the Zhengyangmen, better known as Qianmen, to the south.
ii-Monument to People's Heroes-The granite Monument to the People's Heroes is just at the center of the square. Built in 1952, it is the largest monument in China's history. “The People's Heroes are Immortal” written by Chairman Mao is engraved on the monument. Eight unusually large relief sculptures show to the people the development of Chinese modern history. Two rows of white marble railings enclose the monument, simple and beautiful.
iii- Great Hall of the People-West of the Square is the Great Hall of
The People. This building, erected in 1959, is the site of the China National People's Congress meetings and provides an impressive site for other political and diplomatic activities. Twelve marble posts are in front of the Hall which has three parts--the Central Hall, the Great Auditorium and a Banqueting Hall. The Great Auditorium behind the Central Hall seats 10,000. The Banqueting Hall is a huge hall with 5,000 seats.
iv- Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao-Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao is at the south side of the Square. This Hall is divided into three halls and Chairman Mao's body lies in a crystal coffin in one of the halls surrounded by fresh bouquets of various famous flowers and grasses.
v- National Museum of China-China National Museum is located at the east side of the Square. It just came into existence in 2003 and is a combination of Chinese History Museum and Chinese Revolutionary Museum. This National Museum faces the Great Hall of the People. Inside the Chinese Revolutionary Museum are a lot of material objects, pictures, books and models to present the development of modern China. Covering nearly 200,000 square meters, the museum is now the largest museum in the world. It holds a collection of 1.2 million pieces of cultural relics in forty-eight galleries. There are two permanent exhibitions: Ancient China and The Road of Rejuvenation, and more than a dozen categories of display related to thematic exhibitions and international exchange exhibits. The Chinese History Museum shows a large number of cultural relics illustrating the long history and glorious culture of China from 1,700B.C years ago to 1921 when the last emperor left the throne.
i- Tiananmen Tower-At the north end of the Square is Tiananmen Tower, the gate leading to the supreme power in imperial times. Initially built in 1417A.D. during the Ming Dynasty (1368 A.D.-1644 A.D.), the Square was the front door of the Forbidden City. The most important use of it in the past was to declare in a big ceremony to the common people who became the emperor and who became the empress. Until 1911 when the last feudal kingdom was over, no one could enter the Tower except for the royal family and aristocrats.
In modern China, it is also a symbol of power. From the tower of Tian'anmen, on October 1, 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China. The square lies between two ancient, massive gates: the Tian'anmen to the north and the Zhengyangmen, better known as Qianmen, to the south.
ii-Monument to People's Heroes-The granite Monument to the People's Heroes is just at the center of the square. Built in 1952, it is the largest monument in China's history. “The People's Heroes are Immortal” written by Chairman Mao is engraved on the monument. Eight unusually large relief sculptures show to the people the development of Chinese modern history. Two rows of white marble railings enclose the monument, simple and beautiful.
iii- Great Hall of the People-West of the Square is the Great Hall of
The People. This building, erected in 1959, is the site of the China National People's Congress meetings and provides an impressive site for other political and diplomatic activities. Twelve marble posts are in front of the Hall which has three parts--the Central Hall, the Great Auditorium and a Banqueting Hall. The Great Auditorium behind the Central Hall seats 10,000. The Banqueting Hall is a huge hall with 5,000 seats.
iv- Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao-Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao is at the south side of the Square. This Hall is divided into three halls and Chairman Mao's body lies in a crystal coffin in one of the halls surrounded by fresh bouquets of various famous flowers and grasses.
v- National Museum of China-China National Museum is located at the east side of the Square. It just came into existence in 2003 and is a combination of Chinese History Museum and Chinese Revolutionary Museum. This National Museum faces the Great Hall of the People. Inside the Chinese Revolutionary Museum are a lot of material objects, pictures, books and models to present the development of modern China. Covering nearly 200,000 square meters, the museum is now the largest museum in the world. It holds a collection of 1.2 million pieces of cultural relics in forty-eight galleries. There are two permanent exhibitions: Ancient China and The Road of Rejuvenation, and more than a dozen categories of display related to thematic exhibitions and international exchange exhibits. The Chinese History Museum shows a large number of cultural relics illustrating the long history and glorious culture of China from 1,700B.C years ago to 1921 when the last emperor left the throne.
005-MING TOMBS (THIRTEEN TOMBS OF MING DYNASTY) - 50 kilometers (31 miles) northwest from Beijing City, is the Ming Tombs Scenic Area, where lie the mausoleums of thirteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). Since 1409 when Zhu Di, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, built his Changling Tomb here, the succeeding twelve emperors had their tombs built around Changling during the next 230 years, covering a total area of over 120 square kilometers. This is the best preserved tomb area with the most emperors buried. Every year millions of tourists come to the site to appreciate its long history and palatial architecture. In the scenic area, each mausoleum has its own independent unit. The layout and arrangement of all the thirteen mausoleums are very similar, but they vary in size as well as in the complexity of their structures. Each of the tombs was built in an area at the foot of the mountain, with distances ranging from half a kilometer to eight kilometer between them. The other tombs stretch out on the two sides of Changling Tomb in a fan shape, except for the Siling Tomb, which sits separately in the southwest corner. As outstanding representatives of the ancient Chinese mausoleum, the Ming Tombs demonstrate the richness of traditional Chinese culture. At present, only the Sacred Way, Changling Tomb, Zhaoling Tomb and Dingling Tomb are open to the public.
006-TEMPLE OF HEAVEN- The Temple of Heaven Park is located in the Chongwen District, Beijing. Originally, this was the place where emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911) held the Heaven Worship Ceremony. It is China's largest and most representative existing masterpiece among China’s ancient sacrificial buildings. In 1988, the Temple of Heaven was opened to the public as a park, showing ancient philosophy, history and religion. Covering an area of 2,700,000 square meters, the Temple of Heaven is larger than the Forbidden City. The temple is enclosed by a long wall. The northern part within the wall is semi-circular symbolizing the heavens and the southern part is square symbolizing the earth. The Temple is divided by two encircling walls into an inner part and outer part. The main buildings lie at the south and north ends of the middle axis of the inner part. The most magnificent buildings are the Circular Mound Altar (Huanqiutan), the Imperial Vault of Heaven (Huangqiongyu) and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest (Qiniandian) from south to north.
i-The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests-It is a circular building which is 32 meters (105 feet) in diameter and 38 meters high, sitting on a huge round white marble platform named Altar for Grain Prayers. Covering over 5,900 square meters, the altar has a height of six meters, consisting of three floors; each of which is surrounded by carved white marble railings. The stairs connecting each floor are decorated with huge relief.
ii-The Circular Mound Altar-It is located to the south of the Imperial Vault of Heaven. It is an open three-layered circular stone altar. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368 - 1911), the emperors would offer sacrifice to Heaven on the day of the Winter Solstice every year. This ceremony was to thank heaven and hope everything would be good in the future. Entering through the Zhaoheng Gate (the southern gate), you will see a white marble road stretching out to the Circular Mound Altar.
iii- The Imperial Vault of Heaven- The Imperial Vault of Heaven is a round pavilion with a double-eave roof sitting on a two-meter-tall white marble platform. It sits to the south of the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests connected by the Danbi Bridge, and sits to the north of the Circular Mound Altar. Facing south, it has a circular wall with three colour glazed gates. Founded in 1530, the 9th year of the reign of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), it is the place for housing the Gods’ tablets to be used at the Ceremony of Worshipping Heaven. The most interesting features are the Echo Wall, Three Echo Stone and the Dialogue Stone.
i-The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests-It is a circular building which is 32 meters (105 feet) in diameter and 38 meters high, sitting on a huge round white marble platform named Altar for Grain Prayers. Covering over 5,900 square meters, the altar has a height of six meters, consisting of three floors; each of which is surrounded by carved white marble railings. The stairs connecting each floor are decorated with huge relief.
ii-The Circular Mound Altar-It is located to the south of the Imperial Vault of Heaven. It is an open three-layered circular stone altar. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368 - 1911), the emperors would offer sacrifice to Heaven on the day of the Winter Solstice every year. This ceremony was to thank heaven and hope everything would be good in the future. Entering through the Zhaoheng Gate (the southern gate), you will see a white marble road stretching out to the Circular Mound Altar.
iii- The Imperial Vault of Heaven- The Imperial Vault of Heaven is a round pavilion with a double-eave roof sitting on a two-meter-tall white marble platform. It sits to the south of the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests connected by the Danbi Bridge, and sits to the north of the Circular Mound Altar. Facing south, it has a circular wall with three colour glazed gates. Founded in 1530, the 9th year of the reign of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), it is the place for housing the Gods’ tablets to be used at the Ceremony of Worshipping Heaven. The most interesting features are the Echo Wall, Three Echo Stone and the Dialogue Stone.
007-BEIHAI PARK- Beihai (Northern Sea) Park is one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved ancient imperial gardens in China located in the city center. This ancient garden, with over 1,000 years' history, is not only a classic combination of the grandiosity of the northern gardens and the refinement of the southern gardens in China. It covers an area of about 0.71 sq. km, more than half of which is taken up by the lake. In the middle of the lake and on the central axis of the whole park lies the Jade Flowery Islet, topped by the imposing White Dagoba which is the landmark. Besides the Jade Flowery Islet, it has four main scenic areas: the Eastern Shore Area, the Northern Shore Area, the Botanical Garden and the Circular City near the north gate.
i-Nine-Dragon Screen-To the northwest lies the well-known Nine-Dragon Screen, which is the only screen having nine huge dragons on both sides among the most famous three Nine-Dragon Screens in China . Built in 1756, the Nine-Dragon Screen is about 27 meters long, 6.65 meters high and 1.42 meters thick. It is composed of 424 seven-color glazed tiles that embossing the screen. There are nine huge coiling dragons on each side of the screen and big or small dragons in different postures decorating the two ends and the eaves, making a surprising total of 635 dragons. Even after 200 years, the Nine-Dragon Screen is still bright in color and complete in appearance, showing the high techniques of Chinese arts and crafts in ancient times.
ii-Five-Dragon Pavilions-To the southwest of the Nine-Dragon Screen lies the Five-Dragon Pavilions - five connected pavilions with spires and pointed upswept eaves. From a distance, they appear together like a huge dragon. Built first in 1602 and repaired several times in Qing Dynasty, these five pavilions, half over the water, stand on the north bank of the lake opposite the Jade Flowery Islet. There are many exquisite carvings and paintings on the girders and pillars of the pavilions which make the Five-Dragon Pavilions a delightful place for the royal members in ancient China.
is one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved ancient imperial gardens in China located in the city center. This ancient garden, with over 1,000 years' history, is not only a classic combination of the grandiosity of the northern gardens and the refinement of the southern gardens in China. It covers an area of about 0.71 sq. km, more than half of which is taken up by the lake. In the middle of the lake and on the central axis of the whole park lies the Jade Flowery Islet, topped by the imposing White Dagoba which is the landmark. Besides the Jade Flowery Islet, it has four main scenic areas: the Eastern Shore Area, the Northern Shore Area, the Botanical Garden and the Circular City near the north gate.
i-Nine-Dragon Screen-To the northwest lies the well-known Nine-Dragon Screen, which is the only screen having nine huge dragons on both sides among the most famous three Nine-Dragon Screens in China . Built in 1756, the Nine-Dragon Screen is about 27 meters long, 6.65 meters high and 1.42 meters thick. It is composed of 424 seven-color glazed tiles that embossing the screen. There are nine huge coiling dragons on each side of the screen and big or small dragons in different postures decorating the two ends and the eaves, making a surprising total of 635 dragons. Even after 200 years, the Nine-Dragon Screen is still bright in color and complete in appearance, showing the high techniques of Chinese arts and crafts in ancient times.
ii-Five-Dragon Pavilions-To the southwest of the Nine-Dragon Screen lies the Five-Dragon Pavilions - five connected pavilions with spires and pointed upswept eaves. From a distance, they appear together like a huge dragon. Built first in 1602 and repaired several times in Qing Dynasty, these five pavilions, half over the water, stand on the north bank of the lake opposite the Jade Flowery Islet. There are many exquisite carvings and paintings on the girders and pillars of the pavilions which make the Five-Dragon Pavilions a delightful place for the royal members in ancient China.
is one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved ancient imperial gardens in China located in the city center. This ancient garden, with over 1,000 years' history, is not only a classic combination of the grandiosity of the northern gardens and the refinement of the southern gardens in China. It covers an area of about 0.71 sq. km, more than half of which is taken up by the lake. In the middle of the lake and on the central axis of the whole park lies the Jade Flowery Islet, topped by the imposing White Dagoba which is the landmark. Besides the Jade Flowery Islet, it has four main scenic areas: the Eastern Shore Area, the Northern Shore Area, the Botanical Garden and the Circular City near the north gate.
008- JINGSHAN PARK- Situated in the city center, it is a beautiful royal landscape garden. Covering an area about 57 acres, the park stands on the central point of the south-north axis of the city and faces the north gate of the Forbidden City. It is found on Jingshan Hill & Zhen Hill. The mid summit of the hill is the highest point in Beijing. Looking from the peak, the visitor is able to get a full and clear view of the Forbidden City. During the Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, the hill served as an imperial garden and was properly laid out under the Ming Dynasty when numerous fruit trees were planted as well as many palaces and pavilions built for the emperor to make sacrifices to his ancestors. Then, in 1928, it was opened to the public. Later, after 1949, the park was fully rebuilt, with the paths in it paved and most of the buildings renovated.
Upon entering the front gate of the park, visitors can see the Qiwang Pavilion, embraced by the vigorous green cypresses. This was originally the place for emperors to worship the memorial tablet of Confucius. Surrounded by white marble balustrades, the two-storied pavilion with its golden-glazed roof appears quite dignified. The hill has five summits, and on each summit there is a pavilion, built in 1751. In every pavilion, there was originally placed a copper Buddha statue which represented one of the five tastes-sour, bitter, sweet, acrid and salt. Among the five pavilions, the Wanchun Pavilion (Ten Thousand Spring Pavilion), on the middle of the five summits, sits at the hill's central point of the city. It is a perfect place to appreciate the full view of the city. From this pavilion, visitors are able to see the resplendent and magnificent Forbidden City in the south, the dignified Bell and Drum Towers in the north, as well as Beihai Park and White Dagoba Temple in the west.
Upon entering the front gate of the park, visitors can see the Qiwang Pavilion, embraced by the vigorous green cypresses. This was originally the place for emperors to worship the memorial tablet of Confucius. Surrounded by white marble balustrades, the two-storied pavilion with its golden-glazed roof appears quite dignified. The hill has five summits, and on each summit there is a pavilion, built in 1751. In every pavilion, there was originally placed a copper Buddha statue which represented one of the five tastes-sour, bitter, sweet, acrid and salt. Among the five pavilions, the Wanchun Pavilion (Ten Thousand Spring Pavilion), on the middle of the five summits, sits at the hill's central point of the city. It is a perfect place to appreciate the full view of the city. From this pavilion, visitors are able to see the resplendent and magnificent Forbidden City in the south, the dignified Bell and Drum Towers in the north, as well as Beihai Park and White Dagoba Temple in the west.
009-HUTONG- BEIJING COURTYARD- There is only one gate leading to a Hutong, so when the gate is closed it loses touch with the outside world. Therefore family members can fully enjoy tranquility and share the happiness of a peaceful family union. It is called 'Siheyuan' in Chinese, 'Si' means 'Four', which here refers to the four sides: east, west, north and south. 'He' refers to the surrounding, meaning the four sides circle into a square. Due to its special layout, it is compared to a box with a garden in the center. Most of the existing ones are relics of the Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1911) Dynasties. They are the shadow of old China. The ancient furniture, fish pond, wooden doors and windows, and cane chairs remind you of their flourishing past.
010-BELL AND DRUM TOWERS-Situated in central Beijing and south of the northern section of the Second Ring Road, the Bell Towers and Drum Towers are prominent landmarks symbolizing the ancient capital city. Both structures were built in 1272 under the reign of Kublai Khan during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).Bells and drums were originally used as musical instruments in China, and later they were used for telling time. These towers stood at the very heart of the Yuan capital, known as Dadu. They used to be the time-telling center of the capital city during the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties (1271-1911).In both the Drum and Bell Towers, visitors can climb the steep stairways to the top to have a panoramic view over the city. Drum performances take place every hour in the Drum Tower.
011-BIRD’S NEST- The Bird's Nest, officially known as the National Stadium, is the main track and field stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics, and gained the nickname for its innovative grid formation. The twig-like structural elements and the bowl-shaped roof are the masterpiece of the project. The construction took more than four years to complete. It was built with 36 kilometers of unwrapped steel, with a combined weight of 45,000 tons. The stadium has some 11,000 square meters of underground rooms with waterproof walls. The stadium can seat as many as 91,000 spectators. The top is covered by semi-transparent air bubble film. This kind of material is waterproof and can make enough sunshine penetrate into the stadium. Owing to that, the lawns in it can grow well.
012- WATER CUBE-Beijing National Aquatics Center, also colloquially known as the Water Cube. The center was built alongside the stadium in the Olympic Green for the swimming competitions of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Despite its nickname, the building is not an actual cube, but a rectangular box. It measures 177 meters long, 177meters wide, and 30 meters high and covers an area of 62,950 sq. meters. It has four floors: one at street level, two above, and one below. The one below served as the service area during the Olympics. The first floor is for tourists. The auditorium is on the second floor with 6,000 fixed seats (2,000 of which are movable), and 11,000 temporary seats. The third floor is strictly for business. The ETFE (the ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer) membrane insulates it. This advanced membrane structure is formed by 3,065 bubble-like pneumatic cushions of all sizes. It is blue in order to reflect sunlight. It shines in the sunlight like a pearl in water. Functional Zones inside Water Cube -
i-The Watercube Waterpark-Open on August 8, 2010, this themed indoor waterpark is open after ten month's renovation. The water park, which takes up about half of the 12,000-square-meter complex It is in the south part of the aquatics center. There are several of places inside the park to have fun:- Tornado Rides, Bulletbowl, Aqua Loop, Speedslide, Kid's Pool, Ride House, Pipeline, Wave Pool, Spa Pool, Lazy River and Passion for Stage.
ii-The SPA Zone-The SPA zone is equipped with international advanced SPA facilities and technology. It is a good place to relax.
iii-Restaurants and Bars-Restaurants and Bars share the characteristics of its design. You can enjoy gourmet meals in water-theme restaurants.
i-The Watercube Waterpark-Open on August 8, 2010, this themed indoor waterpark is open after ten month's renovation. The water park, which takes up about half of the 12,000-square-meter complex It is in the south part of the aquatics center. There are several of places inside the park to have fun:- Tornado Rides, Bulletbowl, Aqua Loop, Speedslide, Kid's Pool, Ride House, Pipeline, Wave Pool, Spa Pool, Lazy River and Passion for Stage.
ii-The SPA Zone-The SPA zone is equipped with international advanced SPA facilities and technology. It is a good place to relax.
iii-Restaurants and Bars-Restaurants and Bars share the characteristics of its design. You can enjoy gourmet meals in water-theme restaurants.
013- BEIJING 798 ART ZONE- Named after the 798 factory which was built in 1950s, It is located in the northeast corner of the city. The art zone covers an area of 0.6 square kilometer. Characterized by modern art, it has become the exhibition center of Chinese culture and art, and also the world- famous cultural and creative industries centralized area. Many art organizations and artists came to rent the vacant plants and transformed them. Gradually here formed a district gathering galleries, art studios, cultural companies, fashion shops etc. As the area where the early art organizations and artists moved in was located in the original area of the 798 plant, this place was named 798 Art Zone. It also has become the new regional mark of the city. Galleries, design studios, art exhibition spaces, artists' studios, fashionable shops, restaurants, bars etc. now assemble here. Nowadays, it frequently holds important international art exhibitions and art activities as well as fashion shows. It will take more than twenty minutes to walk around the Art Zone.
014- YUANMINGYUAN PARK- Yuanmingyuan Park, which was extolled as the "Garden of Gardens," used to be a summer palace for the imperial family. The palace was continuously expanded under five emperors' supervision in Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), and its expansion continued for over 150 years.Its glorious past might have come to an abrupt end as its buildings were destroyed by the British and French armies during the Second Opium War in 1860.The massive imperial compound is now a beautiful park filled with lakes and a wide variety of plant life.
015- NEW CCTV TOWER- The CCTV Headquarters Building is a high-rise in the Central Business District (CBD). The Beijing CBD or Beijing Central Business District is a projected part of Beijing city. It is located in the eastern urban area between the 3rd Ring Road and the 4th Ring Road with a total area of 4 square kilometers.
016-NATIONAL GRAND THEATRE- National Centre for the Performing Arts is located in the heart of Beijing, neighboring the Great Hall of the People and Tian'anmen Square. The main construction is the unique shell shape with 46.68 meters high and the only one of its shape in Asia. The exterior of the theater is a titanium accented glass dome that is completely surrounded by a man-made lake, it consists of 18398 pieces of titanium plates and 1226 pieces of super white glass. It looks like an egg floating on water from the air. It was designed as an iconic feature, something that would be immediately recognizable, like the Sydney Opera House. The night view of National Center for the Performing Arts Walk by the 80-meter long under-water gallery and enter the public hall from the Olive Hall, and you will see 3 professional theatres, the middle one is the Opera Hall, eastern one is the Music Hall and western one is the Theatre Hall. The three are separated but linked by air corridor. The Opera Hall is used for performing national and international operas like Yehudi Menuhin, Zubin Mehta and Pandit Ravi Shankar with 2398 seats, Music Hall is used in playing some symphony and national music with 2019 seats and the Theatre Hall is used for playing drama and other plays. Inner of the center, besides the three halls and a small practicing theatre, there are long gallery of under-water, exhibition hall, Olive Hall, library resource center, news published hall, activity area of rooftop, souvenirs store and coffee house.
017-CCTV TOWER-(China Central Television Tower) or CCTV Tower that we mention here is different from China Central Television Headquarters Building (New CCTV Tower). The latter is the headquarters of China Central Television. The New CCTV Tower is in the east of Beijing while CCTV Tower is in the west of Beijing.
China Central Television Tower was built in 1987. It is 386.5 meters (1268 ft.) high. It reaches 405 meters (1329 ft.) plus the lightning rod. The observation platform is situated on the 22nd floor with a height of 238 meters (781 ft.). It is the largest open observation platform among the towers in the world. It provides a panoramic view of the Beijing City. Besides, there is a 20-power automatic telescope for visitors. On the 19th floor, there is a post office. Visitors can send postcards with the special seals. In the evening, you will see a Beijing resembling a wonderland with lighting all over the city. The tower itself goes red like a giant red lantern. Of course, having dinner on the revolving restaurant is very romantic with a lit Beijing down below. Visiting the tower: from 08:30 a.m. to 22:00 p.m. Address-No.11, West Third Ring Middle Road, Haidian District, Beijing
China Central Television Tower was built in 1987. It is 386.5 meters (1268 ft.) high. It reaches 405 meters (1329 ft.) plus the lightning rod. The observation platform is situated on the 22nd floor with a height of 238 meters (781 ft.). It is the largest open observation platform among the towers in the world. It provides a panoramic view of the Beijing City. Besides, there is a 20-power automatic telescope for visitors. On the 19th floor, there is a post office. Visitors can send postcards with the special seals. In the evening, you will see a Beijing resembling a wonderland with lighting all over the city. The tower itself goes red like a giant red lantern. Of course, having dinner on the revolving restaurant is very romantic with a lit Beijing down below. Visiting the tower: from 08:30 a.m. to 22:00 p.m. Address-No.11, West Third Ring Middle Road, Haidian District, Beijing
018- SOLANA (MALL)-Solana Lifestyle Shopping Park is like a small town coming from the European by air. It is a perfect blend between commercial civilization and the natural landscape and is full of innovation and surprises. As a water shortage city of Beijing, SOLANA has a superior hydrophilic environment on its three sides, the south and east are teeming with the water from Chaoyang Park, and the north from Landmark Lake. Solana houses more than 1,000 international brands, with dozens of retail shops, restaurants as well as a lively bar and clubs. It is located southwest of Chaoyang Park, the largest city park in Asia.
019- THE PALACE (MALL)-The Place is mainly composed of the huge screen in the middle and two luxury buildings on its both sides. People walk around under the screen enjoying the space art, high technique, and lighting. The Place is also a place for luxury shopping and gourmet experience. There are several open-air bars for you to relax. The Place is a blend of shopping mall, office building, Space Art and Fashion. The Place is located about 500 meters north of Guiyou Mansion or Silk Market Building. It is in the center of CBD (Central Business Center).
020- SHICHAHAI AREA-"Shichahai" literally means "Ten Temples Lake". The lake was once circled by 10 temples, hence the name. The lake was called "Haizi", a long and square lake in Yuan Dynasty (1271 -1368). Later the lake was narrowed and divided into three connected lakes – Qianhai (Front Lake), Houhai (Back Lake) and Xihai (West lake) in Ming Dynasty (1368 -1644). Shichahai Area has become a leisure and summer cooling place even since Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911). Now Shichahai area is rife with bars and restaurants.
021-BEIJING WORLD PARK- Opened to the public in September 1993, it is located in Dabao Village, Huangxiang Town, and southwestern Fengtai District. Covering an area of 46.7 hectares .The Beijing World Park is a miniature of the world with the five continents represented and located inside following the pattern they exist on the earth. Here you can see 109 world-famous attractions from 40 countries. The attractions like the Egypt Pyramids, Eiffel Tower, Norte Dame, the White House, and Capitol Building, Lincoln Memorial, the Sydney Opera Theater and some Italian or Japanese styles gardens are scattered around. Here you can also see hundreds of statues like the Statue of Liberty, the Manneken Pis, the Mermaid, the Statue of David, the Statue of Venus, and the statue of Mozart. All statues are vividly crafted and bear exact resemblance to the heroes they are depicting .Laser fountains, maze made up of plants and fairy-tale land are all here entertaining visitors from all over the world. You would also visit the international streets which has on either side clusters of European style buildings like the Italian famous brands street, the Germany Goethe Gourmet Building, the Swiss Lausanne Gift Street that all sell different-flavored souvenirs and host various entertaining activities.
022-BEIJING ZOO- Beijing Zoo, just west of the second ring road, is now the biggest zoo in China with the largest animal number of species. It features pandas, elephants, gorillas, and dolphins and sharks in a big sea life center, all in a scenic Chinese garden setting. Beijing Zoo is a natural garden with dense groves of trees, stretches of grassland, a small stream, lotus pools and small hills dotted with pavilions and halls. The garden was officially opened to visitors as the City Zoo of Beijing. The highlight of Beijing Zoo is the hall of the giant panda. As everyone knows, the giant panda is native to China and recognized as one of China’s national treasures and a national symbol. Due to people's love for them and its endangered status, the giant pandas always receive "VIP" treatment wherever they go. In the hall, the lush bushes and bamboo make the place similar to the wild habitat of the giant panda, in southwest China. Many other halls also attract large number of tourists, among which the hall of the giraffe, the hall of the gorilla and the hall of the elephant are the most recommended.
023-PANJIAYUAN ANTIQUES MARKET- Situated west of Panjiayuan Bridge and south of the East Third Ring Road, the Panjiayuan Antiques Market is Beijing's most famous antique market, growing from its humble beginnings as a flea market in the early 1990's. All manner of antiques are on sale among the thousands of market stalls. Paintings, calligraphy works, ceramics, jade, furniture, coins, army surplus, Buddhist artifacts are all available. If you are not an expert, simply wandering around the 40,000 plus stalls.
024-WANGFUJING-It is one of the most famous shopping streets, not only in Beijing but in all of China. It is anchored by large upscale shopping malls at each end of the pedestrian mall. The street is a shopper's paradise, filled with shops selling paintings and traditional Chinese arts and crafts, trendy boutiques and upscale chain stores as well as restaurants serving everything from McDonald's cuisine to Peking Duck. Take time to wander through Beijing Department Store, at one time a dowdy place to shop by foreign standards but popular with middle-class Chinese of decades past. Just up the street from the Beijing Department Store is another Wangfujing landmark: the Foreign Languages Bookstore. The store sells books, art supplies, videos and CDs on several floors, but the street level is the place to buy coffee table books about China in a variety of languages as well as cookbooks and books to help you learn the Chinese language.
025-THE MALLS AT ORIENTAL PLAZA- The Malls occupies a total area of 130,000 sq. m. and is an integral part of Oriental Plaza – one of the largest commercial complexes in Asia. Situated in the heart of Beijing, the complex is located between Gold Street (Wangfujing Street) and Silver Street (North Dongdan Street). The Malls is a popular shopping destination for both local residents and visitors alike.
Presented by-V P Gupta
Presented by-V P Gupta