It may take you months to visit all scenic spots in Beijing. You should choose some of them if your time, energy, or money is limited. The Ancient Bells Museum at the Great Bell Temple, a specialized museum in China, is located on the northern side of the Great Bell Temple in Beisanhuan Xilu (western section of the North 3rd Ring Road). The temple was first built in the 11thyear (1733) during the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and was one of the rain-praying places of the Qing emperors. In March 1980, the Storage Bureau of the Cultural Relics of the Great Bell Temple was set up. In October 1985, the Ancient Bells Museum at the Great Bell Temple was built.
Beijing Ancient Observatory was first built in 1442 in the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644),and was the national observatory in the Ming and Qing Dynasty. It is about 14 meters high with 8 astronomical instruments made in Qing Dynasty. It has an observation history of nearly 500 years from Ming Dynasty to 1929 A.D, which was a very long time in the world. It is also famous for its intact and integrated instruments. The 8 instruments were equipped with western technology and Chinese local art design, and they can show us the exchange between the western and eastern and the magnificent western design. After 1949,Beijing Ancient Observatory became a part of Beijing Planetarium. It is the key national relics protection unit now. Beijing Badachu Park is a national AAAA scenic spot and is Beijinng's key historical relic preservation unit. It is located in the northeast of Shijingshan District and surrounded by Cuiwei mountain, Pingpo mountain, Lushi mountain. Badachu park covers 253 hectares, and its highest peak reaches 464 meters. Badachu is so named because of the eight temples and shrines among the western hills, including Chang'an temple, Lingguang temple, Sanshan temple, Dabei temple, Longquan temple, Xiangjie temple, Baozhu temple and Zhengguo temple. It is famous for its Buddhist culture and "twelve beautiful scenes". It is the nearest modern mountain forest from Beijing downtown area. The Badaling Great Wall is the eximious representation of The Great Wall. Badaling means "giving access to every direction", the name itself suggests its strategic importance. Badaling Great Wall lies in Yanqing County, northwest of Beijing. Badaling Great Wall is the best preserved part of the Ming Great Wall. Here, the wall averages 7.8 meters high, 6.5 meters wide of the base, and 5.8 meters at the top. The wall was designed to allow five horsemen or ten soldiers to march side by side along the wall. The flights of stairs up to the outer wall are fairly widely spaced. For every few hundred meters, you can see a watchtower. Also, the wall of this section was built of giant rocks and bricks of similar size. It was faced with stone, and the inside was filled with earth and rubber, therefore, Badaling Great Wall was also regarded the strongest section of the Ming Great Wall. Beihai Park in Beijing is one of the oldest, with a history of 1000 years, and most authentically perserved imperial gardens in China. Beihai Park was opened to the public in 1925 and in 1961 it was one of the first important cultural sites placed under protection by the State Council. The park occupies an area of 69 hectares including a 39-hectare lake. In the garden, pavilions and towers nestle amid the beautiful scenery of lakes and hills,grass and trees. Carrying on the traditions of garden landscaping of ancient China Beihai is a gem of garden art. Beijing Aquarium One of the best persevered areas in Downtown Beijing, Nanluoguxiang is famous for its hutong and courtyards (siheyuan). To explore the hutong and the locals’ daily lives, visitors are advised to range widely from the central lane into the hutong. Hei Zhima Hutong (Black Sesame Hutong) is one worth visiting. The No. 13 and 17 courtyards in this hutong are the former residences of imperial officials. The structure of a typical siheyuan is easily seen. Beside the two sides of the stone steps in front of the large, high main gate, there stand two stone lions on two large blocks of stone. These were signs of high social status families during feudal times. The two stone lions were brought to safeguard a whole family and to symbolize their social status, while the two large blocks of stone were built to help dignitaries mount and dismount horses. The residents’ social status could also be judged from the top part of the main gate, with different patterns near their roofs. Shigu, stones made in the shape of drums put beside the main gates, are also an important parts of the siheyuan culture. Inside the main gate, a “screen wall†was used to protect the family from evil spirits. The higher social status the residents had, the more complicated were the residents’ structures. In addition, in large families, strict rules decided who lived in which room. Some families in the hutong offer simple but authentic Beijing foods and drinks. Beijing Underground City Beijing Zoo Capital Museum Daguanyuan (Grand View Garden) Fragrant Hills Park Jingshan Park in Beijing, an former imperial garden, lies to the east of Beihai Park and directly to the north of the Forbidden City's Shenwu Gate. It occupies an area of 23 hectares. Many palatial towers and pavilions are arranged on a 47.5-meter-high hill. Jingshan Park has many ancient trees and stretches of peony flowers. Ming Dynasty City Wall Relics Park Niujie Street Mosque The Forbidden City, or Zijingcheng, in Beijing was the home of the Chinese emperor and his royal family, and a place for ceremony and discussing politics in Ming and Qing Dynasties. The world's largest palace complex inherited and expanded the traditional palatial architecture in China. It was named as the Palace Museum or Gugong in 1924, hosting extensive collection of artwork and artefacts by the emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasties. The Bell Tower and Drum Tower The China Millennium Monument The Great Wall is not only the magnum opus of human being but also the soul of China! The Badaling Great Wall is the best preserved part of the Ming Great Wall. The Imperial College The Ming Tombs The Summer Palace, or Yiheyuan, the largest and most complete imperial garden existing in China, was first built in the 12th century and renovated and extended in the following several hundred years. Hilly and water scenery dominates the Summer Palace with the Kunming Lake making up four-fifths of this royal garden. The Long Corridor running east-west along the lake as well as the Pavilion of the Fragrance of Buddha, the Sea of Wisdom, and the Hall of Dispelling the Clouds and Suzhou Street standing south to north on the Longevity Hill are the major scenic spots. The Temple of Azure Clouds The Temple of Heaven The Temple of The Reclining Buddha The World Park in Beijing Tian' anmen Working People's Cultural Palace Yonghegong Lamasery Yonghe Lamasery The Old Summer Palace, Yuan Ming Yuan or the Gardens of Perfect Brightness, consisted of a group of palaces and gardens. Built in the 18th and early 19th centuries, it was originally called the Imperial Gardens. Before it was destroyed by British and French troops in 1860, the emperors of the Qing Dynasty had lived there to handle government affairs. It was famous for its extensive collection of gardens and building architectures full of arts. Zhongshan (Dr.Sun Yat-sen) Park If you need a personal tour guide in Beijing, please check these personal tour guides. You can also check these travel agencies in China to find a great travel deal. Do not forget these important websites on Beijing and blogs talking about Beijing. You may want to check these bars and hotels in Beijing.  |
