Beijing

The capital and the gateway of China

Though Beijing is an international metropolis today, it is also a historic book of China.Beijing's history is not the oldest in China, but it has the most stories.The Palace Museum, the Great Wall, the old Summer Palace and the Summer Palace can tell you. Meantime, Beijing is also a grand theater with constant drama, an amusement park that can be capricious, but it maintain its essence on the basis of diversity. After you appreciate the artistic pursuits of the young Chinese generation at the 798 art center in the morning,Beijing Hutongs can offer you a glimpse of old Beijing life in the afternoon.Plus authentic Peking duck and delicious food bringing by people all over the country, Beijing is the perfect place for your first visit to China.
 
As one of the seven ancient capitals of China, Beijing is full of cultural relics and historic sites.The number of scenic spots is also the most in the country. There are the world's largest group of imperial palaces—the Forbidden City, Temple of heaven temple, royal garden Summer Palace,  Old Summer Palace, as well as the Badaling Great Wall, Mutianyu Great Wall and the world's largest quadrangle courtyard Gong Wang Fu and other places of interest.

The landscape of Beijing covers history, culture, nature, art and other fields. Almost every district and county has tourist hot spots. The surrounding districts and counties are mainly natural scenery, among which Yanqing, Huairou and Miyun in the north have the world-famous Great Wall, while Haidian, Changping, Mentougou and Fangshan in the west have more mountainous valleys.

7 must-go places in Beijing


I. The Forbidden City
The fantastic Forbidden City is China's largest and best preserved complex of ancient buildings.So called because it was off limits for 500 years,when it was steeped in stultifying ritual and Byzantine regal protocol, the otherworldly palace was the reclusive home to two dynasties of imperial rule until the Republic demoted the last Qing emperor to has-been.






II. Tiananmen Square 
Tiananmen Square is one of the largest city center square in the world. It is the center of China and the solemn flag-raising ceremony is held every morning at the square. Chairman Mao Memorial Hall and National Museum of China are in the middle and east side of the square.




III.The Summer Palace
As the imperial garden of Qing Dynasty, the Summer Palace (Chinese Yiheyuan)is the highest remain of Chinese royal garden. It is composed of longevity Hill ,Kunming Lake and the palace area. 




IV. Nanluoguxiang
If you want to have a test of traditional Hutong life, Nanluoguxiang is a good choice on the list. Nowadays, This old street get a new life with modern coffee shops, music houses and souvenir sellers.




V.Prince Gong’s Mansion
"A Prince Gong‘s Mansion, half of the Qing dynasty history", as the Qing dynasty's largest, most influential Prince mansion, Prince Gong’s Mansion witnessed the Qing dynasty from prosperity to decline in historical process.




VI. Temple of Heaven
The philosophy of harmony between heaven and people are well-illustrated in the design of Temple of Heaven which had been a royal sacred worship place for emperors asking blessings from the heaven. 




VII.National Museum of China
China National Museum has over 1 million collections, of which many are precious and exquisite and you can not found any other places in the world except in China
 

Featured Activities around Beijing 

1.Hike on the Great Wall 

Great wall is the most-known symbol of Chinese civilization. To do a hike on the Great wall not only allows you to know how this world-famous military defense work and enjoy the a spectacular view. 

You can do great wall hiking in Great Wall sections like Mutianyu, Simatai,Gubeikou and Jiankou. Badaling is not in the list because everyday crowds make it even hard to set you steps.



Hike on Mutianyu Great Wall is a comparatively easy choice and a popular section to hike.  This section is known for well-developed tourism and you can easily get started when you only have a short schedule.

Hike on Simatai, Gubeikou and Jiankou is wilder and challenging.  You can choose some offbeat routes to accomplish your hiking tour plan. But please remember, choose a guide to ensure your full in-depth travel experience and safety.


2.Visit Chengde Summer Resort


Chengde Summer Resort is the real “Summer Palace” of Emperors 300 years ago in Qing Dynasty. Summer of Beijing is always get so much heat so that the royal family originate from the north want to escape and find this mountain place with best “Fengshui”. UNESCO described it as“a rare historic vestige of the final development of feudal society in China”. It represent the highest standard of Chinese royal traditional villa.

3. Visit the Peking Human Site


“The site is not only an exceptional reminder of the prehistorical human societies of the Asian continent, but also illustrates the process of evolution.”  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         ——UNESCO



Peking Human was found nearly 100 years ago and their history dates back to 700,000 years. It is a significant discovery about human evolution. Zhoukoudian Site Museum was built on where these ancestors was found and a good place not only to know Peking and also the human evolution history.

4.Pay a Night visit to Gubei Watertown


                                                                             Gubei Water Town is at the foot of Simatai Great Wall

You can spend a day meandering the colloquial streets, sitting on the Simitai Great Wall soaking in its grandeur, sampling the street food snacks, soaking our feet in the hot springs and admiring the majestic lights at night.

5. Visit the Ming Tombs 



The Ming Tombs or “the Thirteen Tombs of Ming Dynasty” is a UNESCO World heritage. It is a place to know how Chinese emperor had been buried in their grand mausoleums. Many delicate excavated historic relics are in exhibition in museum there.

City Guide

Beijing City Best Tourist Sites Map