Beijing - Easier | What can I do in Beijing?

WHAT CAN I DO IN BEIJING?

While there are a large number of things to do and see in Beijing, we’ve picked out some of the best sites and places to go and see while you’re here.

Temple of Heaven (天坛)

Where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties would worship heaven and pray for bumper crops, the Temple of Heavan (Tiantan) was established in 1420 during the reign of Ming Emperor Yongle (r. 1403-1424), who also founded the Forbidden City. The Temple of Heaven is an exquisite masterpiece of ancient architecture based on elaborate symbolism and numerology. The complex temple is set in a formal and solemn environment, and represented the place from which the emperor, the Son of Heaven, asked heaven for good harvests throughout the land.

Tiananmen Gate (天安门)

Located at the centre of Beijing, Tiananmen Tower (which means 'Gate of Heavenly Peace') was built in 1417 during the Ming Dynasty (1368 A.D.- 1644 A.D.). Until 1911 when the last feudal kingdom was over, no one could pass through the Tiananmen Tower except the royal family and aristocrats. The gate provides access between the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square from which you can also visit the Monument to the People's Heroes, Great Hall of the People, Mao Zedong Memorial Hall and see the national flag raising ceremony

Forbidden City (故宫)

The Forbidden City is the world's largest surviving palace complex and covers 72 hectares. Within its eight-metre high walls, there are 980 surviving buildings with 8,707 rooms. The Forbidden City was designed to be the centre of the ancient, walled city of Beijing and is enclosed in a larger, walled area called the Imperial City. While the axis if the City is actually just over two degrees off compass measurements, its central north-south axis remains the central axis of the whole of Beijing. This axis extends to the south through Tiananmen Gate to Tiananmen Square and to the north, through the Bell and Drum Towers to
Yongdingmen.

Summer Palace (颐和园)

A great place to relax during Beijing’s hot summer months, the welcomed shade in the largest and best-preserved imperial garden in China is sought after by tourists and locals alike. The name in Chinese, Yiheyuan, means 'garden of nurtured harmony' and provided emperors with reprieve from the sweltering conditions in the capital. Nestled in the countryside near Beijing, the Summer Palace’s halls, pavilions, bridges and temples, Kunming Lake, and Longevity Hill, all blend together harmoniously in spite of their individual styles, resulting in a nurtured balance between people and nature.

Hutongs (胡同)

Hutongs are the old traditional alleyways and courtyard homes which once covered all Beijing. The main buildings in the hutong were almost all quadrangles—a building complex formed by four houses around a rectangular courtyard. The quadrangles varied in size and design according to the social status of the residents. With Beijing’s development, many hutongs have had to make way for modern buildings to house the city’s growing commercial activities and residential towers to accommodate Beijing’s rising population. However, hutongs reflect the history of Beijing as a whole, with the hutongs in the vicinity of the Drum Tower (鼓楼) and Shichahai Lake (什刹海) especially well preserved.

National Stadium (北京国家体育场)

Shaped like a bird’s nest, the National Stadium is the main venue of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. It is located in the Olympic Green and occupies 21.4 hectares, holds 91,000 seats and cost about USD500 million to construct. The opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Olympic Games, Athletics and Football events will be held in it. The construction of the National Stadium began in December of 2003 and officially opened its doors to guests on 28 June 2008.

Jingshan Park (景山公园)

This park is also known as Coal Hill or Prospect Hill, was a part of the Forbidden City until the early 1900s when the walls were pulled down and a road cut through it. The artificial hill in the park, the only hill in Beijing, was made with the earth and rocks removed to create the Forbidden City moat around 1420. On a clear day, it is worth the climb to the top for spectacular views of the Forbidden City and Beijing.

Beihai Park (北海公园)

This park is a classical Chinese garden, and the former imperial grounds, located in the centre of Beijing that has not lost any of its grandness. This park is like a mini Summer Palace in the heart of Beijing. It was built up through five dynasties, starting with the Liao (916-1125) through to the Qing (1644-1911) Dynasty.

Great Wall (长城)

Great Wall in Chinese actually translates to mean long wall. There are seven sections of the Great Wall in the Beijing municipality of which these three are frequented the most. The closest, Badaling, is about 70km northeast of Beijing and used to have the most guards posted there because of its proximity to the capital when it served as a barrier to foreign invasion. It was the first section to be opened to visitors at the end of the 1950s, has been heavily restored and today is famous for its magnificent sights. Mutainyu is one of the best-preserved parts of the Great Wall, and used to serve as the northern barrier defending the capital and the imperial tombs. Simatai, the furthest section, is noted for its uniqueness, steepness and completeness.

Silk Street (秀水街)

According to the China Daily, Silk Street is Beijing’s third best known tourist destination. Originally a series of backstreets with stalls, Silk Street is now a 35,000 square meter complex that houses 1,700 retail vendors with over 3,000 salespeople spread over seven floors and three levels of basements. Many of the stalls have over the years gained local and international reputation for selling counterfeit luxury designer brands at relatively low prices.

Wangfujing Street (王府井大街)

Wangfujing Street is one of the capital’s most famous shopping destinations. It is mostly pedestrian-friendly, enabling shoppers to browse at ease. Wangfujing is now home to around 280 of Beijing’s famous brands, as well as an increasing number of foreign stores, including the Shengxifu hat store, Tongshenghe shoe shop, Wuyutai tea house, and the New China Woman and Children Department Store which was established by Soong Ching-ling or Madme Sun Yat-sen. At night, a snack market opens up with deep fried insects, scorpions and sea creatures found among the more usual fare.