Beijing Travel,beijing guide

Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China, is the Nation's political and cultural center. The metropolis covers an area of 16,800 square kilometers and enjoys a moderate continental climate, with four distinct seasons. Since the implementation of China's reform and opening policy, Beijing has developed into a modern city that reflects the rich Chinese culture, history and revolutionary tradition.

Beijing is both old and young. It is the cultural cradle of China and also the birthplace of human civilization. It was here that "Peking Man" lived and multiplied in primitive communities 700,000 years ago. Beginning to take shape during the later period of the Shang Dynasty, Beijing existed as a city more than 3,000 years ago, and as a Capital for about 800 years.

Beijing was founded and developed through the joint efforts of generations of Chinese nationals - a melting pot of time-honored Oriental Civilization and Chinese cultural heritage. The Forbidden City, The Summer Palace, The Temple of Heaven, The Great Wall and The Site of Peking Man have been listed by the United Nation's Education, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as World Heritages sites. A unique feature of Beijing is its numerous Hutongs, which means "small lanes". Visitors can also enjoy Beijing Opera, visit a Cloisonne Factory and taste world famous Beijing Roast Duck. As you can see, many things await you in Beijing!

Beijing travel: Beihai Park
Located in central Beijing, Beihai Park is one of the best-preserved imperial gardens in China. First built in 1179, this garden complex has served as the winter palace for emperors in China's Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.

With an area of 68 hectares, Beihai Park is composed of an island and a beautiful lake. A Tibetan style White Pagoda built in 1651 on the island is a landmark of the park. There are a wide range of Tibetan Buddhist scripts in the pagoda. A variety of traditional Chinese architectural styles of Buddhist temples, pavilions and towers and courtyard structures can be found on the lake bank. A zigzagged bridge with five elegant pavilions extending from the bank into the lake is a beautiful sight in the park and has the beautiful name of 'Five-Dragon Pavilions'. To the north of the pavilions is Nine-Dragon Wall, one of three famous walls of its kind in China. It was built in 1756 during the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). Nine dragons playing in the clouds are decorated on both sides of the wall.

An imperial court cuisine restaurant housed in an antique building boasts the best imperial court dishes in the city.

A walk around the lake takes about an hour. The park is open from 6:00 - 22:00. Buses Nos. 101, 814, 109, 103 and 812 reach the park. The admission fee is 10 Yuan and access to the central island is further 10 Yuan.

Beijing travel:Forbidden City
The Forbidden City, dominating the heart of the city, is a range of well-preserved palace architecture of the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is the largest of its kind in the country. The original palaces were constructed during the Ming period (1368 - 1644) over 560 years ago and the present complex was the result of several extensions in the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911).

The rectangular 'city' is 960 meters (3,149 feet) long from north to south and 750 meters (2,460 feet) wide from east to west with four gates on each cardinal point, among which the southern gate, Wumen (Meridian Gate) is the main entrance for most visitors to the Forbidden City.

The whole complex was built on an axial symmetry layout with the main palaces arranged on the middle axes from south to north, flanked by associated structures. The complex is divided into two parts by the Gate of Celestial Purity (Qian Qing Men). The first part (south part) is called 'Outer Court' including Hall of Supreme Harmony (Tai He Dian), Hall of Central Harmony (Zhong He Dian) and Hall of Preserved Harmony (Bao He Dian). In this section the emperors exerted their supreme power over the people and the imperial ceremonial events were held. For example, it was on the three-tier marble terrace of the Hall of Supreme Harmony (Tai He Dian) that an emperor ascended to the throne.

The section north of the Gate of Celestial Purity is known as 'Inner Court' including Palace of Celestial Purity (Qian Qing Gong), Hall of Celestial and Terrestrial Union (Jiao Tai Dian) and Palace of Terrestrial Tranquility (Kun Ning Gong). These halls form the residential area of the emperors and their concubines.

Associated structures to each side of the middle axis include Hall of Mental Cultivation (Yang Xin Dian), Six Western Palaces (Xi Liu Gong), Hall for Ancestral Worship (Feng Xian Dian), Six Eastern Palaces (Dong Liu Gong), Palace of Tranquil Longevity (Ning Shou Gong) and Hall of Joyful Longevity (Le Shou Tang). The Hall of Mental Cultivation is where emperors dealt with daily routines and royal religious sacrificial activities were held in its counterpart on the eastern side - Hall for Ancestral Worship.

At the northern end of the north-south axis is the elegant Imperial Garden (Yu Hua Yuan), a typical classical Chinese garden with pavilions, rock formations, Hall structures and other courtyard buildings.

Opening hours
Oct. 16th to Apr. 15th: 8:30 to 16:30, ticket office closes at 15:30.
Apr. 16th to Oct. 15th: 8:30 to 17:00, ticket office closes at 16:00.

How to get there: Bus Nos. 1, 4, 4, 20, 52, 57, 101, 103, 109 and 111

Admission: 60 Yuan per person for the peak season (April 1st to 31st October) and 40 Yuan per person for the low season (November 1st to January 31st)
An additional 10 Yuan is charged for the exhibitions in Treasure Hall or Clock Hall.

Beijing travel:Great Wall
Beijing is protected by the Taihang and Yanshan mountain ranges to its west and north. Three passes separate the Beijing/Hebei area from the steppes of Mongolia and Manchuria viz. Gubeikou and JuyongGuan just north of Beijing, and Shanhaiguan at the eastern coast facing Bohai Sea. The Beijing area has itself eight sites at the Great Wall for tourists, these comprising of two passes (JuyongGuan and Gubeikou) and six sections of the wall (Badaling, Mutianyu, Simatai, Jinshanling, HuanghuaCheng and Jiankou). Another two nearby Great Wall sites, Shanghaiguan and Huangyaguan can each be visited as an overnight tour from Beijing.

The Great Wall was only opened to the dignitaries and tourists at Badaling till the early 1980s. In 1984, the Chinese government set up a Great Wall Restoration Committee to raise funds to restore the Great Wall as a national symbol of China under a slogan of "Love China and Rebuild the Great Wall." Supported by the news media, scholars and artists contributed works in the form of calligraphy, paintings and sculptures for decoration and for sale to raise funds. Chinese from all walks of life donated, as did foreigners. Two years later a sum of USD 2.7 million was collected for the reconstruction of the Great Wall. The Chinese leader, Deng Xiaoping, wrote an inscription for the slogan at the entrance of the Badaling Great Wall. A special monument was given in honor of Pakistan and other foreign contributions at the Wangjingshi??? (Looking to Beijing Rock), also at Badaling.

On first arrival at Beijing, most tourists aspire to see the Great Wall. Many will spend half a day at the touristy and packed Badaling, the nearby Juyong Guan or the quieter Mutianyu. The more initiated will want to spend a full day hiking along some deserted and more challenging sections like Gubeikou, Simatai, Jinshanling, HuanghuaCheng and Jiankou. The wall seen at the above sites were built during the Ming Dynasty, as the Han Dynasty wall had long fallen into decay.

These solid looking parts of the Great Wall to the north of Beijing will give good and memorable photographs, but wear some warm clothing against the chilling wind. At Badaling, JuyongGuan and Mutianyu, drinks, snacks, fruits, souvenirs, VCDs and books are available, but be prepared with the correct money change and remember which tour guide you come with.

Beijing travel:Jingshan park
The Jingshan Park, to the north of the Palace Museum, is located in the center of Beijing on the north to south axis. It used to be a private garden of the imperial families in the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties.
According to the legend, the four constellations the Green Dragon, the white Dragon, the Scarlet Bird, and the Black Warrior, stand in their own respective territories. The northern part of the Forbidden City is just within the Black Warrior's territory, where a hill is indispensable. So the earth from the digging of the moat around the Forbidden City was piled up into a hill called Jingshan. Jingshan, first named "Longevity Hill", became the "Hill of Safeguard" for the Forbidden City.

The central pavilion, Wanchunting (Everlasting Spring Pavilion) with 3 eaves, 4 upturned roof corners and golden glazed-tile roof is the highest of Jingshan. To the east and west of Wanchunting are Zhoushangting (Pavilion of Surrounding Views) and Fulanting (Panoramic View Pavilion) respectively. Both of them have double eaves and 8 upturned roof corners and a green glazed-tile roof. To the east of Zhoushangting is Guanmiaoting (Pavilion of Wonderful Views), while to the west of Fulanting, is Jifangting (Fragrance Pavilion). They are small round pavilions with double-eaves and a roof of blue glazed-tiles.
On the northern part of Jingshan, there are buildings such as Shouhuangdian (Hall of Imperial Longevity) where the portraits of ancestors were housed, Yongsidian (Hall of Everlasting Memory) and Guandedian (Hall of Morals Observation), which were used as mourning place for deceased emperors and queens in the Qing Dynasty. At present, Shouhuangdian and Guandedian are opened as children's Palace and Library.
On the eastern side of Jingshan there used to be an old locust tree upon which Chongzhen, the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty hanged himself, when the peasant army led by Li Zicheng stormed into Beijing. Unfortunately, the old tree was gone, in its place, a new tree of similar appearance has been planted.