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Sample Lists - Top 10 Guide to Beijing
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The Top 10 Must-See Areas
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| 1. Tian'anmen Square |
| Transportation: Buses: 1, 4, 10, 22, 52, 57; Subway: Qianmen station. |
| Tian'anmen Square is the center of Beijing and the largest and most famous square in the world. |
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| 2. The Forbidden City |
Transportation: Buses to the front gate: 1, 2, 4, 10, 20, 52, 57; Buses to the rear gate:101, 103, 109; Subway Qianmen stops at the front gate.
Hours: 8:30 am-5:00pm (last admission at 4:00pm in summer and 3:30pm in winter) |
| The Forbidden City was the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties lived and ruled. Now it is open to the public as a museum where people can see the great traditional architecture, enjoy the treasures kept in the palace, and learn legends and anecdotes about the imperial families and their court. |
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| 3. The Great Wall |
| The Great Wall is famous for its length and the difficulties of
its construction. It stretches about 5,000 kilometers from
Shanhaiguan in the east to the Jiayuguan in the west. Used
for defense in ancient times, it is now one of the few objects
on earth visible from space. Some sections that have been
renovated and are opened to public in north Beijing are
Badaling, Mutianyu, Jinshanling and Simatai. |
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| 4. The Summer Palace |
Transportation: Buses: 332, 374, 904, 375, 333
Hours: 9:00am-4:00pm |
| The Summer Palace is the most famous Imperial park left over from the Qing Dynasty. |
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| 5. The Temple of Heaven |
Transportation: Buses: 6,15, 19, 20, 43, 106, 116
Hours: 8:30 am-7:00pm |
| The main buildings in the park, built for worshipping heaven and earth, date back to the Emperor Yongle's rule in 1420. |
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| 6. The Imperial Tombs |
| Most emperors in Imperial China spent exorbitant sums on the construction of their tombs. The Ming dynasty tombs are to the northwest of Beijing and the Qing tombs to the east and southwest of Beijing. They are a considerable distance from the city. Most tourists find it better to join a tour. Usually, people visit the Ming Tombs and the Badaling Great Wall on the same day because they are close to each other. |
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| 7. Frangrant Hills and the Temple of the Recumbent Buddha (Wofosi) |
Transportation: Buses: 318, 333, 360
Hours: 8:00am-5:00pm. |
| In late October, many people climb Fragrant Hills in the west of Beijing. The leaves on the trees turn blazing red after the first frost and scene on the hill is unforgettable. In the hills, there are other interesting sites for visitors such as Wofosi, the Cherry Valley, and the glazed-tile pagoda. |
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| 8. Harmony and Peace Palace Lamasery ( Yonghegong ) |
Transportation: Buses: 13, 44, 104, 108, 116; Subway: Yonghegong Station
Hours: 9:00am-5:00pm |
| Yonghegong was originally the residence of Qing Emperor Yongzheng before he ascended the throne. After he entered the Forbidden City to be the emperor, he converted it to a lamasery. A lamasery is a temple for lamas and is similar in style and decoration to the Buddist temples of Tibet. |
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| 9. White Cloud Temple (Baiyunguan ) |
Transportation: Buses: 19, 48, 49
Hours: 8:30am-4:00pm |
| Baiyunguan is a Taoist temple. Since the Yuan dynasty, it has been the center of Taoism in northern China. |
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| 10. Beihai Park |
Transportation: Buses: 101, 103, 109, 107, 111
Opening hours: 6:00am-8:00pm |
| Beihai, once an Imperial Palace, is now a public park that attracts many visitors. Try boating in the North Sea or make reservations for a meal at FangShan, a popular restaurant located right in the park. |
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The Top 10 Gardens
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| 1. Summer Palace (Yiheyuan) |
Transportation: Buses 332, 374, 904, 373, 333; Double decker tour bus from Beijing Zoo or Qianmen; Minibus from Beijing Zoo or Qianmen; Pedicab from Yuanmingyuan.
Hours: 9:00am-4:00pm |
| This man-made park, with its large lake and high hills, was built in the 1700's. |
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| 2. Temple of Heaven |
Transportation: Buses 6, 15, 19, 20, 43, 106, 116
Hours: 8:30am-7:00pm |
| Emperors worshipped at this Temple. |
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| 3. Ruins of Yuanmingyuan |
Transportation: Buses 365, 375
Hours: 7:00am-9:00pm |
| In the eighteenth century, Yuanmingyuan was once the largest and most magnificent garden in Beijing. It is the creation of several Western architects who were invited to Beijing by the Imperial family. Today, the broken pillars and collapsed structures invite comparison to ancient Rome or Greece. |
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| 4. Beijing Zoo |
Transportation: Buses 7, 15, 19, 45, 27, 332, 360, 347, 101, 105, 107, 111; Subway Xizhimen station and a 15 minute walk.
Hours: 8:00am-5:00pm |
| The Beijing Zoo was an Imperial park during the Ming dynasty. During the Qing Dynasty, it was an experimental farm. Today, it is home to more than 550 species from all over the world. The zoo's most popular attractions are its Giant Pandas. |
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| 5. Purple Bamboo Garden (Zizhuyuan) |
Transportation: Buses: 332, 320, 360, 102, 105, 111, 114
Opening hours: 6:00am-8:00pm |
| This garden is named for the thin, purple bamboo that grows in China. |
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| 6. Temple of the Earth (Ditan) |
Transportation: Buses:13, 62, 18, 358, 407, 116, 104, 108; Subway Yonghegong or Andingmen station.
Hours: 6:00am-9:00pm |
| This was the Temple where emperors worshipped the Earth God. Now it is open to the public and temple fairs are held here during Spring Festivals. |
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| 7. Temple of the Sun (Ritan) |
Transportation: Buses: 28,29
Hours: 6:00am-8:00pm |
| The Temple of the Sun was built for the emperor to worship the Sun God. |
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| 8. Temple of the Moon (Yuetan) |
Transportation: Buses: 15, 19
Hours: 6:00am-8:00pm |
| This temple was the place for the emperor to worship the Moon God. |
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| 9. Grand View Garden (Daguanyuan) |
Transportation: Buses: 19, 351, 122.
Hours: 8:30am-5:00pm |
| This garden was constructed in 1984. The buildings, rooms, furniture and pictures are exact copies from a famous novel called Dream of Red Mansions. Buy a copy of the novel at your hotel bookstore and read it before you visit this garden. It is located in the southwest of Beijing, to the west of the Pleasure Pavilion Park (Taoran Ting). |
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| 10. Worker's Palace of Culture |
Transportation: Buses: 2, 4, 10, 20, 57, 120
Hours: 6:00am-9:00pm |
| This palace was converted from the temples of old dynasties. |
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The Top 10 Walks During the Day
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| Space in Beijing, unlike some other cities in China, is not a problem. Public parks and gardens are good places to take walks. You may wish to explore some of Beijing's smaller streets or relax in the green oases which dot the city. |
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| 1. West Bank of the lake at the Summer Palace |
| Tourists usually don't stray this far into the huge Summer Palace. The road along the lake is called Xidi, and is lined with special local trees called Chuiliu (Weeping Wilow). The thin soft branches of the tree hang down like a woman's long hair, with small green leaves waving in the breeze. It is a quiet place, and will give you peace of mind. |
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| 2. Chang'an Jie |
| This long and wide avenue runs through Beijing from east to west. (Note that only the middle section of the Avenue is called Chang'an: in the east it is called Jianguomenwai Dajie, and in the west, Fuxingmen Dajie.) The street has separate lanes for buses and autos, bicycles and pedestrians. The part of Chang'an Jie near Tian'anmen Square is an especially interesting place to walk. |
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| 3. Purple Bamboo Park |
| Bamboo is native to the south of China, but you can also see it in this park. Purple Bamboo Park is a quiet park, with a beautiful lake and various trees and flowers. It is a good place to take photographs. |
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| 4. The garden inside the National Institute of Agriculture ( Nongkeyuan) |
| Many organizations in Beijing have large enclosed courtyards. This institute in the west of Beijing has a courtyard with a lush garden. The moment you enter the Institute, you will feel the cool, fragrant air from the garden. Guests staying in the neighboring Friendship Hotel often walk or jog here in the morning. |
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| 5. Jianguomen Embassy Area |
| There are two embassy areas in Beijing. One is Jianguoman area, another is Sanlitun area, both in the Chaoyan District. Xiushuibeijiue Jie is in Jianguoman area, parallel to the noisy Chang'an Jie but much quieter. Only several blocks north, Ritan Park is spacious and peaceful. The Sichuan style restaurant in the park is quite good. Opposite the park is a shopping market. |
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| 6. The May Fourth Grass Ground of Beijing University |
| This grassy area in front of the library at Beijing University is so enjoyable that there are always people reading books, sun bathing (no swimwear, please!), or taking pictures. |
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| 7. Beisanlitun Road |
| This pleasant road runs from north to south in the Sanlitun embassy area. UN organizations such as UNICEF and some foreign embassies are located on the north part of this road. On the south end, you will find a variety of small stores, art galleries, bars, auto and bike repair shops and tailors. |
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| 8. Ditan Park |
| Ditan Park is one of Beijing's biggest parks. Monthly tickets are available for people who exercise here daily. Ask your hotel concierge about obtaining tickets. |
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| 9. Temple of Heaven Park |
| The Temple of Heaven Park is a large park in southeast of Beijing. It was once an imperial place of worship. |
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| 10. Jade Spring Pool Park (Yuyuantan) |
| Located in the west of Beijing, Yuyuantan public park is another good place for a walk. |
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