Beijing
Beijing Zoo Located in the north western part of the
city, the Beijing Zoo is the largest zoo in China.
Originally a private garden owned by a Qing royal
aristocrat, the site was converted into a zoo by Empress
Dowager Cixi in 1901. It was intended to house a collection
of animals a Chinese minister had imported from Germany at
great cost and presented to the Empress as gifts. By the
1930s, most of the animals had died and were then stuffed
for display in a museum on the grounds. Today the zoo
contains some 6000 animals of over 570 species from
different parts of the country. It has been famous for its
collection of rare animals, particularly the giant pandas
and the golden monkeys. Open 8:30-16:00
Forbidden City occupies a total space of more than
720,000 square meters. The surrounding palace walls are 10 m
high and have a total length of 3,400 m, and are protected
by a 52-m-wide moat. The Forbidden City consists of two
parts, the Outer Court and the Inner Court. The Outer Court
centres around the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Midway Hall
of Harmony and the Hall of Military Prowess. The Inner Court
centres around the Hall of Celestial Purity, the Hall of
Union and Peace and the Hall of Terrestrial Tranquility,
which are flanked by the Six East Palaces and the Six West
Palaces.
Fragrant Hills Park Located around 30 km
northwest of the Forbidden City, the Fragrant Hills area is
one of the most pleasant scenic spots outside of Beijing. It
covers an area of 160 hectares and is home to numerous
species of local flora. The park is noted above all for its
picturesque autumn scenery when smoke tree leaves redden, a
sight that has long been eulogized in poetry and painting. A
cable ride will take visitors to the top of one of the peaks
and relish the wonderful bird's- eye view of Beijing. Open
8:00-17:00
Great Wall of China Construction of the Great Wall
started in the 7th century B.C. The vassal states under the
Zhou Dynasty in the northern parts of the country each built
their own walls for defense purposes. After the state of Qin
unified China in 221 B.C., it joined the walls to hold off
the invaders from the Xiongnu tribes in the north and
extended them to more than 10,000 li or 5,000 km. This is
the origin of the name Of the "10,000-li Great Wall".
Lama Temple (Yong He Gong) is by far the most
colourful temple in Beijing. It is also the most renowned
Tibetan Buddhist Temple outside Tibet. Within the temple
grounds, there are magnificent tapestries and frescos,
charming gardens and intricate wall carvings.
Summer Palace This extremely beautiful palace is a marvel of landscape architecture. Its central feature, the man-made Kunming Lake, is pleasant to stroll beside as it was hundreds of years ago. Also noteworthy is the half mile corridor that stretches along Kunming Lake's northern shore. Each of the 10,000 pictures painted on the corridors' crossbeams is unique. The Summer Palace lies 12km northwest of the city centre. Allow at least one half day to see the whole palace.
Temple of Heaven is a favourite Beijing tourist stop. The main buildings were built in the Ming Dynasty in 1420 for worshipping the heaven and earth. The emperor was regarded as the "Son of the Heaven" who administered matters on earth on behalf of the heavenly authority. Natural disasters or instability in society were regarded as a sign that the emperor had lost the favor of heaven, so sacrifices to heaven were very important to the rulers.
Tiananmen Square Tiananmen means "Heavenly Peace Gate". However, major events that have happened there in the past have been far from peaceful, much less heavenly. The Tiananmen Square forms the absolute centre of Beijing. It is the biggest square in the world and it can hold more than one million people. North of it is the Tiananmen Gate which leads into the Forbidden City, west of it is the Great Hall of People, south of it is the Qianmen Gate and east of it is the Museum of Chinese People's Revolution.
Wo Fo Si (Temple of Reclining Buddha) Its most famous attraction is a lacquered, reclining statue of Buddha about to enter Nirvana. The figure's age is in some dispute (some think it dates back as far as a.d. 1321) its length is 5 meters. The enormous shoes displayed in the flanking cases are gifts presented to the Buddha by devout worshippers, perhaps even some Qing Dynasty emperors. The temple is open daily from 8am to 4:30pm
