Forbidden City

The Palace Museum, known as the Forbidden City, was the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties. In early 15th century, the capital of the Ming Dynasty was moved from Nanjing to Beijing. Twenty-four emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties ruled from the Forbidden City.

Description

The last dynasty fell in 1911, but emperor Puyi still lived in the inner court. It was not until 1925 that the complex was converted into a museum. Since then the palace has been opened to the public.

This magnificent, palatial architectural complex covers an area of over 2,350,000 square feet and contains 9,999 rooms. The largest complex of its kind in the world, it is surrounded by ten-foot-high walls that are crowned by four observation towers and flanked by a deep moat. The walls are pierced by four large gates, each with three openings and a broad crowning pavilion.

The layout of the Forbidden City is based on a Chinese cosmic diagram of the universe that clearly defines the north-south and east-west axes. The buildings represent the largest and best-preserved examples of Chinese traditional architecture found today. The overall layout is centered on the three primary Halls of State: The Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihedian), The Hall of Middle Harmony (Zhonghedian) and The Hall of Preserving Harmony (Baohedian). State ceremonies were held in the Outer Court (Wai Chao) of the Forbidden City. Here the emperors governed from their thrones, holding court sessions with their ministers, issuing imperial edicts and initiating military expeditions. The Outer Court was also the site for important ceremonies: the accession of a new emperor to the throne, birthdays, and weddings. The Inner Court (Nei Ting) was the residential area of the emperor and the imperial household, as well as the place where the emperor dealt with routine state affairs.

The Forbidden City was the scene of many significant events affecting the course of Chinese history. Today, the Forbidden City is one of the world's foremost museums of Chinese art. Its palaces and halls are filled with innumerable works of art and cultural artifacts, including gifts of state, military campaign loot and furnishings and possessions of members of the imperial households. A great number of these treasures represent the peak of artistic and inventive genius exhibited by the countless artisans who worked exclusively for the imperial court.

Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven is located in the south of Beijing, covering an area of 2.73 million square meters.

Description

The Temple of Heaven is the most holy of Beijing's Imperial temples, for this is where the emperor came every winter solstice to worship heaven and to pray solemnly for a good harvest. Since his rule was legitimised by a mandate from heaven, a bad harvest could be interpreted as his fall from heaven's favor and could threaten the stability of his reign. So, it was not without a measure of self-interest that the emperor fervently prayed for a very good crop.

In line with the Confucianist revival during the Ming dynasty, the sacred harvest ceremony was combined with the emperor's worship of his ancestors. This embellishment was also, in effect, self-interested. For according to the Confucian pattern of social organisation, just as the emperor respected his ancestors, so a younger brother should respect an elder brother, a wife her husband, a son his father, and a nation's subjects their ruler. Incorporating ancestor worship within the most solemn ceremony of the imperial ritual calendar indirectly reinforced the social philosophy that perpetuated the Emperor's power.

The design of the Temple of Heaven complex, true to its sacred purpose, reflects the mystical cosmological laws believed to be central to the workings of the universe. Hence, complex numerological permutations operate within its design. For example, because the number nine was considered to be the most powerful digit, you will see that the slabs that form the Circular Altar have been laid in multiples of nine. Similarly within the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, the interior twenty-eight columns are divided into four central pillars to represent the seasons, twelve inner columns to represent the months and twelve outer columns to represent the two-hour branches that make up a day. There are many such examples of this intense numerology at play.

Whereas in Imperial times commoners were not allowed to enter the enormous park, now, for a minimal fee, Chinese citizens can enjoy it all day long. Were you to visit at dawn you'd be surprised by the number of people there performing their morning exercises. Next to an older person practising the slow and flowing movements of Tai Qi, there might be a younger one performing vigorous karate-like punches and kicks. One group might be learning the ancient martial art of sword fighting, while another might be practising a traditional dance. Should you have the energy and the inclination, it is well worth waking up early one morning and visiting this park to watch such events take place.

At the 1992's Evaluation of the World Wonders of Beijing Tourist attractions assessment, experts and scholars described the Temple of Heaven as 'the largest building complex for worshipping heaven in the world'. UNESCO placed the Temple of Heaven on the list of the World Cultural Heritage in 1998.

Summer Palace

The Summer Palace located ten kilometers to the northwest of Beijing and used to be a summer residence of Qing Dynasty emperors. Itis now a public park. It is an imperial garden known far and wide for its architectural grandeur and stunning natural beauty.

Description

 The Summer Palace, built in 1888, was once a summer retreat and the imperial park for emperors. Have a lakeside cruise on the lovely Kunming Lake, enjoy the magical views of the hills, bridges and pagodas that grace the Palace grounds.

A cluster of grand buildings adorns the middle section of the Longevity Hill. On the slope from the lakeside to the hilltop stand a decorated archway called Jade-Like Firmament in Bright Colors, Cloud-Dispelling Hall, Hall of Virtuous Brilliance, Pavilion of Buddhist Incense and Temple of the Sea of Wisdom. Standing on the top of the hill, visitors command a spectacular view of buildings of different shapes and sizes below, of their golden roofs glittering under the sun, of the placid, huge Kunming Lake dotted with row boats and of the 17-arch bridge that connects an island with the lake's southern bank.

Along the northern bank of Kunming Lake runs the Long Corridor with a total length of 728 meters and 273 sections. It is like a necklace for Longevity Hill. Strolling in the corridor, a visitor sees an endless lineup of corridor stands stretching into the distance or curving away elegantly at soft angles as well as Kunming Lake sparkling under the sun. The crossbeams of the Long Corridor are decorated with more than 8,000 color paintings with Chinese landscape and historical stories as their themes.

On November 30th 1998, the World Cultural Heritage Committee of UNESCO placed it on the List of World Cultural Heritage.

Badaling Great Wall

Located 11km away from Juyongguan Pass and 60km north of Beijing, Badaling, which means, "giving access to every direction," is the best-preserved section of the Great Wall. Restored in 1957, it has an elevation of 600 meters. The wall averages 7.5 meters high, 4 meters thick, 6.5 meters wide on the base and 5.8 meters at the top.

Description

Stretching for 4,770m among the rolling mountains, Badaling section of Great Wall is dotted with 19 strategically located watchtowers, which were used to protect the capital against attack in ancient times, bringing Badaling the name of "key to the north gate."

On the top of the wall is a road paved with square bricks, wide enough for six horses or ten soldiers to march side by side. On both sides of the road, outer parapet and inner parapet were set. The outer parapet is crenellated with merlons almost two meters high. The crenels were used as peepholes and the embrasure below each crenel was used as a loophole. The inner parapet, which is 1 meter high, was used to prevent the horses and gharries from overturning on the mountains.

In 1987, Badaling, the essence of the Great Wall, was listed as a World Cultural Heritage site by the UN. In recent years, this section of Great Wall was repaired and the Great Wall Museum, Badaling Great Wall Cableway, and other tourism facilities were built near the wall. So far, about 80 million visitors from all over the world, including 300 heads of state and other celebrities have visited there. The wall, as the witness of history, today serves as the friendship bridge between the Chinese people and people from other countries.

Lama Temple(Yonghegong)

Yonghegong is a famous lamasery located in the northeastern part of the old city of Beijing. It was a palatial residence built in 1694 by Qing emperor, Kangxi, for his fourth son, Prince Yongzheng, who later succeeded to the throne.

Description

This magnificent temple consists of five main buildings lying on the north-south axis, with annex halls standing on both sides. The temple is listed by the Chinese Government as one of the important historical monuments under special preservation.

Yong He Gong is arranged along a north-south central axis, which has a length of 480m. The main gate is at the southern end of this axis.

Along the central axis of Yong He Gong, there are five main halls that are separated by courtyards: the Hall of Heavenly Kings (Tian Wang Dian or Devaraja Hall), the Hall of Harmony and Peace (Yong He Gong), the Hall of Everlasting Protection (Yong You Dian), the Hall of the Wheel of the Law (Fa Lun Dian), and the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Joys (Wan Fu Ge).

History of Yong He Gong:
Building work on the Yong He Gong Temple started in 1694 during the Qing Dynasty. It originally served as an official residence for court eunuchs. It was then converted into the court of Prince Yong Zheng (Yin Zhen), a son of emperor Kang Xi. After Yong Zheng's ascension to the throne in 1722, half of the building was converted into a lamasery, a monastery for monks of Tibetan Buddhism, while the other half remained an imperial palace.

After Yong Zheng's death in 1735, his coffin was placed in the temple. Yong Zheng's successor, emperor, Qian Long, gave the temple imperial status. This was signified by having its turquoise tiles replaced with the yellow tiles that were reserved for the emperor. Subsequently (1744), the monastery became a lamasery and a residence for large numbers of Tibetan Buddhist monks from Mongolia and Tibet. The Yong He Gong Lamasery became the national centre of Lama administration.

Yong He Gong is said to have survived the Cultural Revolution due to the intervention of prime minister Zhou En Lai. Yong He Gong was opened to the public in 1981.

Mutianyu Great Wall

Mutianyu Great Wall, situated in Huairou District, 73 kilometers (45.4 miles) northwest from Beijing. It acrosses the mountain ridges connecting Gubeikou to the east and Juyongguan Pass to the west. Along with nearby Huanghua Great Wall and Jiankou Pass. These fortifications make the northern barrier protecting Beijing city and the imperial msusoleums. Its high quality constructions and unique feature makes this section of Great Wall an exciting tourist destination.

Description

It was first built in Northern Qi (550-577). In Ming Dynasty, General Xu Da constructed the Great Wall on its former base. The Mutianyu Pass was built in 1404. The fortifications and the Great Wall here are featured by many watchtowers on overlapping mountain ranges. The wall, built with slabs of stone, is crenellated on both sides with bricks.

The Mutianyu section has its own characteristics. The coping on both sides of the wall has parapets and battlements, which made it possible to repel foes from either side. The bases of the indented battlements have square holes arched at the top from which soldiers shot at the besiegers. Additional walls with watchtowers were built in order to relieve the enemy's assault on the main wall which is densely distributed with watchtowers, twenty-two in total. The wall runs up and down following the contours of the steep mountainsides. In one section it rises with a gradient of nearly 90 degrees on bare rock posing a challenge to any climbers. In Zhengguantai, three watchtowers stand on the same terrace, a rare occurrence in the structure of the Great Wall.

Pool and Cudrania Temple (Tanzhe Si)

The Pool and Cudrania Temple, or Tanzhe Si, is situated 45 kilometres west of the city. For Centuries, there has been a saying: "First there was the Pool and Cudrania Temple, then came Beijing." It dates back 1,600 years to the Jin Dynasty, when it was known as the Temple of Auspicious Fortune.

Description

In the Tang Dynasty, it was expanded and renamed the Dragon Spring Temple.

It has been popularly known as the Pool and Cudrania Temple because of the Dragon Pool and cudrania trees on the hill behind the temple. The buildings were mostly rebuilt in the Ming and Qing dynasties.
The temple was built into the landscape and laid out in a beautiful setting. In front of the gate are ancient pines believed to be several hundred years old. Several groups of buildings stand on the terraces one higher than the other. Their distribution is symmetrical, typical of Ming temple architecture.

The buildings spacious and imposing, are arranged in three main northsouth axes. Along the central axis are the Archway, the Front Gate, Deveraja Hall, Mahavira Hall and Vairochana Pavilion.

How to get there: Bus No.931 departing from Pingguoyuan, or Tourist Bus No.7
departing from Qianmen and Fuchengmen.

Beijing National Grand Theater

The newly finished egg-shaped theatre is designed by the French architect Paul Andreu, the designer of the terminal of the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. The National Grand Theatre, situated west of the Beijing's central Tian'anmen Square, has a huge glass and titanium dome-shaped structure surrounded by water.

Description

The new National Theater is composed of the three halls nestled inside the egg. The 2.68-billion-yuan (US$328 million) theatre will hold 6,000 people. It is regarded as the Egg due to its smooth, translucent exterior and ovoid shape. With its modernity, it is in the strong contrast to the Stalinist-style building of the Great Hall of the People and the golden eaves of the Forbidden City. Over 16,000 cubic metres of water enough to fill 42 Olympic swimming pools is poured into the lake on which the Egg will "float".

The main building of the National Grand Theater consists of an exterior shell, within which are a 2,416-seat opera house, a 2,017-seat concert hall, a 1,040-seat theater, a lobby and other supporting facilities. The exterior is a shell in the shape of a half ellipsoid with a long east-west axis of 212.20 meters and a short south-north axis of 143.64 meters. It is 46.285 meters tall, and it reaches to a maximum underground depth of 32.50 meters. Most of the shell is covered by titanium panels, and it is broken in the middle by a curtain of glass that opens gradually from top to bottom. The pool surrounding the ellipsoid shell covers an area of 35,500 square meters, the main north entrance is an 80-meter-long corridor under the pool. The south entrance and other passages are under the pool too. The pool is surrounded by leisure squares made up of large greeneries.

Tian'anmen Square

Situated due south of Tian'anmen, the Square has an area of 44 hectares (109 acres) that can accommodate as many as one million people for public gatherings. It has witnessed may historical events in China's modern history and is a place for celebrations on such festive days as international Labour Day on May 1st and national Day on October 1st.

Description

In 1919,the May 4th Movement broke out in Beijing .Students and residents staged a patriotic demonstration in the square. In1935, students in Beijing launched the December 9th Movement against the Japanese aggression and Chiang the Kai-shek's policy of non-resistance. They held a demonstration in the square.

On April 5,1976, lots of people gathered here to commemorate ZhouEnlai and opp the “Gang of four”- JiangQing,Wang Hongwen , Zhang Chunqiao and Yao Wenyuan. Many tourists to Tian’anmen Square would like to have their pictures taken in front of white marble Jinshuiqiao(Golden Water Bridges).

Chairman Mao's Memorial Hall

Chairman Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China, passed away on September 9, 1976. In commemoration of the great man, a Memorial Hall began to be constructed in November 1976 and was completed in May the following year. With strong national characteristics, the memorial hall has a floor area of nearly 30,000 square meters.

Description

Description
In the four sides of the building, there are 44 octagonal granite columns, which give a solemn atmosphere to the building. The hall has three stories, the upper two of which are on the ground. The Hall of Mourning is the heart of the memorial hall. In the center of the hall is a black granite coffin bed, on which a crystal coffin lies. Inside the coffin, the remains of Chairman Mao wears gray suit and is covered with the red flag of the Communist Party. The second floor is home to a display room, which displays articles left behind by Mao Zedong, and a movie show room, in which visitors can view the demeanor of Mao Zedong on the screen.

Jingshan Park

Jingshan Park has a dramatic history and offers equally dramatic views over the city and especially of the Imperial Palace. Located at the the highest point of the central axis of Beijing, it's a pretty Royal Garden surrounded by red walls and the red roofs of the Forbidden City.

Description

Jingshan Park, with a history of over 800 years, was first built in the Jin Dynasty (1179 A.D). During the Ming Dynasty (1420 A.D), an artificial hill was created using earth from the newly constructed palace moat. In the east of the park, a tree marks the spot where the last Ming Emperor, Chongzhen hung himself rather than see the city destroyed by the Manchus. All this, after he had just slain his own family!!

The Park is a pleasant place despite this gory history and is conveniently central. One of the best times to visit is at dusk, when the sun-sets over the red roofs of the Imperial Palace creating a gorgeous warm glow over the city.

National Stadium

Functions during the Games: Athletics, Football;
Post-games use: The stadium is to stage sports events at national and international levels, as well as cultural and entertaining activities.

Description

Venue: National Stadium
Location: Olympic Green
Total land surface (10,000 sq. m.): 25.8
Seats: 91,000
Groundbreaking date: December 2003

National Aquatics Center

Functions during the Games: Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, and Synchronized Swimming.

Description

Location: Olympic Green
Total land surface (sq. m.): 65,000-80,000
Seats: 6,000 permanent and 11,000 temporary
Groundbreaking date: December 24, 2003