Beijing Sights

There is so much to see in the city of Beijing it may be hard for the visitor to chose which sites can fit into your itinerary. To give you a starting point for planning here are some of the top choices of visitors to Beijing.

Badaling Great Wall is located more than 70 kilometers northwest from the center of Beijing City and is the best-preserved section of the Great Wall. The Great Wall is actually made up of many defensive walls built over thousands of years, some are joined and many parts of the Wall are not.
Forbidden City is the largest and the best-preserved Imperial Palace complex in the world. For five centuries, this palace functioned as the administrative center of the country as well as being the residence of emperors and empresses. It is one of the largest complexes of its kind built with truly amazing engineering and design. It is considered a World Heritage site.
Temple of Heaven is the place where the Emperor came every winter solstice to worship heaven and to solemnly pray for a good harvest. An emperor’s power came from heaven and if there was a bad harvest following the ceremony, the emperor of the time could be ousted in favour of a ruler more worthy of heaven’s blessings. The whole complex is a treasury of ancient Chinese architectural designs and arts and artefacts.
Beijing Zoo is home to over 900 different species and boasts 20,000 animal residents. Many of the most popular attractions are the wild and rare animals of China itself, such as the pandas, golden monkeys, milu deer and northeast tigers. The Zoo also offers the visitor species that are not indigenous to China but are always a favourite with tourists: polar bears, American bison, zebras, kangaroos, giraffes and elephants also draw large crowds.
Tian’anmen Square measures 440, 000 square meters and is large enough to hold about one million people for public celebration or gatherings. There is lots for the visitor to see and do in the Square from climbing the Tian’anmen Rostrum, watch the national flag raising ceremony every morning (the time varies subject to the sunrise), visit the National Museum of China and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong where the preserved body of the is on display. There are many other temples, museums and wonders within close proximity of the Square.
The Summer Palace is another world reknown attraction famous for its classic imperial design and holds spiritual significance to Chinese culture and tradition. It holds a special place in the traditions and history of Chinese gardens.
The Grand View Garden at Xuanwu District southwest of Beijing is styled after the luxurious gardens of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Garden is a large area where you will find pavilions, halls, temples and miniature gardens with a total of 110,000 square meters. Often you can watch traditional ceremonies performed in the garden.