Top 10 Beijing Attractions

Beijing, the capital of China, boasts many historical attractions that you should not miss on your Beijing tour. The Great Wall, the longest manmade project in the world and listed as one of the Eight Wonders; Forbidden City, the most magnificent imperial palace in China, home to 24 emperors of Ming and Qing dynasties; Summer Palace, the largest imperial garden best preserved in China; Hutong, a mirror of Beijing folk culture which gives glimpse to the yesterday of old Beijing; Temple of Heaven, the worshipping place for the emperors for good harvest…

Beijing, a successfully 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Host city and a vibrant metropolis in China, is presenting her best fashion fascination to the world.

The Great Wall

The Great Wall is one of the "Eight Wonders of the World". It is a gigantic defensive project and the longest wall in the world which extends 8851.8km (5,500 miles). The most popular Great Wall sections are in Beijing city.

the Forbidden City

The Forbidden City is the best preserved imperial palace in China. It was home to 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It consists of 90 palaces and courtyards, 980 buildings and 8,704 rooms and represents the supreme power of the emperors in ancient times.

the Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven is the most holy of Beijing's Imperial temples. It was where the Emperors of Ming and Qing dynasties came every winter solstice to worship heaven and to solemnly pray for a good harvest.

Summer Palace

The Summer Palace is the best preserved and the largest imperial gardens in China and known for its architectural grandeur and stunning natural beauty. It used to a summer residence of Qing Dynasty emperors and now it is a park.

Hutong

Beijing’s Hutongs are a twisting labyrinth of alleyways and courtyard houses. Folks in Beijing traditionally lived in Hutongs for generations. They all know one another and each Hutong is like a mini community inside the bustling metropolis.

Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen Square in the center of Beijing, is said to be the largest city square in the world. Tiananmen Square is surrounded by many imposing buildings including the Great Hall of the People, Monument to the People's Heroes and Chairman Mao's Mausoleum.

Beijing Olympic Green

Beijing Olympic Green covers a large area and contains exhibition area, Olympic Village and Olympic competition avenues including the National Stadium and Water Cube. The National Stadium hosted the opening ceremony, the closing ceremony and main events of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Lama Temple

Lama Temple is the largest and most famous Tibetan Buddhist temple outside Tibet. Its beautiful halls and courtyards are thronged with devotees come to worship or seek good luck. You can see the world's largest wooden statue and Tibetan exhibitions here.

Ming Tombs

Ming Tombs is the general name given to the mausoleums of 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). The layout and arrangement of all thirteen mausoleums are very similar but vary in size as well as in the complexity of their structures. Only the Dingling Tomb and Changling Tomb are open to the public.

Beijing Zoo

Beijing zoo houses over 7,000 creatures of 600 different species, including the Giant Panda, red-crowned crane and Pere David's deer which are all unique in China. It also houses African giraffe, rhinoceros, chimpanzee and antelope wild ox from Europe and elephant and gibbon from India. It is an ideal place for families with kids.