When you think of Beijing, the political, cultural and communications centre of China, undoubtedly a whole host of unique historic and scenic attractions come to mind.
The massive Tian’anmen Square, the golden roofed Forbidden City, the architectural perfection of the Temple of Heaven, the pavilion- and pagoda-surrounded Summer Palace, the Great Wall of China and the Ming Tombs all contribute to making Beijing the nation’s major tourist mecca.
Guidebooks have been dedicated to all tourist favourites so I will only touch on them with an anecdote or two before looking at other interesting places to go and things to do.
With its capacity to accommodate a million people, Tian’anmen Square is a hive of activity throughout the day and well into the illuminated night.
My favourite time to visit, however, is at sunrise when you can see the flag raising ceremony or just stand and ponder the expanse of the world’s largest square.
Forbidden City
Fronting the square is The Gate of Heavenly Peace and behind that is the Forbidden City, so named because only royalty resided here. It was off limits to commoners for nearly 500 years.
A good introduction to the outstanding architecture of what’s now called the Palace Museum is to watch the movie, The Last Emperor.
When you actually visit this amazing 72 ha. complex of palaces, pavilions, courtyards and gardens – the best preserved group of ancient buildings in China – hire a audio player with commentary from Sir Roger Moore.
Temple Treasure
Set in Tian Tan Park – the largest in the city – the 14th century Temple of Heaven is architecturally unusual because it has a triple-eaved umbrella roof. This was the royal temple used by the Qing dynasty (1644 – 1911) emperors to worship heaven and pray for a good harvest.
Beijing is flat – a joy for cyclists – so emperors during the Middle Ages constructed artificial hills north of the Forbidden City.
Set over 280 ha. on a manmade hill in the heart of the capital, the Summer Palace was a royal retreat at the edge of Kunming Lake. Today visitors enjoy photographing its classic Chinese Gardens and a unique marble boat or just cruising on the tranquil lake.
Spanning some 5000 km and constructed by hundreds of thousands of workers, the Great Wall of China – built as a defensive barrier against enemy attacks from the north – is Beijing’s number one lure for most visitors.
Badaling, 70 km northwest of the city, is the most visited part of the Great Wall. The Juyongguan Pass Section is closer and a bit less crowded, however. If at all possible avoid weekends and holidays when locals en masse day trip out to see this world treasure.
The Ming Tombs are often included in a tour – select from organised packages or plan a personalised tour with your own guide – to the Great Wall. Thirteen rulers from the Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644) are entombed here, some in underground ‘palaces’.
Three tombs open to visitors and 10 others left in a pristine state are set in a picturesque valley where there are lovely views to the Jundu Mountains.
The Great Wall
Beijing wasn’t built in a day and it can’t be explored that quickly either, although many tourists try and pack their itineraries as tight as possible not allowing time to enjoy other pleasures of the great city.
Many say that going to Beijing and missing the opera is like going to Beijing and not seeing the Great Wall. While few foreigners understand the dialogue or are familiar with the themes, they nonetheless enjoy the costumes, makeup, acting and musical accompaniment.
Though this traditional entertainment is 200 years old its elaborate themes are legendary as they deal with the creation of the world.
There are few places in Beijing more appropriate to watch such animated spectacles than in the old neighbourhood of Qianmen, a colourful area close to the Forbidden City and Tian’anmen Square.
Colourful Qianmen
Look for Qianmen Street and then set off to explore lanes and side roads. It was along this thoroughfare that the Emperor was carried in an ornately decorated sedan chair from his palace to the Temple of Heaven during twice-yearly processions.
Nowadays in this highly photogenic precinct you can visit such places as a 400-year-old pickle shop as well as an herbal medicine shop that opened in 1669 and an establishment where cotton cloth slippers have been made by hand for some 140 years.
By night make your way to the famous Liyuan Theatre, the Laoshe Teahouse or the Chang’an Theatre where Peking Opera is regularly staged.
For diversions with a more local flavour attend performances of lesser-known traditional entertainments like wushu, Chinese martial arts, or quyi, story telling with musical accompaniment.
Romantics might well want to disregard all of these suggestions and opt instead for a chauffeured rickshaw ride along Chang’an Avenue, the widest street in the world, followed by a moonlit stroll through Tian’anmen Square and along the eastern moat of the Forbidden City.
This is certain to rate high among the many highlights of your stay in this regal city.
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