Beijing is best known for its ancient grand palaces and their gates, authentic Chinese temples, beautiful parks and gardens, as well as the signature Great Wall of China. Today, in this article, we are going to take you on a trip to the 'old Beijing', while you can discover the history behind this modern capital city of China. Read on for more!
Next Article: Escaping the Crowds in Zhongshan Park
Great Wall of China
"One who fails to reach the Great Wall is not a true man."
The iconic Great Wall is renowned as the landmark of China. It is a series of fortifications that were built by a few different ancient Chinese emperors to protect their homeland against invasion. The Great Wall of China is over 5,000-mile long. Therefore, if you'd like to walk the whole wall, it would take you no less than 18 months to do so. You should at least reach there to prove that you are a true man. What a fantastic challenge!
The Palace Museum aka Forbidden City
Forbidden City is no longer "forbidden" and was opened to the public as the Palace Museum in 1925 after the last Emperor of China was evicted from his home. You will pass the Tiananmen Square when you enter into the museum from the front entrance. This former palace consists of more than 900 buildings. You seriously won't be able to see everything in one day. So make your plan possible before you visit!
Zhongshan Park
The Zhongshan Park is a public park that is located in the southwest part of the Forbidden City in Beijing. It was one of the garden from the palaces just like Beihai Park and Jingshan Park. However, this park is relatively less crowded compared any other gardens in the Forbidden City. So don't miss out if you are in the nearby!
Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven is an imperial complex of green spaces and religious buildings that sits in the southeastern part of Beijing. The emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties would visit the temple for praying to the heaven for a good harvest annually. Now, the temple served more likely as a park where you will find many people warming up their body in early morning over there.
Summer Palace
This beautiful Summer Palace is highly recommended! This vast imperial park is a complex of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing away from the Forbidden City. The Longevity Hill Kunming Lake and Seventeen Hole Bridge are also located inside the garden. From here, you will get to see beautiful ancient Chinese architectures, gorgeous rocky gardens and stunning lakes. You will also have a chance to take a boat to sightsee the Summer Palace by water! What a great experience!