Sights in Běijīng
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Forbidden City
Ringed by a 52m-wide moat at the very heart of Běijīng, the fantastically named Forbidden City is China's largest and best-preserved complex of ancient buildings. So called because it was off limits for 500 years, when it was steeped in stultifying ritual and Byzantine regal protocol, the otherworldly palace was the reclusive home to two dynasties of imperial rule until the Republic demoted the last Qing emperor to has-been.
The design of the palace was originally closely based on its grand and now dilapidated forerunner in Nánjīng. Today, the Forbidden City is prosaically known as the Palace Museum (故宫博物馆; Gùgōng Bówùguǎn). In former ages the price for uninvited…
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798 Art District
A disused and converted electronics factory built by the East Germans, 798 Art District is Běijīng’s leading concentration of contemporary art galleries. The industrial complex celebrates its proletarian roots in the communist heyday of the 1950s via retouched red Maoist slogans decorating gallery interiors and statues of burly, lantern-jawed workers. The voluminous factory workshops are ideally suited to art galleries that require space for multimedia installations and other ambitious projects. You could easily spend a day visiting the complex and its cafes and restaurants, making 798’s noncentral inaccessibility less of an inconvenience and more of an opportunity for an…
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Summer Palace
Virtually as mandatory a Běijīng sight as the Great Wall or the Forbidden City, the gargantuan Summer Palace easily merits an entire day's exploration, although a (high-paced) morning or afternoon may suffice.
Once a playground for the imperial court fleeing the suffocating summer torpor of the Forbidden City, the palace grounds, temples, gardens, pavilions, lakes, bridges, gate-towers and corridors of the Summer Palace are a marvel of landscaping. Unlike the overpowering flatland of the Forbidden City or the considered harmonies of the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace – with its huge lake, hilltop views and energising walks – offers a pastoral escape into the…
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Mùtiányù
Famed for its Ming-era guard towers and excellent views, the 3km-long section of wall at Mùtiányù, northeast of Běijīng in Huairou County, is largely a recently restored Ming dynasty structure that was built upon an earlier Northern Qi dynasty edifice. US President Bill Clinton came here (Reagan went to Bādálǐng), if that’s anything to go by. With 26 watchtowers, the wall is impressive and manageable, with most hawking reserved to the lower levels (hawkers go down to around Y15 for cotton ‘I climbed the Great Wall’ T-shirts) : the further you get away from Mùtiányù central the better. It’s actually possible to hike from Mùtiányù all the way west to …
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Tiān'ānmén Square
Flanked by stern 1950s Soviet-style buildings and ringed by white perimeter fences, the world's largest public square (440,000 sq metres) is an immense flatland of paving stones at the heart of Běijīng.
Height restrictions have kept surrounding buildings low, allowing largely uninterrupted views of the dome of the sky. Kites flit through the air, children stamp around on the paving slabs and Chinese out-of-towners huddle together for the obligatory photo opportunity with the great helmsman's portrait. On National Day (1 October), Tiān'ānmén Sq heaves with visitors.
In the square, one stands in the symbolic centre of the Chinese universe. The rectangular arrangement,…
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South Cathedral
Běijīng’s South Cathedral was built on the site of the house of Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci, who brought Catholicism to China. Since being completed in 1703, the church has been destroyed three times, including being burnt down in 1775, and endured a trashing by anti-Christian forces during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. The church is today decorated with modern stained glass, fake marbling, red carpets, portraits of the Stations of the Cross and cream-coloured confessionals, while black bibles in Chinese lie stacked about and the occasional local nun makes an appearance. All manner of crucifixes can be bought from the religious artefacts shop, near the statue of St…
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Jiankou
For stupefying hikes along perhaps Běijīng’s most incomparable section of wall, head to the rear section of the Jiankou Great Wall, accessible from Huáiróu. It’s a 40-minute walk uphill from the drop off at Xizhazi Village ( 西栅子村; Xīzhàzi Cūn) to a fork in the path among the trees that leads you to either side of a collapsed section of wall, one heading off to the east, the other heading west. Tantalising panoramic views spread out in either direction as the brickwork meanders dramatically along a mountain ridge; the setting is truly sublime.
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Military Museum
From the humble swords and rifles of earlier eras, to the tanks and fighter planes of more modern times, as well as surface-to-air missiles, there’s enough hardware on display here to start WWIII. But despite the martial tone, this is one of Beijing’s more popular museums. The sections on China’s many wars are fascinating, although there’s a lack of English captions.
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Great Hall of the People
The Great Hall of the People, on the western side of Tiān'ānmén Sq, is where the National People's Congress convenes. The 1959 architecture is monolithic and intimidating; the tour parades visitors past a choice of 29 of its lifeless rooms. Also on the billing is a 5000-seat banquet room and the 10,000-seat auditorium with the familiar red star embedded in a galaxy of lights in the ceiling. It's closed when the National People's Congress is in session. The ticket office is down the south side of the building. Bags must be checked in but cameras are admitted. Hours vary.
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Temple of Heaven Park
A tranquil oasis of peace and methodical Confucian design in one of China's busiest urban landscapes, the 267-hectare Temple of Heaven Park is encompassed by a long wall with a gate at each compass point. The temple – the Chinese actually means 'Altar of Heaven' so don't expect burning incense or worshippers – originally served as a vast stage for solemn rites performed by the Son of Heaven, who prayed here for good harvests, and sought divine clearance and atonement.
The arrangement is typical of Chinese parks, with the imperfections, bumps and wild irregularities of nature largely deleted and the harmonising hand of man accentuated in obsessively straight lines and…
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Old Summer Palace
Forever etched on China's national consciousness for its sacking and destruction by British and French forces during the Second Opium War, the old Summer Palace was originally laid out in the 12th century. Resourceful Jesuits were later employed by Emperor Qianlong to fashion European-style palaces for the gardens, incorporating elaborate fountains and baroque statuary. During its looting, much went up in flames and considerable booty was sent abroad, but a melancholic tangle of broken columns and marble chunks from the hardier Jesuit-designed stone palace buildings remain.
The subdued marble ruins of the Palace Buildings Scenic Area (Xīyánglóu Jǐngqū) can be mulled over…
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Gate of Heavenly Peace
Hung with a vast, beatific portrait of Mao and lending its name to the square immediately south, the Gate of Heavenly Peace is a potent national symbol. Built in the 15th century and restored in the 17th century, the double-eaved gate was formerly the largest of the four gates of the Imperial Wall which enveloped the imperial grounds.
The gate is divided into five doors and reached via seven bridges spanning a stream. Each of these bridges was restricted in its use and only the emperor could use the central door and bridge.
Mao proclaimed the People's Republic on 1 October 1949 from here and his gigantic portrait is the dominating feature, with anachronistic slogans on…
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Foreign Legation Quarter
For grand shades of Europe, the former Foreign Legation Quarter where the 19th-century foreign powers flung up embassies, schools, churches, post offices and banks is well worth a stroll.
Access the area walking up the steps east from Tiānānmén Sq into Dongjiaomin Xiang (东交民巷), once called Legation St and renamed 'Anti-Imperialism Road' during the iconoclastic Cultural Revolution. Legation Quarter is a classy cluster of elegantly restored legation buildings towards the west end of Dongjiaomin Xiang. The commercial quadrant – which opened straight into the jaws of the credit crunch – is home to several exclusive restaurants (including Maison Boulud), shops and an…
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Ancient Observatory
Star-gazing is perhaps on the back foot in today's Běijīng – it could take a supernova to penetrate the haze that frequently blankets the nocturnal sky – but the Chinese capital has a sparkling history of astronomical observation. Běijīng's ancient observatory, mounted on the battlements of a watchtower lying along the line of the old Ming city wall, originally dates to Kublai Khan's days when it lay north of the present site.
At ground level is a pleasant courtyard containing a reproduction-looking armillary sphere supported by four dragons and halls housing displays (with limited English captions). At the rear is an attractive garden with grass, sun dials and a…
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Bādàchù
Named after the eight nunneries and monasteries scattered through its attractive wooded valleys, Bādàchù is an invigoratingly hilly area in the west of Běijīng. Topped with a glittering golden spire, the 13-eaved green tiled brick Língguāng Temple Pagoda (Língguāng Sì Tǎ) is also known as the Buddha's Tooth Relic Pagoda; it was built to house a sacred tooth accidentally discovered when the allied powers demolished the place in 1900.
Follow the path up past the small and simple Sānshān Nunnery (Sānshān Ān) to the Dàbēi Temple (大悲寺; Dàbēi Sì), famed for its 18 arhats (Buddhists who have achieved enlightenment) in the Great Treasure Hall (Dàxióngbǎo Diàn)…
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Sīmǎtái
In Miyun County near the far-flung town of Gǔběikǒu near the Héběi border, the stirring remains at Sīmǎtái make for an exhilarating Great Wall experience. Built during the reign of Ming-dynasty emperor Hongwu, the 19km stretch is characterised by watchtowers, steep plunges and scrambling ascents. This rugged section of wall can be heart-thumpingly steep and the scenery is dramatic. Following the crowds to the wall, you have a choice: either head west for the hike (four hours one way) to Jīnshānlǐng or walk east as far as you can. The hike to Jīnshānlǐng makes the long journey out here worth it, but you will need to set off early in the morning; you can do the hike…
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Workers Cultural Palace
Despite the prosaic name and epicentral location at the very heart of town, this reclusive park, northeast of the Gate of Heavenly Peace, is one of Běijīng’s best-kept secrets, and a bargain to boot. Few visitors divert here from their course towards the main gate of the Forbidden City, but this was the emperor’s premier place of worship and contains the SupremeTemple ( 太庙; Tài Miào). If you find the Forbidden City either too colossal or crowded, the temple halls here are a cheaper, much more tranquil and far more manageable alternative. The huge halls of the temple remain, their roofs enveloped in imperial yellow tiles, beyond a quiet grove of ancient cypresses and…
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Fragrant Hills Park
The part of the Western Hills (Xīshān) closest to Běijīng is known as Fragrant Hills Park. It's at its prettiest (and busiest) in autumn, when the maple leaves saturate the hillsides in great splashes of crimson, but the hilly park is a great escape from town any time of year. You can scramble up the slopes to the top of Incense-Burner Peak (香炉峰; Xiānglú Fēng) or take the chairlift.
Near the north gate of Fragrant Hills Park is the excellent Azure Clouds Temple, which dates to the Yuan dynasty. The Sun Yatsen Memorial Hall contains a statue and a glass coffin donated by the USSR on the death of Sun Yatsen, while at the very back is the marble Vajra Throne…
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Beijing Zoo & Beijing Aquarium
Although not as pleasant as Shànghǎi’s green and wooded getaway, Beijing Zoo is a relaxing spot for a wander among the trees, grass and willow-fringed lakes, even if the creatures can be mere sideshows. Zoologically speaking, the well-housed pandas are the prime diversions, especially if you are not en route to the Sìchuān wilds. The remaining menagerie remains cooped up in pitiful cages and enclosures, with the polar bears pinning their hopes on gaining admission to the excellent Beijing Aquarium in the northeastern corner of the zoo. On view is an imaginative Amazon rainforest (complete with piranha), coral reefs, a shark aquarium (where you can dive with the…
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White Cloud Temple
Founded in AD 739, White Cloud Temple is a lively complex of shrines and courtyards, tended by distinctive Taoist monks with their hair twisted into topknots. Today's temple halls principally date from Ming and Qing times.
Near the temple entrance, a queue snakes slowly through the gate for a chance to rub a polished stone carving for good fortune. Drop by the White Cloud Temple during Chinese New Year for a magnificent miàohuì (temple fair).
To find the temple, walk south on Baiyun Lu and cross the moat. Continue south along Baiyun Lu and turn into a curving street on the left; follow it for 250m to the temple entrance.
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Běijīng Botanic Gardens
Located 2km northeast of Fragrant Hills Park, the well-tended Botanic Gardens, set against the backdrop of the Western Hills, make for a pleasant outing among bamboo fronds, pines, orchids and lilacs. The Běijīng Botanic Gardens Conservatory contains 3000 different types of plants and a rainforest house.
About a 15-minute walk north from the front gate (follow the signs) near the Magnolia Garden is the Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wòfó Sì). First built in the Tang dynasty, the temple's centrepiece is a huge reclining effigy of Sakyamuni weighing in at 54 tonnes, which 'enslaved 7000 people' in its casting. The reclining form of Buddha represents his moment of death,…
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Wanshou Temple & Beijing Art Museum
Ringed by a red wall, the Ming dynasty Wanshou Temple was originally consecrated for the storage of Buddhist texts. From Qing times the imperial entourage would put their feet up here and quaff tea en route to the Summer Palace. Wanshou Temple fell into disrepair during the Republic, with the Wanshou Hall burning down in 1937. Things went from bad to worse and during the Cultural Revolution the temple served as an army barracks.
The highlight of a visit to this restored temple is its prized collection of bronze Buddhist statuary in the 'Buddhist Art Exhibition of Ming and Qing Dynasties', located in halls on either flank just before the Mahavira Hall. The displays guide…
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Imperial City Exhibition
Substantial portions of Běijīng survive solely in a twilight world of fading nostalgia. This fascinating museum is devoted to the Imperial City (Huáng Chéng), which – beyond its fragmented constituent parts – exists largely in name alone. The museum is within the Changpu River Park (Chāngpú Hé Gōngyuán), a delightful, if contrived, formula of marble bridges, rock features, paths, a stream, willows, magnolias, scholar and walnut trees north of Dongchang’an Jie. The museum functions as a memorial to the demolished imperial wall, gates and buildings of the Imperial City. A diorama in the museum reveals the full extent of the yellow-tiled Imperial City Wall,…
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Bird’s Nest & Water Cube
After the event, walking around the Olympic Sports Center midweek is rather like being stuck in a district of Brazilia or a soul-destroying intersection in Gattica or Alphaville. Traffic lights go red and there are no cars to stop; the green man flashes and there’s no one to cross the brand-spanking-new roads. It’s now hard to imagine that this was the scene of great sporting exultation in August 2008, but such is the fate of most Olympics projects. Squinting in the sun, guards in ill-fitting black combat gear point the occasional group of map-clutching tourists to the Water Cube and the signature National Stadium, which is more colloquially known as the Bird’s Nest.…
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Front Gate
The Front Gate actually consists of two gates, originally linked by a by a semicircular enceinte, which was swept aside in the early 20th century. Without the city walls, the gate sits entirely out of context, like a door without a wall. The northerly gate, 40m-high Zhèngyáng Gate (正阳门; Zhèngyáng Mén) – literally 'Facing the Sun Gate' – dates from the Ming dynasty. The largest of the nine impressive gates of the inner city wall dividing the Inner or Tartar (Manchu) City from the Outer or Chinese City, the gate was partially destroyed during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 and the temples that flanked it have vanished. Also torched during the Boxer Rebellion, the…
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