Inside the Beijing Botanical Gardens is the former home of Cao Xueqin, author of the classic novel Dream of the Red Chamber.
Cao Xueqin Memorial
Beijing
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
11.2 MILES
Enclosed by 3.5km of citadel walls at the very heart of Beijing, the Unesco-listed Forbidden City is China’s largest and best-preserved collection of…
13.42 MILES
An oasis of methodical Confucian design, the 267-hectare Temple of Heaven Park is unique. It originally served as a vast stage for solemn rites performed…
3.25 MILES
A marvel of Chinese garden design and one of Beijing's must-see attractions, the Summer Palace was the royal retreat for emperors fleeing the suffocating…
11.81 MILES
Flanked by triumphalist Soviet-style buildings, Tian'anmen Sq is an immense void of paved stone (440,000 sq metres, to be precise) at the symbolic centre…
10.54 MILES
Beihai Park, inside the old Imperial City, looks much as it would have done in the 18th century when it served as Emperor Qianlong's private gardens. The…
10.1 MILES
A grand sweep of willow-lined waterways enclosed by invitingly maze-like hutong lanes, this trio of lakes is one of Beijing's best-loved outdoor spots,…
13.61 MILES
This immense fortress, part of the Ming City Wall Ruins Park, guarded the southeast corner of Beijing's city walls. Originally built in 1439 but repaired…
11.62 MILES
Instantly recognisable by its giant framed portrait of Mao, and guarded by two pairs of Ming dynasty stone lions, the double-eaved Gate of Heavenly Peace …
Nearby Beijing attractions
0.16 MILES
Feed your inner florist with a jaunt to the Botanical Gardens, established in 1956 on land that was once part of a swath of royal real estate set against…
0.67 MILES
Established in the Tang dynasty but rebuilt many times in successive eras, this temple within the Beijing Botanical Gardens is home to a 54-tonne bronze…
1.09 MILES
Though it dates back to the Yuan dynasty, this enchanting Buddhist temple complex was enlarged to its current splendor by Emperor Qianlong in 1748, adding…
1.17 MILES
This forgotten architectural landmark is all the more intriguing considering it was only built in 1982. The work of Chinese-American architect IM Pei (of…
1.46 MILES
A great swath of Beijing's Western Hills (Xīshān) was once an imperial pleasure resort, acres of undulating pine-cypress forest peppered with temples,…
2.78 MILES
These wistful ruins are found on a small island in the West Lake area.
2.91 MILES
With its startlingly steep 'moon' arch, this is the best of the six bridges on the West Causeway of Kunming Lake. Its height also permitted the more…
2.91 MILES
An artificial causeway spanning the western side of Kunming Lake, this is a tribute to the famous Su Causeway in Hangzhou. You'll see fewer visitors here…