Top 10 Attractions & Things to Do in Beijing: PART 2

Another spectacular palace is the Summer Palace located about 10 miles outside of Beijing. The Summer Palace is the largest and best-preserved royal garden in China. This palace boasts 17 Great Halls, gardens and sights that are sure to take up plenty of your time. It even has a two-tiered, 36 metre long boat made entirely of marble.

In the very centre of Beijing is Tiananmen Square. Ironically, despite the violent events that have taken place there in recent times, Tiananmen means Heavenly Peace Gate. Nevertheless, Tiananmen Square is the biggest square in the world and can hold over one million people. Thousands of people visit the square every day. Within Tiananmen Square there are a host of awesome historic sights to see.

West of the centre of the square is the Great Hall of the People. This building, erected in 1959, is the site of the China National People’s Congress meetings and provides an impressive site for other political and diplomatic activities. Twelve marble posts are in front of the Hall, which has three parts–the Central Hall, the Great Auditorium and a Banqueting Hall. The Great Auditorium behind the Central Hall seats 10,000.

Pay a visit to the Hutong Culture and Courtyard Culture. Hutong literally means a small street or a lane between two courtyards. There are thousands of hutongs in Beijing City. The most interesting to tour is in the Shichahai area, which is rivaled to be the best scenic spot. From there you can see Bell and Drum Towers, Prince Gong’s Mansion and many other hutongs. The Courtyard culture is also a very calming atmosphere where you are sure to see many others who have chosen to visit this great land.

31 miles northwest from Beijing City lie the Ming Tombs. The tombs are the mausoleums of 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty. The mausoleums have been perfectly preserved, as have many of the old and long gone emperors and their treasures. It was originally built as the Changling, the tomb of Emperor Zhudi and his empresses. This is the most magnificent of the tombs. The succeeding twelve emperors had their tombs built around Changling.

Stargazers will be quite taken in by one of the oldest observatories in the world. Referred to as the Ancient Observatory, this one already has over a 500-year history. It, like so many of Beijing’s historic landmarks, was built in the Ming Dynasty. As a matter of fact, the name was changed not too long ago from the original name, Watching Star Platform.

It would take a lifetime to really begin to grasp all that Beijing has to offer. However, the suggestions given make for a great start

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