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Home> China City Guide> Beijing
Full traveling information of Beijing attractions, embassies, airlines, hotels, climate, history, Peking opera in Beijing, Beijing map and more...
Introduction
Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China and it is China's political and cultural center. It covers an area of 16,808 square kilometres and has a population of over 11 million, among which urban dwellers amount to 73.1 percent.
Beijing is located on the west coast of the Pacific, stands at the northern tip of the North China plain. It is situated at 39
56
north latitude and 116
Beijing is surrounded by the Yanshan Mountains on the west, north and east while the small alluvial plain of the Yongding River lies to its southeast. Beijing stands on his terrain and faces the Bohai Sea, which is also called the Beijing Bay.
In China, Beijing is one of the four municipalities directly under the central government, and it is divided into 12 districts and 6 counties.
Beijing enjoys a moderate continental climate. The average yearly rainfall is about 600 to 700 millimetres. Much of it falls in the late June, July and August. Spring in Beijing is dry and dusty, summer rainy, winter long, sunny and dry. The best season to visit Beijing, as many other parts of China, is autumn.
Archaeological discovery has shown that Beijing is a cradle of the Chinese nation. It is here that the "Peking Man" -- an ancestor of the ancient Chinese nation -- multiplied about half a million years ago. About 3,000 years ago, Beijing became an important town in North China. In the 11th century B.C., a northern kingdom called Yan established its capital in Beijing, which was then known as "Yanjing". Later, the Kin, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties (1115-1911) all made Beijing their capital, so that it served as China's political center for 700 years. Construction during various feudal dynasties has left Beijing a host of historical and cultural relics, imperial palaces and gardens, imperial residences, temples, pavilions, archways and stone carvings. These, unique in the world, have earned Beijing the name of a historical and cultural treasure house. Since New China was founded in 1949, Beijing has undergone new changes and become a modern city.
The third Ming emperor, Yongle, is credited with the planning of the capital. In 1421, he moved his government from Nanjing to Beijing. Improperly pronounced in the West, the city became known as Peking, a name that persists in such instance as Peking duck. The plans of Yongle followed the principles of geomancy, the traditional doctrine of wind and water, which strives to attain harmony between human life and nature. Screened from the north by a semicircle of hills topped by the Great Wall, Beijing lies on a plain that opens to the south, an auspicious direction, as it was toward the south that the generosity and warmth of Yang was thought to reside. All important buildings in the old city face south, protected from harmful influences from the north -- whether winter Siberian winds or enemies from the steppes. South-facing Qianmen ---the Front Gate to the city -- was the largest, most beautiful, and most sacred gate. The hill of Jingshan, to the north of the Imperial Palace, was probably also constructed according to geomagnetic principles.
A north-south axis centered on the Imperial Palace divides the city; important buildings and city features were laid out as mirror images on either side. Temple of the Sun, for example, has its equivalent in Temple of the Moon. Equally complementary were Xidan and Dongdan, the eastern and western business quarters, which are still two of the capital's main shopping streets. Some of the most notable landmarks of old Beijing lie on the north-south axis, lined up like pearls on a string. From the north: Bell and Drum Towers, Coal Hill, Imperial Palace, Tian'anmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace) and Qianmen. In the middle of this chain is the heart of ancient China, the Dragon Throne, from which the emperor governed as the ritual mediator between heaven and earth. This was considered the center of the physical world, perceived like the city as a gigantic grid. The city, and the world, and everything within, were given a clearly defined place in a hierarchy, depending upon how far they were from the center. This imperial throne remains embedded in a majestic palace, which is also square and surrounded by high red walls on all sides -- the so-called Forbidden City. Outside was the imperial city, again square, and crowded around this was a sea of mainly single-storey houses. Curved like the crests of waves, the roofs of the homes of the wealthy and of influential officials in this inner city were not allowed to rise above the height of the Imperial Palace. This part of Beijing is still considered to be the inner city, or old city, but only a few monumental gates of the mighty defensive walls that once surrounded Beijing have survived -- Qianmen in the south, and Victory Gate in the north.
In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the inner city was the domain of the ruling Manchu, the outer city to the south for the Han Chinese. In the Chinese area, the doors of the houses were lower, the hutong (alleys) were narrower, and the rice bowls were less full. Instead of tea, people drank hot water. Instead of satin boots, they wore sandals. Bored Manchu officials and wealthy merchants, and the occasional prince in clever disguise, sometimes left their comfortable surroundings for the Chinese tea and bathhouses, brothels, restaurants, and bazaars. Today, the area south of Qianmen remains livelier than other parts of the city. A bustling street running west from the top of Qianmen is Dazhalan, a narrow and crowded alley filled with old established shops and businesses of excellent reputation. Dazhalan still attracts crowds from the Beijing suburbs as well as other provinces. Not far away is Liulichang, a shopping street restored to its original style for tourists, selling almost everything that China can offer in antiques, art, and kitsch. The busiest shopping districts are Xidan and Wanfujing; both lined with fashionable boutiques and fast-food restaurants.
Tian'anmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace) was and is considered as the centre of Beijing, not only because of its location but also because it is a symbol of power. Tian'anmen is the front gate of the Forbidden City, the gate leading to the supreme power in imperial times. The tower over the gate was used for grand ceremonies in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, for instance, issuing imperial edicts. In modern China, it is also a symbol of power. From the tower of Tian'anmen, on October 1, 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the new China. On National Day each year, the tower is used as a rostrum for reviewing the mass assembly. Its image is also used as a national emblem, and can be seen everywhere from the policemen's caps to children's textbooks and even tickets.
The gate, the front of the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, was where important ceremonies, such as enthroning an emperor or granting the title of empress, were held. It is 33.37 metres high, and as long as nine standard rooms and as wide as five standard rooms. With five arched doorways, red pillars, yellow glazed tiles and a double-eaved roof, it looks magnificent and gracious.
The Tian'anmen Square, the largest of its kind in the world, covers an area of 400,000 square metres. In the centre of the square is the 37-meter-high Monument to the People's Heroes, the largest of its kind in China. In the southern part of the square is the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao Zedong, which has a crystal coffin containing the late Chairman's remains. The square is flanked by the Great Hall of the People on the west, and the Museum of Chinese History and the Museum of the Chinese Revolution on the east.
The rostrum of the Tian'anmen Gate was opened to the public on January 1, 1988.
As famous as the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven is a "must" to visit for every tourist coming to Beijing.
The main hall in the park, Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, has been used everywhere, on book covers, as brands or on countless tourist objects as the symbol of Beijing, so tourists may be quite familiar with it even before they come to Beijing to have a real look at the imperial park.
Lying in the southern part of Beijing in Chongwen district, Temple of Heaven covers an area of 270 hectares, about three times the size of the Forbidden City. The main buildings in the park were built in the Ming Dynasty in 1420 by Emperor Yongle for worshipping the heaven and the earth.
The emperor was regarded as the "Son of the Heaven", who administered matters on the earth on behalf of the heavenly authority. Any natural disasters, bad harvests or instability in society were signs that the emperor had lost the favour of the heaven or was being punished by heaven. Therefore ceremonies for sacrifices to heaven were extremely important to the imperial rulers. The Temple of Heaven was built for this purpose.
When it was built, the temple was used for the worship of heaven and earth, but later after the Temple of Earth was constructed the Temple of Heaven was reserved for the worship of heaven and prayer for good harvests. The temple is enclosed by a double wall, the upper or northern half of which is circular, representing the Earth. The main buildings are clustered at the northern and southern ends and connected by a long central causeway, which is 2.5 metres high and 360 metres long. The causeway is known as Vermilion Steps Bridge or the Sacred Way.
Just before the winter solstice, the emperor would start from Qianmen to arrive at the Temple of Heaven in a silent parade including elephant chariots, horses chariots, flags, lancers, nobles and officials. The emperor would change his robes in Imperial Vault of Heaven and meditate. Then he began fasting in Abstinence Palace until the solstice. When the firsts rays of the sun appeared, the ceremony began and sacrifices and prayers were offered at Circular Altar or the Altar of Heaven.
Hall of Prayers for Good Harvest, the most important hall in the temple and the symbol of Beijing, is a circular wooden structure built in the traditional Chinese architectural style. Without the use of iron nails or cement or steel rods, the complete structure is supported by wooden mortise and tenon joints and wooden brackets on huge supporting pillars. Those interested in traditional Chinese architecture will find it a good example to study.
The whole structure is 38 metres high and 30 metres in diameter. It stands on a three-tiered circular marble terrace called Altar for Grain Prayers. The terrace is edged with white marble balustrades on each level which are carved with dragon, phoenix and cloud patterns.
The wooden pillars supporting the structure are arranged to convey symbolic meanings. There are altogether 28 pillars which represent 28 constellations. The four thick pillars in the centre symbolize the four seasons of the year, while the inner 12 pillars around the four represent the 12 months and the outer 12 pillars symbolize the 12 two-hour intervals in a complete day. The 24 pillars altogether represent the 24 solar terms, of approximately 15 days each, into which the lunar year is divided. The system of the 24 lunar terms was and still is very important to farmers in their agricultural production since it indicates obvious weather and natural changes at the time when it comes round.
The coffered ceiling of the hall is unique, carved in a design of dragons and phoenixes. This may remind visitors of the dome structure in Western churches or Arabic mosques, but they are different in style and design.
The original furnishing in the hall is well-preserved. In the centre, there is a long table, a throne and a screen, where memorial tablets of the gods of the heaven and earth were placed. To the east were tables and screens where offerings were made to imperial ancestors, and to the west was the place where the emperor rested after ceremonies.
Due to the influence of Confucianism, ancestor worship by the emperor had also become an important feature of his cult among the common people. Therefore, tablets engraved with the names, the birth dates and the death dates of his ancestors were enshrined in the Ancestral Temple as well as in the Temple of Heaven.
Towards the southern end of the causeway is a wall which encircles a round building. The building looks like a smaller version of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, and was used to house the memorial tablet of the "Supreme Ruler of Heaven". It is called Imperial Vault of Heaven.
The wall around the building is the famous Echo Wall, made of brick and 65 metres in diameter. It was built on the principle that a sound wave may bounce off a curved wall many times in succession. A whisper at any place to the wall may travel to any point where your friend stands, and your friend can clearly hear what you say. Visitors to the temple should have a try, but whether they are able to hear the whisper simply depends on luck: if there are not many people around and the whole area is quiet enough.
The three stone slabs in the courtyard are called Three Echo Stones which produces another peculiar effect. If you stand on the first stone and clap once, you will hear a single echo; on the second stone, a double and on the third, a triple. The mystery may lie in the different distances between the Echo Wall and the three stones.
South of the Echo Wall is a three-tiered circular marble terrace, known as Circular Altar. Enclosed by a double wall, an outer square one and an inner round one. The three tiers are respectively seven, five and three metres in diameter, and there are 360 balusters on the balustrades symbolizing 360 degrees in a circle. The lowest tier represents the Earth, the second the human world and the third Heaven. The innermost circle is made up of 9 blocks of stone and the outermost has 81. They are in odd numbers, because according to ancient Chinese cosmology, the sun is yang and the number of various parts of the altar should also be yang, that is, and odd number or a multiple of odd numbers.
If you stand on the central stone on the top of the altar and make a whisper, the sound you hear is much louder than the bystanders hear. This is because the sound hits the balustrades and walls and is bounced back to the centre.
Every year at the time of winter solstice, in the old days, the emperor would come here personally to offer sacrifices to heaven. The tablet of the god of heaven would be moved from the Imperial Vault of Heaven and placed on the altar for the ceremony. The Circular Altar was built in 1530 and has survived several earthquakes.
Beihai is an extremely popular park among Beijingers and tourists alike. It is very large (68.2 hectares), and almost two-thirds of it is a lake. The park sits in the centre of Beijing, and it used to be the royal garden of the Kin, Yuan, Ming and Qing Emperors. It was first built in 1166 and was completed in 1179. Its layout was designed on the idea of an ancient fairy tale about Three Immortal Mountains at sea, which are called the Jade Isle, the Round City and the Rhinoceros Hill Platform. The park is rife with greenery and assorted pavilions, corridors and gardens abound.
Besides the lake, the main things to see in Beihai are the Round City, which contains a jade vase from the time of Kublai Khan; the Temple of Eternal Peace; the Nine Dragon Screen, which is really a 5-metre-high, 27-metre-long wall covered with glazed tiles carved into nine intertwining dragons; and the White Dagoba on Jade Isle in the centre of the lake.
The Jade Isle, the center of the park, features luxuriant trees and a host of temple halls. Atop the isle is the 35.9-meter-high White Dagoba, on which one can have a bird's-eye view of Beijing.
Opposite the Jade Isle across the lake are many beautiful structures of different styles, such as the Five-Dragon Pavilion, the hall of Celestial Kings and the Nine-Dragon Screen.
In addition, the park also has unique and quiet small gardens including the Haopu Creek, the Huafangzhai Hall and the Quiet-Heart Pavilion, which are important imperial gardens in North China.
In summer, Beihai is an ideal place to go to escape from the blazing summer heat. You can paddle around in a bizarre assortment of boats. There are odd, duck-shaped paddle boats, and two types of motor boats: three-seater regular and one-person UFOs (you have to see it to understand). In the winter, the lake freezes over and Beihai turns into a huge skating rink.
Within Beihai is also the famous Fangshan Restaurant, the best-known of the Imperial Court style restaurants where you can eat Qing Dynasty type food, for a pretty penny.
Located in Beijing's suburban Changping County, the place is where 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and their empresses and concubines were buried. Some 50 kilometres northwest of the capital, the Ming Tombs are generally combined with a visit to the Great Wall.
Otherwise known as the "13 Tombs", this is the burial site of 13 out of 17 emperors of the Ming Dynasty. However, the only one you can get a good look at is the tomb of Emperor Wanli, who reigned from 1573 to 1620. This tomb was unearthed in 1956. There are two others that have been uncovered, but the rest remain illusive.
The area is hemmed in by imposing mountains on three sides. With five doors and six pillars of superb carvings, the stone memorial archway at the area's central line, which leads to the tombs, is flanked by 18 pairs of giant stone statues. Both magnificent and vivid, they are the best of their kind nationwide. Ding Ling, one of the tombs, has been excavated and is known as a magnificent underground palace, which consists of five connected chambers built with huge stones and covering a combined floor space of 1,195 square meters. On show at the Ding Ling Museum are 3,000 unearthed burial objects.
A trip to the Ming Tombs is a standard part of the Great Wall tour package. But do not get your hopes up. The best part of the Ming Tombs is the road there. The Spirit Way is the path leading to the mouth of the tomb. Along the path are bizarre, mythical stone monsters standing guard. To get to the tomb itself, you have to walk down many flights of stairs till you are deep inside the mountain. It is kind of creepy and cool to go down and down.
Lama Temple (Harmony and Peace Palace Lamasery)
The only temple in Beijing to have its own subway stop, the Harmony and Peace Palace Lamasery, or Yonghegong, is the most handsome and impressive Buddhist temple in the city. The Lama Temple was originally the residence of Prince Yongzheng, who later became Emperor. His mansion was converted into a temple in 1744 after he ascended the throne. One of the most prominent features of the temple is a huge, 23-metre-tall Maitreya Buddha, which was carved from the trunk of a white sandalwood tree. The tree was from Tibet, and it took over a decade for it to be lugged all the way to Beijing. The temple basically consists of five halls which are connected by five courtyards and three beautiful archways. It does not take too long to go through the whole temple, but there are many places worth lingering in.
Today, the Lama Temple is home to about 70 lamas, who are actually from Mongolia, even though it is a Tibetan Lama Temple. The lamas that are out and about are willing to talk to visitors, and have interesting stories to tell. For a small fee, you can also get the lamas to bless things for you, usually jade pendants and the like. Blessed items can bring good luck and protect the wearer.
Lying by the city moat in southwestern Beijing, the garden was built in the style of a massive noble garden of the same name as described in China's classic works "Dream of Red Mansions". It has such buildings as the Happy Red Court, Bamboo Lodge, Studio of Autumn Freshness, Paddy-Sweet Cottage, Warm Scented Arbor, Reed Snow Cottage, Lattice Nunnery, Convex Emerald and Dripping Emerald Pavilion. Performances in ancient costumes are staged here every Saturday afternoon to reproduce the scene of "Dowager Lady Yuanchun Visiting Her Home" as described in the " Dream of Red Mansions".
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