Top 5 Historical Placesin Beijing
A Guide for New Expats in Beijing, China
By: Asia Expat Guides
• Through the Ming and Qing dynasties, the
Forbidden City was home to 24 emperors and the
political center of China. However, with the abdication of Puyi,
China’s last emperor the Forbidden City, most of
the site was handed over to the public. Today, the
majestic Forbidden City is well known for its 9,999 rooms — a single room
short of the number that the ancient Chinese
believed to represent divine perfection. A moat
six meters deep and a wall that is ten meters
high surrounds the ancient palace.
Forbidden City
One of the “Eight Wonders of the World”, the Great Wall
of China was famously built between 220-206 BC by Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. Its high
walls were built over the lives of many workers to keep out attackers while
making sure that inhabitants could not
travel out of the region. The wall is too long and
huge that it spans across five provinces, from
Shanhaiguan Pass to Jiayuguan Pass in the
West, and can be seen from space. Near the
downtown area, you can climb the Badaling Great Wall and experience the
magnificent of the ancient architectural wonder.
The Great Wallof China
• The Tiananmen Square and its the monolithic
monuments to Communist glory face the majestic
Forbidden City, the landmark of China’s imperialist past.
The largest city square in the world, the courtyard is
surrounded by significant edifices such as the
Tiananmen Tower, Great Hall of the People, Mao Zedong
Memorial Hall, Monument to the People's Heroes and the
National Museum. Tiananmen Square holds a lot of cultural history as it
was the site of many monumental events through
the course of Chinese history , from the heavy fighting
between Li Zicheng and the early Qing emperors to the
1989 Tiananmen Square tank protests.
Tiananmen Square
• Situated in the Haidian District northwest of
Beijing City, the Summer Palace is 15
kilometers (9.3 miles) from central Beijing.
Being the largest and most well-preserved
royal park in China, it greatly influences
Chinese horticulture and landscape with its famous natural views and cultural interests,
which also has long since been recognized
as 'The Museum of Royal Gardens'.
SummerPalace
• The Temple of Heaven was the place where emperors of the
Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty held was known as the Heaven
Worship Ceremony. The UNESCO World Heritage Siteis
China's largest and most representative existing
masterpiece among China’s ancient sacrificial buildings. First
built in 1420, the 18th year of the reign of Emperor Yongle of
the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), it was enlarged and rebuilt
during the reigns of the Ming emperor Jiajing and the Qing
emperor Qianlong. In 1988, the Temple of Heaven was opened
to the public as a park, showing ancient philosophy, history and religion. Its grand architectural
style and profound cultural connotation give an insight into
the practices of the ancient Eastern civilization.
TempleOf Heaven
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