Beijing has some of the most significant landmarks in China’s history, which makes it one of the first go-to destinations in China. Though the city is most closely associated with the Great Wall, there are many other famous landmarks here. Read on to find out the top things to see in Beijing, China!
The Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven is a religious complex that was used during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It’s most famous for the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests: a brightly colored, 3-tiered circular building on three levels of stone. It was built in 1420 by the Emperor Yongle, who was also responsible for building the Forbidden City. Ceremonies were held twice a year to pray to heaven for good harvests.
In 1988, the complex was opened as a park. The grounds are actually larger than the Forbidden City. There are several entrance gates within the park to see some of the other buildings. But for most of the locals, the park has become a place to socialize. You will often witness card games and children playing.
Tiananmen Square
Just outside the Forbidden City is a large, open square known as Tiananmen Square. It was the vision of Mao Zedong to make it the largest in the world but somehow he came up short, as it is only fourth.
Though it’s surrounded by rather important buildings now (the Great Hall of the People, the National Museum of China and the Mao Zedong Mausoleum), it’s still the square itself that holds the most notability for being the infamous location of the 1989 massacre of protestors. The student-led protest for democracy spread across 400 cities nationwide. It involved the occupation of nearly one million people in Tiananmen Square. Military troops were brought in after several weeks of occupation and opened fire on the unarmed civilians. It’s unclear how many people were killed in the process but to this day, Tiananmen Square remains a symbol of political turmoil.
The Forbidden City
The Imperial Palace from the Ming and Qing dynasties lies in the heart of the city. It is definitely one of the top things to see in Beijing. The Forbidden City served as the home to emperors for nearly 500 years. The name stems from the fact that no one was able to enter into the grounds without a special invitation from the Emperor. No one had any idea what it actually consisted of until it was open to the public.
There are 980 buildings across 180 acres, though once inside the grounds, the buildings seem a bit repetitive. I felt as if I were looking at the same building each time I walked to a new one and (though most guides assure you that you need several hours to explore) I may have made it through the entire premises in just under an hour. (Before you do the math, not all of the Forbidden City is open to the public. We may have also gotten the closing time wrong and had only an hour left…)
Jingshan Park
However, if you get the timing just right (or wrong), you can leave the Forbidden City just before sundown and head to Jingshan Park across the street. From there, you can get an excellent aerial view of the Forbidden City just as the sun sets.
Wangfujing Street
Wangfujing street is one of the busiest shopping streets in Beijing. Get lost in the side alleyways to see lots of small shops. It’s a bit of sensory overload but neat to experience. There are also some very popular restaurants in the area to get the delicious Peking duck–a must-try while in Beijing! But be careful that you don’t get scammed. Yes…even going out to dinner.
We tried to go to a highly rated restaurant and someone at the door (who we assumed was the hostess) told us the wait was almost 2 hours. And then of course proceeded to tell us where another fine restaurant was that we could go instead and had someone show it to us. UGH. I hate scams.
Luckily the restaurant wasn’t half bad but I was still annoyed that they’d scam us to go there. So, diner beware.
Qianmen Main Street Mall
Another cool street to see is the Qianmen Main Street Mall. They have one of the most impressive gates to see. While I don’t recall the shopping to be as interesting, the street was nice to walk down. There is even a trolley you can hop on, for a handful of yuan, to get you back up.
The Summer Palace
If you have the time, add the Summer Palace to your list of top things to see in Beijing. The Summer Palace is a little outside the city and lies next to a lake that was extended to resemble the West Lake in Hangzhou. Somehow, we entered through the back entrance first and were able to walk through to the front where we were met with a beautiful view of the lake.
The summer Palace is closely associated with the Empress Cixi who was actually a concubine for the Emperor. Her 5-year old son with the Emperor was set to take the throne when the Emperor died, but Cixi made herself the Empress instead. (Kind of a ballsy move!) Then she squandered funds for the navy on herself, as well as left the political finances in shambles and ultimately became the one to blame for the fall of the Qing Dynasty. Three years after her death, the Republic of China was formed in 1912.
The Summer Palace also includes an option to visit Suzhou Street, a replica of the city of Suzhou where the Emperor and his concubines could pretend that they were strolling through the market place along the canal. There are several shops open along the waterway where you can pick up trinkets and souvenirs. While most souvenir shops tend to be overpriced at main attractions, the shops at Suzhou Street were inexpensive and fun to browse.
The Great Wall
Of course, one of the top things to see in Beijing is the Great Wall. There are several options while visiting the Great Wall and it depends how far you want to travel and how crowded you want it to be. The further you go, the less people you will see but it takes a little effort to get there.
This section is at Mutianyu and there was hardly anyone there in the morning! The Great Wall was one of the highlights of our trip.
There are so many iconic things to see in Beijing and lots of history to learn. The architecture is beautiful and if you want to enjoy these places before the crowds come, make sure to get there early!
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