Forbidden City
The world’s
largest and best-preserved imperial palace is the Forbidden City. It was home
to the emperors and empresses of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
While the
Forbidden City functioned as the administrative centre of the country, it was
off-limits to the public for 500 years, hence its title.
Great Wall
One of the
Eight Wonders of the World, this immense wall (6,700km to be exact) was
originally designed to defend against marauding nomads. The wall spans five
provinces, winding across deserts, grasslands and mountains.
Most
visitors see the Great Wall at Badaling, 70 kilometres northwest of Beijing. We
recommend visiting the Great Wall on a weekday, as it attracts huge crowds on
weekends.
Ming Tombs
The Ming
Tombs, about 50 km northwest of Beijing, are the burial site of 13 Ming Dynasty emperors (1368 - 1644). Built over
an area of 40 sq km, each tomb is placed at the foot of a separate hill and
links with the other tombs by a road called the Sacred Way.
The Sacred
Way is lined with 18 pairs of stone human figures and animals, which symbolize
royal power and eternal strength.
The only
tomb that has been excavated is Dingling Tomb, which holds Emperor Shenzong,
the 13th emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
Temple of Heaven
Built in 1420,
Temple of Heaven was heralded as an epitome of the evolution of the Chinese
civilization and subsequently declared a World Heritage Site in 1998.
It is
considered China’s largest complex of sacrificial buildings, built originally
for the use of the royalty, but now valued by both local and foreign tourists.
The main
attraction at Temple of Heaven is the original architect’s symbolic
interpretation of heaven. Like the dark blue-tiled roofs on each building and
pillars which symbolizes the solar system. It was often visited by the emperors
of the Ming and Qing dynasty for annual ceremonies of prosperous harvest.
Temple of
Heaven is located in Beijing’s Xuanwu district, which is near Kerry Hotel,
Beijing.
Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen
Square is an immense courtyard that holds the reputation of being the world’s
largest public square.
A variety
of historical edifices surround the square. This includes the Chinese
Revolution History Museum, Chairman Mao’s Mausoleum, the Great Hall of the
People, and the Monument of the People’s Heroes.
Every day, an
impressive flag-raising ceremony is performed at sunrise and sunset by a
specially trained military battalion.