Beijing
Beijing
is the nation's political, economic, cultural and educational
center as well as China's most important center for international
trade and communications. Together with Xian, Luoyang, Kaifeng,
Nanjing and Hangzhou, Beijing is one of the six ancient cities
in China. It has been the heart and soul of politics and society
throughout its long history and consequently there is an unparalleled
wealth of discovery to delight and intrigue travelers as they
explore Beijing's ancient past and enjoy its exciting modern
development. With the biggest central square in the world -
Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City that is the largest and
best-preserved imperial palace complex, a superbly preserved
section of the Great Wall, as well as the largest sacrificial
complex in the world - the Temple of Heaven, Beijing attracts
both domestic and foreign visitors who all come to wonder at
its century-old history and unique cultural relics.
Local Places of Interest, Activities and Tours of the Surrounding
Areas
Forbidden
City, also known as the Imperial Palace is China's
largest and most significant building. Its origins date from
the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368). Emperor Yongle of the Ming dynasty
had the palace enlarged to its present day size between 1406
and 1420, after he had transferred the capital from Nanjin to
Beijing. The palace was the residence of 24 Ming and Qing emperors.
Ordinary mortals were forbidden to enter the palace. The predominant
colour of the building is crimson which symbolizes the polar
star. The imperial palace reflects the cosmic order. The complex,
which is built mainly of wood and brick, extends over an area
of 720,000sq.m/861,120sq.yd. The palace and pavilions together
contain over 9999 rooms, all of which have been very well preserved.
The complex is divided into two areas: an outer area, which
was used for ceremonial purposes, and an inner area, which is
of a private nature. The whole place is surrounded by a 10m/33ft
high wall with four corner towers and a 50m/55yd wide moat.
The main hall lies in the central north-south axis, flanked
by many other halls to the east and west.
The
Great Wall – “Nobody can be a true hero
unless he has climbed along the Great Wall" goes the popular
saying, and this clearly demonstrates the great importance which
the Chinese attach to this unique monument. The Great Wall (in
Chinese Wan Li Chang Cheng) today stretches about 6000km/3700
miles in all, from Shanhaiguan Pass in the east to Jiayuguan
Pass in the west. It passes through Hebei, Tianjin, Beijing,
Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi and Gansu. It averages
6 to 8m/20 to 26ft in height, rising to 16m/52ft in places,
and is 6 to 7m/20 to 23ft wide at the top with battlements and
watchtowers. Because of the poor condition of much of it only
some sections are open to visitors. There are a large number
of walls in China with a total length of 50,000km/30,000 miles.
Ming
Tombs - the site of the thirteen tombs from Ming dynasty
measuring about 40sq.km/25sq.miles lies in valley of the Tianshoushan
hill, almost 50km/31 miles to the north of Beijing. It is the
"monumental graveyard" of the Ming dynasty, where
thirteen of the sixteen dynasty's emperors are interred, together
with empresses and concubines. In accordance with an old tradition,
the rulers had their tombs built during their lifetime. Hence
Emperor Yongle (reigned 1402-1424) arranged for his tomb site
to be decided upon and measured. When choosing the site soothsayers
were brought in to arrange, in particular, protection from the
wind and against the bad spirits coming from the north. The
valley of Tianshoushan was ideal for this purpose, as it is
not exposed on the west, north and east sides. Peasants living
in the vicinity were forced to leave. This graveyard was used
for over two hundred years (1409-1644). During this time the
whole area was protected by a surrounding wall and imperial
guards. All visitors including the emperor were only allowed
to enter the are on foot. A large number of laborers maintained
the site. Each funeral site has, in addition to the actual burial
hill, its own sacrificial hall and stele pavilion. Until now
only the Changing and Dingling tombs have been restored.
Summer
Palace - Named in Chinese "Yiheyuan", lies
15km/9 miles to the north of Beijing, its 716 acres making it
China's largest park; originally it was a private garden. In
1153 the emperor had the park laid out and named it Jinshui
Yuan. During the Yuan period (1271-1368) the lake in the park
was enlarged (today called Kunming Hu). From the Ming dynasty
(1368-1644) onwards when many pavilions were built here the
park was used as imperial gardens. Under Qianlong (reigned:
1735-1796) the complex was enlarged to its present size. In
1860 English and French troops burned the park to the ground.
Empress Cixi reconstructed the park in 1888, using funds which
were in fact intended for the Imperial fleet. She named it Yiyeyuan.
In 1900 it was once again destroyed by foreign troops and rebuilt
yet again by the Empress. It was finally opened to the public
in 1924, and since 1949 extensive restoration work has been
carried out. Today the park is a favorite destination for excursions.
Temple
of Heaven - Dating back to 1420 in the south of the
city, incorporates a group of sacred buildings surrounded by
lush vegetation. With its southern rectangular section, and
its northern semi-circular section, the complex symbolizes heaven
and earth. On the day of the winter solstice, having fasted
and meditated for three days, the emperor would ascend the Heavenly
Altar in solemn ceremony to pray for a good harvest and to offer
sacrifices. The three main part are the Hall of Prayer for Good
Harvest, the Hall of the Vault of Heaven and the Round Altar.
Tiananmen
Square - Also named the Square of Heavenly Peace, situated
in the city centre, measures about 500x800m/547x875yd. Up to
a million people could fit into this square, making it probably
the largest square in the world. It forms not only the geographical,
but also the historical core of the city. The square was laid
out in 1651, but was considerably enlarged in 1958. During the
20th c. important political events have taken place here. On
May 4th 1919 students demonstrated against the Chinese provisions
of the Versailles treaty. Following the memorial day of April
4th 1976 countless Beijing residents mourned their popular Prime
Minister Zhou Enlai, and a demonstration against the Jiang Qing
Group ensued, which was forcefully suppressed. The west of the
Square is bordered by the colossal Great Hall of the People,
the east by a further monumental building which houses the Museum
of Chinese History and Chinese Revolution. The chairman Mao
Mausoleum lies to the south and in the centre of the square
is the Monument to the People's Heroes.
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PerryGolf
