| China is forever linked to its ancient civilization, friendly people, and many of the world’s most revered treasures, such as The Great Wall, Terra-Cotta Warriors & Horses and the Yangtze River |
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| Beijing Attractions |
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| The Great Wall of China |
| The Great Wall of China was built mainly to protect the Chinese Empire from the Mongolians and other invaders. It was first built in the Seventh Century BC when China was still divided into many small states. The construction of the Great Wall never ceased during nearly all the Chinese fudal dynasties |
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| The Great Wall of China extends 4,000 miles (6,400 km) westward from the seaside town of Shanhaiguan to Gansu Province |
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| The majestic Great Wall was built with wisdom, dedication, blood, sweat and tears. It has been estimated that somewhere in the range of two to three million Chinese died as part of the centuries-long project of building the wall |
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| Forbidden City |
| The Forbidden City is the best preserved imperial palace in China and the largest ancient palatial structure in the world |
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| It is recognized as one of the most important five palaces in the world (the other four are the Palace of Versailles in France, Buckingham Palace in the UK, the White House in the US and the Kremlin in Russia). The splendid architecture of the Forbidden City represents the essence and culmination of traditional Chinese architectural accomplishment |
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| In 1961 the Forbidden City was listed as one of the important historical monuments under the special preservation by the Chinese central government and, in 1987, it was nominated as World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. The Palace Museum is a real treasure house of Chinese cultural and historical relics. |
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| The Forbidden City, situated in the very heart of Beijing, was home to 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The construction of the grand palace started in the fourth year of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (1406), and ended in 1420. In ancient times, the emperor claimed to be the son of Heaven, and therefore Heaven’s supreme power was bestowed upon him. The emperors’ residence on earth was built as a replica of the Purple Palace where God was thought to live in Heaven. Such a divine place was certainly forbidden to ordinary people and that is why the Forbidden City is so named. |
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| The Forbidden City covers an area of about 72 hectares with a total floor space of approximately 150, 000 square meters. It consists of 90 palaces and courtyards, 980 buildings and 8,704 rooms. To represent the supreme power of the emperor given from God, and the place where he lived being the center of the world, all the gates, palace and other structures of the Forbidden City were arranged about the south-north central axis of Beijing. |
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| The Ming Tombs |
| The Ming Dynasty lasted from 1368 to 1644. The Ming Tombs are a group of mausoleums of 13 Ming emperors, their empresses and their concubines. The tombs are located about 31 miles north of Beijing and are scattered across an area of 25 square miles. Two of the tombs, Changling and the most famous, Dingling, an underground palace, are open to the public |
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| Tian'anmen square |
| Tian'anmen was built in 1417 and renovated in 1981; it was the symbol of New China. On October 1, 1949, Chairman Mao at Tian'anmen Square proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China. Located in the center of Beijing, it is the largest city square in the world. It covers an area of 122 acres and is big enough to hold a half million people. Tian'anmen (the Gate of Heavenly Peace) was the front gateway to the imperial palace in the Ming and Qing dynasties. A picture of Tian'anmen is at the center of the Chinese national emblem |
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| The Summer Palace |
| The Summer Palace was a grand imperial palace and a royal garden of the Qing Dynasty. Construction began in 1750, and today remains an outstanding example of imperial gardens in classical Chinese style. The Summer Palace contains tens of thousands of precious cultural relics. This imperial garden features 3,000 rooms and covers an expanse of 17.3 acres, with more than 100 picturesque sites of interest |
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| Beihai Park |
| Beihai Park was the imperial garden of the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, and is one of the oldest of the Chinese gardens. Beihai Park is located on the west side of the Forbidden City, is a wide expanse of Tai Ye Chi. Tai Ye Chi is divided into three parts: Beihai Lake (in Beihai Park) in the north, Zhonghai Lake in the middle, and Nanhai Lake in the south. Beihai, the best known of the three, was turned into a royal garden as early as 1,000 years ago |
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| Jingshan Park |
| A royal garden of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368 - 1911), Jingshan Park is located adjacent to the Palace Museum. The main purpose of Jingshan Park was for the emperors' enjoyment, climbing hills, admiring the scenery and eating and drinking. Within the park, Jingshan Hill covers an area of approximately 57 acres and rises to a height of 144 feet, from which visitors can oversee the entire city of Beijing. It is considered the best place for a panoramic view of the whole city |
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| Beijing Zoo |
| Built in 1906 and opened to the public in 1908, The Beijing Zoo is the oldest zoo in China, and covers an area of approximately 124 acres. The zoo's residents consist of more than 6,000 animals of over 500 species including giant pandas, golden monkeys, and brown bears. The zoo also houses many rare animals from other parts of the world: hippopotami, zebras, giraffes, chimpanzees, lions and antelopes from Africa, parrots from South America, birds and polar bears from the Arctic, bison from Europe and apes from Asia |
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| Hutongs |
| Hutongs are a special feature of downtown Beijing, where there are 4,550 of them. A hutong means street, lane and alley lined on both sides by courtyards containing different kinds of houses. The best-preserved hutongs are those around the Mansion of Prince Yixin. Riding in old-fashioned pedicabs through these hutongs is something special for your Beijing trip |
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| Yangtze River |
| The Yangtze, China's longest river and the third longest waterway in the world, originates on the Qinghai-Tihet Plateau. Hundreds of rivers and streams join the Yangtze, which flows like a torrent eastward to empty into the East China Sea |
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| The Three Gorges in the Yangtze River Valley comprise Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge. The Three Gorges area starts at Baidicheng (White Emperor Town), Fengjie in Sichuan Province and extends to Nanjin Pass, Yichang in Hubei Province. It stretches over a total of 120 miles. Qutang Gorge is renowned for its majestic appearance. The peaks tower above the river and the waters tumble down in torrents. Wu Gorge is splendid, intertwined and secluded, housing the famous Twelve Peaks. |
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| The Temple of Heaven |
| The Temple of Heaven is seen as the most holy of Beijing's imperial temples. It has been described as "a masterpiece of architecture and landscape design". |
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| The Temple of Heaven was where the emperor came every winter solstice to worship Heaven and to solemnly pray for a good harvest. Since his rule was legitimized by a perceived mandate from Heaven, a bad harvest could be interpreted as his fall from Heaven's favor and threaten the stability of his reign. So, it was not without a measure of self-interest that the emperor fervently prayed for a very good crop. |
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| In line with the Confucianist revival during the Ming dynasty, the sacred harvest ceremony was combined with the emperor's worship of his ancestors. This embellishment was also, in effect, self interest on the part of the emperor. For according to the Confucian pattern of social organization, just as the emperor respected his ancestors, so a younger brother should respect an elder brother, a wife her husband, a son his father, and a nation's subjects their ruler. Incorporating ancestor worship within the most solemn ceremony of the imperial ritual calendar, indirectly reinforced the social philosophy that perpetuated the emperor's power. |
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| The design of the Temple of Heaven complex, true to its sacred purpose, reflects the mystical cosmological laws believed to be central to the workings of the universe. Hence, complex numerological permutations operate within its design. For example, because the number nine was considered to be the most powerful digit, you will see that the slabs that form the Circular Altar have been lain in multiples of nine. Similarly within the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, the interior twenty-eight columns are divided into four central pillars to represent the seasons, twelve inner columns to represent the months and twelve outer columns to represent the two hour tranches that make up a day. There are many such examples of this intense numerology at play. |
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| The Yellow Mountains |
| Located in the southern part of Anhui Province, the Yellow Mountains extend across four counties - Shexian, Yixian, Taiping and Xining. They rose above the earth surface as a result of movement of the earth's crust over a hundred million years ago. Later they underwent the erosion of Quaternary glaciation and have gradually become what they are today. Magnificent and have is a famous scenic spot full of wonderful sights |
