Tourist Places to Visit in Beijing

One of the top places to visit in China, Beijing is a city of great culture and history. With a past that extends back to the ancient Chinese dynasties, the city holds a lot of cultural treasures. The city, today known as a mega city, is also a window into the unique culture of the Chinese people. The monuments and tourist places in Beijing are more than just brick and mortar. They are windows to the grand past of an entire civilization.

To help you plan the perfect itinerary, here are some of the best places to visit in Beijing:

1. The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China needs no introduction. It is one of the most famous places to visit in Beijing, China. The structure is a legendary destination to explore. Owing its fame to its massive length, the great wall extends to a total of 21196 kilometres. Constructed during 5-8^th BC, the wall has stood witness to the great Chinese empire through all of its grandeur.

Originally built as multiple walls across the northern boundaries of China, by multiple dynasties, the wall was later united into the gargantuan structure we know today. The unification of the great wall as we know it is mainly attributed to Emperor Qin Shi Huang of the Qin dynasty. It was the Qin dynasty that shaped China and unified all the territories of the region to form the great Chinese Empire. During this period, the separately built walls were unified in the northern front of the region to protect the state against the nomadic tribes of the Mongol region.

Today, a great sightseeing attraction in Beijing, the Great Wall attracts millions of tourists from across the world each year who visit this site to experience the great historical and cultural importance. The wall is one of the primary places to visit in Beijing and in China. It is a staple in any Beijing tour package due to the great fame and prestige it holds.

2. The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City is counted among Beijing’s great tourist attractions that stand unique. The palatial complex stretches across an area of 180 acres and houses over 980 wooden structures from the Ming and Qin Dynasties of China. The city also holds a palatial museum that houses artefacts from the ancient and medieval Chinese periods. The city served as the formal residence of the Chinese emperor and the royalty for over 500 years. And during this time the city was actually forbidden for people. Nobody could enter the city without the king’s permission, and thus it remained unexplored for centuries.

Marked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city attracts millions of tourists each year, who can now explore the forbidden royal estate of the ancient Chinese emperors. Visiting the city and the royal palace is a unique experience in itself and thus the Forbidden City has become an integral part of the Beijing sightseeing experience and is among Beijing’s prime tourist attractions.

The place is divided into 2 parts, namely the Outer and Inner region. In the former, the emperor exercised his reign, and the latter is where his residence was located. The buildings are a prime example of brilliant traditional Chinese architecture and the spectacular grounds are maintained by the Chinese authorities today. The great experience of the Forbidden City has turned it into one of the best tourist places in Beijing.

3. Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven is another one of the top places to visit in Beijing when on tour of the spectacular metropolitan. A collection of religious buildings from the Chinese Empire, the Temple of Heaven is a complex larger in area than even the Forbidden City.

The Temple of Heaven received its name from the emperors from the Ming and Qin Dynasties who used to pray in them. It is a popular Chinese belief that the emperors were sent from heaven to rule over China, and thus were also the ones who performed prayers in the temple’s halls as a form of their duty towards the kingdom. This is also why the temple complex is larger than the palatial grounds in Beijing, owing to the fact that the royal homes could not be built larger than the house of gods.

An important Beijing sightseeing destination, the temple complex holds several structures and buildings all dedicated to different prayers and service towards the gods. The Hall of Prayer for a good harvest is one of the important parts of the temple complex and is one of the most spectacular places to see in Beijing and is also one of Beijing’s popular tourist places.

The complex was built between 1406-1420 and stands as a proud representation of Chinese culture. Thousands of tourists each day visit this grand destination, thus making is one of the most interesting places to see in Beijing.

4. The Beihai Park

The Beihai Park is a site of great historical importance for the Chinese. It is regarded as one of the most well-preserved imperial gardens from the Chinese Dynasties. The park, measuring at a massive 171 acres, is one of China’s largest parks, with most of its area being covered by a shimmering lake. One of the best places to visit in Beijing for a relaxed time, the park, much like many other imperial parks in China, was built with inspiration taken from various natural sights and locations. In the case of Beihai Park, the lake was built with inspiration taken from the Taihu Lake and the canals were built to replicate the meandering canals of Hangzhou and Yangzhou.

The lake, covering a majority of the space in the park, is the centre of attention and thus has several other adornments around it. The Jade Flower Island, for instance, is one of the primary things to see in Beijing’s Beihai Park. The White Dagoba is also a famed sight and thousands of tourists visit the park to behold the beauty and craftsmanship of the structure.

The Five Dragon Pavilion and the 9-dragon wall, located on the northern shore of the lake are also among the marvellous things to see in Beijing’s grandest park. The park attracts tourists from all over the world and is considered one of the most spectacular places to visit in Beijing.

5. Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen Square houses some of the most important structures of Chinese heritage and is regarded among the most interesting places to visit in Beijing. The square is well-known due to its importance as a central point of access to several monumental places to visit in Beijing. The Monument of People’s horses in Tiananmen Square, built with solid granite, is one of the famed structures that you can witness at the square. The northern section of the square is banked with the grand Tiananmen Tower which was built in 1417. The tower was built as a guarding post to watch over the entrance to the grand Forbidden City. The National Museum of China, which is one of Beijing’s premier places to visit, is also situated in the square. The museum houses a plethora of relics and artefacts from the rich history of China.

With several places to visit, Beijing is a city of grand scales and contrast. On one hand, it is a massive commercial capital with trade and business at its centre, and on another hand, it is also a collection of monuments and architecture that reflect China’s rich and vivid history.