- Parks and gardens
- Religious buildings
- Island in the Pure Ripple Garden
- Beijing landmarks
- To Beijing with children
- Shopping with pleasure
- Beijing theaters
In the capital of the Celestial Empire, Russian tourists often drop in. There are fans of history who are fond of ancient civilizations, including the Chinese one, spend their time there. In Beijing, there is often a long connecting flight for air passengers heading to the countries of Southeast Asia or on a beach vacation to the island of Hainan. Finally, the city attracts lovers of oriental medicine who strongly believe in acupuncture. Perhaps someone flies into the city to try a real Peking duck, because the Chinese capital has many places worth going for this. Beijing is home to many museums and architectural attractions of different eras, and therefore the excursion program for any guest promises to be exciting and varied.
Parks and gardens
Despite 22 million permanent residents and an obvious shortage of free land, the city is rich in parks and gardens. In the green areas of Beijing, you can spend time in pleasant contemplation of landscapes, and in active physical education, and in family outdoor picnics, and on playgrounds with children:
- In the X century. Beihai was founded to the northwest of the Forbidden City. There are dozens of historical buildings and monuments in it. More than half of the park's territory is occupied by lakes, along the banks of which there are exquisite buildings, including the era of the Ming dynasty. Landscape artists have done a great job in Beihai. The park reflects the oriental tradition of creating the perfect garden.
- Several famous temples, mansions and palaces in Shichhai Park are famous landmarks in Beijing. Lovers of outdoor activities should also go here: in winter, an ice rink is flooded on the lake in the park, and in summer boats are rented.
- The 40-meter high pagoda and the Zhamiao temple complex are famous sights of Beijing, located in Xiangshan Park. It appeared at the end of the 12th century. and is located at the foot of the mountain of the same name.
- The Drunken Gazebo in Taozhanting Park is one of the four famous gazebos of the Celestial Empire. Its name was born from the lines of the Chinese poet Bo Juyi, and all this happened in the now distant 17th century.
Once in Beijing, go for a walk to the Botanical Garden, where 6000 species of plants are planted, of which there are almost three hundred orchids alone. The collection of the Botanical Garden includes many rare and endangered plants, and the most popular places among visitors are the exposition of the palm family and flowering lotuses.
Religious buildings
It is impossible to count the religious buildings in Beijing. The city is literally filled with large and small temples, among which there are objects from the UNESCO lists, and little-known to the general public, pagodas and monasteries.
The most famous religious building in the capital of the PRC is the Temple of Heaven. The monastic complex in the central part of the city includes a round Temple of the Harvest, surrounded by two rows of blank walls. The ensemble occupies more than 280 hectares and is considered an unsurpassed masterpiece of architecture in the Middle Kingdom. The complex dates back to the first half of the 15th century, when China was ruled by the Ming dynasty.
The second line in the ranking of temples in Beijing is occupied by the religious complex Ditan, built in 1530. It is called the Temple of the Earth, and it served the emperors for the summer solstice sacrifice. The building is surrounded by a beautiful park, and during the New Year celebrations according to the Eastern calendar, fairs and festivals are held here.
At the beginning of the 17th century. the Italian Jesuit Matteo Ricci, who arrived in Beijing on an educational mission, got the emperor to allocate land for his own residence. At the same time, the first stone of the Catholic chapel was laid, rebuilt after half a century into a full-fledged church. The temple suffered more than once from natural and human interventions, until at the beginning of the last century it was rebuilt into a solid baroque cathedral and consecrated in honor of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Tibetan temple complex of Yonghegong is often called the Palace of Peace and Harmony by the Beijing people. Within its walls, future Tibetan monks are trained, and the external appearance is a vivid example of the harmonious combination of Tibetan and Chinese architectural styles. Within the walls of Yonghegun, visitors invariably pay attention to the jade and bronze statues of the Buddha and the huge sculpture of Maitreya, carved from a single piece of sandalwood.
Island in the Pure Ripple Garden
On the territory of the Summer Palace, which served as an imperial residence for the Qing dynasty, in the middle of the 18th century. an artificial lake was dug, on the banks of which the Long Corridor was built. It is now listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest in the world among hand-painted ones. The Marble Boat is another architectural masterpiece of the Summer Palace. Empress Cixi loved to dine there, and she invested in the construction of the residence all the money collected for the construction of ships of the Chinese Navy.
At the same time, Nanhu Island appeared in the southeastern part of the lake - a part of the land with historical buildings, filigreely preserved by the engineering genius of Chinese architects during the construction of the reservoir. On the island are the famous sights of Beijing - the pavilion and the Hall of the Dragon King, and with the mainland Nanhu is connected by an arched bridge resembling a huge turtle, whose shell sticks out of the water.
Beijing landmarks
The list of the most interesting places in the Chinese capital is very extensive, but among other attractions, they stand out in particular:
- The Forbidden City of Gugun is the largest palace complex on the planet, built in the 15th century. and served as an imperial residence for 500 years.
- The most important national monuments are located on Tiananmen Square - the National Assembly, the museums of the revolution and the historical, Mao Zedong's mausoleum, the monument of folk heroes and the modern opera.
- Although the Great Wall of China is located an hour's drive from Beijing, it belongs to the capital's attractions. The site closest to the city is available for inspection both as part of an organized excursion and for independent travelers.
The palace and park complex of the Summer Imperial Palace with Lake Kunming and magnificent pavilions and temples is also worthy of detailed attention. On the territory of the Garden of Peace and Harmony there are objects included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
To Beijing with children
It is mainly adults who travel around China, but in recent years, young tourists are also found in Beijing more and more often. Where to go with a child in the capital of the PRC and how to entertain the younger generation?
The first address is the zoo, which contains numerous representatives of the Asian fauna. Children are happy to get acquainted with the giant panda, which the inhabitants of the country consider a national treasure, and learn a lot about the habits of Manchurian tigers, whose population in the Beijing Zoo looks very impressive. The aquarium on the territory of the park regularly hosts shows with dolphins.
The Water Cube water park offers rides and slides, a spa center and artificial wave pools.
Beijing also has its own Disneyland - Happy Valley amusement park with themed zones.
Mini-copies of world monuments of architecture are collected in the "Peace Park".
Shopping with pleasure
A world producer of the vast majority of consumer goods, China is famous for its markets where you can buy everything - from exotic fruits to modern smartphones. The most famous markets in Beijing, where lovers of inexpensive and varied shopping should go, are Wangfujing, Yabaolu and Panjiayuan.
The first offers a chic selection of souvenirs and national food. It is on Wangfujing Street that you will find authentic restaurants where Peking duck is prepared according to century-old recipes.
In Yabalou, Russian is spoken, which greatly simplifies the process of buying and selling.
Panjiayuan is an antiques market where you can find the desired item of any degree of historical value and value.
Pearls and products with them can and should be purchased at the Pearl Bazaar, not forgetting to get your hands on a certificate of the purchase made. The document will help to avoid problems at customs and guarantee the purchase of real jewelry.
Beijing theaters
The Celestial Empire is also famous for its theaters, so unlike the temples of Terpsichore and Melpomene, which are familiar to a European inhabitant. China's own theatrical traditions are manifested in everything - from the architecture of the theater to the makeup of the actors and their stage costumes.
If you are into opera or drama, be sure to attend one of the theatrical performances in Beijing. Where to go to a theater-goer in the Chinese capital? For example, the Chinese State Peking Opera Theater, founded in 1955 by the famous opera singer Mei Lanfang, has Chinese musical works in the repertoire of the troupe.
You can also listen to the opera at the Huguang Guild House Theater, whose building was built in 1830. The interiors of this temple of art are worthy of no less admiration than the performances on its stage. The curtain is woven of brocade with gilding, the furniture is carved from precious woods, and the building itself is one of the ten largest wooden theaters on the planet. The Chinese Opera Museum is located nearby.
The most ancient opera house of the Celestial Empire appeared in Beijing in 1667. A wooden building from the Qing dynasty can accommodate about two hundred spectators, for whom there are seats in the stalls and in boxes on the second floor. The troupe's repertoire includes both traditional Chinese opera and contemporary pieces of an experimental nature.
