A liitle jet-lagged, our travelers spend a day in Beijing before setting off for other parts of China.
Places visited : Tian'AnMen Square, the Forbidden City (Palace Museum) plus JingShan and BeiHai parks, all within easy walking distance of each other. Then it is on to DeShengMen to take the bus to BaDaLing Great Wall of China (one can also take a train from Beijing North railway station, near XiZhiMen).
The Forbidden City (Palace Museum), the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, the Great Wall (at Badaling), Beihai Park, the Botanical Garden, JingShan Park, the Olympic Park, Qianmen
With Sticker Travel.
After trekking the Great Wall, the team chill out at Chun Hui Yuan Spa Resort, then head back downtown to view the Forbidden City at sunset from the hilltop in JingShan Park ...
The Forbidden City,at the center of the ancient city of Beijing, was home to 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Today, the Forbidden City is a public museum and World Heritage site, attracting millions of tourists from around the world.
In the early 1400s, the third Ming Emperor, YongLe, moved the capital of China to Beijing. In 1406, he began construction of a new 'Forbidden City' that would include the imperial palace complex. It took 14 years to complete - and an estimated one million workers, and 100,000 artisans, were involved in some way.
Now officially renamed as the 'Palace Museum' ('GuGong' in Chinese, meaning simply 'Old Palace'), the extensive grounds of the Forbidden City cover 720,000 square meters (74 Hectares). There are 800 buildings that have in total about 9,000 rooms. Indeed, the Forbidden City is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world, and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987.
The Forbidden City is located directly to the north of Tian'AnMen Square and is accessible from the square via Tian'AnMen Gate.
The Palace Museum is now a fantastic place to wander and dream of times gone by. White marble, walls of terra-cotta, roofs of glazed golden tiles, and woodwork finished with vermillion paint, lacquer and gilding unite to create an effect of outstanding beauty.
Nearest subway stations: Tian'AnMen Xi or Tian'AnMen Dong (line 1).
An introductory video by the Palace Museum.
Established in 1925, the Palace Museum encompasses the former imperial palace of two consecutive dynasties - the Ming (1368-1644) and the Qing (1644-1911).
The magnificent architecture, and the vast collections of paintings, calligraphy, ceramics and decorative objects make it one of the most prestigious museums in the world. In 1961 the imperial palace was designated by the State Council as one of China's foremost-protected cultural heritage places, and in 1987 it was made a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Formally known now as the Palace Museum.
Established in 1925, the Palace Museum comprises the primary imperial palace of two consecutive dynasties - the Ming (1368-1644) and the Qing (1644-1911). The magnificent architecture, and the vast collections of imperial paintings, calligraphy, ceramics and decorative objects, make it one of the most prestigious museums in China - and, indeed, the world.
In 1961 the imperial palace was designated by the State Council as one of China's foremost cultural heritage sites, and in 1987 it was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Palace Museum, in association with IBM, have created a virtual replica of China's Forbidden City, including its former palace grounds. "The Forbidden City: Beyond Space & Time" is a 3D re-creation that enables users to see what the walled fortress looked like during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Website (includes software download link) http://www.beyondspaceandtime.org
ChangPuHe Park, just east of the Forbidden City and Tian'AnMen Square is separated from the busy street by a high wall.
This film nicely juxtaposes the relaxing scenes in the park with the rush hour of city life just next door ...
Includes TianAnMen Square, the Forbidden City (Palace Museum) and the Temple of Heaven.
Video by LimeWave.com, which has photos and videos for a number of places around the world.
BeijingBuzzz has for some years brought you the real China; but now we need your help to continue ...
Donations are via embed-videos.com who already support us the best they can. Over the last 5 years we have let go of many features - news, forums, events, etc, but have maintained our core of travel and culture videos.
If you find this site helpful, please consider a donation. Thank you, from the BeijingBuzzz team.
For more details on how to advertise on this site, use the contact form below.
We have also launched sponsored videos. There would be a small indication that the video is sponsored and a minimum quality must be met. If interested in this, mention it in your message.
advertising@embed-videos.com
Suggest a video / Contact us
Your enquiry or feedback is appreciated.
Send us an email ...
buzzz@embed-videos.com
- General Feedback / Enquiries
videos@embed-videos.com
- Video Suggestions
editor@embed-videos.com
- Editorial Team
management@embed-videos.com
- Management Team
advertising@embed-videos.com
- Advertising Team
Buy a great photo or painting while supporting BeijingBuzzz