Walk East in BeiJing – the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven

[640],shadow=true,start=,stop=
[320],shadow=true,start=,stop=
The Forbidden City, located in the heart of Beijing, China, is one of the most iconic and historically significant attractions in the country. Here's a guide for tourists visiting the Forbidden City:

History and Significance:
Imperial Palace: The Forbidden City served as the imperial palace and political center of China for nearly 500 years, from the Ming Dynasty (13681644) to the end of the Qing Dynasty (16441912). It was home to emperors and their households and served as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government.

Architecture: The Forbidden City is renowned for its magnificent architectural design, featuring grand halls, pavilions, courtyards, and ceremonial gates. It exemplifies traditional Chinese palace architecture and design principles, with intricate decorations and symbolic elements.

Visiting the Forbidden City:
Layout: The Forbidden City is rectangular in shape and covers an area of about 180 acres. It is surrounded by a large moat and high walls, with four main gates: the Meridian Gate (south), the Gate of Divine Might (north), and the East and West Glorious Gates.

Highlights: Key attractions within the Forbidden City include the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony, the Hall of Preserving Harmony, the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, and the Imperial Garden. Each building has its own unique architectural style and historical significance.

Exhibitions: The Forbidden City houses an extensive collection of artifacts, artwork, and cultural relics from China's imperial past. Visitors can explore exhibitions showcasing imperial treasures, ceremonial objects, calligraphy, paintings, and ancient manuscripts.

Guided Tours: Guided tours are available for visitors who want to learn more about the history, architecture, and cultural significance of the Forbidden City. Audio guides in multiple languages are also available for self-guided tours.

Tips for Tourists:
Tickets and Entry: Tickets to the Forbidden City can be purchased at the entrance gates or online in advance to avoid long queues, especially during peak tourist seasons.

Opening Hours: The Forbidden City is open to visitors every day except Mondays. It is advisable to check the opening hours and plan your visit accordingly.

Comfortable Footwear: The Forbidden City is vast, and exploring its many halls and courtyards involves a fair amount of walking. Wear comfortable footwear and clothing suitable for walking and climbing stairs.

Respect the Rules: Follow the rules and regulations of the Forbidden City, such as no smoking, no littering, and no touching or climbing on the historic structures.

Photography: Photography is permitted in most areas of the Forbidden City, but some sections may have restrictions or require an additional photography permit. Respect any signage and guidelines regarding photography.

Cultural Insights:
Historical Significance: Take the time to learn about the history and significance of the Forbidden City, including its role in Chinese imperial history and its architectural symbolism.

Symbolism and Design: Pay attention to the architectural features, symbolism, and layout of the Forbidden City, which reflect Chinese cosmology, philosophy, and imperial authority.

Imperial Lifestyle: Explore the living quarters, ceremonial halls, and gardens to gain insights into the lifestyle, customs, and rituals of China's imperial rulers and their families.

Visiting the Forbidden City offers a fascinating glimpse into China's imperial past, with its grandeur, history, and cultural heritage preserved for visitors to explore and appreciate.

Beijing, the capital city of China, is a vibrant metropolis steeped in history, culture, and modernity. Here's a brief overview of what you can expect as a tourist in Beijing:

Historical Landmarks:
The Great Wall of China: One of the most iconic structures in the world, the Great Wall is easily accessible from Beijing. Mutianyu and Badaling sections are popular among tourists.

Forbidden City (Palace Museum): A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this vast imperial palace complex was home to Chinese emperors for over 500 years. It houses numerous halls, courtyards, and historical artifacts.

Temple of Heaven: A masterpiece of Chinese architecture, this ancient temple complex served as a place of worship for emperors to pray for good harvests.

Summer Palace: A stunning ensemble of lakes, gardens, and palaces, the Summer Palace served as a retreat for emperors during the Qing dynasty.

Tiananmen Square: One of the largest city squares in the world, Tiananmen Square is flanked by important landmarks such as the Monument to the People's Heroes, the Great Hall of the People, and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong.

Cultural Sites:
Beijing Hutongs: Explore the narrow alleyways and traditional courtyard residences of Beijing's historic neighborhoods. You can take a rickshaw tour or simply wander around on foot.

Beijing Opera: Experience traditional Chinese opera performances at venues like the Liyuan Theater or the Chang'an Grand Theatre.

798 Art District: A hub of contemporary art and culture, this former industrial area is now home to numerous galleries, studios, and cafes.

Modern Attractions:
Olympic Park: Visit iconic structures such as the Bird's Nest (National Stadium) and the Water Cube (National Aquatics Center) from the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

CBD (Central Business District): Marvel at the futuristic skyline of Beijing's modern business district, which includes landmarks like the CCTV Headquarters and the China World Trade Center Tower III.

Culinary Delights:
Peking Duck: Indulge in Beijing's most famous dish, crispy roast duck served with pancakes, scallions, and hoisin sauce.

Street Food: Explore the city's vibrant street food scene and sample local delicacies like jianbing (savory crepes), lamb skewers, and dumplings.

Practical Tips:
Transportation: Beijing has an extensive public transportation system, including the subway, buses, and taxis. However, traffic can be heavy, so plan your travels accordingly.

Language: While English is not widely spoken, especially outside tourist areas, many signs and transportation announcements are in English. It's helpful to carry a translation app or a phrasebook.

Weather: Beijing experiences four distinct seasons, with hot summers and cold winters. The best times to visit are spring (April to June) and autumn (September to October) when the weather is mild and comfortable.

Etiquette: Respect local customs and traditions, such as removing your shoes before entering someone's home and using both hands to pass or receive items.

Beijing offers a rich tapestry of experiences for tourists, blending ancient heritage with modern innovations. Whether you're fascinated by history, culture, or culinary delights, there's something for everyone in this dynamic city.

Related Videos

 

Featured Videos

PuZheHei, SanSe, YunNan province
PuZheHei, SanSe, YunNan province
BaMei village ...
ShangHai’s mega malls
ShangHai’s mega malls
With Wei's Travel ...
Planning war on China – part 17
Planning war on China – part 17
Just what is the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) - and what is it really up to ? With Brian Berletic and Angelo Giuliano / The New Atlas ... Bonus films : YChina attacked by the New York Times ... BreakThrough News talks with Tings Chak ... The West's (willing) failure to understand China's history - The Geopolitics In Conflict Show talks with Dr. Ken Hammond ... On Google ... On Palestine ... US torture horrors at Guantanamo ... On Africa and China ... On empire / colonialism (and 'world currency') ... On Cuba ... On Ukraine ... On the genocide of native Americans ... On US dystopia ... With Cyrus Janssen ...
Beautiful HangZhou 杭州
Beautiful HangZhou 杭州
HangZhou lies 180 kilometers south west of ShangHai in the YangTse River Delta and is the capital of ZheJiang province. With abundant natural scenery, including the famous West Lake, HangZhou has been a popular city for over 2,000 years when it was founded during the Qin dynasty. It is listed as one of the seven great ancient capitals of China. The West Lake covers 6 square km and is surrounded by historical sites and scenic areas. HangZhou lies at the southern end of the Grand Canal of China, with a length of nearly 1,800 km; at the northern end lies BeiJing. It was completed around 600 AD during the Sui dynasty. The longest man-made canal in the world, by far, it is a fine example of China's achievements, which include invention of the canal lock (Song dynasty; 10th century). HangZhou is also noted for tea, silk, umbrellas and fans.
Two months in China’s south west 中国
Two months in China’s south west 中国
Highlights of an eight week trip though Tibet, YunNan, SiChuan, GanSu and QingHai provinces (2007).
China in numbers (2020)
China in numbers (2020)
1. 1.4 billion - China's population, making it the most populous country in the world. 2. 23 - The number of provinces in China. 3. 56 - The number of recognized ethnic groups in China. 4. 9,596,960 square kilometers - China's total land area. 5. 1949 - The year the People's Republic of China was founded. 6. 70 - The percentage of the world's total silk production that comes from China. 7. 2,000 - The approximate number of years the Great Wall of China has been in existence. 8. 1971 - The year when China was admitted to the United Nations. 9. 34 - The number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in China. 10. 4,000 - The years of recorded history in China. 11. 3.7 million square kilometers - The area covered by China's desert, the Gobi Desert. 12. 88 - The number considered lucky in Chinese culture. 13. 40,000 - The length of China's high-speed railway network in kilometers. 14. 1.4 trillion - The approximate number of disposable chopsticks used in China each year. 15. 4 - The number of official Chinese characters on the national flag. 16. 2nd - China's rank in the world for the largest economy. 17. 2008 - The year Beijing hosted the Summer Olympics. 18. 7 - The number of consecutive years China has been the world's largest exporter. 19. 1.4 billion - The number of mobile phone users in China. 20. 60 million - The approximate number of empty homes in China. 21. 40,000 - The approximate number of characters in the Chinese language. 22. 1,411 meters - The height of the Shanghai Tower, the second-tallest building in the world. 23. 8.98 million - The size, in square kilometers, of the Tibetan Plateau, often called the "Roof of the World." 24. 800 million - The number of internet users in China. 25. 50,000 - The number of rivers in China, each with a basin exceeding 100 square kilometers. 26. 300 million - The number of Chinese people practicing Buddhism. 27. 20 million - The number of Chinese Muslims. 28. 64 - The average life expectancy in China. 29. 45 - The percentage of China's population living in urban areas. 30. 1.39 billion - The number of active social media users in China. 31. 7,546 - The length, in kilometers, of the Grand Canal, the world's longest artificial waterway. 32. 15 million - The number of babies born in China each year. 33. 37 - The number of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage items in China. 34. 2003 - The year China became the third country to launch a manned space mission. 35. 2.3 million - The size, in square kilometers, of the Taklamakan Desert, China's largest desert. 36. 12,000 - The number of terracotta warriors buried with China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. 37. 520 - A term in Chinese internet culture representing "I love you." 38. 100 million - The number of tourists who visit the Great Wall of China annually. 39. 2 - The number of pandas given as gifts by China to foreign countries as goodwill ambassadors. 40. 65 - The percentage of the world's total production of solar panels that comes from China. 41. 2,300 - The length, in kilometers, of the Yangtze River, China's longest river. 42. 1 - The number of children per couple allowed under China's one-child policy (recently replaced by a two-child policy). 43. 7 - The number of Chinese astronauts who have been in space. 44. 200 million - The number of bicycles in China. 45. 5,000 - The number of years tea has been consumed in China. 46. 300 - The number of TV channels in China. 47. 1.1 billion - The number of Chinese people who watch the annual CCTV Spring Festival Gala. 48. 221 BC - The year Qin Shi Huang unified China and became the first emperor. 49. 4 million - The number of college graduates in China each year. 50. 5 - The number of autonomous regions in China. 51. 3,300 - The length, in kilometers, of the Yellow River, China's second-longest river. 52. 49 - The percentage of the world's total coal consumption that comes from China. 53. 16,000 - The length, in kilometers, of the Great Wall of China, including all of its branches. 54. 1949 - The year when the Chinese currency, the Renminbi (RMB), was introduced. 55. 2.5 million - The number of electric vehicles sold in China in 2020. 56. 2,200 - The length, in kilometers, of the Mekong River, which originates in China. 57. 22 - The number of provinces, regions, and municipalities directly under the central government. 58. 150 million - The number of square meters of new construction added daily in China. 59. 8,848 meters - The height of Mount Everest, which straddles the border between China and Nepal. 60. 1966-1976 - The years of the Cultural Revolution in China. 61. 80 - The percentage of the world's total rare earth elements produced by China. 62. 8 - The number of major Chinese cuisines, including Sichuan, Cantonese, and Shandong. 63. 1.4 billion - The number of people covered by China's national health insurance. 64. 2 - The number of sessions of the National People's Congress held each year. 65. 1980 - The year China implemented its one-child policy. 66. 7 - The number of national holidays in China. 67. 80 million - The number of people who visit the Forbidden City in Beijing annually. 68. 5 trillion - The total value, in U.S. dollars, of China's foreign exchange reserves. 69. 1,417 meters - The depth of the South China Sea, China's marginal sea. 70. 10 - The number of Renminbi (RMB) denominations, including the yuan and jiao. 71. 26 million - The number of university students in China. 72. 9 - The number of dragon's pearls on the Chinese national flag. 73. 1,100 - The number of Giant Pandas remaining in the wild. 74. 25 - The percentage of the world's total steel production that comes from China. 75. 3,300 - The number of characters in a standard Chinese dictionary. 76. 1978 - The year China began economic reforms under Deng Xiaoping. 77. 2 million - The number of people employed in the Chinese military, the largest in the world. 78. 40 - The percentage of global e-commerce transactions that take place in China. 79. 7.6 million - The length, in kilometers, of China's highway system. 80. 35 - The percentage of the world's total cotton production that comes from China. 81. 700 million - The number of Chinese people lifted out of poverty since economic reforms began. 82. 9,144 kilometers - The length of China's land borders. 83. 600 BC - The approximate date of the earliest recorded Chinese characters. 84. 10 - The number of years it took to build the Bird's Nest Stadium for the 2008 Olympics. 85. 20 - The percentage of the world's total energy consumption that comes from China. 86. 1971 - The year when ping pong diplomacy improved relations between China and the United States. 87. 2 - The number of pandas sent to the U.S. as a result of ping pong diplomacy. 88. 70 - The percentage of the world's total solar water heater capacity installed in China. 89. 2,213 meters - The height of Mount Lushan, China's most famous mountain. 90. 200 million - The number of Chinese tourists who travel abroad each year. 91. 1969 - The year China successfully tested its first nuclear bomb. 92. 2,000 - The number of years the Chinese have been drinking tea. 93. 4 million - The number of square kilometers of arable land in China. 94. 10 million - The number of university graduates in China each year. 95. 120 - The number of years the Qing Dynasty ruled China (1644-1912). 96. 30 - The number of world heritage sites in China. 97. 100 - The percentage of electric buses in Shenzhen, the first city in the world to achieve this. 98. 1949 - The year China adopted the "five-star" national flag. 99. 70 million - The number of Chinese households that play Mahjong regularly. 100. 80 - The percentage of global Bitcoin mining that takes place in China.
Aerial view of the beautiful LaoJunShan Mountain 老君山
Aerial view of the beautiful LaoJunShan Mountain 老君山
Near LuoYang, provincial capital of HeNan, central China. There is a LaoZi Cultural Park near the foot of the mountain and a cable car is available to reach the top. The ancient sage LaoZi (in modern PinYin though one will still also see Lao-Tse or Lao-Tzu) who started Daoism (Taoism) and authored the Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching), is said to have gained inspiration here around 550 BC. The Dao (道) which roughly translates as 'the way', in the sense of how things are, is a concept that existed in Chinese thought many centuries before LaoZi, but it was LaoZi who developed the concept considerably. Wu Wei (無爲), literally "non-action" or "not acting", is a central concept of the DaoDeJing. The concept of wu wei is multi-faceted, and reflected in the words' multiple meanings, even in English translation; it can mean "not doing anything", "not forcing", "not acting" in the theatrical sense, "creating nothingness", "acting spontaneously", and "flowing with the moment / 'here and now'". It is a concept used to explain ZiRan (自然), or harmony with the Dao. LaoZi used the term broadly with simplicity and humility as key virtues, often in contrast to selfish action. On a political level, it means avoiding such circumstances as war, harsh laws and heavy taxes. The 'ruler' can also refer to the 'self'. There is an overlap here with the Buddha's teachings that suffering stems from attachments and desires, ultimately to the notion of a separate self. In Chinese philosophy, Yin and Yang (陰陽 YīnYáng, "dark—light") describes how opposite or contrary forces are actually complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another. While duality is found in many belief systems, Yin and Yang are parts of a Oneness that is also equated with the Dao. Yin and yang can be thought of as complementary (rather than opposing) forces that interact to form a dynamic system in which the whole is greater than the assembled parts; it is a holistic view. Everything has both yin and yang aspects, though either of the two major aspects may manifest more strongly in a particular object, depending on the criterion of the observation. Yin and Yang is a balance between two seeming opposites with a portion of the opposite element in each. Some of LaoZi's famous sayings include: "When goodness is lost, it is replaced by morality." "Without Darkness, there can be no Light." "The usefulness of a pot comes from its emptiness." "The best people are like water, which benefits all things and does not compete with them. It stays in lowly places that others reject. This is why it is so similar to the Way." "When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly. When people see some things as good, other things become bad." "Try to change it and you will ruin it. Try to hold it and you will lose it." "Those who know do not say. Those who say do not know." "When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you." "Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." "A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving." "Music in the soul can be heard by the universe." "A journey of a thousand miles starts under one's feet." "The more that laws and regulations are given prominence, the more thieves there will be." Alan Watts - 'The Daoist Way' ...
Wandering the backstreets of outer ShenZhen
Wandering the backstreets of outer ShenZhen
With Nico ... ShenYang with Blondie in China ... Bonus films - back in ShenZhen - with Walk For You ... With Colorful World ...
Let life be beautiful … music selection …
Let life be beautiful … music selection …
Sung by Alu Azhou and the Mountain Wind Group 阿鲁阿卓, 山风组合 生如夏花. Inspired by Stray Birds by famous Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore, 1916 (生如夏花之绚烂，死如秋叶之静美 --飞鸟集, 泰戈尔, 1916). Lyrics and Music by PU Shu (朴树). "In this life, we can not stay so long ..." Plus Song of the Surging Water - title song of the 2015 movie Wolf Totem 汪峰 沧浪之歌（《狼图腾》主题曲）. Sung by Wang Feng. Lyrics by WANG Feng (汪峰); music by Adam HUANG (HUANG Yong, 黄勇); with Alianuul (Morin Khuur solo) and NING FangLiang (violin solo). "I am broken, but I love flying ..." 鄧紫棋 G.E.M. - 存在_我是歌手第二季 (2014年1月10日) ‘Your Collar’, a haunting, romantic song from the imperial music of the Han Dynasty ... (Life is like a) Warm Spring with Blooming Flowers 春暖花开 (when I am with you) ... If you can, please support this site with a donation; it really does help us keep going ... Thank you from the BeijingBuzzz team !

Tag search ?