Northern China Attractions
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Temple of Heaven (Tian tan)
A Ming temple, Temple of Heaven or Tian tan was built by the Yongle Emperor, who also built the Forbidden City, as a stage for the important rituals performed ... Read more
Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is the greatest symbol of ancient Chinese engineering and one of the world's most famous structures. Its name in Chinese means 'Long ... Read more
Ming Tombs (Ming Shisan Ling)
The Ming Tombs, or Ming Shisan Ling, are a gloomily impressive affair, often unpopular with Western tourists, who can find the whole experience a bit austere. ... Read more
Summer Palace (Yiheyuan)
The Summer Palace - also known as Yiheyuan - was built in 1750. In those days, it was called the Garden of Clear Ripples, and was a lakeside oasis where the ... Read more
Forbidden City (Imperial Palace)
Have you ever wondered what's so forbidden about the Forbidden City? It's called that because it was closed to the outside world for 500 years. This was the ... Read more
Tiananmen Square (Tiananmen Guangchang)
Tiananmen Square, or Tiananmen Guangchang, has always been not so much a square as a symbol. Mao built it to flaunt the epic scale of the Communist project. ... Read more
Beijing Hutongs
Beijing's hutongs are a glimpse - fast disappearing - of what the city used to look like before the skyscrapers started munching the skyline. A hutong is a ... Read more
Jingshan Park (Yingshan Gongyuan)
Jingshan Park (Yingshan Gongyuan), a green space in the heart of Beijing and home to one of the city’s few hills, was made from the earth dug out to make the ... Read more
The Imperial Garden
As you walk along the north-south axis of the Forbidden City, you’ll eventually walk through the Gate of Terrestrial Tranquility and into the Imperial Garden, ... Read more
Great Wall at Juyongguan
Located 37 miles (59 kilometers) northwest of Beijing, the Great Wall at Juyongguan is at once the most conveniently located to the city and the most ... Read more
Wangfujing Street
There are two reasons to visit Wangfujing Street in Beijing: shopping and eating. The main portion of this commercial street is home to nearly 300 Chinese ... Read more
798 Art Zone
Located in northwest Beijing, 798 Art Zone occupies a decommissioned military factory from the 1950s that now houses an edgy artistic community. The ... Read more
The Legend of Kung Fu Show
The Legend of Kung Fu at Beijing’s Red Theater tells the story of a young monk who dreams of one day becoming a Kung Fu master. The boy’s story is told through ... Read more
Beijing Opera
Beijing Opera has been around since the late eighteenth century and was originally performed for the imperial family of the Qing Dynasty. It didn't fare well ... Read more
