There are 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in and around Beijing. These are The Great Wall, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Ming Tombs, Summer Palace, Peking Man Site and Grand Canal.
Out of the above, I consider the following as ‘must see’ places – the Great Wall of China, Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven. In the remaining time that you may have, visit few more sights, get out for day, watch a Kung-fu or acrobatic show and do some shopping.
China has a huge number of domestic tourists and Beijing is believed to receive 300 million of them yearly! No wonder the most popular places of attraction are always crowded.
The Great Wall of China
Among the 7 wonders of the world, the Great Wall of China is one of the most popular destinations for visitors to Beijing. The Wall comprises several sections and is not one long stretch. On the length, opinions vary but the well preserved sections built during Ming Dynasty is estimated to be 8,850 kms long. Two of the most popular sections visited are about 70kms away from Beijing. I chose to visit the Mutianyu section and spent over an hour walking on the top, from one watch tower to another. The views were quite breathtaking, with bits of snow all around.
With excellent roads between Beijing and Mutianyu and availability of cable car to take me all the way up to the base of the Wall, it was a surprisingly easy trip.
At the minimum, budget for 5-6 hours. Actual time will depend on the section chosen for visit.
The Great Wall of China, Mutianyu, Beijing The Great Wall of China, Mutianyu, Beijing
Forbidden city(Palace Museum locally)
This large imperial palace complex was constructed in 1420, during the early part of Ming dynasty. Among the largest palaces in the world, the complex is a fantastic display of the traditional Chinese architecture. It was the imperial palace of China from 1420 to 1912 CE with 24 emperors ruling from this palace.
Located in Central Beijing, there are close to 1000 buildings in the complex spread over an area of 0.72 sq. kms. Externally, all buildings looked alike to me!
I was told the palace complex is called Forbidden City as historically, ordinary people were forbidden from entry. Today, this UNESCO World Heritage Site receives over 14 million visitors every year.
Like many palaces around the world, Forbidden City is a 3-tiered structure. The Moat and the High Wall make the first tier, the Outer Court where emperors conducted state affairs and held ceremonies forms the second tier, and the Inner Court with the living quarters forms the third tier.
The palace museum has some rare works of art and cultural relics of China.
Set aside 2-3 hours for selectively exploring Forbidden City. If you wish to enter into each and every building and enclosure, you may need a full day! Entry tickets are priced around INR 500 and queues can be long. Online booking is possible but the site is in Chinese only, I did not find any English version! A guide can be useful if you are keen on learning a bit of history and also perhaps to optimize your time. I did not see any cafes inside.
Forbidden City, Beijing, China Intricate carvings at Forbidden City, Beijing, China Rock formation at Forbidden City, Beijing, China Stone carvings at Forbidden City, Beijing, China
Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square is located right opposite the Forbidden City. Meant for public functions, it is the site of important events in China’s history. The annual military parade is held here. The square is often compared to the India Gate/Rajpath complex in Delhi, the Red Square in Moscow and the Parade Square in Warsaw.
Tiananmen Square is flanked by the Great Hall of the People on one side and the National Museum on the other. The Square houses the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, founder of the People’s Republic of China.
Stop by before entering Forbidden City. Entry to the National Museum is free if you are inclined to visit.
Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China
Temple of Heaven
This holiest of holy imperial temples is a masterpiece of Chinese architecture. The Chinese emperors offered prayers here for almost 600 years, until 1900 CE. The circular Hall of Prayer is the most striking structure in the Temple of Heaven.
The temple is located about 3 kms from the Forbidden City and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Depending on how fast you can walk around, budget 1-2 hours.
Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China
Others attractions
I wanted to visit the following two UNESCO World Heritage Sites but was unable to.
Summer palace
It is said to be the best preserved imperial garden in China. The Summer Palace occupies a huge area and comprises palaces, gardens and lakes. Attractions include the Long Corridor featuring thousands of pictures, the 2 sq. km Kunming Lake, Longevity Hill with its halls and temples and the Marble Boat but the main reason to visit summer palace is its landscaped gardens. The lake here freezes in the winter, so summer is the best time if you want to indulge in boating. There will be plenty of walking required.
Summer Palace is easily accessible by public transport from Beijing. Just plan ahead as to which of the gate will you use for entry and exit and the walking route inside. Another option is to combine Summer Palace with Mutianyu Great Wall.
Ming Tombs
Ming Tombs are located on way to Badaling Great Wall. 13 of the Ming Dynasty emperors are buried here but only 3 tombs are open to public. Out of the three, only Dingling Tomb has been excavated and has an underground chamber. The total area is huge(~120 sq. kms) and unless you wish to set apart a full day or more, you should shortlist just one tomb to visit. It appears most choose Dingling but do note there will be fair bit of walking required. Many also choose to walk on Sacred Way, adorned with huge statues on either side, but that is 7kms long!
From the pictures I have seen, the Ming Tombs are no where near as spectacularly decorated as few of the tombs at the Valley of Kings in Egypt.
What else?
There are few other options as well.
- A ride through the old lanes(called Hutong) on a rickshaw – We Indians are familiar with cycle rickshaws and will not find this interesting!
- Olympic park, especially the Bird’s nest and Water Cube.
- Beijing Zoo, if you wish to view the Pandas.
- National Museum, showcasing the arts and history of China.
- World Park, a theme park with miniature replicas of 100 famous landmarks around the world.
- Peking Man Site, if you are keen on visiting the most comprehensive site representing the Paleolithic age. Located about 50kms South-West of Beijing.
- Grand Canal, the world’s longest and oldest canal or waterway that extends to almost 1800 kms, starting at Beijing and ending at Hangzhou near Shanghai. The Grand Canal connects 5 important rivers including Yangtze and Yellow rivers. It was first build in the 5th century BCE and renovated, enlarged over a period of time. Like the great Wall, it was built in sections and then connected.
Day trips from Beijing
Other than the Great Wall and the Ming Tombs, there are hardly any options for short day trips by road out of Beijing with the exception of Shilinxia.
Shilinxia Glass Viewing Platform is located about 80kms away. The circular glass platform has been constructed about 400m above a gorge and juts out almost 33m from the edge of a cliff.
Long day trips
Datong caves
If you wish to see ancient Buddhist temple grottoes(caves) and the Hanging Temple, head to Datong. From Beijing, Datong is ~350kms away and the grottoes are a further 20kms. A fast train will take about 2.5 hours one way while a private car will take little more time. From the pictures, the grottoes remind me of Ajanta and Ellora caves, but not as spectacular. This is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Xi’an Terracotta Warriors
If you are ok to travel by air, fly to X’ian to view the Terracotta warriors. Constructed in the second century BC, there are hundreds of life size Terracotta soldiers, horses and chariots in battle formation. Rated as one of top ancient archaeological sites and another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Given the flight time of little over 2 hours from Beijing, be prepared for a long and exhausting day!
Tianjin
If you want to explore another city or even visit a section of the Great Wall minus the tourists, go to the port city of Tianjin by train. But Tianjin is a big city and one can’t simply walk around.
For more information
Check out this official site:
http://english.visitbeijing.com.cn