Beijing Attractions

Olympics in 2008 will be held in Beijing, but aside from this fact, people continuously visit Beijing for a culture-rich and memorable tour around the City - somehow the best at this part of the Word. A visit to the City is not complete without including the following destinations in your itinerary: The Forbidden City, Tian'anmen Square, Great Wall, Summer Palace, Ming Tombs, and Lama Temple. These are the most recommended attractions in Beijing, but the list can go on and on if you'd want to know all the attractions. The most visited is definitely the Great Wall at Badaling (Badaling Chancheng), Beijing. A lift carries you at great heights over the bricks and lets you off for a walk along the winding pathways of the Wall. Half a day may not be enough but if you're at a hurried pace, you can check the whole Badaling Wall during the morning and visit another in the afternoon.

Just a ride away is the magnificent Imperial Palace in Beijing, The Forbidden City. It has thousands of rooms, which make it the largest and the best-preserved Imperial Palace complex in the world. Now it has become one of the largest museums in the world. The whole place is filled with historic relics and memories of those times where emperor led China for a long time during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911AD). UNESCO in fact declared it as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.

Another great attraction is located at the center of Beijing City is Tiananmen Square - the venue for rallies and mobilizations in the history not just of Beijing but of China. Visit the Tiananmen Tower, Monument to the People's Heroes, Great Hall of the People, Mao Zedong Memorial Hall and get the chance to join in the national flag raising ceremony. The Square is a great destination for thousands of people both day and night times.

The Yiheyuan or Summer Palace also makes it to our list because of its architectural and classical Qing design. Walk to the Long Corridor of over 700 meters (2,300ft) long and is decorated with mythical scenes. Also check the Marble Boat, the Pavilion of Buddha's Fragrance on top of Longevity Hill, the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, the Pavilion of Precious Clouds and the Temple of the Sea of Wisdom.