  Beijing
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 6232 Beijing Tips.11239 Beijing Photos.6 Beijing Videos. Beijing Pages by Sharrie
Tips 1 - 10 of 17 Beijing General Tips
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Favorite Thing: Check out the MONUMENT TO THE HEROES REPUBLIC (REN MIN YING XIONG JI NIAN BEI). A 38m / 124 ft high obelisk consisting of 17000 pieces of granite & marble. This is a dedication to the matyrs of the revolution who gave their lives in wars after 1840; most important of which are the opium burning in Humen, uprising in Jintian, movement of May 4, 1919, movement of May 30, 1925, uprising in Nan Chang, guerrilla war against Japan & the crossing of the Chang Jiang.
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General Tips:
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Favorite Thing: Enjoy a stroll in the SUMMER PALACE (YI HE YUAN): One of the finest sights in Beijing includes an immense park and 3/4 of the park is occupied by Kun Ming Lake. This was a palace used as a summer residence by Empress Dowager Cixi (a woman!) who rule China under proxy and kept Emperor Guang Xu under house arrest.
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General Tips:
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Favorite Thing: Read the history regarding YI HE YUAN: With an area of 290 hectares, Summer Palace (YIHEYUAN) was built in1750 & served as a royal garden - Qingyiyuan - Garden of Clear Ripples in the Qing dynasty. It was burnt down by the Anglo-French Allied Forces in 1860, and was rebuilt in 1888 with Yiheyuan as its new name. Empress Dowager Ci Xi & Emperor Guangxu lived & attended government affairs here at the end of the last century & the beginning of the present. (This excerpt was on displayed at the Summer Palace when I was there in 1993, word for word.)
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Summer Palace: Another scene from Yi He Yuan
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Fondest Memory: That's my colleague Kenny admiring the intricate designs of the corridors & pavilions.
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Summer Palace: Design on ceilings of corridors
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Fondest Memory: Beautiful designs on one of the ceilings of the corridors.
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Favorite Thing: Proceed to FORBIDDEN CITY (ZI JIN CHENG) after lunch (if you've a good guide he'll know where to take you for a good meal nearby and perhaps even back to the hotel for a siesta). We were fortunate to have chosen the conveniently located but great Palace Hotel (of the Peninsula chain) at Wang Fu Jing. This magnificent & awe-inspiring seat of power during the Ming & Qing dynasties (1368-1911) is located in the center of Beijing. Extending 750 meters from east to west & 960 meters from north to south, the 720,000 sq meter city is the largest palatial complex in the world!
Fondest Memory: The Forbidden City is divided into southern & northern parts, the former serving as emperors' work area & the latter as their living quarter. The 3 most imposing structures in the work area are: 1) Tai He Dian (Hall of Supreme Harmony). 2) Zhong He Dian (Hall of Medium Harmony). 3) Bao He Dian (Hall of Protective Harmony). The 3 cover a combined area of 85,000 sq meters. The most magnificent being the Hall of Supreme Harmony which is 60.1 m wide & 33.33 m deep & 35.05 m high. Hall Of Supreme Harmony(Tai He Dian) . The hall contains the splendidly decorated guilded imperial throne. This is where coronations, imperial weddings and New Year celebrations were held. Total area: 2000 sq. m.
Hall of Medium Harmony (Zhong He Dian) is where the emperors rested before ceremonies & receiving officials. Hall of Protective Harmony (Bao He Dian), the northernmost structure, is where the emperors gave banquets & interviewed in person successful candidates of imperial examinations.
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Favorite Thing: FORBIDDEN CITY (ZI JIN CHENG), so called because it was off limits to common people for 500 years, is the largest and best preserved building in China. Home to 2 dynasties of emperor, the Ming (1368-1644), the Qing (Manchu) (1644-1911), it's now called PALACE MUSEUM (GU GONG) by the Beijing Authorities. This palace was built between 1406-1420 by Emperor Yong Le, commanding a million labourers. From here, the Emperor governed the whole of China. I revisited this palace again in Christmas '96. If you can, do not visit China in Winter 'coz it's really freezing cold here since most sites do not have heating facilities and the distance to cover is enormous. 9000 rooms in total! You'll end up spending hours outdoors since one is only allowed to step into the Palace compound but not the building itself! So, you'll have to walk through from one gate to the other end where your driver will then pick you up.
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Join a Discussion Beijing - Post offices, Postcard shops and Philatelic Centers?
(1 replies, Monday, Jul 21, 2008, 1:47 PM UTC) Beijing - Day trips
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(6 replies, Friday, Jul 25, 2008, 3:08 PM UTC) Be the first to reply to these questions renting in beijing
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 Comments for Sharrie about Beijing | | | | |
JessH Sun Mar 25, 2007 09:31 UTC
Very nice page here about a fascinating city that I definitely want to visit some day. Thank you for sharing your insights... my ratings are definitely with you. Greetings from Dubai :-) Jess | starship Sat Aug 12, 2006 02:01 UTC
Beijing seems so exotic and interesting. Love to say I'd seen the Great Wall. I wonder what impact the next Olympics will have on this city?? | budapest8 Mon Feb 13, 2006 05:20 UTC
Hi Sharrie! Just love your pictures and tips! Your welcome to payme a visit at my pages. Tim | Astrobuck Wed Dec 14, 2005 07:02 UTC
Going to the Great Wall is on my to-do list!! |
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