Beijing Things to Do Tips by honestjohn

The Great Wall is not just a wall. Other defensive works such as forts, passes and beacon towers were built along the Wall to house auxiliary soldiers, store grain and weapons, and transmit military information. As a product of the clashes between agricultural and nomadic economies, the Great Wall provided protection to the economic development and cultural progress, safeguarded the trading routes such as the Silk Road, and secured transmission of information and transportation.
The Great Wall winds its way from east seaside to west desert of China, with a length exceeding 5000kM. To visit all of the Walls is impossible, but you can visit some famous parts. The following great walls is located near Beijing.

1. Si Ma Tai Great Wall
This part is famous for its craggedness, old people is not suitable for climbing this section. Pictures and info on how to get there can be get from the website
http://www.netpaste.com/vt/greatwall/simatai.htm
2. Ba Da Ling Great Wall
This part is very splendid. see picture at
http://www.netpaste.com/vt/greatwall/badaling.htm
3. Mu Tian Yu Great Wall
the mountain of this part have a high forest cover rate, therefore, it is beautiful, elegant. If you come in Summer, I suggest you visit this part, because of the forest, the advantage is that you can find a cool place to rest when you climb tired. see pictures at http://www.netpaste.com/vt/greatwall/mutianyu.htm
4. Jin Shan Ling Great Wall
this part is never rebuilt, it remain as it was before 400 years ago. most foreigner like this parts of Great Wall.
see picture at
http://www.netpaste.com/vt/greatwall/jinshanling.htm

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Address: span from east to west in north part of China
Directions: The above mentioned Walls is located in north of Beijing, generally it take 2 hour drive from Beijing to get there.
Website: http://thegreatwall.com.cn/en/index.htm http://www.meet-greatwall.org/english/home.htm

A Tang Dynasty poet wrote a line about the royal palace of his time, which says "Without seeing the magnificence of the royal palace, one can never sense the dignity of the emperor."

Magnificent and awe-inspiring, that is how every visitor would describe the Forbidden City, which served as the seat of imperial power during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911).

SPLENDID!!!

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Address: just next to North of Tiananmen Square
Directions: In the right Center of Beijing
Website: http://www.china.org.cn/english

The Summer Palace has a history of over 800 years. Early in the Jin dynasty, an imperial palace named Golden Hill Palace was built on the present site of the Summer Palace. In 1750, with 4.48 million taels of silver, Emperor Qian Long of the Qing dynasty built the Garden of Clear Ripples here and renamed it longevity Hill to celebrate his mother's birthday.
The Summer Palace has two entrances, one is the East Palace Gate and the other is North Palace Gate. Most visitors enter the garden from the East Palace Gate.

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Address: Northwest of Beijing, about 25km from city center
Website: http://www.chinavr.net/beijing/yhy/yhycover_e.htm

The Temple of Heaven was built in 1420 during the reign of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty. Situated in the southern part of the city, this grand set of structures covers an area of 273 hectares. To better symbolize heaven and earth, the northern part of the Temple is circular while the southern part is square. The whole compound is enclosed by two walls, a square wall outside a round one. The outer area is characterized by suburban scenery, while the inner part is used for sacrifices. The inner enclosure consists of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest and the Circular Mound Altar.
Today the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest is the hallmark of Beijing, which enjoys a prolonged history of civilization. The annex halls were symmetrically built on a 1.5-meter-high brick-and-marble terrace, to set off the loftiness and magnificence of the main hall. This unique building, 38 meters in height, is characterized by a cone-shaped structure with triple eaves and a top that is crowned by a gilt ball. The roofing is made of blue glazed tiles, the color of the sky. Underneath the roof, the beams and brackets are decorated with colored paintings. The base of the structure is a triple-tiered, circular marble terrace. At a distance, the terrace looks like a gigantic, spiraling cloud with the structure perched on top of it.
The Imperial Vault of Heaven is the main structure of Heaven's Storehouse. Aside from exquisitely laid out architectures, Heaven's Storehouse is also famous for two structures with peculiar acoustic features, i.e. the Echo Wall and the Triple-Sound Stone. A mere whisper at any point close to the wall can be heard clearly on the other side, although the parties may be 40 or 50 meters apart. This is possible because the wall is round and hermetically constructed with smooth, solid bricks. The Temple of Heaven is also famous for its cypress trees - there are more than 60, 000 cypress trees in all, among which over 4,000 are more than one hundred years old, adding to the solemn atmosphere of the temple.

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Address: its east gate just next to the Red Bridge market
Directions: Bus Route: take bus No. 17, 54, 36, 20, 116, 106 to get off at Tiantan station.
Website: http://www.bjticket.com.cn/english/tour/mingsheng/huanqiuqingyin1.htm

The Tiananmen Square in the center of Beijing, is said to be the biggest square in the world. It is 880 meters from north to south, and 500 meters from east to west, with total area of 440,000 square meters and can hold one million people. The Tiananmen Gate Tower sites at the north, the Five-Star Red Flag flies high on the square, the Monument to the People's Heroes dominates the center, the Great Hall of the People and the Museum of the Chinese Revolution and the Museum of Chinese History to the east and west of it, as well as The Chairman Mao Memorial Hall and the Qianmen gate, sit in the south of the square. Over several hundred years, in front of the Tiananmen, many democracy meetings and demonstrations are held. Tens of thousands of people visit daily. The Square is listed top among Beijing's 16 scenic spots.

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Address: the very center of Beijing city
Directions: very near south of the forbidden city