Beijing Things to Do Tips by wwliu

Guozijian Confucius Temple Review

The confucius temple was used to be sacrifice confucius in Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. It was first built in 1309 that has history more than 600 years as yet. The total acreage is 20,000 centiare including 198 steles in Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties what are chiseled names of Jinshi, a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations.

In addition, there are 189 steles what are chiseled 13 lection by Jiang Heng, a senior licentiate in feudal China in Kangxi time. He used 12 years to seal cutting them including 630,000 Chinese characters. The photo is showing the total 190 steles including one more Univisity stele.

Address: 13 Guozijian Jie

Directions: Yonghegong subway stop

Phone: 84011977 64012118

Badachu Parks Review

Ba Da Chu park have a long history which is a Buddha temple park. It locate at the west mountain in Beijing. There are eight antiqued architectures what make the park famous. In addition, "twelve landscapes" are nature view what give the park beautiful environment. The temples in the park were first built in Sui dynasty. One of the temples called Lingguang sacrifice Buddhist relics of Sakyamuni. However, the temples was destroyed in 1900 by invaders. Today, Ba Da Chu Park is one of the most popular parks in Beijing. Especially in fall, it is the most beautiful season where worth while visiting.

Directions: Take subway to Apple Garden, then take bus 972,965 or 311

Mutianyu Great Wall - Mutianyu Review

Although Badaliing is the most famous great wall in Beijing, I always think Mutianyu is the most beautiful great wall. May someone said that the great wall just a kind of long wall, whatever sections are similar. Definitely it is wrong. When the mountain is going on diversification, the great wall appear in different taste. In Mutianyu, the brim of mountain looks subdued . Especially in autumn, leaves turned red and yellow, the great wall looks graceful. In the same time, it is not lost the essential grandness. Standing on the top of the mountain, the great wall looks like a big graceful band intwine in forest.

Address: Mutianyu

Directions: Take bus 961 in Dongzhi Gate and get down in Huairou

The Well of Concubine Zhen Forbidden City Review

Concubine Zhen was the beloved concubine of Emperor Guangxu. She sympathized with and supported the Emperor's views on constitutional reform and modernization. After the reform was suppressed by Empress Dowager Cixi, the Emperor was taken into custody in Yingtai shile the Concubine was confined in houses under guards. When the Eight-Power Allied Forces attacked Beijing in 1900, Concubine zhen was thrown into and drowned in this Well by Eunuch Cui Yugui at the order of Cixi.

Address: North of Tiananmen Square

Directions: In the Center of Beijing

Website: http://www.dpm.org.cn/

Nine Dragon Screen Wall Forbidden City - Nine Dragon Screen Wall Review

This glaed screen wall facing Huang Ji Men (Hall of the Norms of Government) was constructed when Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty renovated the Ning Shou Gong (Palace of Peace and Longevity) area.

There are nine dragons on the wall, hence the name. Nine Dragon Screen Wall has a double roof in wudian (thatched hall) style covered with yellow glazed titles, and sits on a white marble stone Sumeru base, 3.5 meters high and 29.4 meters wide. This wall is composed of 270 glazed decorative bricks. With seawater as the background, nine dragons are encircled by waves and clouds, and separated by six groups of rocks, A yellow dragon is in the center, and eight dragons are on both sides. The dragon was the symbol of the emperor in ancient China. The roof has five ridges, each having a dragon, and the main ridge also has five dragons. Incidentally, Datong is Shanxi Province has a Nine Dragon Screen Wall built in the Ming Dynasty, and Beihai Park in Beijing has one constructed in the Qing Dynasty.

Address: North of Tiananmen Square

Directions: In the Center of Beijing

Website: http://www.dpm.org.cn/

Echo Wall Temple of Heaven - Echo Wall Review

The Echo Wall is the circular surrounding wall of the celestial warehouse. The hard and smoot5h wall in a perfect circumference constitutes an excellent reflecting body for the sound waves, which travel along the wall surface by continuous reflections. If two persons stand by the wall behind the east annex hall and the west annex hall respectively and speak with their face toward north, they can hear each other's voice clearly. Calls and responses or asks and answers constitite a wonderful conversation.

Address: Tiantan

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests Temple of Heaven - Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest Review

Built in 1420(the 18th year of Emperor Yongle's reign of the Ming Dynasty), the original hall, rectangular in shape, was first named the Great Hall for Sacrificial Rituals used to worship both Earth and Heaven. Rebuilt in 1545 (the 24th year of Emperor Jiajing's reign) into a round hall with a triple-eaved roof, each covered with blue, yellow and green glazed tiles respectively, symbolyzing Heaven, Earth and the mortal world, it was renamed the Great Hall for Offering Sacrifices.
Reconstructed in 1751, it was surmounted by a triple roof with azure glazed tiles only, culminating in a gilded sphere, and designated the Hall of Prayer for Good harvests, exclusively used to pray for good harvests in early spring.
38.2 metres in height and 24.2 metres in diametre, the hall is supported by immense pillars, symbolizing the four seasons, the 12 months of the year, the 12 time divisions of the day and night, and all the constellations. It is the only existing example of the ancient architectural style of Mingdang.

Address: Tiantan

Burning Stove Temple of Heaven Review

It is an iron stove for burning the offerings. Here area 8 stoves used to burn the offerings placed in front of the tablets of the first 8 generations of the Qing emperors worshipped as the accessory deities.

Address: Temple of Heaven

Pavilion of Cheerful Melodies Forbidden City Review

This pavilion was constructed in 1776 (the 41st year of the Qianlong reign period of the Qing Dynasty). In 1817 (the 22nd year of the Jiaqing reign period), a three-story opera stage, the largest stage in the palace, was added to the pavilion. The pavilion is 20.71 meters high, with a construction area of 685.94 square meters. The upper story of the stage is called happiness Stage; the middle part, Position Stage; and the lower story, Longevity Stage. Longevity Stage has five trapdoors leading to the basement, and three trapdoors in the ceiling, leading to Position Stage. By the trapdoors, there are capstans and wheels, allowing dramatic entrances and exits of supernatural beings, ghosts and demons. During large-scale performances actors and actresses appeared on the three stories at the same time. The stage can hold 1,000 people. This pavilion faces Yue Shi Lou (Pavilion for Reading) to the north. The two words "Chang Yin" signify loud and cheerful sounds.

Address: North of Tiananmen Square

Directions: In the Center of Beijing

Website: http://www.dpm.org.cn/

Pavilion for Bestowing Wine Forbidden City Review

Built in 1776 during the Qing Dynasty, this pavilion is also known as Liu Bei Ting ( Pavilion of Floating Cups) because of the "Ditch of Floating Cups". This pavilion was designed to reflect a scene described in the famous Chinese work Preface to Poems from Orchid Pavilion by Wang Xizhi. An excerpt is quoted here:"Cups flow along the winding water and we appreciate music while watching operas." The ditch in the pavilion is 27 meters long. The water in the ditch comes from a well behind the rockery. Water is fetched from the well, and held in a vessel. The water flows to the ditch from the holes at the bottom of the water vessel and then streams back to the well. To amuse themselves, the emperor and his officials would sit by the ditch composing poems and allow cups of wine to float around in the circulating water. Similar pavilions can also be found in the Zhongnanhai and Yuanmingyuan palace compounds and at the Chengde Summer Resort.

Address: North of Tiananmen Square

Directions: In the Center of Beijing

Website: http://www.dpm.org.cn/