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BEIJING
ATTRACTIONS
Beijing City is an independently administered municipal district
located in the northeastern part of China at an elevation of 143 feet
above sea level. Beijing has a continental climate. January is the
coldest month with an average temperature of 24 degrees Fahrenheit. At
an average temperature of 79 degrees Fahrenheit, July is the warmest.
The best time to visit Beijing is May, September and October.
Beijing has a long
history. As early as 500,000 years ago, ancient "Peking Man" lived at
Zhoukoudian 30 miles southwest of Beijing. King Wu was the first to
declare Beijing the capital city in 1057 B.C. Established in 1045
B.C., Beijing is an ancient cultural city, serving for 800 years as
the capital of the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.
Beijing was also known as Peking by the Western world before 1949. In
the early nineteen twenties, Beijing became the cradle of China's new
democratic revolution. The May Fourth Movement against imperialism and
feudalism began in 1919. On October 1st, 1949, Chairman Mao announced
to the world the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Beijing is also known as a tourist city for its many places of
interest, including ancient architecture, royal gardens, mansions,
towers, temples, palaces, and modern structures. It is a gathering
place of artists and other talented people.
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The Great Wall
The Great Wall is a symbol of the ancient Chinese
civilization. Stretching 3,950 miles, The Great Wall was built as a
defensive structure. It is listed in the United Nation's Education,
Science and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) World Heritage List in
1987. The best preserved and most imposing section of the wall is at
Badaling, 50 miles north of Beijing and over 2,625 feet above sea level,
but the magnitude and beauty of the wall can also be seen at Jinshanling,
Mutianyu, and Simatai.
The Construction of the Great Wall first began during the warring period
of 476 - 221 B.C. In the beginning walls were built at some strategic
points by different kingdoms to protect their own territories. After the
first Emperor Qin Shihuang of the Qin Dynasty unified China in 221 B.C.,
he decided to have the individual walls joined together creating one
Great Wall. It took more than 1 million people and more than 10 years to
finish the work. |
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Forbidden City
The Forbidden City is also known as the Palace
Museum. It is the largest and most well preserved imperial residence in
China today. Located in the center of Beijing, The Forbidden City was
built between 1406 and 1420 under Ming Emperor Yongle, and served as the
imperial palace for the Ming and Qing dynasties. Ming Emperor Zhudi was
the first emperor to live there. It is 3,150 feet long from north to
south and 2,460 feet wide from east to west. It has 9,900 rooms and
halls containing many precious relics. A 170-foot wide moat encircles
the Forbidden City along with 32-foot high walls. There are four
entrances, the Meridian Gate to the south, the Shenwu Gate (Gate of
Military Prowess) to the north, the Xihua Gate (Western Flowery Gate) to
the west, and the Donghua Gate (Eastern Flowery Gate) to the east.
The word "forbidden" is quite literal, as the imperial palace was
heavily guarded and off-limits to ordinary people. As the residence for
emperors and their families, most of the walls of the imperial palace
were painted red and roofs were covered with yellow glazed tiles. The
red and yellow combination forms a strong color contrast, representing
the absolute authority, supremacy, and richness of feudal emperors. In
1987, UNESCO also listed the Forbidden City in the World Heritage List.
It is the largest palace in the world. |
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The Ming Tombs
The Ming Dynasty
lasted from 1368 to 1644. The Ming Tombs are a group of mausoleums of
13 Ming emperors, their empresses and their concubines. The tombs are
located about 31 miles north of Beijing and are scattered across an
area of 25 square miles. Two of the tombs, Changling and the most
famous, Dingling, an underground palace, are open to the public. |
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Tian'anmen Square
Tian'anmen was
built in 1417 and renovated in 1981; it was the symbol of New China.
On October 1, 1949, Chairman Mao at Tian'anmen Square proclaimed the
founding of the People's Republic of China. Located in the center of
Beijing, it is the largest city square in the world. It covers an area
of 122 acres and is big enough to hold a half million people.
Tian'anmen (the Gate of Heavenly Peace) was the front gateway to the
imperial palace in the Ming and Qing dynasties. A picture of
Tian'anmen is at the center of the Chinese national emblem. |
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The Temple of Heaven
The Temple of
Heaven was built in 1420 during the reign of Emperor Yongle of the
Ming Dynasty, and is located in the southern part of the city. It was
the place where emperors of the Ming and Qing would pray to heaven for
good harvests. It was one of the most strictly protected and preserved
cultural heritages of China. It is the largest temple complex in China
with 12 million people visiting the temple every year. |
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The Summer Palace
The Summer Palace
was a grand imperial palace and a royal garden of the Qing Dynasty.
Construction began in 1750, and today remains an outstanding example
of imperial gardens in classical Chinese style. The Summer Palace
contains tens of thousands of precious cultural relics. This imperial
garden features 3,000 rooms and covers an expanse of 17.3 acres, with
more than 100 picturesque sites of interest. |
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Beijing Zoo
Built in 1906 and
opened to the public in 1908, The Beijing Zoo is the oldest zoo in
China, and covers an area of approximately 124 acres. The zoo's
residents consist of more than 6,000 animals of over 500 species
including giant pandas, golden monkeys, and brown bears. The zoo also
houses many rare animals from other parts of the world: hippopotami,
zebras, giraffes, chimpanzees, lions and antelopes from Africa,
parrots from South America, birds and polar bears from the Arctic,
bison from Europe and apes from Asia. |
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Information Provided by
China National
Tourism Office |
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