Chloe Christensen

THINGS TO DO IN BEIJING

These places are an ideal part of Beijing. Beijing is a beautiful place that is full of

things to see and do.

The Forbidden City- The forbidden city is a vast complex of halls, temples and

housing which make up the former residence of the ancient emperors.  Also known as the

Imperial Palace, the complex is said to contain 9,999 rooms. The Forbidden City is one of the

world's most famous tourist attractions.

Summer Palace- The summer palace is located in the north west corner of Beijing right next to Beijing University.  Built as a

place of rest and recreation for the emperor of old. It is now open as a public park and is one of the most impressive places to visit in Beijing. Summer Palace has a beautiful lake with a long walkway circling it.  To the one

end is built a series of towers, halls and temples climbing the hillside.  From the

buildings towards the top of the hill you can see the entire lake and its surroundings

Temple of Heaven- The Temple of Heaven is a large park and temple complex situated in more or less the south central area of Beijing. 

Its center piece is a large tower built, it is said, entirely of wood and not using a single

nail. The main features of the park are its breathtaking trees and their inhabitants. The

park also attracts local residents by the thousand each day, who come to practice singing, martial arts, Peking opera, chess,

dancing, and calligraphy.

WE MAKE YOU GO ROUND THE

WORLD!

Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen Square is large open space surrounded on all sides by imposing

official buildings.  It is a popular gathering place for tourists and kite flyers, it is still often used for any big celebration and for the government leaders to address the

people. 

Each lamp post is prepared with an array of speakers which can communicate the speakers message to a crowd in the tens of thousands.  You can visit the square freely until 10.30pm at night.  If you go

during the day you can often buy a ticket to go up to the balcony from which the

leaders address the people.

You must go check out the square at night as well as during the day.  The

atmosphere at night is different again and the square is beautifully lit.  On a cold

winter night with fog is really something.  But don't arrive too late, at 10.30pm the soldiers come and evacuate the whole

thing in minutes and its sealed off for the night.

At sunrise and sunset the flag to the front of the square is raised or lowered by a

squad of army personnel. This in itself is an interesting thing to watch. All the traffic

on the busy Chang An Avenue is halted, around 30 soldiers march very

ceremoniously across the road and the flag is hoisted up, or down the poll. Many people come to watch this, so get there an hour or so before if you want a good view.

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Wait! There’s more!

Beijing Zoo- The Beijing zoo is famous, naturally, for its large selection of pandas.

The Beijing Zoo is located in the north west of Beijing not too far from the

center.  A taxi from the center might cost you somewhere from 20 RMB to 25 RMB.  Taxi is your best bet for getting there, but

you do have the option of taking the subway to Xi Zhi Men station (201) on Line

2 followed by walking 15 to 20 mins or taking a short bus ride.

Wangfujing Street- Wangfujing is now considered the central heart of the city.

The street has two major shopping malls, one of which, Oriental Plaza, sprawls a

further 2 blocks to the east (and another

15 minute walk).  Wangfujing street is

also home to a number of large department stores, souvenir stores, and

whole side streets full of food stalls,

Chinese painting stores and other goodies.

Chinese Phrases To Know:

Hello=Ni hao

How are you?=Ni hao ma?

Good Morning=Zao shang hao

Good Evening=Wan shang hao

Excuse me. May I ask you a question?

Excuse me. May I ask you for directions?

I'd like to go to Tiananmen Square.

How do I get to                               ?Could you give me directions

to                               ?

Thank you.

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

八达岭长城

The Great Wall of China is an ideal travel spot. It happens to be one of the modern wonders of the world. It is one of the few man made structures visible

from space.

From Beijing you can get to a few different pieces of the Great Wall within 2 or 3

hours by bus or car. The Badaling part of the great wall is a fully restored section

which is long enough to make you feel that it is never going end.

The Great Wall has two stopping points where you cannot walk any further. From

the entrance following the route to the tallest point you can see and over to the stopping point takes about 2 hours one

way.

The Great Wall is very hard work. Some sections have steps and railings, other

sections are just gradual steep slopes. Be prepared for extreme temperatures. If you go in summer you will be fried by the sun,

in winter you will have a biting wind, extreme sub-zero temperatures, snow and

ice.