Что посмотреть в Beijing

China's last imperial palace occupies the centre of Beijing. All visitors must enter through the Meridian Gate from Tiananmen Square to the south; exit is via the north or east gates. Get there at opening time if you want to walk through the vast and spectacular courtyards in relative peace.…

Form the Outer Court, the central section of the Inner Palace is accessed through the Gate of Heavenly Purity. The Inner Palace, like the Outer Court, is centred on three main buildings. The grandest, the Palace of Heavenly Purity (L) was designed to house the Emperor's bed chamber, but later became a throne room where the Emperor held court with his ministers.…

A beautiful ancient mountain village. It is very small, only around 70 traditional court yards. It is renovated nicely and seems rather authentic. Go in the weekdays if you want peace and quiet, as many Chinese tourist from Beijing are said to go there in the weekends. In the summer months the climate is nicer than in Beijing because of the cooler mountain air.…

Beijing Dadu Museum of Art, a high-profile institution in the public interest, was built with the strong support and assistance of the Beijing Culture & Art Foundation and China Oil Painting Society. The museum has opened to the public since 2013 after 04 years of construction.…

Far south east of Qianmen and the Tiananmen Square and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Not only a beautiful sight, but also surrounded by a vast public park popular with local residents practicing tai chi, dancing, and so on in the mornings and on weekends. Home to many ancient trees, this is also the greenest place in Beijing.…

(They do have pandas but displays aren't as good as other places in China, such as the Panda Breeding Centre in Chengdu, Sichuan Province). The animals are kept in very small cages in which they pace to and fro in sheer restlessness and desperation. The lion and tiger building is particularly disappointing, housing a collection of large felines in concrete cages without any natural habitation.…

This is one of the grandest temple complexes in Beijing, often forgotten by visitors keen to get to or from the nearby Forbidden City. The temple complex is located to the east of the ceremonial way leading from Tiananmen Square to Meridian Gate. This was where the Emperor performed rites to honour his own ancestors.…

A palace in itself with its own "Outer Court", "Inner Palace" and "Imperial Garden", this complex (O) was designed for the Qianlong Emperor to enjoy his retirement after abdication - but he was too busy giving his son instructions on government to ever use it. Look for the glaze-tiled Nine Dragon Screen in front of the main entrance.…

Built in the 18th and early 19th centuries, these gardens were home to the emperors and Qing court. They were looted and destroyed in 1860 on the orders of Lord Elgin, head of an Anglo-French expedition to Beijing (the French protested the order but made sure to get their share of the loot) and have never been restored. Many see this as yet another example of the evils of imperialism.…

Tsinghua university is essentially a tiny city. Walls separate the university from the city outside, and most of the students, staff and faculty live in the campus. The campus was part of the Old Summer Palace and there are lots of greens and a lake.…

Extensive gardens and palaces constructed by the Qing emperors, currently a UNESCO World Heritage site. In 1860, foreign soldiers damaged much of what was then known as the "Garden of Clear Ripples", but the area would be rebuilt and renamed by the Empress Dowager Cixi, using funds intended for modernizing the Qing navy. To arrive, take the 4 subway to Beigongmen.…

The body of the founder of the People's Republic of China, Mao Zedong, has been preserved (against his own wishes) and is on display in here. Expect huge, but moving, queues. No bags, cameras or water bottles are allowed inside and must be dropped off (for a fee) at the bag-check building across the road to the east (mobile phones are permitted).…

The imposing set of buildings designed to be the ceremonial centre of the palace. Visitors enter through Meridian Gate (A), the imposing main gate with unique protruding side wings, followed by the Gate of Supreme Harmony (F), where the Emperor sometimes held court.…

This abandoned, overgrown Baroque Revival complex, dating to the early 20th century, has acquired an international reputation as the best-known allegedly haunted house in China. According to residents of the nearby hutongs, even the Red Guards moved out after a few days, supposedly scared off by the ghost of a Kuomintang officer's mistress who hanged herself when he fled to Taiwan without her.…

The "Five Pagoda Temple" is the popular name of the Diamond-Throne Tower that is at the heart of the Temple of the Great Righteous Awakening (大真觉寺 Dàzhēnjiào Sì). Most of the wooden temple was burnt down in 1860 and 1900, but the beautiful brick and marble Diamond-Throne Tower, which dates back to the late fifteenth century, survived.…

The Drum Tower was built in 1272 and moved to a new location in 1800. The Bell Tower was built around 1700. Originally, the towers were used to play music and later on to tell Beijingers the time. Now they house a 63-ton ancient copper bell and a number of ancient/replica drums.…

Park situated at the historic place where the Grand Canal strecting from Hangzhou to Beijing ended. Great place for a walk along the river and for showing your kite flying skills. The park also comprises playing grounds, cafés and a small restaurant primarily serving barbeque. Under the bridge you can roller skate during the day and dance in the evening.…

Tian'anmen Gate, and its large portrait of Chairman Mao, dominates the northern end of the square. This was originally the main gate into the Imperial City, and is the only one of the four gates that still survives. Pass beneath the gate to head north toward the Forbidden City.…

The park contains the Temple of the Sun with an altar built in 1530 and used for sacrifices to the sun. Great park with entertainment for the children, good cafés and restaurants, plenty of local life to watch and also historical stuff. The altar itself is a round open space popular for flying kites.…

The legation quarter was once, as its name suggests, home to Beijing's many foreign diplomatic missions. During the 1900 Boxer Rebellion, the diplomats and Chinese Christians who sought their protection held out here until a 55-day siege was broken by foreign forces coming over the city walls. The embassies have since moved to larger quarters elsewhere, but the buildings remain.…

This reservoir began construction on October 1973 and was completed in 1981, when agricultural irrigation and power generation began. Cruise tickets are available for ¥60/person that take in sights along the water including Coronet Island, a small mountain surrounded by water, and the mountain Zhongshan which looks like a big clock in the water from every angle.…

Jingshan is another former imperial garden with some imperial garden architecture. A popular next stop after leaving the Forbidden City from the north gate, this 23-hectare (57-acre) park is built around Jingshan, the artificial hill created with the soil dug to build the Forbidden City's moat. Literally meaning "Prospect Hill", it is also variously known as Coal Hill or Feng Shui Hill.…

This is the largest Buddhist temple in northern China and was built in 378. The temple has been quite important for centuries and has functioned both as temple and monastery. It is beautifully located next to the Hongluo Mountains, which you can climb or reach by cable car. The temple grounds are big, covering almost 800 hectares.…

The temple was built by Chinese emperors who harbored a deep fascination for the Tibetan (Tantric) version of Buddhism. Over the years, many Tibetan and Mongolian monks lived and taught here, and some are still in residence today. The temple is famous for its 18m (60 ft) statue of Maitreya Buddha carved from a single piece of sandalwood.…

A former hangout for literati, while most other Beijing parks were for imperial families only. The park has a total area of 240,000 m2 with water area accounting for 69,000 m2. The park is a mixture of ancient construction styles and modern park design. It was built in 1952. Taoran Pavilion (one of the four most important in Beijing) build in 1695 and some tombs are located in the park.…

Also known as the "Bird's Nest" (鸟巢 Niǎocháo), this stadium, designed by Herzog & Meuron, is the world's largest steel structure. It hosted opening and closing ceremonies, as well as athletic and football matches during the olympics. It was planned to host football matches after the Olympics, but due to few expected spectators the football club backed out of the agreement.…

Beihai is a former imperial garden centred on a lake with interesting religious and garden architecture. There's a big island and white pagoda which was built in the 17th century. The giant buildings westward outside are PRC's Ministry of Defence and General Staff, which, to be honest, ruin the scene of the west bank. On the north bank, you can visit some small but beautiful gardens.…

This mini-palace (J) was variously used as the Crown Prince's court and an imperial Confucian lecture hall. It now houses the Palace Museum's porcelain and ceramics gallery. The gallery's exhibits trace through the development of Chinese porcelain, and includes items from the large imperial collection held by the Palace Museum.…

The academy was the highest level college and location of examinations for the civil service in Imperial China. Very much related to the neighbouring Confucius Temple in that the studies and exams were conducted in the Confucian tradition. Displays documenting the history of the imperial exams system and the lives of students. Pleasant courtyard, slightly quieter than that of the temple.…

A village with 100-200 traditional court yards, which are in the process of being renovated in a nice and authentic way (June 2009). Baiyu is still rather unexplored, but it has plenty of guesthouses to sleep and eat in. Quality is good, prices low, the scenery is beautiful and the people friendly.…

Beijing's city wall was built around 1435. It stretched for 23.5km with one part running where Metro Line Two is now (inner city wall) and one part running where the southern part of Ring Road Two is now. Since 1949 (and especially around 1965), most was torn down to make room for Ring Road Two, Metro Line Two and Tiananmen. Now only 1.5km remains behind Beijing Station.…

This Buddhist temple was built in 645 and rebuilt in 1436-1449, which makes it the oldest existing in Beijing. Now, it is the site of the Chinese Buddhist Academy and the exhibition center for Buddhist cultural relics, and is also an important institution training young monks and Buddhism research. The temple covers 6,700 square meters.…

The temple was built in 1302 and honors Confucius (孔子; Kǒngzi; 551-479 BC) who was one of China's greatest thinkers, still with significant influence on all aspects of daily life. The pavilions along either side have displays about Confucius and the history of Confucianism The courtyard is a pleasant place to relax or watch art students practice sketching.…

A part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties". This is the final resting place of 13 of the 16 emperors the Ming Dynasty. The largest and most impressive of them is Changling (长陵), the tomb of Emperor Yongle (永乐皇帝), the 3rd emperor of the Ming Dynasty.…

The Palace's main garden is among the smallest of Beijing's imperial gardens, but the emperors have managed to pack a lot of pavilions, ponds, trees and ornamental rocks into the space. It would be a nice place to relax after your tour of the Forbidden City, if it weren't packed with thousands of tourists with exactly the same idea.…

Also known as the "Water Cube" (水立方 Shǔilìfāng) Swimming and diving venue. Tickets to visit the inside of the Water Cube are sold throughout the day. The ticket office is inconveniently located by the tour bus parking lot at the northwest corner of the building (which is a fair hike from the building entrance at the southeast corner, facing the stadium).…

Originally a shrine for making offerings to ancestors, this set of buildings on the eastern side of the Inner Palace now houses the Palace Museum's clocks display, the major portion of which are elaborate European-style mechanical clocks - including a calligraphy-writing automaton! Demonstrations are held at 11:00 and 14:00, where some of the fanciest clocks in the collections are put on show.…

Somewhat ironically, this set of buildings (H) built to celebrate military valour now houses the Palace Museum's paintings and calligraphy gallery. Works from the Palace Museum's extensive collection are rotated through the gallery and changed every few months.…

Located west of the ceremonial way leading from Tiananmen Square to Meridian Gate in a mirrored position to the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the Emperor came to this altar to venerate the land of his empire, rather than his family. The park surrounding the temple is called Zhongshan Park.…

The largest park in Beijing at 3km by 1.5km. The park features an artificial beach, two large swimming pools, a bungee jumping tower, boat rental, concert stages, sports areas, a number of amusement park rides, flower areas and much more.…

This former imperial garden centred on two lakes is now the headquarters of China's government and ruling party. The compound is no longer open to the public, but you can take a photo in front of the distinctive south gate and revolutionary slogans fronting West Chang'an Avenue.…

Dating back to the late 1100s and spanning the Yongding River, the Lugou Bridge is both architecturally and historically important. Noted by Marco Polo in the 13th century as a "very fine stone bridge" it came to be known in the West as simply the Marco Polo Bridge.…

A great place to read the official Chinese version of what happened in Chinese military history, from ancient times up to 1949. There are also airplanes, boats, guns, missiles, rockets and vehicles on display (including U.S. military hardware evidently seized during the Korean conflict).…

Steps away from the east gate of Fragrant Hill. Acres of greenery and flowers for those tired of urban smog and traffic noise. Sir Johnston, teacher of the last emperor Puyi, had a villa in Cherry Glen, a silent and beautiful retreat in the Gardens.…

Though not as popular and well-visited as Tanzhe Temple, this smaller Buddhist temple is definitely worth a visit. It was originally built about 1400 years ago, but its most famous features have been added later during Ming and Qing dynasties.…

One of the larger parks in Beijing, this is centered around three lakes. As the name indicates, there is an outstanding variety of bamboo groves here. A superb place for a stroll and, since it's a favorite spot for locals to relax and exercise, a splendid opportunity to get away from the tourist draws and experience or…

Lu Xun (1881-1936) was one of the first and most influential modern Chinese writers. He is most famous for "The True Story of Ah Q". The museum consist of Lu Xun's former residence as well as an exhibition hall with exhibits of Lu Xun's personal effects, originals and copies of his works and also exhibits not dirictly …

A Ming-era defensive fortress next to the Lugou Bridge. Shell-holes made in the 1937 Japanese attack are still visible. Take subway line 14 to Dawayao. Then walk 500m south on the Jing-Shi Expressway side road (stay on the west side of the expressway).…

Famous Mosque build in 996 and the oldest and largest of the mosques in Beijing. Structured as a traditional Chinese palace, but also uses typical Arabic decoration with a lot of red colour. A must see if staying for more than a few days.…

Buddhist temple built around 1460. Burned down in 1934 and was rebuilt in 1952 and further renovated in 1972. It is supposed to look as it did originally, but it does not really look old.…

A cenotaph with round-the-clock honor guard commemorating the PRC's veterans and war dead. Illuminated at night. Usually blocked off unless there is an important ceremony or visitors, but even then only those participating can go to the base of the cenotaph. However, you can usually get close enough to take pictures.

The Imperial City was the Manchu city that surrounded the Forbidden City during the Qing dynasty. The museum's centrepiece is a scale model of the Forbidden & Imperial Cities. There are also displays on lifestyle, costumes, arts & crafts of the Qing imperial city. Occasionally hosts special exhibits that cost extra.

Xu Beihong (1895-1953) was one of the first and most influential modern Chinese painters. He used both Chinese and Western techniques and is most famous for traditional painting of running horses. The museum exhibits a large number of his own works as well as his large collection of other artists' works.

Juyongguan Pass, also known as Juyongguan in Chinese, is located 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Changping County, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Beijing. It is a renowned pass of the Great Wall of China. Enlisted in the World Heritage Directory in 1987, it is a national cultural protection unit.

Opened in 1993, this park, as seen in Jia Zhangke's film The World, contains large-scale replicas of famous buildings around the world (including Manhattan's destroyed World Trade Center towers). There are also song-and-dance shows and acrobatic displays. Next to Dabaotai subway stop, Fangshan Line)

A good place for weekend outings and picnics. Formerly a Qing imperial garden, today Fragrant Hills makes an easy short climb in the suburbs of Beijing. It's also home to the Fragrant Hills Hotel, designed by noted architect I.M. Pei (Louvre Museum Pyramid). Take buses 331, 360 or 634 to the last stop.

Also known as the Temple of Awakening Life (觉生寺 Juéshēng Sì). Home to the fifteenth-century Yongle Great Bell which, at 6.94m tall 46.5 tons, is the largest bell in China. The 227,000 Chinese characters inscribed on it spell out Buddhist sutras. Subway Line 13 to Dazhongsi, and then walk 400m west.

Red Gate was founded in 1991 by Australian Brian Wallace. The gallery exhibits work by contemporary Chinese artists reflecting China's changing society in relation to daily life, gender, population, and the environment. The media are traditional Chinese painting, collage, lithographs and oil painting.

Covering a planned area of 162.59 hectare and a floor area of 32,000 square meters, Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park is designated as the venue for rowing, canoeing and marathon swimming competitions of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, and also rowing events during the Beijing Paralympics.

Buddhist temple built in 1443. One of the largest, oldest and best preserved wooden structures in Beijing. Houses the Ancient Music Center, which now and then gives concerts played by monks according to ancient traditions. Also houses the Beijing Cultural Exchange Museum. Recently renovated.