The Great Wall of China

Just as the pyramids are a symbol of Egypt, the Great Wall is a symbol of China. It is one of the world’s cultural heritage sites protected by UNESCO. Its length is 6350 km. It stretches from Jiayuguan Outpost (Gansu Prov.) in the west to Shanhaiguan Outpost (Hebei Prov.) in the east and has a length of 12.7 thousand li (6,350 km). If you combine all sections of the Great Wall in one line, which existed in different epochs from the 7th century BC and ending with the 16th century AD, that is, for more than 2 thousand years, you get a fortification structure with a length of more than 100 thousand li (50,000 km), which is enough to circle the globe along the equator. By the 3rd century AD, the construction of the wall was largely completed. On its surface could move carts and columns of troops. The best preserved section of the wall is located in Badaling, 80 km from Beijing.

Sightseeing tour of Beijing with a visit to Tiananmen Square:

One of the favorite places of rest of citizens is the Square of Heavenly Tranquility - Tiananmen. The area covers 400 thousand square meters and is the largest in the world. She has witnessed many historical events. From here the imperial decrees were proclaimed. The People’s Republic of China was proclaimed on this square. Since then, the Tiananmen tribune has been depicted on the State Emblem of the PRC.

Excursion to the Summer Imperial Palace and the Yunhegong Buddhist Palace:

20 km northwest of the center of Beijing is the huge Summer Imperial Palace - Iheyuan Park - a spacious park ensemble with residential buildings, temples and pavilions stretching along the banks of an artificial lake. The park of serene rest, so the name Iheyuan is translated from Chinese. Of great interest is the Chanlan wooden gallery located here, which is decorated with 1408 colorful landscape paintings.

Temple of Eternal Tranquility Yunhegong:

This is a Lamaist temple, the most majestic sacred building located in the northeastern part of the city. In the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Joys of Vanfuge stands a 23-meter statue of Maitreya Buddha, which is carved from a solid trunk of sandalwood.

Excursion to Peace Park and Zoo:

Beijing Zoo is famous for its large collection of rare animals, especially giant pandas. In the Qing era on the site of the zoo was the garden of one of the members of the imperial family. In 1908, Empress Cixi organized a zoo with an area of 1.4 hectares, where more than 700 animals were brought from Germany. It was the first zoo in the history of China. Beijing Zoo now has more than 5,000 species of 570 animals. The 46.7-hectare World Park is the largest theme park in China. There are 106 replicas of famous architectural monuments of 30 countries in the park.

Valley of 13 tombs of the Ming Dynasty:

50 km north of Beijing, 13 of the 16 emperors of the Ming Dynasty found their eternal refuge in a picturesque area. The Valley of the Tombs (Shisanlin) is the place where the emperors immediately after the accession began to build tombs for themselves. The plating of all 13 tombs is almost the same, and they differ only in size and splendor of decoration. Two restored tombs attract a lot of visitors, and in the vicinity of the remaining tombs you can admire the amazing beauty of the landscapes of the valley.

Park Beihai:

A well-known park complex in China, which served as an imperial garden during the times of Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing. There are several interesting attractions in the park: The circular city, located to the south of here, originated in the Yuan era. In the southern part of the lake is Jade Island, where there is a temple complex and a prominent White Pagoda from afar. On the northern tip of the island you will find the famous restaurant "Fang-shan", opened in 1926 by former court chefs. You can take a ferry to the Five Dragon Pavilion, from the gallery of which the inhabitants of the palace snatched fish. Returning to the shore and turning to the right, you will see the Iron Wall 3.5 m long and 1.9 high - a volcanic monolith with carved relief images of mythical animals. Nearby stands the Nine Dragon Wall. It is somewhat shorter and taller than the eponymous wall in the Imperial Palace and is a one-of-a-kind detached monument lined with tiles on both sides. A little further north from here is the Pavilion of Consciousness, a garden surrounded by a low wall.

The Gugun Imperial Palace:

In the center of the Chinese capital Beijing is the "Purple Forbidden City", now the Gugong Museum, and in the past the residence of Chinese emperors. On four sides, Gugun is surrounded by a fortress wall, which has a height of 10 meters. The entire palace ensemble has the shape of a rectangle, the northern and southern sides of which are 760 meters long, and the western and eastern sides are 960 meters, a total area of 720 thousand square meters, there are 9999 large and small rooms. For more than 500 years, the Forbidden City served as the residence for 24 Chinese emperors (the Ming and Qing dynasties). Today, the Forbidden City has become a museum ("Gugun") that displays household items used by the emperor and his family. In addition, an exhibition of antique products of all dynasties is open.

Tantan Sky Temple:

The temple is the largest altar complex in China. The Temple of Heaven served for prayers and sacrifices in honor of Heaven. It was built over 500 years ago. The Temple of Heaven is twice the size of the Forbidden City. In fact, it was an imperial forest park, where cypresses and other trees were planted on a large territory. On the territory of the Temple of Heaven there is another attraction - the Wall-echo, remarkable in that the sound, repeatedly reflected from its surface, spreads from one end to the other. It is obvious that 500 years ago, Chinese architects possessed the secret of acoustics and skillfully applied it in architectural objects.

Underwater World Oceanarium:

The underwater world is a modern water park, which houses a giant aquarium that emits the underwater world and many small aquariums with various representatives of marine flora and fauna. Inside the large aquarium there is a tunnel with a moving path, standing on which you can watch marine animals and fish. There are shows with dolphins and seals.

Central Television Tower:

The tower is located on the western part of the third ring road. It is a multifunctional modern building. The tower is equipped with an observation deck, which offers a magnificent view of Beijing. There are several additional rooms in the tower: a cinema, a rest room, video games, there is also a restaurant and a souvenir shop.

Shijingshan Amusement Park:

The park, located in the town of Shijingshan, has 40 modern attractions.

Beijing Opera:

Peking Opera was born in 1790, when a provincial troupe gave a performance before Emperor Qianlong on his 80th birthday. The language barrier doesn't matter in Beijing opera - the plots are mostly simple, drawn from mythology and folk art. Characters are not individuals, but types, masks: general, old man, empress, scientist. Silk costumes of the heroes, thick makeup on their faces tells about their character. Mimics, like costumes and colors, play an important role. There are more than 20 types of smiles. Every gesture, every step has a meaning. The performance is a combination of various arts and genres. In addition to singing and dialogue, it has both pantomime and acrobatics. All of this makes a strong impression on foreigners.

Wangfujing Shopping Street:

For shoppers looking to find the best in Beijing, an irreplaceable destination is Wangfujing, the capital’s largest shopping street.

Wangfujing Shopping Street is located in the north of Chang’an Avenue, in the eastern part of Tiananmen Square. Wangfujing is the most famous Chinese shopping street, it gained fame during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644).

In the early 90s of the 20th century, large-scale repair work began here, which ended in 1999. Now Wangfujing has a completely new look. A modern pedestrian street was built with a length of 810 and a width of 12 meters.

Wangfujing is a world of goods. Wangfujin department store, new Dong'an market, East Square, everywhere offers a wide range of clothes, shoes, bedding, toys, cosmetics, home appliances, products. In Wangfujin, there are many special stores: book, watch shops, glasses stores, a photo studio, the largest sports equipment store, a center for trade in applied fine arts.

In addition to shopping, visitors to Wangfujin can get other pleasures: outdoor movies or fashion exhibitions. The picturesque row of trays with snacks and drinks on both sides of the street attracts thousands of gourmets and tourists.

As evening falls, street lamps and neon lamps light up Wangfujing, the Chinese delicacies night market at the north end of the street is revitalized. Here, in front of Chinese and foreign visitors, culinary professionals offer delicious dishes and snacks from different places in China.