1. Forbidden City ( the Imperial Palace )
The Forbidden City was the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties lived and ruled. Now it is open to the public as a museum where people can see the great traditional architecture, enjoy the treasures kept in the palace, and learn legends and anecdotes about the imperial families and their court.

2. Tiananmen Square
The Tian’anmen Square is the center of Beijing and the largest and most famous square in the world.

3. Great Wall
The Great Wall is famous for its length and the difficulties of its construction. It stretches about 5,000 kilometers from Shanhaiguan in the east to the Jiayuguan in the west. Used for defense in ancient times, it is now one of the few objects on earth visible from space. Some sections that have been renovated and are opened to public in north Beijing are Badaling, Mutianyu, Jinshanling and Simatai.

4. Summer Palace ( Yiheyuan )
This man-made park, with its large lake and high hills, was built in the 1700′s.

5. Temple of Heaven ( Tiantan )
The Temple of Heaven Park is a large park in southeast of Beijing. It was once an imperial place of worship.Emperors worshipped at this Temple.

6. Ming Tombs ( 13 tombs in Ming Dynasty )
Most emperors in Imperial China spent exorbitant sums on the construction of their tombs. The Ming dynasty tombs are to the northwest of Beijing and the Qing tombs to the east and southwest of Beijing. They are a considerable distance from the city. Most tourists find it better to join a tour. Usually, people visit the Ming Tombs and the Badaling Great Wall on the same day because they are close to each other.

7. Hutong Pedicab Tour ( Shichahai Area )
Shichahai is one of the best places to view well-preserved hutong and siheyuan. Visiting hutong by pedicab is a popular activity for visitors from China and abroad.

8. Lama Temple ( Yonghegong )
Yonghegong was originally the residence of Qing Emperor Yongzheng before he ascended the throne. After he entered the Forbidden City to be the emperor, he converted it to a lamasery. A lamasery is a temple for lamas and is similar in style and decoration to the Buddist temples of Tibet.

9. Beihai Park ( Winter Palace )
Beihai, once an Imperial Palace, is now a public park that attracts many visitors. Try boating in the North Sea or make reservations for a meal at FangShan, a popular restaurant located right in the park.

10. Beijing Capital Museum
The Temple of Confucius was initially built in 1302 and additions were made during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It has a total area of 22,000 square meters (5.4 acres). It is the second largest temple constructed for Confucius, the greatest thinker and educationalist in ancient China, ranking only behind the Temple of Confucius in Qufu, Shandong Province.

Beijing Travel Guide

According to a Chinese saying, no visit to Beijing is complete if you miss seeing the Great Wall or dining on Beijing (or Peking) Roast Duck. The best seasons to eat it are spring, autumn and winter. The hot roast duck will be brought to the dining table by the chef where he will slice it into more than 100 thin flakes, each having its piece of crispy skin.

Instant-boiled mutton, in Chinese called “suan yang rou”, also called the Mongolian Fire Pot, was created in the Yuan Dynasty. The chosen mutton ususally come from the back, rear legs or tail of a killed sheep. It will then be cut into slices. The boiled mutton is fresh and tender, not greasy.

Rice Balls with Sweet Fillings, in Chinese called “Aiwowo”, is first appeared in the Yuan Dynasty. It is a small round pastry made from steamed glutinous rice, with different stuffing, such as hawthorn cake, rock sugar powder, sesame, green plum fruit, or mashed Chinese jujube. It were then well received by the imperial families in the Ming Dynasty. Now it is one of Beijing’s popular snacks.

Pea flour cake, in Chinese called “Wan Dou Huang” was originally a kind of dim sun made of pea flour and later became a favorite in the imperial kitchen. It was said that Dowager Empress Ci Xi liked it for its soft taste. The smashed pea pastes are added to sugar and sweet-scented osmanthus and to be served when cooled. The finished cake is cut into two-inch cubic pieces and served with red sweet dates. It has a pleasing appearance and good taste.

This rice-flour cake with yellow appearance in Chinese is called “ludagun”, if direct translated into English, called Rolling Donkey. The name is quite interesting, it describes the way the dumplings rolling in, while the fried soybean flour resembles a donkey rolling about in dust. It is a traditional Beijing snack. First the steamed glutinous millet or sticky rice dumplings are put into fried soybean flour and then added to the sweetened bean paste. Good ones should taste sweet and sticky.

Beijing Travel Guide