Beijing is the capital of China and a city with many interesting places to visit.
It is worth traveling here to see ancient temples, walk along a section of the Great Wall of China, and stroll along hutongs – ancient houses protected by UNESCO. The historical sites contrast here with the work of great modern architects, such as Zaha Hadid. I was in Beijing in January 2024. In this article I will tell you what is definitely worth seeing there.
Navigating Beijing
Beijing has a well-developed public transportation system.
“Google Maps has been out of service since 2010: in China tourists use it, but there is no up-to-date information there. I advise iPhone owners to use the standard Maps app: in it you can plot public transportation routes and see the arrival time of buses.
If you have Android, I recommend downloading the Baidu Map app. It’s used by locals. It’s entirely in Chinese, but if you type in the names of locations in English, the app will show them on the map.
People I know also praise the Maps.me app.
Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen is the main square in Beijing and one of the largest in the world. It is an iconic place for the people of the country: on October 1, 1949, Mao Zedong proclaimed the People’s Republic of China here.
I saw Chinese tourists with suitcases who were filming videos there, taking pictures in traditional outfits, communicating with relatives via video link. There were few people on a weekday in winter – probably more people in summer.
The square is home to some of the city’s main attractions: Mao Zedong’s mausoleum, the National Museum of China and the House of People’s Assembly, the building of the Chinese parliament. Tourists cannot get into it, you can only see it from the outside.
The National Museum of China has more than 620 thousand exhibits that illustrate the history of the state. For example, there is a sacrificial tripod Ding about 3 thousand years old. I will tell about the mausoleum in a separate chapter.
The flag of China flies at Tiananmen. Every day at dawn, a ceremony is held to raise it. Around the center of the square is a 38-meter high monument to the People’s Heroes. It commemorates the revolutionary struggle of the 19th and 20th centuries. In the northern part of the square is the Gate of Heavenly Tranquility, the main entrance to the Forbidden City, the palace complex of Chinese emperors. I will also talk about it in the following chapters.
To enter the square, you need a passport and a ticket to one of the museums there, such as Mao Zedong’s mausoleum or the Forbidden City. Even with a ticket, I had to go through five police checks. Each time they asked me to show my passport and inquired about the purpose of my visit.
Mao Zedong’s Mausoleum
Mao Zedong Mausoleum is a huge complex that consists of several halls. Three on the first floor are open for independent tourists: North, Memorial and South. First get into the North with a marble statue of Mao. Its height is 3.5 meters. In the Memorial Hall there is a coffin made of crystal and granite with the body of Mao Zedong. It is guarded by a guard of honor. The southern hall is the exit.
If you go on an organized tour, you can also go to the second floor. There you will find the Museum of the History of the Revolution and the Communist Party of China. You have to look for guides on your own: the mausoleum does not provide such services. It is not allowed to take photos in the mausoleum. Everyone is searched at the entrance – bags and other items, such as a tripod and umbrella, have to be handed over to the luggage room.
To book a ticket to the mausoleum, you have to authorize on the museum’s website via sms, but it only comes to a Chinese number. I asked in advance to book a slot for acquaintances who live in China. Heard from tourists that hotel staff can help too. It’s better to do it well in advance: slots for the next few days are usually already taken.
You can also book a visit through the mausoleum’s WeChat mini-application – there’s a link to it on the museum’s website next to the authorization block.
Up to 20 thousand people a day are allowed into the mausoleum. Five temporary slots are available, which means that 4 thousand people can enter the mausoleum in each of them. Even if there are only 2 thousand, it’s already a huge line at the entrance. I stood in it for over an hour, so I recommend coming in advance. The queues are divided by the time of visit – there are special signs for this purpose. There are fewer visitors in winter than in spring or summer.
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City is a large palace complex of Chinese emperors. It was the residence of 24 rulers from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty in the 15th-20th centuries. It was named Forbidden City because only a select few, such as the emperor’s servants and family members, could enter it.
In terms of design, the Forbidden City resembles a rectangle almost a kilometer long. It is divided into two parts. The first, the outer courtyard, was used for ceremonial purposes: for example, international negotiations were held there. The emperor invited people to go there. Right behind the outer courtyard is the inner courtyard. Only members of the imperial family could stay there.
There are about a thousand buildings with 10 thousand rooms in the Forbidden City. Only the main ones are accessible to tourists. The most significant buildings are located on the central axis, along which the through tourist route passes. To the right and left of it are servants’ quarters and auxiliary buildings.
Tourists enter the Forbidden City through the Gate of Heavenly Tranquility in Tiananmen Square and find themselves in a courtyard with a small garden. Food trucks are parked there. Then you have to go through another gate, and beyond it is a second courtyard with benches and a small store. There are no further stores or cafes, so I advise you to have a snack beforehand.
In the second courtyard are the ticket office and the entrance directly to the Forbidden City – Umen Gate. Tickets must be booked in advance on the museum’s website – you can’t do it on the same day. You do not need a foreign bank card, only your passport details.
On the day of the visit the ticket is bought at the ticket office. But I was not given a ticket as such: the cashier ran the data through the database and asked me to pay the entrance fee. Before the Umen gate the controller checked my passport number and allowed me to pass. Beyond the Umen Gate, the outer courtyard of the Forbidden City begins with three one-story buildings – they are called halls.
The main structure and the largest building in the entire palace complex is the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Here the emperors discussed state affairs and held ceremonies. The halls of Central, or Full, Harmony and Preserving Harmony were used for preparation for ceremonies. You cannot go inside, but you can look through the open doors.
In the inner courtyard, there are also three halls – Heavenly Purity, Unification and Peace, and Earthly Tranquility. They are not as large as those in the outer courtyard. They were used in different ways. For example, at one time the Hall of Earthly Tranquility was the residence of the Empress, and under another ruler, ceremonies were held there.
Beyond the halls of the courtyard is a small Imperial Garden with trees and other plants.
The design and layout of the Forbidden City buildings refer to the philosophical and religious principles of ancient China. For example, the main halls of the outer and inner courtyards are arranged in groups of three. This is the format of the Qian trigram, symbolizing the sky. The roofs of the building are painted yellow, the color of the emperor. The buildings themselves are red. This color means happiness, among other things.
Because of the identical colors, the buildings in the Forbidden City seem to copy each other. But if you look at the details, you will notice different wood carvings and other differences. In addition to thrones, there are vases in the halls, and some have paintings on the walls.
I advise you to set aside at least three hours to visit the Forbidden City, and it is better to come in the morning, when there are fewer people. Before visiting the Forbidden City, you should watch Bernardo Bertolucci’s movie The Last Emperor, which is set in the Forbidden City.
Great Wall of China
It’s hard to imagine traveling around the country without visiting the Great Wall of China – it’s one of the modern wonders of the world. Walking along it left me with the most vivid impression of my trip.
It is a 21,200 km long complex of defense structures. The brick wall has different heights in different places – from 7 to 10 meters. There are several restored sections near Beijing, one of the most accessible is Badaling. It is divided into northern and southern parts.
There are observation towers on the wall, 21 of them on the Badalin section. It is possible to move along the top of the wall, its width is about 5 meters. But it is not easy to walk: there are stairs, descents and ascents on the way.
The stairs for climbing the wall are located in the center of the site. It is also possible to take the cable car. A round-trip ticket in January 2024 cost ¥140, just upstairs it cost ¥100. You can buy on Trip.comin advance , but the price is higher there because of the middleman’s commission. The top station of the cable car is near the eighth tower on the northern part of the site.
The northern section is the most interesting and picturesque: it offers views of the mountains, other towers and the long wall. Almost all photos of Badalin that are posted on the Internet are from this section.
It’s usually the most crowded, but unless you’re an active athlete, the northern section can be almost insurmountable. Some of the staircases there are almost vertical. As I walked from the middle of the wall to the eighth tower, the constant going up and down made my legs weak. It was comparable to jogging 12 kilometers at an easy pace.
From the eighth tower, the most difficult part of the journey began: I had to climb very steep stairs or walk up or down. Sometimes I even stopped to catch my breath.
According to my observations, less than half of the tourists reach the twelfth north tower. At one point I was alone on the wall. It is impossible to go further than the twelfth tower, but it is there that the most picturesque views open up: of other sections of the wall and the mountains.
On the way back I noticed that there were more people on the wall. I think it’s because I arrived at ten in the morning, and most tourists get here closer to lunchtime. So I advise you to get here early. I also recommend not to take a lot of things with you: it is more difficult to go up with them. But you should take water: there is a store on the wall only in the area of the fifth northern tower. It’s worth wearing comfortable shoes and layered clothes so that you can take off the excess.
The southern section is less scenic. There are no beautiful views there, the scenery is neutral. But this section is not so difficult. I advise to go there for those who are not sure of their physical strength and want to find out how the body can cope with such a load.
You can get to Badaling Station by bus or train. Bus No. 877 leaves from Deshengmen Tower, and the nearest subway station is Jishuitan. There are signs at the subway exit. The bus goes to the wall without stopping, travel time is one hour. Bus No. 919 runs from the same tower to the wall, but with stops; travel time is several hours.
Trains depart from Beijing North stationsand Qinghe . Tickets can be purchased through Trip.com or on the spot. Be prepared for queues at ticket offices and to board the train.
There is a free bus from Badaling train station to the wall, but it is usually crowded. It takes 25 minutes on foot.
Summer Palace
The Summer Palace, or Yiheyuan, is a palace complex with a 297-hectare park and the Emperor’s residence. There are gardens, lakes, bridges, pavilions and places for strolling.
There are many benches on the territory, there is no noise from passing cars. The main routes are along the lake or among the trees. The main attractions are Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill, where the main building of the residence is located.
In summer they rent boats on the lake, and in winter they rent sleds and bicycles, which have blades like ice skates in addition to tires – I’ve never seen them anywhere. I went sledding on the frozen lake. It was very beautiful: there was only ice around, and a palace on one of the shores.
There are other interesting places in the park, such as the Seventeen Arches Bridge or the Buddhist Incense Tower. There is an extra charge for admission to some attractions. You can buy a combination ticket for ¥50 in winter or ¥60 in summer. It includes admission to the park itself and all paid places.
Temple of Heaven
It is an ancient temple complex with several buildings. Unesco considers it a masterpiece of traditional Chinese architecture and landscape design. According to the organization, its design has had a strong influence on the architecture of the Far East for many centuries.
The Temple of Heaven symbolizes the relationship between earth and heaven – the worlds of humans and god. Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties worshipped the sky in it and prayed for great harvests. I overheard the guide’s tour: the emperor was believed to be of divine origin, so only he could address the sky directly.
The complex is located in a large park “Tiantan”, where it is pleasant to walk among pine trees. All the main buildings are located in the middle of the park. The main place is the round temple of Prayer for a Rich Harvest. Its courtyard is surrounded by a wall of Echoes. It is believed that if someone speaks in a whisper on one side of the wall, they will be heard on the other. But I haven’t checked. Next to the main temple are the Hall of the Vault of Heaven and the Altar of Heaven. They were used for other prayers and ceremonies.
There are several entrances to Tiantan Park. It is better to enter through one and exit through another – for example, walk from north to south. This way, you can see all the sights and repeat the way the emperors of China walked.
Lama Temple
Lama Temple is the unofficial name of the current Buddhist temple complex and Yunhegong Monastery. It is one of the largest Buddhist monasteries in the world and one of the main historical monuments in Beijing. There are queues for tickets and entrance.
There are several pavilions within Yunhegong. Like the Forbidden City, you have to walk through it, from one courtyard to another. From the entrance to the compound, a small alley begins, where only emperors used to walk. There the temple staff gives guests a set of sticks. With them they go to the gate of Harmony and Peace, where there are candles. There they light the sticks and then pray with them. I advise you to be careful that other people do not hit you with smoldering sticks.
Beyond the gate is one of the main halls of the temple, Harmony and Peace. There are three statues on the central altar: the Buddha of the present, the past and the future. I read in guidebooks that seven treasures are kept in front of the altar: gold, silver, jade, pearls, seashells, diamond and jadeite. But I was not able to see what they were: there were many people in the hall, so I did not make my way through the crowd.
Behind the Hall of Harmony and Peace is another significant hall, the Wheels of Law. There stands a six-meter statue of Tsongkhapa. Photography is forbidden in all the halls. The monks keep an eye on it, but I cautiously took a few shots.
Confucius Temple
The temple complex dedicated to China’s ancient thinker and philosopher is a ten-minute walk from the Lama Temple. It consists of four courtyards arranged on a central axis, as in the Forbidden City. Around the perimeter of the first courtyard are 198 stone tablets with 51,000 names inscribed on them. These are people who passed the state examinations in imperial China for the highest degree during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.
There is nothing special in the other courtyards – it’s just nice to walk there, to sit on benches. When I visited, there were few tourists. If at the Lama Temple I stood in queues several times, at the Confucius Temple I was the only visitor in the remote corners.
There is a small store on the grounds where you can buy souvenirs with the theme of the temple. But the prices are high: for example, a magnet costs about ¥100.
Nanyloguxiang Lane
Nanloguxiang is a street that runs through one of the most popular and oldest Hutong neighborhoods. There you can feel the spirit of old Beijing, when there were no high-rise buildings in the city and people lived very modestly. The houses are located very close to each other, they have no adjoining areas. Some of them are still inhabited by people.
It is a tourist place with many stores. There you buy fans, clothes, shoes, cosmetics. There are also themed ones – for example, a store dedicated to the cartoon “Tom and Jerry”. It offers soft toys with the cat and the mouse, mugs, magnets, clothes. I also saw a store where they sell hats with glowing ears that rise up.
There are many cafes and food stalls in the alley. The menu in the stalls was only in Chinese, so I didn’t buy anything.
Wangfujing Street
It is one of the most famous shopping streets in Beijing. It has stores of popular brands such as Apple, Nike, Adidas, Cartier, New Balance, Xiaomi and others. There are also many shopping centers here.
Most of the street is pedestrianized. There is an alley where you can try all sorts of Chinese snacks. But it smelled so foul that it made me uncomfortable.
Qianmen Street
Another famous pedestrian street in China. It is a historic street that was opened after a long renovation before the 2008 Olympic Games. It conveys to some extent the atmosphere of ancient China: this is expressed in the traditional facade of historic buildings.
There are many small cafes and top restaurants. There are Michelin-starred places, such as La Maison Xun.
From Qianmen Street, you can turn off into atmospheric alleys with Chinese lanterns. There are cafes and more simple stores.
Galaxy Soho office and shopping complex
There are several buildings in China designed by the famous architect Zaha Hadid. One of them is the 18-storey huge futuristic complex Galaxy Soho. The peculiarity of its architecture is the almost complete absence of sharp corners and straight lines. It resembles a spaceship and attracts photographers from all over the world.
The building of the complex consists of four elliptical towers connected by passages. You can enter any of them. Most of the pavilions are occupied by offices, sports organizations or cafes. There is no point in coming here for shopping: there are not so many stores. You can also go up to the upper floors – there are restaurants with a panoramic view of the city.
I liked the interior of the building: it’s very spacious inside and lots of light because of the glassed-in roof
Olympic Park
This is the main complex of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Some of the venues were also used for the Winter Olympics-2022. The main building of the complex is the Bird’s Nest stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games were held. By design, it really resembles a nest of branches. You can go there on a guided tour for 100 ¥.
Other interesting sites include the Beijing National Aquatics Center, which from the outside resembles a crystal lattice of water bubbles, and the futuristic Olympic Tower. It has five circular roofs symbolizing the Olympic rings. The tower was built after the 2008 Games.
There are stores selling souvenirs on the theme of the Olympics in the park. But the choice is small: mugs, magnets and soft toys. Further on there is the Olympic Forest Park. There you can also take a walk, sit on benches or on the grass.
