There are a lot of tourist attractions in China, among which Beijing is definitely known as a place for everyone to visit. Below we summarize the top ten tourist attractions in Beijing, which is definitely helpful for those who are not familiar with the place, to come together to see the list of tourist attractions in Beijing.
1. Summer Palace
The Summer Palace, located in Haidian District, Beijing, is one of the largest and best-preserved royal gardens in China, and is known as the “Royal Garden Museum”. Based on Kunming Lake and Wanshoushan Mountain, the Summer Palace draws on the design techniques of Jiangnan gardens, and is a large landscape garden integrating lakes, palaces and gardens. Inside the garden, there are famous attractions such as Buddha’s Fragrant Pavilion, Promenade, Stone Boat, Suzhou Street, Seventeen-hole Bridge, etc. Visitors can stroll in the garden, or climb up to the far end of the garden, and also take a boat to visit the Kunming Lake, enjoy the scenery of the lake and the mountains, and feel the elegance and serenity of the royal gardens.
2. The Great Wall
The Great Wall in Beijing is an important part of the Great Wall of China, of which the most famous ones are Badaling, Mutianyu and Juyongguan Great Wall. The Badaling Great Wall, located in Yanqing District, is one of the passes of the Ming Great Wall and is famous for its majestic and well-preserved features. The Mutianyu Great Wall, located in Huairou District, is one of the highlights of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall, attracting countless tourists with its unique architectural style and precipitous terrain. Juyongguan Great Wall, located in Changping District, is a famous ancient pass along the Great Wall in northern Beijing, and has the reputation of “the most powerful pass in the world”.
3. Beijing Central Axis
The Beijing Central Axis is about 7.8 kilometers long, starting from Yongdingmen in the south and ending at the Bell and Drum Towers in the north, running through the center of Beijing, and is the spatial planning axis and cultural axis of the city. The heritage sites on the Central Axis string together many landmark humanistic landscapes, which not only display the essence of Beijing’s ancient urban planning, but also carry rich historical and cultural information. The Forbidden City, as the core building on the central axis, is one of the largest and best-preserved ancient palace complexes in the world. Tiananmen Square is the core area of the Central Axis, which consists of Tiananmen Square, the Monument to the People’s Heroes, Chairman Mao’s Memorial Hall, the Great Hall of the People, the National Museum of China and other buildings. The Bell and Drum Tower is the northern landmark of the Central Axis.
4. Shihua Cave
Located in Hebei Town, Fangshan District, Shihua Cave Scenic Spot is characterized by splendid and dense clusters of natural landscapes, as well as a wide variety of chemical deposits and beautiful forms. There are tall stalagmites, stone pillars, stone terraces, etc. formed by dripping, flowing and stagnant water deposition, as well as many crystal flowers, stone hairs, stone chrysanthemums, stone flowers, stone grapes, stone pearls and other kinds of cave deposits formed by infiltration water, splashing water and capillary water deposition. Among them, the cave deposits of the third floor are even more absolute flower incomparable, agar wonders, known as Beijing’s underground pearl, alabaster promenade, and the crown of Huaxia.
5. Longqing Gorge
Longqing Gorge is located in Yanqing District, Beijing, where the two mountains face each other, such as knife and axe, deep canyon, wide water, cliffs on both sides of the mountain peaks facing each other, known as the “Little Three Gorges”. The scenery of Longqing Gorge is different in four seasons: spring is full of flowers, summer is green and mountainous, autumn is full of leaves, and winter is full of silver. Especially the ice lantern art festival in winter attracts a large number of tourists to come and watch. The scenic area is also equipped with a variety of recreational projects, such as boat trips, bungee jumping, rock climbing, etc., so that tourists can experience exciting recreational activities while enjoying the natural beauty.
6. Gubei Water Town
Located in Miyun District of Beijing, Gubei Water Town is an ancient town full of northern water town flavor. Built on water, the town is well-preserved, as if a vivid historical scroll. Inside the town, there are green stone roads, small bridges and rivers, and ancient houses in a patchwork, which makes people feel like traveling back to the water town of Jiangnan in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. When night falls, the ancient town is even more brilliantly illuminated, with a unique flavor. Visitors can experience making traditional handicrafts, tasting local snacks, etc., feel the strong cultural atmosphere and historical heritage, and also climb the nearby Simatai Great Wall.
7. Gongwang Mansion
Located in the Xicheng District of Beijing, King Gong’s Mansion is one of the largest royal residences in the Qing Dynasty. It was built in the Qianlong era and was originally Heshen’s private residence, but was later transferred to Prince Gong Yijun, hence its name. Prince Gong’s Mansion covers a vast area and has a strict layout, which is divided into two parts: the Mansion and the Garden. Inside the residence, the Yin’an Hall, Jiale Hall and other buildings are magnificent, highlighting the dignity and majesty of the royal family. The garden part, also known as the Cui Jin Yuan, with the word “Fu” through the whole garden, the garden of the western gate, the opera house and other buildings unique features, and the Chinese garden complement each other, showing the unique charm of the East meets the West.
8. Yuanmingyuan
The Yuanmingyuan Park is located in Haidian District, Beijing, Qinghua West Road, is China’s large-scale royal gardens in the Qing Dynasty, known as the “garden of gardens”. The park was built during the Kangxi period, concentrating the essence of many garden arts at home and abroad, and is divided into Yuanmingyuan, Qichunyuan, Changchunyuan, etc. In 1860, the British and French allied forces invaded Beijing and torched this world-famous garden. Nowadays, Yuanmingyuan Ruins Park has become an important place for people to remember the history and feel the culture. Walking between the broken walls, you can imagine the splendor and magnificence of the place, while not forgetting to remember the humiliating history.
9. Beijing Global Resort
Universal Beijing Resort, located in Tongzhou District of Beijing, is the fifth Universal Studios theme park in the world and the third in Asia. This resort is themed on Hollywood movie culture and contains seven themed scenic spots, such as the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Transformers Base, and Little Yellow Man Land. Visitors can get up close and personal with characters from the movies, experience exciting rides, watch exciting performance shows, and taste food from around the world. The opening of Beijing Universal Resort not only brings a brand new entertainment experience to Beijing residents and tourists, but also further enhances Beijing’s status as an international tourist city.
10. Beijing Zoo
Located on Xizhimenwai Street in Xicheng District, Beijing Zoo is one of the earliest zoos in China to open and to keep the largest variety of animals on display. This zoo covers a vast area with lush greenery, birds and flowers, which is a good place for citizens and tourists to enjoy leisure and entertainment. The zoo is divided into several exhibition areas, such as Monkey Mountain, Panda Pavilion, Lion and Tiger Mountain, etc., displaying rare animals from all over the world. Among them, the Panda Pavilion is one of the star exhibits of the zoo, where visitors can enjoy a close-up view of the lovely national treasures.