Top 10 Places to Visit in Beijing

Beijing is one of the largest cities in the world and it is the capital city of China, having many sights and beautiful sceneries. For example, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven are historic landmarks in Beijing while Beijing National Stadium and CCTV Tower are modern, fascinating Beijing attractions. Aside from the sightseeing spots, Beijing also has spicy street foods, peaceful parks, mouth-watering markets, and a vibrant nightlife.

This blog post will depict the last top 10 things first-time visitors to Beijing must see and do. We’ll help you explore the best of Old Beijing in the hutongs and palaces. See what history of the city and the country can successfully merge with the contemporary world. Then, go to some of the Great Wall sections outside the central area to marvel at the wonderful structures. Learn more about modern works of art in China and taste the specially prepared Peking duck. Get ready to visit some of the world’s famous locations such as Buddhist temples, Olympic sites, and many more of the ten most beautiful places to visit in Beijing. Regardless of whether you are staying in Beijing for three days or three weeks, these places should not be missed when planning your travel.

Top 10 Places to Visit in Beijing

1. Mutianyu Great Wall

The Mutianyu section is located at the Great Wall stretching along towering mountains in the north of Beijing. This stretch is perhaps one of the most beautiful ones as it allows observing the wall slithering up and down the hills which are sprinkled with trees that have regained their autumn hues. With restored watchtowers Mutianyu boasts to look like it did in its prime and with restored it has 22 watchtowers along its 2.25 km length. Hikers can climb up steps and steep slopes, while those who prefer flat terrains can stroll on the parapets of the buildings; The visitors can take a gondola, a chair lift, or a toboggan to come down. This cable car offers a vantage point that is different from most attractions. Not as tourist-filled as Badaling, it has great infrastructure but it is not perfectly touristy and has beautiful views.

2. Forbidden City-The Palace Museum

As the palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties, located in Beijing, the Forbidden City is a palace complex. This expansive compound is home to nearly one thousand buildings in a style reminiscent of ancient Chinese royal palace architecture, with a moat and walls as well. Having arrived through the Meridian Gate, the guests proceed northwards through a series of vast, open-air congresses and pavilions shielded by golden roofs. Stare at the grandiosity while also observing architectural details such as the vibrant paint, the detailed columns, doors, and roof structures that symbolized imperial might and prosperity. Touring the Forbidden City gives a view of the ancient Chinese emperor's lifestyle in a well-constructed and well-run imperial palace.

3. Summer Palace (Yiheyuan)

It’s a splendid architectural masterpiece and an excellent example of a scenic garden with Longevity Hill as the main scenic area and expansive open water area of Kunming Lake. Pavilions are linked by walkways and gardens; temples and even bridges are an integral part of the complex, occupying more than three-fourths of a square mile. It started in 1750 and contains several roundabouts and serpentine approaches that are intended to guard against evils. Walking around the Summer Palace offers pleasant sightseeing across the water to distant hills and occasional passing boats that ferry tourists out on the park. There are many things to see, including the Long Corridor which is filled with more than 14000 traditional Chinese paints, and the Marble Boat which is located by the side of the water. The Summer Palace can be described as one of the most beautiful scenic areas of Beijing and one of the most beautiful and quiet places in the city.

4. Temple of Heaven (Tian tan).

Located in a park, the Temple of Heaven represents one of the most significant examples of the architecture and garden design of imperial China and offers an insight into ancient Chinese astronomy. The largest and most famous building is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, which was constructed in 1420 and includes a conical blue umbrella that symbolizes power shooting towards heaven, complicatedly carved roof beams, and painted slats of the ceiling depicting the Stages of Growth. This is where the emperor performed winter solstice rituals to pray for farming and harvest to yield good results. Just like the Circular Astronomical Building, the Imperial Vault of Heaven was built with a round wall and appeared to represent the heavens in terms of the materials and the hues used. Beautifully restored, the Temple of Heaven Park has become a popular place for today’s Chinese to engage in various forms of exercise including martial arts and ballroom dancing.

5. The Great Wall at Badaling

Most people who visit China have probably heard of the Great Wall of China the great wall is a system of walls and fortifications built to protect the Chinese empire against invasions by nomads and others the great wall is the most impressive and famous attraction in China and has been declared as one of the new seven wonders of the world more than ten million people visit the great wall every year the great wall at Badaling is the Although the Great Wall of China is stretched out in a very lengthy distance, only a small section at Badaling is the best preserved and most frequently visited one which has good accessibility and offers panoramic view located in the Jundu Mountains. Constructed in approximately 1505 during the early phase of the Ming Dynasty, this part of the wall formed the crucial northern defense line of the Chinese capital. The actual wall’s width has been expanded at Badaling for many tourists to stroll along the structure and marvel at splendid structures like timeless guard towers towering above the mountain ranges. Visiting Badaling steps and slopes, one feels the height and size of it and gets to know about the defense construction such as crenels or embrasures, etc. On most days, the vista extends as far as the eye can see and this is why for many travelers, Badaling will always represent the ‘Great Wall.’

6. Lama Temple (Yonghegong)

This temple complex is located in the northeastern part of Beijing and was initially constructed as an imperial palace in 1694 but was later changed into a lamasery, which is a monastery that belongs to Tibetan Buddhism. Yonghegong has some of the finest art and architecture of Tibetan Buddhism with good entry gates, colorful paintings, different positions of Buddhas, and richness of interiors. The temple’s five main halls and courtyards reveal decorative facades leading to the centerpiece: a giant statue of the seated Maitreya Buddha 170 feet or 25 meters high. The structure of Yonghegong and its architecture therefore draws from both the Tibetan and the Han Chinese and perhaps for this reason it is among the most famous Tibetan Buddhist monasteries outside of Tibet. People can meditate with full attention here and enjoy the great meaning of the artwork at the same time, surrounded by the calmness.

7. Tiananmen Square (Tiananmen Guangchang)

Tiananmen Square which is located at the center of the capital city of Beijing is one of the biggest city squares on the planet. This is a literal translation that means the “Gate of the Heavenly Peace”, named after the main gate to the Imperial City during the reigns of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Tiananmen Square, which separates the Forbidden City entrance from modern architecture comprising the National Museum and Great Hall of the People. This also houses Chairman Mao’s mausoleum and monument and near it the Chinese national flag which is raised every morning and evening. Located at the center of Beijing Tiananmen Square, 440,000 square meters gives a view of the imperial rule to the current government power benchmarked with wide sidewalks and modern architecture.

8. 798 Art Zone

Unlike other districts of Beijing, the area known as 798 Art Zone has more of a post-industrial feel, designed as a modern artistic complex of galleries, boutiques, cafes, and museums amid the former Communist-era military factory workshops. The overall feel of the complex is that it is very large and open between buildings but when walking down long corridors you are walking through a complex as an oddball community. Be amazed at installations presented in open areas then get pulled into former workshop spaces where one can find everything from posters and paintings to sculptures, furniture, and accessories with smooth curves and blueish-silver hues. Sip on coffee at one of the many adorable cafes interspersed with colorful and quirky umbrellas and graffiti art; 798 Art Zone is one of China’s contemporary art scenes that exude lots of character and energy.

9. Beihai Park (Beihai Gongyuan)

Situated in the central and western part of Beijing, Beihai Park has a long history of more than a thousand years and is one of the most well-preserved imperial gardens. It used to be an abode to palaces before it was made open to the public in 1925. The most famous sight of Beihai is Jade Islet which is a padmala garden containing Buddhism and Taoism elements unifying with the Graceful Dawn bridge across the Golden Sea. There are architectural elements from Tibet & Central Asia in structures such as Round Fort in the region among other structures. Sailing around Swan Lake under the willow trees’ branches offers chances to see the White Pagoda on Jade Islet and watch the elders dancing, painting, or playing some Chinese traditional musical instruments such as the erhu. Many tourists visiting Beihai develop an appreciation for Chinese culture after observing the park’s features as well as participating in various activities.

10. Jingshan Park (Jingshan Gongyuan)

The architectural design contains the possibility of gravitating visitors to an open area in front of the Forbidden City, where, man-made Jingshan Hill, made from the soil used to dig the palace moat, can be scaled. The 45-meter high hill has a commanding view of Beijing with its Meridian Gate and the central axis that further extends to the different gates and halls and the Drum and Bell Towers. On either side of modern Beijing high-rises, the scale and intricate preservation of the palace roofs are heightened, and the courtyards and archways are a vibrant red against gray stone. Jingshan means Prospect Hill, which is suitable for what many think as the most informal viewpoint over the Forbidden City and central historic Beijing symbolizing Chinese imperial design at its premiere.

Conclusion:

Beijing is an active city with a very interesting past and present, thus the visitors are never devoid of places to visit. Perhaps among the most famous landmarks of the Chinese capital is the Forbidden City – a vast palace that has been inhabited by imperial rulers for more than five centuries. Just north, as you can see, there is Jingshan Park with the old royal city wall where you can climb up for a splendid view of the city. This is true since China’s most popular attractions such as the Great Wall give beautiful backdrops and a relaxing tour of the Summer Palace gardens and pavilions. The Temple of Heaven is an outstanding work of architectural art that reflects some of the thinking of the ancients. If you are looking for the latest architectural wonders in China, do visit the Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium and CCTV Tower. Street shopping lovers get their fix when visiting the Wangfujing commercial street and food lovers get their fix of Chinese street food from the Muslim Quarter. With skyscrapers and flying saucer-style hotels located right beside the imperial palace and traditional Chinese architecture, Beijing caters to all. This list of Beijing’s 10 sights encompasses works of architectural genius as well as parks and temples – a comprehensive tour of the city’s highlights. Adding to that, some attractions are worth visiting, therefore Beijing remains a fulfilling travel destination.