Beijing-Accomodation Guide

Grand Hyatt Beijing
Located at the heart of the city’s prestigious business and commercial district, Grand Hyatt Beijing is part of the Oriental Plaza — China’s largest commercial complex. Situated at the crossroads of Chang An Avenue and Wangfujing, it is just minutes’ walking distance from China’s most treasured spot, the Forbidden City. The 825 guestrooms and suites are designed to reflect the comfort one welcomes after a hectic day of business or sightseeing, with panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking some of the capital’s most picturesque and historic districts. Amiable living would not be complete without fine cuisine. The restaurants and lounges at Grand Hyatt Beijing offer the cutting-edge culinary excellence for which Grand Hyatt hotels are internationally renowned. Club Oasis features a resort+86 10 8518 1234-style swimming pool and a 24-hour fitness centre and also with spa pools, private massage rooms, sauna, steam rooms, solarium and whirlpool bath.
Location：40 minutes distance by car to Beijing Capital International Airport，10 minutes distance by car to Beijing Railway Station,15 minutes walking distance to the Tiananmen square

DIAOYUTAI STATE GUESTHOSE
A modern,internationalized,intelligent,comprehensive business hotel,unique for its cultural haracteristics with guestrooms,office tower,theater,restaurants, entertainment and conference facilities all combined into one. High-quality comfortable space and personalized care.Poly Plaza has 292 units of standard rooms,luxury suites,Chinese and Western superior suites and non-smoking rooms.Each of these standardized and modernized rooms provides you with luxury and comfortable surroundings.The Office Tower covers a total area of over 12,000 square meters,with advantageous offices leading the industry. Poly Plaza meet guests all over the world with smile and personalized service. A modern,internationalized,intelligent,comprehensive business hotel,unique for its cultural characteristicswith guestrooms,office tower,theater,restaur-ants,entertainment and onference facilities all combined into one.

St.Regis Hotel, Beijing
St. Regis Hotel, Beijing exemplifies the St. Regis brand legacy of elegance, service and style, distinguishing itself as the hallmark of luxurious accommodations in China. Superbly situated in the center of the business, diplomatic and shopping district, and only a few minutes away from the historical sites of the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, the hotel is home to Heads of State, Celebrities and CEO’s. The best five star natural hot spring water Spa in Beijing, and an excellent range of dining options, make us an unforgettable luxury destination.

Hilton BEIJING NEWS RELEASE
Unwind in the Hilton Beijing hotel's 22nd-floor Executive Lounge. Do business in one of 4 meeting rooms or the fully equipped business centre or log onto the free wireless internet access in public areas. The hotel is located in the business district, just 20 minutes from the airport and Beijing's attractions.Dine in one of 5 restaurants and bars. Enjoy Asian flavors at the Hilton Beijing hotel's 24-hour Elements restaurant, specialty coffees at Caffè Cino and creative cocktails at Zeta Bar.Play squash, keep fit in the fully equipped gym or drift away with a relaxing sauna and massage at the Hilton Beijing hotel. Discover Beijing attractions from the iconic Tian'anmen Square and red-walled Forbidden City to the Summer Palace's solace.Located in Chaoyang business district, Hilton Beijing hotel has 4 meeting rooms, an Executive Lounge, business center and wireless internet access in public areas. Stay in a Deluxe Room or a light Executive Room with Executive Lounge access. All rooms in the Hilton Beijing hotel have high-speed internet access.

SciTech Hotel
SciTech Hotel is a four-star business hotel which is located in the center of Beijing’s commercial and diplomatic district. Adjacent to the Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Ancient Observatory and the Central business District (CBD), the hotel presents an ideal combination of traditional culture and modern luxury. SciTech Hotel, together with SciTech Club, SciTech Plaza, SciTech Tower and SciTech Place, constitute a modern integrative architectural design. At SciTech Hotel, we welcome both business and leisure travelers with great hospitality. With 294 guest rooms, ranging from comfortable standard rooms to elegant duplex suites, plus business floors (F14/F15), especially designed and furnished for business travelers, SciTech Hotel ensures that a busy business itinerary is easily covered. With serene ambience, Fortune Court Chinese Restaurant, Pastels Bistro Coffee Shop and Arirang Korean Restaurant serve fine delicacies. Four function halls offer perfect venues for multipurpose gatherings, business conferences, family weddings and various ceremonies. To satisfy guests’ business needs, Business Center provides prompt and professional services: 3DDS Internet access, secretarial service, translation and interpretation, facsimile transmission, scanning, IDD service, DHL, meeting room rental service which enable you to carry on your business within a professional environment. Choose SciTech Hotel, and you will never be disappointed.

Holiday Inn LIDO BEIJING
Holiday Inn Lido Beijing was the first Holiday Inn hotel in China. Designed as a fully integrated facility, the hotel is located within the Lido Place, a commercial/residential complex that accommodates a large number of Beijing's expatriate community and multinational companies. Conveniently located 17 km from the Beijing Capital Airport, the hotel is situated near the China International Exhibition Centre, San Li Tun Embassy District, many of Beijing's famous attractions and commercial office buildings.

Hotel Kunlun
Hotel Kunlun is the proud Beijing flagship hotel of Shanghai-based Jinjiang International Hotel Management Corporation. The Hotel officially opened its doors to the public in 1989, and by 1996 had garnered recognition by two prestigious organizations: the China National Tourism Administration named Kunlun on the China's 50 Best Hotels, while the American Academy of Restaurant and Hospitality Sciences presented Hotel Kunlun with its 36th Five Star Diamond Award. Hotel Kunlun's commitment to luxury and excellence is especially evident today. In 2005, a spectacular new Lobby, as well as a well-appointed series of appropriately named Premier Deluxe Rooms, was unveiled as part of the Hotel's commitment to maintaining excellence in both facilities and in service

jinglunhotel
Opened in Sept. 1984, Jinglun Hotel is one of the earliest international joint venture four —star hotels in Beijing. It is managed by JAL Hotels Company Ltd.
The hotel is located in the cental of Beijing Business District, and adjacent to China World Trade Center, business areas and embassy quarters. It is very convenient for a business trip and to go sightseeing. The hotel is 3 kilometers and 10 minutes drive from Tian’an Men Square , and 25 kilometers 30 minutes drive t from Beijing’s Capital International Airport.

JING GUANG NEW WORLD HOTEL

THE TALLEST BUILDING IN BEIJING Jing Guang Center, the tallest building in Beijing, is an operating mansion whose modern skyscraper stretching 209 metres, some 52 storeys high with a fan shaped, blue glass facade set high amongst the white clouds of Beijing. Jing Guang Center is a joint venture complex. The partners include Hong Kong Jing Guang Development Co. Ltd. and Beijing Hua Yang Economic Exploit Co. Ltd. The Center managed by Hong Kong based New World Hotels International formally opened on June 18, 1990. New World Hotels International is a high-quality brand of hotels in Asia operated by Marriott International Inc, the world’s leading hospitality company. The Center comprises 3 sections, namely a 5 star hotel--Jing Guang New World Hotel - an office tower and deluxe apartments. The first 7 levels are public areas featuring deluxe western or Chinese restaurants and bars, banqueting, and well equipped business centre with fully furnished office space and all season swimming pool with natural SUNLIGHT and world-class heath club complex. Jing Guang New World Hotel is located between the 8th and 23rd floor with 446 guest rooms which offers the most stunning views of the city, and also provides the perfect venue for events of all sizes with our spacious Ballroom and well-equipped function rooms. Banquets, conferences, board meetings, training seminars, cocktail receptions and private dinner parties pose no feat to our professionally trained staff. The Ballroom can comfortably accommodate up to 800 guests in its 750 square metres of pillarless space. Additional function rooms contribute another 300 square metres of space and can hold up to 200 guests. Both the ballroom and the function rooms can be divided by mobile partitions for maximum flexibility. The 25th-38th floor is our office tower consisting of 20,000 square meters housing 180 tenants representing over 25 countries. The 40th to 52nd floors are 247 suite of deluxe apartments offering the most stunning views of Beijing City center. Jing Guang Center is virtually a city within a city. Step into the New World of Beijing at Jing Guang Center and experience a New World of Hospitality!
Location：Located in CBD of Beijing, 5 miles to Beijing Station, 21 miles to Capital Airport, and 5 miles to Tian’an men square.Bus Routes：Take No.9, No.729, No.112, No.115, No.118, No.846, No.855, No.859 Bus and get off at Hu Jia Lou Stop.

THE JIANGUOMEN HOTEL BEIJING

Jianguo Hotel Beijing is situated adjacent to the Beijing diplomatic quarter, in the heart of Beijing Central Business District, just 1 minute walking distance from the metro and 5 minutes walk from the famous Xiushui Market. By car, 10 minutes from Tiananmen Square and Beijing's numerous historical sights and 30 minutes from the Beijing Capital International Airport.
Bus Routes：1、4、9、37、43、48、52、28、802、120、810、703、403、930、938、728、808、特1、SUBWAY

Hutong(lanes/alleys)

What are most fascinating about the modernized Beijing are not the skyscrapers or broad streets, but the winding, secluded hutong, where there are beautiful siheyuan.
It is therefore fitting and proper to call the culture of the ancient capital ‘hutong culture’ or ‘siheyuan culture’.
Beijing used to comprise tens of thousandsof siheyuan of different sizes orderly arranged in rows. The passages between the rows were hutong.
In the Yuan Dynasty, each hutong was as wide as a large three-courtyard quadrangle. It was later divided into many nameless narrower lanes by houses built in it. Hence the saying that goes, ‘there are 3,600 hutong with names, while nameless ones are as many as the hairs on a cow’.
By 1949, there were 6,074 streets and lanes with names, among which were 1,330 hutong, 172 avenues, 111 lanes, 85 streets, 71 alleys, and 37 roads. Streets, lanes and alleys were customarily lumped together as hutong.
Beijing is crisscrossed by thousands of hutong, where there are numerous ‘sweet homes’. That is the main reason why citizens of Beijing are so much attached to them.
The slimmest hutong is Qianshi Hutong in Dashilan Area beyond the Front Gate (qianmen). The narrowest part of it measures only 40 centimeters wide. Some hutong are known for being tortuous. Beixinqiao Hutong, for instance, was said to have nine bends, but it actually had more than twenty; it was later divided into five parts. The lane beyond the Front Gate, also said to have nine bends, actually has thirteen. The names of hutong are like an encyclopedia of the city’s history and folk customs. In recent years, hutong has been developed as a precious tourist resource.
As the shabby old dazayuan (quadrangle shared by several households) are being replaced by modernized buildings, old hutong will be gone too. However, many famous hutong have been preserved as cultural relics reflecting the city’s history as an ancient capital. They are among the remnants of the past of this fast developing city.
The tour of hutong has been developed as a new sightseeing program for foreign tourists. Man-powered tricycles, a means of transport typical of old Beijing, will take them past Shichahai and Yinding Bridge to the drum tower, where they may enjoy a view of the old city crisscrossed by lanes. Then they will be taken to Houhai, where they may visit such ancient hutong as the southern and northern Guanfang Hutong, the big and small Golden Lion Hutong, and Qianhoujing Hutong. They may walk into siheyuan and chat with the inhabitants. Finally, they will be taken along Liuyin Street to the mansion of Prince Gong, known as the Garden of Grand View, to see the houses of nobles and imperial gardens.
Foreign tourists are profuse in their praise for the beauty of hutong. Carrying the age-old culture of Beijing, hutong has eternal charm

Peking Opera

Originally a form of local theatre, it spread all over the country and has become the national opera of China. About 200 years ago, the Qing Emperor Qianlong toured in southern China and developed an interest in the local operas. On his 80th birthday, he had local opera troupes to come to Beijing to perform for him. Some remained in Beijing after the celebration. The ones from Anhui and Hubei were incorporated the palace opera -Kunqu Opera- and became the Peking Opera.
Peking Opera combines stylized acting with singing, dancing, musical dialogue, martial arts, colorful facial make up and fantastic costumes. Female roles are called dan, male roles are sheng, clowns are chou. Each role, according to their sex, age and disposition, is characterized by different designs of facial make-up, such as jing representing a rough, frank character and hua lian representing a cruel or sinister character. So the audience can easily tell what kind of characters the actors are portraying. Facial make-up, costumes and head - dresses are wonderful works of traditional art.
In the past, both dan and sheng roles were played by male actors, but now they are played separately by females and males.
It is a must to see a Peking Opera while you are in Beijing, equivalent to seeing an opera if you go to Italy.
There are also some other types of operas staged in Beijing, such as Kunqu Opera, Pingju Opera and Hebei Bangzi as well as other operas from different places.

Folk Woodblock Picture

It is a kind of picture enjoying popularity among the people with a large variety. A few of them are singled out for appreciation, but most of them are used for different worldly life and protocols, such as the portrait of the Gate God, the portrait of gods, illustration, pictures for packaging and decorating, window flowers, lamp pictures, kites, paper cards, colourful squares, flags, embroidery patterns. Of these pictures some are printed in a single colour (black), some others are printed in chromatography or by the continuation of colour applying. It is a characteristic way of picture popularization from the invention of China's woodblock printing to the contemporary printing skill. Their authors are professional painter and engravers. Some of them are anonymously created by farmers.

It is spread in the north of China, and named after the village where it is produced. It originated in the Chongzhen Period of the Ming Dynasty, and flourished in the Yongzheng Period and the Qianlong Period of the Qing Dynasty. It inherits the traditional printing craft: it is coloured after the image appears on the link lines. The characters' countenances and attires are painted in lead powder in golden colour. Its sources of themes are from the Three Beauties, the Theft of the Charmed Herb, etc.

Beijng and Dynasty

As the capital city of the People's Republic of China,Beijing is the nation's political and cultural center and also a center for international contacts.
The recorded history of Beijing as a city can date back to more than 3,000 years ago. During the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th century-771 B.C.), the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.) and the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.), Beijing was the capital city of the State of Yan, which was ruled by dukes or princes under the emperor. From the Qin Dynasty (221-207 B.C.) and the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.) to the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127),Beijing was a major city and also a strategic point in northern China.
When the Qidan (Khitan) people founded the Liao Dynasty (907-1125),they established Beijing, which was then under their occupation and was called Jiuzhou, as the secondary capital under the name of Nanjing (southern capital). Afterwards, the dynasties of Jin(1115-1234), Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) all chose Beijing as their capital city.
In 1928, the Nanjing-based nationalist government of the Republic of China designated Beijing as the Beiping Special Municipality. In 1930, the municipality was renamed as Beiping City.
On September 27, 1949, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference decided that the newborn People's Republic of China would base its capital in Beiping and renamed the city as Beijing.

Beijing's History

Some half a million years ago, Peking man lived in Zhoukoudian, in the southwestern suburbs of Beijing. The climate of that time was warmer and more humid than it is today. Forests and lakes in the area supported large numbers of living creatures. The fossil remains of Peking man, his stone tools and evidence of use of fire, as well as later tools of 18,000 years ago, bone needles and article of adornment from the age of Upper Cave Man are the earliest cultural relics on record in China today.
Some four to five thousand years ago, settlements to the southwest of Beijing were thriving on basic agriculture and animal husbandry. Story has it that the legendary Yellow Emperor (Huang Di) battled against the tribal leader Chiyou in the ?°wilderness of the prefecture of Zhuo.?±Zhuolu, a town west of present-day Beijing, is perhaps the site of the first metropolis in the area. Yellow Emperor??s successor, Emperor Yao, was said to have established a legendary capital Youdu (City of Quietude) that was where the city of Ji was actually built.
During the Warring States Period (475¨C221BC), the Marquis of Yan annexed the territory of the Marquis of Ji, making the city of Ji his new capital. The approximate location was north of Guang?? anmen Gate in present¨Cday Beijing near the White Cloud Temple (Baiyunguan).
Early in the third century BC, the first Emperor of Qin (Qin Shi Huang) set about conquering six states and unifying China. The city of Ji was named administrative center of Guangyang Commandery, one of 36 prefectures in China??s first feudal empire. For 10 centuries, through to the end of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Ji remained a strategic trading and military center and the object of frequent power struggles.
Two emperors during that period -- Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty -- left their mark on the city. Emperor Yang amassed troops and supplies at Ji for expeditions against Korea. Emperor Taizong also used the city for military training. He built the Temple for Compassion for the Loyal (Minzhongsi), which is dedicated to troops who died in battle. This temple was the precursor of the Temple of the Origin of the Dharma (Fayuansi) located outside the old walls of the city.
At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, Ji was little different from any other large feudal cities. Several centuries later, however, when the Tang was nearing a state of collapse, the Qidans (Khitans) came from the upper reaches of the Liaohe River and moved south to occupy Ji and make it their second capital. They called the city Nanjing (Southern Capital) or Yanjing. Emperor Taizong of the Liao Dynasty (916-1125) carried out reconstruction projects and built palaces, which were used as strongholds from which the Qidans set out to conquer the central plains of China.
In the early 12th century, the Nuzhen (Jurchen) conquered the Liao and established the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234). In 1153, Wan Yanliang moved the Jin capital from Huiningfu in present¨C day Liaoning Province to Yanjing and renamed it Zhongdu (Central Capital) as a challenge to the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), which had its capital at Lin??an (present¨Cday Hangzhou). Before the ascension of Wan Yanliang to the throne, the city of Yanjing had changed little from the Liao period.
The rebuilding of the new city began in 1151 with expansion to the east, west and south. Palaces were constructed on a scale similar to the Northern Song (960-1127) capital at Bianliang (modern Kaifeng), and many of the actual building materials were transported from Bianliang. The new expanded city, with its splendid buildings in the center measured roughly five kilometers in circumference. The registered population of the Imperial Palace in the center measured roughly five kilometers in circumference. The registered population of Zhongdu amounted to 225,592 households, or approximately one million people.
Mongol armies occupied Zhongdu in 1215. At this time, the city of Kaiping (in present¨Cday Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region) served as the principal Mongol capital (Shangdu), while Yanjing was given provincial status. It was not until 1271 that Kublai Khan formally adopted the new dynasty??s name -- Yuan -- and made Yanjing the capital. Kublai Khan rebuilt the city and gave it the Chinese (Han) name of Dadu (Ta-tu) or Great Capital, though in Mongol it was known as Khanbalig (Marco Polo??s Cambaluc), the City of the Great Khan. When the Mongols finally eliminated the Southern Song and unified China, Dadu became the political center of the country for the first time in history.
The construction of Dadu began in 1267 and ended in 1293, extending throughout the entire period of Kublai Khan??s rule. The magnificent palaces of the Jin capital Zhongdu were destroyed by fire during the dynastic turnover from the Jin to the Yuan. When the capital was rebuilt, the original site of Zhongdu was replaced by a larger rectangular area centered in a beautiful lake region in the northeastern suburbs.
The construction of Dadu consisted of three main projects -- the imperial palaces, the city walls and moats, and the canal. The first stage was construction of the palace buildings, most of which were completed in 1274. The next stage was construction of the mansions for the imperial princes, the government offices, the Taimiao (Imperial Ancestral Temple) and Shejitan (Altar of Land and Grain) to the east and west of the palace, and a system of streets for ordinary residences. In 1293, the strategic Tonghui Canal, connecting the capital to the Grand Canal, was completed.
As the capital city of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Dadu enjoyed great fame in the 13th century world. The envoys and traders from Europe, Asia and Africa who paid visits to China were astounded by the splendor and magnificence of Dadu. Marco Polo??s description of the palaces of Cambaluc, as the called Khanbalig, us most famous of all:
?°You must know that it is the greatest palace that ever was?­ The roof is very lofty, and the walls of the palace are all covered with gold and silver. They are adorned with dragons, beasts and birds, knights and idols, and other such things?­ The Hall of the Palace is so large that 6,000 people could easily dine there, and it is quite a marvel to see how many rooms there are besides. The building is altogether so vast, so rich and so beautiful, that no man on earth could design anything superior to it. The outside of the roof is all colored with vermilion and yellow and green and blue and other hues, which are fixed with a varnish so fine and exquisite that they shins like crystal, and lend a resplendent luster to the palace as seen for a great way around.?±
The new Dadu was a rectangular city more than 30 kilometers in circumference. In the later years of Kublai Khan??s rule, the city population consisted of 100,000 households or roughly 500,000 people. The layout was the result of uniform planning, the broader streets all 24 paces wide, the narrow lanes half this width. The regular chessboard pattern created an impression of relaxed orderliness.
Achievements in stone and plaster sculpture and painting at this time reached great heights. The names of two contemporary artisans have come down to us: the sculptors Yang Qiong and Liu Yuan. The latter was known for the plaster statues he created for temples. Liulansu Lane at the northern end of Fuyou Street in present-day Beijing was named after Liu Yuan.
On August 2, 1368, Ming troops seized Dadu and renamed it Beiping (Northern Peace). Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), however, made Nanjing his first capital. Beginning in 1406, Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty spent 15 years constructing walls 12 meters high and 10 meters thick at their base around the city of Beiping. The construction of palace buildings and gardens began in 1417 and was completed in 1420. The following year, Emperor Yongle formally transferred the capital from Nanjing to Beiping and, for the first time, named the city Beijing (Northern Capital).
Extensive reconstruction work was carried out in Beijing during the first years of the Ming Dynasty. The northern city walls were shifted 2.5 kilometers to the south. Evidence of great advances in city planning is the district known as the Inner (Tartar) City. The Outer or Chinese City to the south was built during the reign of Emperor Jiajing (1522-1566), adding to the rectangular city a slightly wider ?°base?± in the south.
When the Manchus founded the Qing Dynasty in 1644, they began to build suburban gardens, the most famous of which was Yuanmingyuan. Construction over the course of an entire century, the imposing columned palaces and open-air pavilions blended with the serenity of well¨Cplanned gardens to create a masterpiece of garden architecture unrivaled in the history of China.
A city plan was first laid out in the Yuan Dynasty. Yet only after extensive reconstruction during the Ming and Qing (1644-1911), did the city emerge as an architectural masterpiece fit to serve as the capital of the Chinese empire. A north-south axis bisects the city with the Imperial Palace was knows as Danei (The Great Within). In the Ming, it was renamed the Forbidden City (Zijincheng), and more recently it has come to be called the Palace Museum (Gugong Bowuyuan). Designed with thousands of halls and gates arranged symmetrically around a north¨Csouth axis, its dimensions and luxuriance are a fitting symbol of the power and greatness of traditional China.
After the collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1911, China fell prey to the Northern Warlords and Kuomintang, Beijing suffered the same fate as the rest of China, hobbling along like an old camel without a sense of direction. The Chinese People??s Liberation Army formally entered Beijing on January 31, 1949, opening a new chapter in the long history of the city. It was in Tian??anmen Square on October 1st, 1949, that Chairman Mao Zedong proclaimed the establishment of the People??s Republic of China, with Beijing as its capital.
The city has changed totally since then. It has expanded from its old confines within the nine gates of the Inner City wall (Zhengyangmen, Chongwenmen, Xuanwumen, Chaoyangmen, Dongzhimen, Fuchengmen, Xizhimen, Andingmen and Deshengmen) to the seven outer gates (Dongbianmen, Guangqumen, Xibianmen, Guang?? anmen, Yongdingmen, Zuoanmen and Youanmen) and out into the suburbs, Beijing now covers an area of about 750 square kilometers, which includes a dozen new living districts built on the outskirts of town.
Tian??anmen Square is still the center of Beijing, Chang?? an Boulevard now running 38 kilometers from Shijingshan in the west to Tongxian in the east. The palaces and city towers along both sides have been designated cultural relics for national protection. Former imperial residences and gardens have been opened for public viewing.
New buildings like the International Post Office and Bank of China have been built along the Second Ring Road, the former line of the Inner City wall. Old living quarters and blocks of traditional Beijing¨Cstyle buildings, such as Liulichang Culture Street, have been restored. Large¨C scale construction has been undertaken along the Third Ring Road and the fourth Ring Road.
Future development in Beijing will continue to preserve the symmetry of the old city layout while integrating modern architectural design into the over¨Call plan.

Siheyuan(quadrangle)

Siheyuan is the traditional residential compound of Beijing. Taking shape in the Liao Dynasty, it matured through the Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties to become the most characteristic residence of Beijing.
The name siheyuan means a courtyard surrounded by houses on all the four sides. Over hundreds of years, the Beijing siheyuan formed a style unique to the capital city in layout, inner structure, furnishing and decoration.
A regular siheyuan is built in a lane (hutong) running from east to west, and faces south. The four houses, with the principal one in the north, are enclosed with high walls. The main gate is opened in the southeast corner, the position of xun in the Taoist Eight Diagrams, signifying the wind. The northern house usually has three main chambers and two flanking ones; the eastern and western houses, three chambers respectively; the southern house, four chambers. There are altogether seventeen bays if the main gate and the festooned gate are included. Assuming 11 to 12 sq. m for each bay, the total area amounts to about 200 sq. m. The courtyard is spacious, containing trees, flowers, and gold fish jars. It is the center of the siheyuan, serving for passage and providing good light, ventilation and cool shades. People would like to take a rest or do the housework here.
Despite the sameness of layout, siheyuan differs in sizes. There are large, middle and small sized siheyuan.
In a small siheyuan, the northern house has three chambers, one or two of them being the main chamber(s). The eastern and western houses have two chambers respectively, and the southern house has three chambers. The houses are built with brick, and covered with a ridged tile roof. They can be inhabited by a family of three generations, with the elderly members living in the northern house and the younger ones living in the eastern and western houses. The southern house may serve as the study or the living room. In the courtyard there are brick-paved paths leading up to the steps before the doors of the houses. The main gate has two leaves coated in black lacquer, with two brass knockers on them, and a couplet pasted on both sides.
A middle siheyuan is more spacious. The northern house has three main chambers and two flanking ones. The eastern and western houses have three chambers respectively. Before each house is a corridor serving as a shelter from wind or rain. The courtyard is partitioned by a wall into a front (outer) yard and a back (inner) yard, with a moon-shaped gate in the wall. The front yard is simple, with one or two gate houses. The back yard, the living quarters, has well built houses with square-brick-paved floors and granite steps.
A large siheyuan is customarily known as‘big mansion’ (dazhaimen). The southern house may have five or seven chambers, and so does the northern one. The principal house may have as many as nine or eleven chambers. It is usually made up of several quadrangles connected lengthways. There are many courtyards, such as the front yard, the back yard, the eastern yard, the western yard, the principal yard, the flanking yards, the side yards, the study yard, the stable yard, the first row of courtyard, the second row, and the third row. The various parts of the compound are connected by corridors. The area covered is enormous. However, if the space available is inadequate, of if a full-size large siheyuan is not affordable, the southern house may be omitted.
The middle or small siheyuan was usually inhabited by ordinary people, while the large siheyuan served as the mansion of a senior official or government office.
The houses in the Beijing siheyuan are built with wood and bricks. The frameworks–purlins, columns, beams, thresholds, rafters, doors, windows, and partitions—are made of wood. The beams, columns, doors, windows and the ends of rafters are lacquered or decorated with colored paintings, holding their own against magnificent palace halls to some extent. The walls are customarily built with polished bricks and broken bricks. The roofs may be tiled, with drip-tiles below the eaves; they may also be simply covered with graphite, with no tiles at all.
The main gate usually occupies the space of a chamber. It has a complicated structure, composed of over twenty types of components, such as frames, leaves, thresholds, bolts, nails and hinges.
The main gate is usually coated in black lacquer, and may be decorated with a couplet with black characters on a red background. Behind the main gate are the festooned gate and the moon-shaped gate. The festooned gate is the most beautifully decorated of all the gates, with eaves modeled on the top of the pailou (decorated archway). It serves to divide the courtyard into two parts–an outer part consisting of the living room, the gate house, the carriage house and the stable, and an inner part, or the living quarters. The moon-shaped gate may also serve the same function if there is no festooned gate.
The festooned gate is beautifully lacquered. The ends of rafts under the eaves are in bluish green, and the wangmu in red; the round raft ends are decorated with a pattern of concentric blue, white and black circles, and the square raft ends, with golden patterns or diamond designs. The middle of the front eaves also has decorative designs. The lotus-shaped ends of the columns on both sides, with patterns carved on them, are colorfully lacquered.
The carved patterns in the siheyuan are symbols of good luck, such as the combination of the character meaning longevity and the bat (meaning happiness), the vase with a Chinese rose in it (meaning ‘peace in four seasons’), and tokens of ‘long-lasting clan’, ‘three friends in winter’, ‘riches and honor’, and ‘happiness, wealth and longevity’. They reflect old Beijing dwellers’ wish for a happy life.
Trees and flowers are planted in the siheyuan to add to its beauty. Traditionally planted are such flowers as lilacs, Chinese crabapples, flowering almonds and mountain peaches, and such trees as jujube and locust. Flowers may also be grown in flowerpots or in water.
Plants grown in flowerpots are usually pomegranate trees, oleanders, cassiabark trees, osmanthus fragans, Indian azaleas, and gardenias. Pomegranate trees are symbolic of fertility. In flowerbeds before the steps of houses are usually planted jasmines, garden balsams, morning glories, and hyacinth bean flowers.
Life in a siheyuan is described in a Qing-dynasty saying: ‘awning, fish jars, and pomegranate trees; master, fat dog, and plump maidservant’.
Though it is usually inhabited by one household, a siheyuan may also be shared by several poor households. In the case it would be called a dazayuan, of which many old Beijing dwellers cherish fond memories.

Modern Beijing

Beijing thrives today as the political and cultural capital of China as well as a center of international activity and an important socialist base. Great changes have taken place since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. The city walls were demolished to facilitate transportation and allow for general expansion. By 2001, the population exceeded 12.5 million, and the total municipal area was increased to over 17,800 square kilometers. The city is presently divided into 16 districts: Dongcheng, Xicheng, Chongwen, Xuanwu, Chaoyang, Haidian, Shijingshan, Fengtai, Shunyi, Changping, Mentougou, Tongzhou, Fangshan, Daxing, Huairou and Pinggu. In addition to these urban districts, the municipality is comprised of two counties: Miyun and Yanqing. Plans for future development retain the symmetrical layout of the old city on its north-south axis, extending out into the suburban districts. From Dingfuzhuang in the east to Shijingshan in the west and from Qinghe in the north to Nanyuan in the south, the overall plan covers an area of 1,000 square kilometers. A traffic network of four concentric beltways, 28 radial roads, and underground and suburban railways are being further developed to link the city center with outlying areas and surrounding towns. With Tian'anmen at the center, offices along 38-kilometer-long Chang'an Boulevard will concentrate on state, political and economic affairs. The areas around the Palace Museum (Imperial Palace or Forbidden City) and city gates as well as the lakes -- Zhongnanhai, Beihai and Housanhai -- have been designated landmark districts. And with a look to the future, an increasing number of historical, cultural and revolutionary sites are being renovated and opened to the public.

Beijing-Long-Standing Restaurants

Duyichu
The restaurant was a small hut when it was set up in 1738 (the 3rd year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign in the Qing Dynasty) by a man named Li from Shanxi Province. In the 7th year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign or 1742, a small building was built to sell boiled peanuts, sugared date, aired meat and so on.
In the 17th year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign, it became famous because of the name Duyichu and the Tiger Head Plaque granted by the emperor. During Emperor Tongzhi’s reign, the restaurant added in his menu Steamed Dumpling which had thin coat, rich stuffing and tasted delicious. During the war against Japanese, it survived from closing down and suffered poor business until its rebirth when Beijing was liberated. After the Joint Public-Private Ownership reform, the restaurant moved from the south of Xianyukou to the north of it into a large building with 200 square meters in business space. Nowadays it is capable to receive two or three thousand person times per day. The Tiger Head Plaque inscribed by Emperor Qianlong is hanging in the center of the hall reads Duyichu, and another plaque inscribed by Guo Moruo is hanging in the entrance.
Featured foods: Steamed Dumpling of Three Fresh Delicacies, Fried Triangle Rolls, Steamed Dumpling, Qianlong Cabbage, Fried Round Mass of Food

Quanjude
The renowned brand of Quanjude dates back to 1864 (the third year in the reign of Emperor Tongzhi of Qing Dynasty). Through constant development and innovation of more than one handred years, the Quanjude cuisine has been created, starring the Quanjude Peking Duck, and including the All Duck Banquet and over 400 well-known dishes. The Quanjude Peking Duck and its unique food culture are famous across the world as an important component of the Chinese food culture.

Ruibinlou
Ruibinlou, a restaurant offering Dalian Pie Stuffed with Meat which is a Beijing local snack, is located in Menkuang Hutong in Dashanlan, Qianmen. Set up in 1876 during Emperor Guangxu’s reign in the Qing Dynasty, it has a history of 130 years. Originally it was run by Xiao Chunxuan and his wife in Dong’an Market, and the restaurant was called Ruiminglou. It was closed down in the second generation. In 1934, two employees of it, Luo Huxiang and Hao Jiarui set up Xiangrui Restauran after their names Xiang and Rui in Menkuang Hutong and went on making Dalian Pie Stuffed with Meat. In 1986, the restaurant was rebuilt to a two-floored building and renamed Ruibinlou. In 1997, Dalian Pie Stuffed with Meat was inscribed as Famous Snack of China by China Cuisine Association, and in 1998, Ruibinlou was inscribed as Time-Honored Brand of China by the Domestic Trade Department.
Dalian Pie Stuffed with Meat is a Beijing local snack, it looks like Dalian–money bag hanging on the waist in the old times, hence the name. It is popular because it has thin coat and rich stuffing, and is delicious and instant combination of staple and non-staple foods giving people a fill feeling.

Nengrenju
It is well known for its seasoning. Guest coming here could know what “clean plate and clear soup” means. As the meat is out, the plate is clean without any blood left, and as the dinner finished, the soup is clear without any bubble. This is rare among all chafing dish restaurants nowadays.

Huguo Temple Snack Restaurant
Huguo Temple Snack Restaurant is one of the representatives of Beijing local snack. It is well known for rich variety, outstanding features and deep culture in it. Over 80 local snackswhich are popular among people from Beijing and all over the country as well as foreign guests,such as Stuffed Glutinous Rice Flour Ball, Glutinous Rice Flour Roll with Red Bean Paste and Soy Bean Flour, Pea Flour Cake, Fried Dough Twist, Fried Glutinous Rice Balls with Sesame, Fried Doughnut, Flour Tea, Gut Soup, Fermented Soya Milk, and more, could be found here.
In the spring of 1999, four chefs from Huguo Temple Snack Restaurant went to Singapore to attend the “Spring in River Bank–Greeting the New Year”. The delicate snacks made by them were highly praised by Singapore citizens and Premier Wu Zuodong, after the event, ordered 100 Glutinous Rice Flour Roll with Red Bean Paste and Soy Bean Flourfor the State Banquet. Local snacks have been present to elegant places. In November 2004, Business Department of Huguo Temple Snack Restaurant sent chefs to participate the 4th Macao Cate Festival and won great reputation in Macao with delicate Beijing local snacks and technique.
Huguo Temple Snack Restaurant as a time-honored brand in China, based on carrying out the local snack tradition, focuses on research and innovation, and introduced the Local Snacks Banquet integrating fine works of local snacks and Moslem flavor with excellent technique and deliberate banquet design

Beijing Prospect

Approaching the turn of the millennium, Beijing has mapped its blueprint for tomorrow: By 2010, Beijing will achieve an all-round development of economic and social development. The functions as political and cultural center will be further enhanced and brought to perfection. It will become the best city with the most developed culture, education, science and technology, social ethics and conventions and democracy and legal system. An economic system suited to the characteristics of the capital will be completed, led by a new and high technology industry, with developed tertiary industry, rational industrial Structure and high efficiency and high quality. The people's living standards will be raised to a higher level on the basis of a comfortable level. The city environment will be further improved and the city's management level will be improved markedly. By 2010, the GDP will be double that of 2000 and a fairly perfect socialist market system will take shape. The comprehensive strength of the economy, science and technology and social development will reach or surpass in some aspects the levels of capital cities of middle developed countries. By the mid-21st century, Beijing will become a modern international metropolis.With full confidence, Beijing is on its march into the new century.

Beijing CBD

With an area of 3.99 square kilometres (sq.km), Central Business District (CBD) Chaoyang is home to around 3,000 domestic and foreign companies. Like other world-famous districts such as Manhattan in New York City and Zhonghuan in Hong Kong, CBD provides an excellent investment environment, convenient transportation, and a high-speed telecommunications system. Office towers, hotels, first-class apartments and multiple service organizations involved in finance, IT and intermediary service industries make Chaoyang Beijing's biggest and most rapidly developing economic area. CBD has become a symbol of modern Beijing.

Olympic Park

Olympic Park in Chaoyang District will be the heart of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. It is on the northern end of Beijing's axis and covers 12.15 square kilometres (sq.km). To the north lies the Olympic Forest Park. To the south are: 14 stadiums, Olympic Village, Media Centre, International Radio and TV Centre, National Sports Museum, China International Exhibiton Centre and National Olympic Sports Centre.
After 2008, Olympic Park plans to become Beijing's biggest multi-function community with trade centres, business centres, exhibition halls, large-scale stadiums and entertainment facilities. It will be the one of Beijing's landmarks.

Chinese Architectures - Beijing Hutongs, the Chinese Quadrangle, Passes

Hutongs of Beijing
The alleyways in Beijing are known is "hutong", the transliteration of a Mongolian word because most of the hutongs were a heritage of the Yuan Dynasty which established its capital city in Beijing in 1283. Thus the hutongs are 800 years old.
There are so many of them in Beijing, as the saying goes, "There are 360 large hutongs and countless smaller ones." Statistics indicate that there used to be 4,550 hutongs in urban Beijing that were laid out in a Ming-dynasty pattern, and they were as wide as four metres and as narrow a 62 cm. These alleyways are a magnun opus in their own right, recorded as they do numerous cultural artefacts, places of historical and cultural interests, fascinating tales of dignitaries and anecdotes about the city and its people.
The hutongs were named in a variety of ways. Some are named after government departments, such as Xingbu (Bureau of Punishment) Hutong, Cayuan (Investigation Bureau) Hutong, Silijian (Directorate of Ceremonial) Hutong, and Huoyaoju (Gunpowder Bureau) Hutong. The Lumicang, Nanxincang, Beixincang and Haiyuncang hutongs were named after the major imperial granaries in East District. Xishiku and Houku hutongs in West District got their names from warehouses in the service of the imperial family.

Donglangxia Bystreet.
Naizifu (Department of Nursing Ladies) Hutong was so named because in old days it was inhabited by women whose job was to supply the imperial family with milk from their own breasts. Many are named after Famous people, such as Yongkang Hutong (the Iocation of the residence of Xu Zhong, who was Marquis Yongkang ), and Maojiawan Hutong (Where the mansion of Mao Wenjian of the Ming Dynasty was situated). There is no lack of hutongs named after craftsmen or peddlers; these include Liulansu (Sculptor Liu Lan) Hutong, Mudao'r (Knife Sharpening) Hutong, Fengfangliu (Bean Noodle Maker Liu) Hutong, and Doufuchen (Beancurd Master Chen) Hutong. Some hutongs derived their names from their shapes, such as Chaoshou (Folded Arms) Hutong, Lesser Biandan (Carrying Pole) Hutong, Guaibang (Walking Stick) Hutong, Erduoyanr (External Auditory Canal) Hutong, and Gouweiba (Dog's Tail) Hutong. The hutongs in south Beijing are mostly related to commodities, such as Xianyukou (Fresh Fish) Hutong, Luomashi (Horse Market), Zhubaoshi (Jewellery Market), Guozishi (Fruit Market), Shuazishi (Brush Market) and Roushi (Meat Market) Hutong. Some are named after trees, including Huaishu (Scholar Tree), Songshu (Pine Tree), Sigengbo (Four Cypresses), Shuangliu (Twin Willows), Zongshu (Palm Tree) and Yingtao (Cherry Tree) hutongs. Ten hutongs are named after chunshu, the Chinese toon tree. Some have names that do not sound good, such as Fenchang (Night Soil Field), Kudang (Crotch) and Kushuijing (Bitter Water Well) hutongs, and most of these names have been changed.
The hutongs are a truthful reflection of the fact that the east district of Beijing was rich, the west district noble, the south district poor, and the north district dilapidated. As a legacy of history, the hutongs are rich in historical and cultural connotations.
A tour of the hutongs has become a major tourist program Beijing has to offer.

Peking (Beijing) Opera - the National Opera of China

Reputation
China boasts more than 360 regional styles of opera. These ancient forms of drama are still active on China's stages today. A regional opera is usually popular in several provinces, while one province enjoys several local operas. Known as the national opera of China, Peking (Beijing) Opera is the most influential and representative of all the operas in China, and one of the three main theatrical systems in the world.
History
Although it is called Peking (Beijing) Opera, its origins are not in Beijing but in the provinces of Anhui and Hubei. It is believed that Peking (Beijing) Opera gradually came into being after 1790 when Anhui Province's four most famous opera troupes paid a visit to Beijing. Based upon traditional Anhui Opera, Peking (Beijing) Opera has also adopted repertoire, music and performing techniques from Kun Opera and Qingqiang Opera as well as traditional folk tunes. It took the best from each style and eventually formed its own highly stylized music and performing techniques.Peking Opera underwent fast development during the reign of Emperor Qianlong and the notorious Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing Dynasty. Having an imperial patron, made Peking (Beijing) Opera extremely popular, and therefore more accessible to the common people. Empress Dowager Cixi was an avid fan. The huge three-story theater in the Summer Palace is a proof of her love of Peking Opera.
Characteristics
Peking (Beijing) Opera is a blend of music, dance, art, acrobatics, and martial arts. With its beautiful paintings, exquisite costumes, and graceful gestures, Peking (Beijing) opera has developed into a comprehensive art system.
Repertoire
Filled with many aspects of Chinese cultural, Peking opera presents the audience with an encyclopedia of Chinese culture. Its repertoire includes historical plays, comedies, tragedies and farces. Many historical events are adapted into the plays, which in the past were an important primer on history and ethical principles for poorly educated common people.
Music
Peking (Beijing) Opera features an orchestral and percussion band. The former frequently accompanies peaceful scenes while the latter provides the right atmosphere for battle scenes. The commonly used percussion instruments include castanets, drums, bells and cymbals. The orchestral instruments include the Erhu, Huqin, Yueqin, reed pipe, and lute. The band usually sits on the left side of the stage. It works together with the actors to add just the right mood to go along with the action on stage.
Roles - how to figure out role's identity the moment they appear on the stage
Traditionally in China, women were forbidden to enter theatres, so all Peking (Beijing) Opera characters were performed by men. But now, women enjoy equal rights with men on stage, and more women are appearing on the Opera stage than ever before.Characters in Peking (Beijing) Opera are roughly divided into four types of roles: Sheng (the positive male role), Dan (the positive female role), Jing (a supporting male role), and Chou (the clown or a negative character), which are further classified by age and profession. Every type of role wears its own facial makeup and costume, allowing audience members to figure out its identity of the character the moment it appears on the stage. (See pictures on the left)
Facial Makeup - how to tell good from evil
The facial makeup of Peking (Beijing) Opera highlights and exaggerates the principal features of the characters. One major characteristic of Peking (Beijing) Opera is the colors painted on the face of a character. It is vital to the understanding of a play. This is a feature unique to Chinese opera. (See pictures and interpretations on the left)
Performance skills
The main performing skills of Peking (Beijing) Opera consist of singing, speaking, acting and martial arts. The operatic dialogues and monologues are recited in Beijing dialect, and some of the words are pronounced in a special fashion, unique to Peking (Beijing) opera. That is why every Peking (Beijing) Opera performance is accompanied with subtitles in Chinese, and English.Performers, in addition to singing, use well-established movements, such as smoothing a beard, adjusting a hat, jerking a sleeve, or raising a foot, to express certain emotions and meaning. Opening a door, walking at night, rowing a boat, eating, drinking and the like are all demonstrated by stylized movements of the actors and actresses. Performers also use their eyes and facial expressions to convey the specific meanings.
Liyuan Theatre - Beijing
Peking (Beijing) Opera is a featured part of a visitor's China tour. It is an essential part of Chinese culture, and something not to be missed. The best place in China to enjoy Peking (Beijing) Opera is Beijing's Liyuan Theatre. Located in the Qianmen Jianguo Hotel in Beijing, Liyuan Theatre is the most prestigious performance venue for Peking (Beijing) Opera. Every night, some of China's foremost actors and actresses perform, and after the show, audience members are allowed to visit their dressing rooms, and have photos taken with them. Artists will offer a wide repertoire of Peking Opera routines. The audience can enjoy delicious snacks and Chinese tea while watching the wonderful performances. International audience will no problem understanding the dialogue because the theatre will give simultaneous interpretation service in English, Japanese and French at each show.In the display and sales hall, visitors can learn more about the exciting history of Peking (Beijing) Opera and see stage photos of prominent actors and actresses. They also have a shop, where visitors can purchase Opera costumes, masks and musical instruments, as well as audio and video tapes. Some visitors may even get to have a photo taken of them wearing a Peking (Beijing) Opera costume, complete with make-up.

Summer Palace

The Summer Palace, in the Haidian District, northwest of central Beijing, is said to be the best preserved imperial garden in the world, and the largest of its kind still in existence in modern China. It’s hardly surprising that, during the hot Beijing summers, the Imperial Family preferred the beautiful gardens and airy pavilions of the Summer Palace to the walled-in Forbidden City. Dowager Empress Cixi took up permanent residence here for a time, giving rise to some wonderful tales of extravagance and excess.
Although only a short drive (15 km) from central Beijing it seems like another world.

The Chinese call it Yihe Yuan (Garden of Restful Peace), and the landscaped gardens, temples and pavilions were designed to achieve harmony with nature, to soothe and please the eye. The park spreads across the low hills, including Longevity Hill, around Kunming Lake, and was is divided into three main zones (administration, living, and relaxation). The wonderful buildings and courtyards wander beside the lake, along the waterways and climb the low slopes of the hillside. The arched bridges, pretty promenades, decorated ‘corridors’ and breezeways all lead visitors through ever-changing views and scenery. Here the marvelous marble boat, there an old theatre, over there an island reached by small wooden boat, and in the distance the hills, with a temple on the hillside, framed by dark trees. Small wonder that UNESCO added this 300 hectare site to the World Heritage List in 1998.
Many of the buildings have been meticulously restored, and maintenance and restoration activities are ongoing. The current projects are due for completion in 2010, which means that from time to time one building or another may be temporarily closed to the public.
Most people find they spend at least half a day here, there’s so much to see and enjoy in the gardens, buildings and waterways. It does involve plenty of walking, so wear comfortable shoes and protection from the weather (sun or rain) and be prepared to be enchanted. There are many pleasant spots along the way to pause and enjoy this much-loved summer retreat, as well as places selling cool drinks and snacks. You can take a 10 minute boat-ride to see an island temple, sit and watch a traditional Chinese performance in the restored theatre (one of the three great traditional theatres in China), or explore the recreated traditional shops by the river, (the story goes that former Emperors, or their concubines, used to enjoy 'pretend-shopping'), enjoy the different buildings and courtyards, or just take in the views from one of the many vantage points.

The park falls naturally into several sections, each with its own distinct character. The palace buildings where Dowager Empress Cixi and Emperor Guangxu used to stay, and also to conduct the business of government, are in the Court area, near the East Palace Gate, and include a number of Halls, courtyards and displays. From here the paths run beside the lake (which takes up about 75% of the park), under shady trees or along the roofed breezeway known as the ‘Long Corridor’, with its magnificently painted ceilings. Bridges, island, boats, willows, lotus and attractive landscaping make this a pleasant place to soak up the atmosphere and take in the longer views.
Beside the lakeside paths the land rises to Longevity Hill, dotted with some superb Halls and temples and wonderfully decorated Gates. The energetic can climb the hill to the Buddhist Temple overlooking the entire area. The waterside path continues across bridges, past boathouses and the amazing Marble Boat, to an area of tranquil gardens, hillocks and winding paths. In this area the ‘Suzhou Market Street’ also recreates traditional riverside shops, many of which can only be reached by boat. The Summer Palace is one of the lovelier spots in Beijing. Not all the buildings are open to the public, but many are, and the others continue to enhance the park with their design and decoration, nestled into the landscape.
A Chequered History
The gardens have twice been ransacked and restored. They were first developed by the Jin Emperors during the early 12th century. A hundred years later Mongol Emperor Kublai Khan (grandson of Genghis) further enlarged the lake, adding more canals to bring water from the western hills to improve Beijing’s water supply.
Over the following centuries dynasties rose and fell while successive Emperors continued to improve the Qingyi (Clear Ripples) Garden.
In 1750, one of the great Emperors of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, Qianlong, summoned the best designers and landscapers in China to create what was to become one of the most beautiful estates in China. Around 100,000 workers reproduced the styles of different gardens and palaces from throughout the Empire. The lake, enlarged once more, was modelled on Hanzhou’s West Lake, with islands, temples and the magnificent 17-arch bridge. Qianlong also remodelled the Temple of Gratitude and Longevity in honour of his mother’s birthday, and the 'three hills and five gardens' became legendary throughout the country, famed for beautifully named gardens: Clear Ripples, Everlasting Spring, Perfection and Brightness, Tranquillity and Brightness, Tranquillity and Pleasure, along with Longevity Hill, Jade Spring Mountain, and Fragrant Hill.
Another hundred years or so and in 1860, during the Opium Wars, the Anglo-French forces ransacked the place, burning many of the buildings, destroying the gardens and plundering its treasures. However, some 20 years later the notorious arch-survivor, Dowager Empress Cixi, spent a colossal amount of money on restoration and reconstruction of the ‘new’ Summer Palace, using funds diverted from the Imperial Navy, courtesy of her brother-in-law once he was put in charge of the navy. Ironically, in another time Emperor Qianlong used to enjoy watching naval exercises on the lake, so he’s unlikely to have approved of either the embezzlement nor the fabulous marble (a nod to the funds’ source?). Unfortunately the Chinese navy suffered as a result in their engagements with the Japanese fleets during the Sino-Japanese war.
Cixi’s time in residence only added to the extravagant tales about her – there’s the courtyard where she walled up most of the exits to ensure that the reigning Emperor did not interfere with her iron grip on the government of the day; the banqueting halls where she required well over a hundred dishes to be prepared for any meal, just in case she wanted one of them, her beloved theatre, displays and reminders of the way most of her opponents died sudden and sometimes mysterious deaths. She is believed to have accumulated an incredible fortune in gold, antiques and jewels. Other historians claim that she was an astute politician in an impossible position, providing conservative rule during challenging times, but she was certainly a strong and remarkable woman who inspired many stories, histories, novels and films.
By the end of the 1800s tensions between the Chinese and foreigners exploded in the Boxer Rebellion; foreigners were under attach, and Beijing’s foreign treaty areas were besieged. Eight nations joined to defeat the Boxers, and because Cixi had supported them the Summer Palace was ransacked yet again, in 1900. The Imperial Family returned three years later, after signing a humiliating treaty, the Summer Palace and gardens were once more on the path to restoration.
The gardens were open to the public in 1911, with the birth of the Republic, although the last Emperor, Puyi, retained the use of private apartments City until 1924both here and in the Forbidden City, until he was expelled from the Imperial Palaces and took up residence in Tianjin. At this time the entire complex was declared a public park.

Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven is the most holy of Beijing Imperial temples. The temple of Heaven was where the Emperor came every winter solstice to worship heaven and to solemnly pray for a good harvest. Since his rule was legitimized by a mandate from heaven, a bad harvest could be interpreted as his fall from heaven's favour and threaten the stability of his reign. So, it was not without a measure of self-interest that the Emperor fervently prayed for a very good crop.
In line with the Confucianist revival during the Ming dynasty, the sacred harvest ceremony was combined with the Emperor's worship of his ancestors. This embellishment was also, in effect, self-interested. For according to the Confucian pattern of social organization, just as the Emperor respected his ancestors, so a younger brother should respect an elder brother, a wife her husband, a son his father, and a nation's subjects their ruler. Incorporating ancestor worship within the most solemn ceremony of the Imperial ritual calendar, indirectly reinforced the social philosophy that perpetuated the Emperor's power.
The design of the Temple of Heaven complex, true to its sacred purpose, reflects the mystical cosmological laws believed to be central to the workings of the universe. Hence, complex numerological permutations operate within its design. For example, because the number nine was considered to be the most powerful digit, you will see that the slabs that form the Circular Altar have been lain in multiples of nine. Similarly within the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, the interior twenty-eight columns are divided into four central pillars to represent the seasons, twelve inner columns to represent the months and twelve outer columns to represent the two hour tranches that make up a day. There are many such examples of this intense numerology at play.

Whereas in Imperial times commoners were not allowed to enter the enormous park, now for a minimal fee Chinese citizens can enjoy it all day long. Were you to visit at dawn you'd be surprised by the number of people there performing their morning exercises. Next to an older person practicing the slow and flowing movements of Tai Qi there might be a younger one performing vigorous karate-like punches and kicks. One group might be learning the ancient martial art of sword-fighting, while another might be practising a traditional dance. Should you have the energy and the inclination, it is well worth waking up early one morning and visiting this park to watch such events take place.
On a parting note - amongst Sir Isaac Newton's lesser known achievements in the seventeenth century was the design of a nail-less bridge at Queens College, Cambridge. I wonder how he'd have felt to have known that the Chinese had already built the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest on the same principle two hundred years earlier.

Beijing - Forbidden City

The Forbidden City situated exactly in the heart of the municipality was home to 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The construction of the grand palace started in the fourth year of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (1406) and ended in 1420. In the ancient time, the emperor claimed to be the son of the heaven and therefore their supreme power was conferred upon them from the heaven. Their residence on the earth was built as a replica of the Purple Palace where the God lived in the Heaven. Such divine place was certain forbidden for the ordinary people and it is why the Forbidden City is so called.
The museum is a real treasures house of Chinese cultural and historical relics, recognized as one of the most important five palaces in the world (the other four are the Palace of Versailles in France, the Buckingham Palace in the UK, the White House in the US and the Kremlin in Russia). The splendid architecture of the Forbidden City represents the essence and culmination of the traditional Chinese architectural accomplishment. In 1961 the Palace Museum was listed as one of the important historical monuments under the special preservation by the Chinese central government and in 1987, it was nominated as the world cultural heritage by the UNESCO.
The Forbidden City is the best preserved imperial palace in China and the largest ancient palatial structure in the world.
The Forbidden City covers an area of about 72 hectares with a total floor space of approximately 150, 000 square meters. It consists of 90 palaces and courtyards, 980 buildings and 8,704 rooms. To represent the supreme power of the emperor from the God and the place where the he lived being the center of the world, all the gates, palace and other structures of the Forbidden City were arranged on both sides of the south-north central axis.
Forbidden City Travel Guide
Most travelers enter the Forbidden City from the Tian'anmen Gate. Through the gate, across a expansive brick - paved square, you will reach the main entrance to the palace - Meridian Gate (Wumen in Chinese).
The Meridian gate was the place where the Emperor announced the new lunar calendar on the Winter Solstice. Enter the Meridian Gate, across the Golden Stream Bridge you will arrive at the outer court-the Forbidden City falls into two parts: the outer court and the inner palaces.
The outer court is made up of three main buildings, the Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihedian), the Hall of Central Harmony (Zhonghedian) and Bao He Dian or the Hall of Preserving Harmony (Baohedian) These halls were where the emperors attended the grand ceremonies and conducted state affairs. The first hall waiting for you is the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the most important and largest structure in the Forbidden City. The emperors' Dragon Throne(Longyi) was placed at this hall. Behind the Hall of Supreme Harmony is the Hall of Central Harmony(Zhonghedian), resting place for the emperor before presenting the grand occasions held in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Emperors would rehearse their speeches and presentations here before departing to the Temple of Heaven for the sacrifice rites. The last hall is the Hall of the Preserving Harmony used for banquets and later for imperial examinations.
Out from the Hall of the Preserving Harmony, you will notice a huge marble carved with cloud and dragons design. Go straight, you will see another gate, called Gate of Heavenly Peace (Qianqingmen). This is the main gateway to the inner living court.
The inner court is composed of the rear three main structure of the Forbidden City, namely, the Palace of Heavenly Peace (Qianqinggong), Jiao Tai Dian, or the Palace of the Union and Peace and Kun Ning Gong, or the Palace of Terrestrial Tranquility. Besides the three rear main buildings are the six eastern palaces and six western palaces, where the emperor used to handle every day affairs and was the living quarters for the emperor, expresses and concubines. Those palaces, however, have been converted into exihibition halls, where a spectacular set of imperial collections is displayed.
The first structure inside the inner court is the Palace of Heavenly Purity(Qianqinggong) - the emperors' sleeping place. Behind it is Palace of Union and Peace (Jiaotaidian), where the imperial seals were stored. The third hall is the Hall of Terrestrial Tranquility (Kuining Hall) - emperors' wedding room. Exiting the Hall of Terrestrial Tranquility and going further north, travelers will find the Imperial Garden. The garden offers an aesthetic change from the crimson or gray building complex to a colorful and luxuriant atmosphere. On the left side of the inner court, travelers will find the Mental Cultivation Hall (Yangxindian), the most important building except for the Hall of Supreme Harmony. From the time of the third emperor Yongzhen, all the Qing emperors, 8 in total resided in this hall. The places at the eastern and Western sides, the former residences of the concubines have been converted into exhibition halls.
The main exit gate of the Forbidden City is the Gate of Devine Might behind the Imperial Garden.
For security the Forbidden City is enclosed by a 10 meters high city wall, which has a circumference of 3, 430 meters. At each corner of the rectangular Forbidden City, there stands a magnificent watchtower, which was heavily guarded in the past. And around the outskirt of the city a moat goes as the last defense work.

Beijing - Great Wall

The Great Wall, as you probably know, is one of the few man made structures visible from space. From Beijing you can get to a few different pieces of the Great Wall within 2 or 3 hours by bus or car. The Badaling part of the great wall is a fully restored section which is long enough to make you feel that it is never going end.
It does, however have two stopping points where you cannot walk any further. From the entrance following the route to the tallest point you can see and over to the stopping point takes about 2 hours (one way) unless you're some kind of Olympic Athlete. Not sure about the other end. We thoroughly recommend the Badaling part, as it is well managed and safe. The other parts are not fully restored and further away anyway.
The Great Wall is extremely hard work. Some sections have steps and railings, other sections are just gradual steep slopes. Be prepared for extreme temperatures. If you go in summer you will be fried by the sun, in winter you will have a biting wind, extreme sub-zero temperatures, snow and ice.
Even if you are not fit, it is worth taking the trip out, walking a few steps and knowing you can say you've stood on one of the modern wonders of the world. If you are fit, get there very early and touch those end points ! Very satisfying, and a surprisingly few number of people manage to achieve this. If you can get to an end point without stopping for a rest you truly are our hero.
To get to Badaling Great Wall you can get a tour arranged from your hotel. If you want to go it alone you can get a bus from various places around the city. We will update later with full details. Another option is to rent a taxi for the day. We have successfully rented a 1.60RMB taxi for the day for 400RMB. For this price the taxi will take you there, wait for as many hours as you'd like, and then return. If you use the meter it will cost near 800RMB to get there and back, so negotiate with the driver first, and pay at the end of the day.
This is the name of Badaling Great Wall in Chinese:

八达岭长城

Beijing - Tiananmen Square

For us, there is no better place to get the true modern feel of Beijing. Tiananmen Square is huge open space surrounded on all sides by imposing official buildings. Apart from being a popular gathering place for tourists and kite flyers, it is still often used for any big celebration and for the government leaders to address the people.
Every lamp post is equipped with an array of speakers which can convey the speakers message to a crowd in the tens of thousands. You can visit the square freely until 10.30pm at night. If you go during the day you can often buy a ticket to go up to the balcony from which the leaders address the people. This gives a very impressive view of the square and you can pretend to be the government figure of your choice
If at all possible, you must go check out the square at night as well as during the day. The atmosphere at night is different again and the square is beautifully lit. On a cold winter night with fog is really something. But don't arrive too late, at 10.30pm the soldiers come and evacuate the whole thing in minutes and its sealed off for the night.
At sunrise and sunset the flag to the front of the square is raised or lowered by a squad of army personnel. This in itself is an interesting thing to watch. All the traffic on the busy Chang An Avenue is halted, around 30 soldiers march very ceremoniously across the road and the flag is hoisted up, or down the poll. Many people come to watch this, so get there an hour or so before if you want a good view.
Getting to Tiananmen Square is best done by subway or walking as taxis are not really allowed to stop anywhere near it. The are two subway stations on line 1,Tiananmen East (116) and Tiananmen West (117).. They are both inconveniently situated a 5 to 7 minute walk away from the center of the square so there is no best station. Walking from the south entrance to Wangfujing Street takes about 20 minutes and is very pleasant. Just find the Beijing Hotel on Changan Avenue, walk past it and keep going west on Changan Avenue.
The Chinese name of Tiananmen Square is written below. You can use it to ask people directions or follow signs.
天安门