- The Great Wall
- Forbidden City
- Tiananmen Square
- Ming Dynasty Tombs
- Temple of Heaven
- Beijing Zoo
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- The Great Wall IS China. It stretches, mostly East to West, for over 5,500 miles. There is evidence that it was begun as early as the 7th century B.C. Much of the wall has disappeared; however, the portion near Beijing has been rebuilt and maintained more than any part. It has been said that the Great Wall is visible from space; however, no discernible photos exist that clearly show it.
- The Forbidden City was built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties and served as the palace for 24 emperors. Surrounded by a 150 feet moat, its walls reach nearly 30 feet in some places. It was forbidden for ordinary people to see the palace unless invited, thus it became known as the Forbidden City.
- Tiananmen Square has become famous for protests, and today is one of the main tourist sites. Parades and pageants take place here, like "Red Square" in Moscow. The Tiananmen Tower is just north of the Square and was the place where ceremonies were watched by the emperors. The Monument to People's Heroes is in the center of the square and contains the engraved words of Chairman Mao's famed book "The People's Heroes are Immortal." The Great Hall of the People is where conventions and congresses are held. The Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao is on the south of the square and contains the coffin of the immortal chair. The National Museum is located on the east side of the square.
- The Ming Dynasty Tombs are about 25 miles from the city. Thirteen Ming Emperors are buried here.
- The Temple of Heaven was constructed in 1420 and was the place where the emperors went to pray for a good harvest. The Temple contains Hall of Prayer for Good harvests, the Hall of Heavenly Emperor, the Circular Mound, the Imperial Vault of Heaven, the Abstinence Hall, the Beamless Hall, the Long Corridor, the Longevity Pavilion, the Echo Wall, the Three Echo Stones, and the Seven Meteoric Stones.
- The Beijing Zoo contains over 450 species and 5,000 different animals. The most popular exhibit is the Panda Hall, where the giant pandas are kept. Also located here is the Beijing Aquarium, containing thousands of species of marine life.
We have only touched the tip of the iceberg of beautiful places to visit in this exciting city. A week will not be nearly enough to see all there is to see.
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