Beijing, the capital city of China, is essentially the heart of this country. There are a number of places in and around this city which are worth visiting. One may need at least a couple of days for having a look at the numerous must visit avenues. Here is a sneak peek on some of the most important places to see and activities to indulge in Beijing.
The Forbidden City is a must visit place for every tourist in most regards. This place spans across over 178 acres and has thousands of rooms in hundreds of buildings. Its construction was started in 1406 AD under the Ming Dynasty. This walled structure has got numerous elegant walls, gates and gardens etc which present a treat for the eyes. The way it has been maintained over centuries is just exemplary.
Apart from these, The Forbidden City houses an exhaustive museum as well. Centuries old porcelain wares, ceramics, paintings, bronze ware and other pieces of interest are kept here. The total count of these pieces nearly touches a mind boggling figure of 2 million. These pieces cover over thousand years of Chinese history.
Other important historic places in Beijing include Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, Temple of Earth, Ming Tombs and the Sacred Way. Each one of these places has a long and intriguing history of its own. These places form an architectural treasure and are marveled upon by tourists and locals alike.
Another must visit place in the capital city is the Beijing Zoo. It is frequented by scores of tourists every year and houses numerous exotic varieties of birds and animals. It is the perfect place to watch the Giant Pandas in action, which are found only in this part of the year. It is a nice place for a family visit and especially for the kids.
There are a couple of museums and galleries around here. The popular ones include National Museum, Military Museum and the Capital Museum. These museums provide a good insight into various walks of Chinese way of life and can be visited as well. A number of galleries exhibit art works of Chinese artists and are perfect for art enthusiasts coming into the city.
No visit to this majestic country can be complete without a trip to the Great Wall of China. It can be reached comfortably with a train ride that lasts for one hour or a bus ride which has duration of 1.5 hours. There are a number of places nearby the Great Wall which can be visited as well.
When in Beijing, do not forget to enjoy the mouth watering Chinese cuisine. One may find numerous decent restaurants which serve Chinese delicacies. In addition to that, make it a point to taste the world renowned local tea. Coffee and local brands of beer and alcohol are quite popular as well.
Being the capital of the country, Beijing is extremely well connected with foreign destinations and other parts of the country. One can reach here comfortably by catching a flight of a major airlines operator. Getting around is made easy by the extensive transport network but one should stay safe owing to the scammers on prowl.
