| The capital of the People's Republic of | | | | collectively referred to as the Ming Tombs. |
| China, Beijing is a municipality directly | | | | Of the Ming Tombs that are open to the public |
| under the control of the central government | | | | are Changling and Dingling, which in turn is |
| of China. Situated on the eastern coast of | | | | an incredible underground palace. Beijing |
| the country on the Pacific Ocean, with the | | | | also has to its credit the world's largest |
| Taihang Mountain to the north and the Yanshan | | | | city square - Tian'anmen Square, located in |
| Mountain to the west, Beijing is one of the | | | | the center of city, covering an area of |
| largest metropolitan areas of trade and | | | | 400,000 sq km. The focal point of the square |
| finance, and is the center of politics and | | | | is a towering monument, which commemorates |
| international exchanges. | | | | the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for |
| | | | the welfare of the country. |
| The city's history as the capital of the | | | | |
| country dates back to more than 800 years, | | | | Other top attractions in the region are the |
| during the reign of Yuan Dynasty. Beijing is | | | | Sacred Way - the main road leading to the |
| endowed with a variety of historical as well | | | | Ming Tombs; Lama Temple - the largest |
| as awesome attractions, which are further | | | | lamasery in the city; and Hutongs, which are |
| mentioned in this article. | | | | a kind of lane lined by courtyards consisting |
| | | | of compound houses on either side. |
| The greatest of all the attractions in | | | | |
| Beijing is the Forbidden City, which is the | | | | No visit to Beijing would be complete with |
| most magnificent as well as splendid | | | | out taking a trip to such landmarks of the |
| architectural palace complex in the country. | | | | city as Ancient Cliff House, also known as |
| Constructed between 1406 and 1420, the | | | | Guyaju; Baiwangshan Forest Park, surrounded |
| Forbidden City is also known as the Palace | | | | by beautiful plants and flowers; Beijing |
| Museum, and is one among the top five palaces | | | | Aquarium within the Beijing Zoo; Beijing |
| in the world. | | | | Botanical Garden, containing a rare species |
| | | | of plants and flowers; Memorial of |
| Another remarkable attraction in the city is | | | | Jiaozhuanghu Tunnel Warfare Site; Jiufeng |
| the Summer Palace, an amazing imperial palace | | | | National Forest Park; Shihua Cave, |
| that once served as the summer resort of the | | | | acknowledged as the 'Underground Pearl of |
| Qing Dynasty. The highlight of the palace is | | | | Beijing;' and Zhangfang Ancient Battle |
| a royal garden, which stands as a stupendous | | | | Tunnel, which was erected during the reign of |
| example of imperial garden in classic Chinese | | | | Emperor Song Zhenzong of the Northern Song |
| style. | | | | Dynasty. |
| | | | |
| Beijing is also home to the Great Wall, the | | | | A good number of museums can also be found in |
| only man-made structure that is visible from | | | | the city, such as, Beijing Ancient |
| the moon. Equally worth mentioning is such | | | | Architecture Museum, China Printing Museum, |
| historical sites as the Temple of Haven, | | | | Museum of Dabaotai Han Tomb, China Bee |
| where according to legends, the Ming and Qing | | | | Museum, Xu Beihong Museum, and Museum of West |
| emperors carried out solemn rituals for | | | | Zhou Yandu Relics. |
| plentiful harvests. Built in 1420, the temple | | | | |
| is the largest of its kind in the country. | | | | Beijing is a venue for a plethora of exciting |
| | | | festivals, including Lantern Festival, |
| Top attractions in Beijing also include | | | | Beijing Spring Festival, and Longqing Gorge |
| Beihai Park, an exquisite destination spread | | | | Lantern Festival. The city also hosts a range |
| across more than 65 hectares of land, of | | | | of international events like the |
| which half of the area is occupied by water. | | | | International Entomological Conference and |
| One of the oldest Chinese gardens, the park | | | | the Asian Games. |
| once served as the imperial gardens of | | | | |
| dynasties including Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming, | | | | With these umpteen attractions, Beijing is |
| and Qing. The highlights of the park are | | | | visited by people year-round. Hence, Beijing |
| categorized into four sections: Qionghua | | | | comes with a variety of accommodation choices |
| Islet, Circular City, the northern bank area, | | | | to cater to every taste and pocket. Many of |
| and the eastern bank area. | | | | the resorts and hotels are within easy reach |
| | | | of almost all attractions and facilities of |
| Occupying an area of about 40 sq mt is a | | | | the city. Some hotels even provide packages |
| group of mausoleums of 13 Ming emperors as | | | | inclusive of accommodation, dining, and |
| well as their empresses, which are | | | | facilities for sightseeing. |