Oct. 24-26, 2009, Yingjie Overseas Exchange Center, Peking University, Beijing, China中文版

Sights in Beijing

Badaling Great Wall

Badaling (8 Reaches Ridge) is the best preserved section of the Great Wall. 370 foreign leaders and VIPs have climbed Badaling. It is called Bada (8 Reaches) as the maze of ridges stretch in all directions.The Great Wall at Badaling was built in the 18th year of the reign of the Ming emperor Hong Zhi (1505). The wall, built with tall granite slabs on the outside, is 7.8 meters high on average, some sections even reaching 8.4 meters in height. It is about 6.5 meters wide on average at its base, and 5.7 meters wide on average at the ramparts.The scenery at Badaling is great in every season. The sky in autumn is high with an unsoiled stratosphere, while the maple forests are golden and red in colour.

 

Forbidden City

Forbidden City was the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Rectangular in shape, Forbidden City is the world's largest palace complex. Forbidden City covers 74 hectares. Opposite the Tian'anmen Gate in the southh, to the north is the Gate of Devine Prowess (Shenwumen), which faces Jingshan Park. The Forbidden City is divided into two parts: The outer court was where the emperor exercised his supreme power over the nation. The northern section, or the inner court was where he lived with his royal family.

 

 

Summer Palace

The Summer Palace is mainly dominated by Longevity Hill (60 meters high) and the Kunming Lake. It covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometers, three quarters of which is water. In December 1998, UNESCO included the Summer Palace on its World Heritage List. It declared the Summer Palace "a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value." It is a popular tourist destination but also serves as a recreational park.

 

 

Shichahai

Shichahai is a famous scenic area that includes three lakes (Qian Hai, meaning Front Sea; Hou Hai, meaning Back Sea and Xi Hai, meaning Western Sea), surrounding places of historic interest and scenic beauty, and remnants of old-style Beijing residences, Hutong and Courtyard. It is located in the northwest part of Beijing, and covers a large area of 146.7 hectares (about 363 acres).The greatest point of interest in Shichahai today is its residences, hongtong and countyard. In and around Beijing City, Shichahai is one of the best places to view well-preserved Hutongs and courtyards.

 

 

Ming Tombs

The Ming Tombs are actually a tomb cluster of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), including thirteen emperor's mausoleums, seven tombs for concubines and one grave for eunuchs. This cemetery is world famous because of the thirteen emperors buried here. Sitting at the foot of Mt. Yan and occupying an area of more than 120 square kilometers (29,653 acres), it appears extremely spectacular. It was listed in the World Heritage List in 2003.