Beijing
The Temple of Heaven
The magnificent and colorful Temple of Heaven (TianTan) was where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties would offer sacrifices to heaven and pray for good harvests.
The Temple of Heaven was constructed between 1406 and 1420 during the reign of Ming Emperor YongLe (1403-1424), who also oversawthe creationof the Forbidden City during the same period.The Temple of Heaven was originally established as the Temple of Heaven and Earth, but was given its current name during the reign of Ming Emperor JiaJing (1522-1567), who built separate complexes for the earth, sun and moon. The Temple of Earth (DiTan) can be found in north Beijing. The temples of the sun and moon are in the east and west of Beijing.The Temple of Heaven was renovated again during the reign of Qing Emperor QianLong (1736-1795).In 1998, the Temple of Heaven was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.In early 2005, the Temple of Heaven underwent a 47 million yuan (6 million USD) renovation that was completed on May 1st, 2006.
The Temple of Heaven, with its ancient cosmological basis, in turn helped to reinforce the legitimacy of the emperor's role as head of a feudal system with a mandate from Heaven. In showing respect to Heaven through prayer and sacrifices, the emperor effectively emp The Temple of Heaven has been converted into a park that is popular both with tourists and residents alike.The park was first opened to the public in 1912 and commoners who had previously been banned from even watching the emperor's procession pass through the city to Tiantan, were now permitted to visit the Temple of Heaven themselvesThe Temple of Heaven is a very large park, more than twice the size of the Forbidden City. As this was to be the space representing Heaven on Earth, symbolically it needed to be bigger than the Forbidden City. It is about 2 kilometers from north to south. The inner walled area that houses the main structures covers 275 Hectares (2.75 million square meters). Indeed, it is the largest group of constructions for worship in the world.
The Temple of Heaven is a delightful and exquisite place to spend some time. Arrive in the early morning to watch the TaiChi experts, although the park is lively all day and into the evening with kite flyers, musicians, singers, dancers and games players (from badminton to Chinese chess).
The Summer Palace
Situated in the western outskirts of Haidian District, the Summer Palace is 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) from central Beijing. Having the largest royal park and being well preserved, it was designated, in 1960 by the State Council, as a Key Cultural Relics Protection Site of China. Containing examples of the ancient arts, it also has graceful landscapes and magnificent constructions. The Summer Palace is the archetypal Chinese garden, and is ranked amongst the most noted and classical gardens of the world. In 1998, it was listed as one of the
World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
Constructed in the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), during the succeeding reign of feudal emperors; it was extended continuously. By the time of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it had become a luxurious royal garden providing royal families with rest and entertainment. Originally called ''Qingyi Garden'' (Garden of Clear Ripples), it was know as one of the famous ''three hills and five gardens'' (Longevity Hill, Jade Spring Mountain, and Fragrant Hill; Garden of Clear Ripples, Garden of Everlasting Spring, Garden of Perfection and Brightness, Garden of Tranquility and Brightness, and Garden of Tranquility and Pleasure). Like most of the gardens of Beijing, it could not elude the rampages of the Anglo-French allied force and was destroyed by fire. In 1888, Empress Dowager Cixi embezzled navy funds to reconstruct it for her own benefit, changing its name to Summer Palace (Yiheyuan). She spent most of her later years there, dealing with state affairs and entertaining. In 1900, it suffered again, being ransacked by the Eight-Power Allied Force. After the success of the 1911 Revolution, it was opened to the public.
Composed mainly of Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, The Summer Palace occupies an area of 294 hectares (726.5 acres), three quarters of which is water. Guided by nature, artists designed the gardens exquisitely so that visitors would see marvelous views and be amazed by perfect examples of refined craftwork using the finest materials.
The Ming Tombs (Shisanling)
The Ming tombs lie in a broad valley to the south of Tianshou (Longevity of Heaven) Mountain in Changping County, about 50 kilometers northwest of Beijing proper. To the southwest of this valley, a branch of the Yanshan Range suddenly to breaks off and forms a natural gateway to the 40-quare-kilometer basin in which the tombs were built. This gateway is "defended" on each side by the Dragon and Tiger hills, which are said to protect this sacred area from winds carrying evil influences. Thirteen out of the 16 Ming emperors are buried in this peaceful valley.
Visitors first pass by an elegant, five-arched white marble memorial archway. Built in 1540, this 29-meter-wide and 14-meter-high structure, with its delicate bas-relief carvings of lions, dragons and lotuses, is still in near-perfect condition. About one kilometer to the northeast of this archway stands the Great Red Gate (Dahongmen), the outermost gate of the entire mortuary complex.
The Great Red Gate marks the beginning of the 7-kilometer-long Sacred Way (Shendao), which leads to the entrance of the Changling, the tomb of Emperor Yongle (reigned 1403-1424). Continuing on, one comes to a tall square stele pavilion, with four tall white stone ornamental columns (huabiao) set at each of its four corners, standing boldly in the center of the Sacred Way.
Continuing north to the Changling, the Sacred Way passes over a river via two bridges of five and seven arches respectively. From here, all 13 tombs can be seen; the foothills and groves of trees dotted with golden yellow roofs stretch for 19 kilometers across this sacred valley. Compared to the other 12 tombs the Changling is the largest and best preserved.
Yonghe Palace 
In the northeast corner of the old city of Beijing lies a group of buildings with yellow roofs bounded by a red wall.It is the famous Yonghe Palace , the Lama temple. This temple is listed as significant historical site protected by the national government.
This temple is different from other temples because of its uniqueness , in terms of history and contents. It was built in 1694 , and was the residence of the Manchu prince HEZE.In 1723, HEZE succeeded to the throne as Emperor Yongzheng. According to the customs, the site could not be used for other purposes except as a temple because the prince who lived there had become the emperor. Such a place was called the "Forbidden Palace of a Hidden Dragon" .
In the third year of Yongzheng's reign (1725), the site became a royal residence, and thus, the green tiles were changed to yellow, for yellow was the imperial color. It was called Yonghe Gong, Palace of Eternal Harmony. The emperor later converted the palace into a lamasery for monks from Mongolia and Tibet. In 1744, during Qianlong's reign , it was officially declared a Lama temple.
The Mountain Resort of Chengde
The Mountain Resort of Chengde, a key national cultural protection unit, was listed in the World Cultural Heritage Directory in 1994. It was built in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and took about 90 years (1703-1792) to construct.
The Mountain Resort, also called Rehe Temporary Palace, is situated north of Chengde and 230 kilometers (143 miles) from Beijing. It covers an area of 564 sq meters (218 sq miles) and was originally built for the royal families to spend the hot summer months. It is a grand architectural complex that consists of numerous palaces, the largest royal garden in China and wonderful scenery, combined with a pleasant climate.
The Mountain Resort is divided into four parts: the Palace Area, Lake Area, Plain Area and Mountain Area. The Palace Area lies in the south part of the Mountain Resort and is a concentration of palaces where the Qing emperors handled the political affairs and where the royal families lived. It covers an area of 100,000 sq meters (25 acres), consisting of four main complexes: the Main Palace, the Pine-Crane Hall, the East Palace and the Pine Soughing Valley.
The Lake Area lies in north of the Palace Area. Eight islets dotted in the lake, dividing the Lake Area into several fields of different sizes
The Plain Area is located at the foot of the mountain, north of the Lake Area. The plain is a vast area, and is covered with thick grass and trees.
The Mountain Area, located in the northwest of the Mountain Resort, accounts for 80% of the total area. The mountain area is formed by four valleys: Filbert Valley, Pine Valley, Pear Valley and Pine-cloud Valley, which run south to north.
Great Wall 
The Great Wall of China, one of the greatest wonders of the world, was enlisted in the World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching approximately 6,700 kilometers (4,163 miles ) from east to west of China. With a history of more than 2000 years, some of the sections of the great wall are now in ruins or even entirely disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance.
The Great Wall was originally built in the Spring, Autumn, and Warring States Periods as a defensive fortification by the three states: Yan, Zhao and Qin. The Great Wall went through constant extensions and repairs in later dynasties. In fact, it began as independent walls for different states when it was first built, and did not become the "Great" wall until the Qin Dynasty. Emperor Qin Shihuang succeeded in his effort to have the walls joined together to fend off the invasions from the Huns in the north after the unification of China. Since then, the Great Wall has served as a monument of the Chinese nation throughout history. A visit to the Great Wall is like a tour through the history backwards; it brings tourists great excitement in each step of the wall.
The construction of the Great Wall, drew heavily on the local resources for construction materials, was carried out in line with the local conditions under the management of contract and responsibility system. A great army of manpower composed of soldiers, prisoners, and local people, built the wall. The construction result demonstrates the manifestation of the wisdom and tenacity of the Chinese people.
The Great Wall as we see today was mostly built during the Ming Dynasty. It starts from Shanhaiguan Pass in the east to Jiayuguan Pass in the west traversing provinces of Liaoning, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi and Gansu.
The Great Wall has long been incorporated into Chinese mythology and popular symbolism. The most beautiful of several legends is about the collapse of a section of the Great Wall caused by Meng Jiangnu, who cried bitterly over the death of her husband in the construction of the Great Wall. This legend has been spread widely through textbooks, folk songs and traditional operas. It is well-known in China.
Tian'anmen Square
Situated due south of Tian'anmen, the Square has an area of 44 hectares( 109 acres) that can accommodate as many as one million people for public gatherings. It has witnessed may historical events in China's modern history and is a place for celebrations on such festive days as international Labour Day on May 1st and national Day on October 1st.
Around the Square are several famous buildings:
1 .The Great Hall of the People
This is one of the largest congressional buildings in the world. Built in 1959, the hall consists of three parts: a 10,000-seat auditorium in the center, a banquet hall in the north wing facing Chang'an Street, with a seating capacity of 5,000, and offices for the Standing Committee of the National Peoples' Congress of China in the south.
2 The Museum of Chinese History and the Museum of the Chinese Revolution
These two museums were also built in 1959. the museum of Chinese History houses a permanent exhibition in four parts, covering the entire process of Chinese history spanning from 1.7 million years ago to 1919
3 The Monument to the People's Heroes
the monument was built in memory of thousands of martyrs who died for the revolutionary cause of the Chinese people. Its construction began on August 1, 1952 and was not completed until 1958. in the form of an obelisk, the Monument as made of more than 17,000 pieces of tranite and white marble. The purple piece inlaid in the front of the Monument was brought from Qingdao, Shandong Province. It is 38 meters(124ft 8 in) high, the loftiest of its kind ever seen in the country. Not only is it an historic memorial for immortal heroes, but also it is an artistic work of excellent architectural value.
On the front side of the Monument is an engraved inscription in Chinese characters written by Chairman Mao Zedong, which reads" Eternal Glory to the People's Heroes!". On the back of the Monument is an article written by Chairman Mao, but in Chinese calligraphy by the late Premier Zhou Enlai.
At the top of the Monument are eight gigantic carved wreathes of such flowers as peony, lotus and chrysanthemum, symbolizing nobility, purity, and fortitude. At the base of the monument are eight marble reliefs depicting the Chinese historic events since 1840.
4 Chairman Mao's Mausoleum
Chairman Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Pepublic of China, passed away on Sepember 9, 1976. In commemoration of this great man, a mausoleum began to be constructed in November 1976, and was completes in August the following year. The Mausoleum was officially opened on September 9, 1977.
Tian' anmen Square has now completed its renovation after eight months' hard work to welcome the 50th anniversary of the People's Republic in 1999.
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