The Great Wall
China has an old saying that "anyone who fails to reach the Great Wall is not a true 
man." The Great Wall, extending five provinces and covering 6,700 square kilometers from east Shanhaiguan Pass to west Jiayuguan Pass , is one of the "Eight Wonders of the World" and recorded in the World Heritage List .
Like a gigantic dragon winding up and down across deserts, grasslands and mountains, this enormous wall was built to keep out of invaders and protect the residents in ancient times. It began as independent walls for different states when it was first built, and did not become the "Great" wall until the Qin Dynasty when Emperor Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of Qin Dynasty 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.
Beijing takes up a section of the Great Wall . Badaling is the earliest section open to the tourists, compared to other parts of the whole Great Wall. It is situated at Yanqing County , more than 70 kilometers northwest away from the center of Beijing City ; it is at the highest point of north end of the Guan'gou gorge, where Juyongguan Pass lies. It is a rare ancient military defense project for protecting Juyongguan Pass.
Besides Badaling Great Wall, you can also visit Mu Tian Yu Great Wall and Great Wall from Si Ma Tai to Jin Shan Ling. Some foreign travellers also like walking from Si Ma Tai to Jin Shan Ling. However, Badaling is the closet to the city center of Beijing more >>
Forbidden City
Forbidden City , also known as the Palace Museum is an imperial palace. It 
functioned as the administrative center of the country as well as the residence of emperors and empresses at Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.
The palace with 9,999 buildings is divided into two sections. The southern section (the Outer Court ) was where the emperor exercised his supreme power over the nation. The northern section (the Inner Court ) was where the emperor lived with his royal family. Fourteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty and ten emperors of the Qing Dynasty had reigned here, until 1924 when the last emperor of China was driven out of the Inner Court .
Except Wenyuange, the royal library, which has a black roof representing that water could extinguish fire, yellow is the dominant color in the Forbidden City , for it is the symbol of the royal family.
The Palace Museum was listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1987. With numerous rare treasures and curiosities, now it is one of the most popular tourist attractions world wide. Self-guided audio tour tapes in several languages are available at the entrance. more >>
Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square is located at the center of Beijing City . It was the front door of Forbidden City .
In the past, it was used to declare who became the emperor or the empress in a big ceremony to common people. The square is surrounded by a variety of significant edifices: Chinese Revolution History Museum where there are a lot of material objects, pictures, books and models presenting the development of modern China, Monument to the People's Heroes--- the largest monument in China's history, Mao Zedong Memorial Hall, the Great Hall of the People--- the site of the China National People's Congress meetings, Tiananmen Tower and Qianmen (Front Gate).
Summer Palace
Summer Palace is ranked among the most eminent and classical gardens of the world. It lies in the western outskirts of Haidian District, 15 kilometers away from central Beijing, taking up an area of 294 hectares, three quarters of which is water. The garden is well conserved with the largest royal park and examples of ancient arts, elegant landscapes and splendid constructions. It was constructed at Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) with over 3,000 structures including pavilions, towers, bridges, and corridors and expanded continuously during the successive reign of feudal emperors. By Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it had been a luxurious royal garden functioning as residence and entertainment place of royal families. In 1960, it was nominated as a Key Cultural Relics Protection Site of China by the State Council. In 1998, it was enlisted into World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
The Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven was built in 1420 A.D particularly for offering sacrifice to heaven and praying for good harvests during Ming and Qing dynasties. There are two marvelous acoustical spots in the temple. On top of the tri-leveled round altar, speakers can hear their words reverberating around them. At the Echo Wall that partially encloses a circular courtyard with 65 meters in diameter, one can clearly hear words whispered at one end along the wall from the other end.
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