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Forbidden City

The Chinese used to view the Forbidden City as the centre of the universe, and with good reason! While Europe was still stuck in the Middle Ages, Beijing saw a huge palace complex arise with thousands of alcoves, rooms and halls. Not only was the Imperial City forbidden to commoners, it was also invisible, hidden behind walls that were 8 metres thick and 10 metres high.

Arts & Culture

Jewel in the crown

For those who visit the Forbidden City it seems almost unbelievable that something so enormous could remain hidden for five centuries. The complex is now making up for lost time, and the secret world of emperors, harems and eunuchs is visited by some 40,000 visitors a day. Nonetheless, the grandeur of the Forbidden City remains; since 1987 it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is maintained accordingly. There’s always some part that is undergoing renovations or construction. Taking in all the riches of the halls, galleries, squares and palaces will take at least a day. Even for a general impression we recommend at least several hours for your visit. Your patience and stamina will be rewarded. If the names are anything to go by, the pleasure is never-ending: after the entrance you’ll encounter the Hall of Supreme Harmony, then the Gate of Heavenly Purity, the Palace of Earthly Tranquillity, the Hall of Union, and much more besides. Those who brave the entire extent of the city will also see the Imperial Garden which gives access to even more palaces on both sides. This part of the Forbidden City, often overlooked, is a great place for meandering through a maze of galleries, gates and courtyards.

The Guanmiao Pavilion in Jingshan Park

Jingshan Park

Past the Gate of Divine Might, at the northern entrance to the Forbidden City, is Jingshan Park. This artificial hill was created from the huge amounts of soil excavated to build the 52-metre wide and 6-metre deep moat around the Forbidden City. It is a great place to overlook the roofs of the city from pavilions with names like Beautiful View and Accumulated Fragrance.

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Shopping

Arts & Culture

Shopping

Obviously a metropolitan city such as Beijing has plenty of great places to shop, but there are always some locations that stand out. Take Wangfujing, for instance. As well as being the most famous shopping street in the city, it’s also the busiest. On an average weekday you’ll find hundreds of thousands of bargain hunters, while in the holiday season the number can reach to over a million.

Arts & Culture

Tiananmen Square, also known as the Square of Heavenly Peace, in Beijing is filled with superlatives. This vast 880-metre-long and 500-metre-wide square can hold a million people and is the 4th largest square in the world. The Gate of Heavenly Peace, the Tiananmen Gate, provides access to the Forbidden City. Above the entrance hangs a portrait of Mao Zedong, the founder of modern China.

Arts & Culture

The Great Wall of China twists through deserts and plains, over mountains and plateaus like a Chinese dragon. The structure’s length is estimated at 8,852 kilometres. Not all parts of the Great Wall have been preserved in good condition and thousands of years of history have obviously left their mark. Beijing is a great starting point for a visit to both the restored and the more authentic segments of the Great Wall.