Touring in Beijing

Beijing Xicheng District
The history of Xicheng District is quite long. Since ancient times, it connects with the development; of Beijing City closely. Xicheng District is an important carrier of capital Beijing, the political and cultural center. And it is an important financial and commercial activity district. If you come to Xicheng District, you'd better visit the former residence of celebrities, and perhaps they were once your adoring idols. When you enter into their former living place, you can steel be touched, by their personality charm.

1. Hutong Travel
Before we start to visit, we should know what is real Hutong. Is the Hutong what we called lanes? Hutong is a Beijing characteristic old city lane. Hutong originally was named Mongolian, namely street alley. Because Beijing had layout In ancient times, the hutong is relatively straight and dotted. There are 7000 hutong and their names are very different, some is with person name, such as Prime Minister Wen Hutong, some is with market and commodity, such as Golden Fish Hutong, some is with Beijing idiom, such as Meng Hu Lu Hutong. Beijing's largest hutong is East & West Jiao Min Xiang, and the whole length is 6.5 km. The shortest is one-foot street, and the length is less than 10 meters. The narrowest hutong is Qian Shi Hutong in Da Shi Lan district of Qian Men. It is only 0.7 meters wide and a little fatter people can not pass unless he hold his breath. Hutong actually is many passages between courtyards with building on the four sides with different sizes and next by next. In order to collect more natural daylight, courtyard with buildings on the four sides sit on the north towards south, its arrangement result is that hutong most become from east to west. The whole Beijing city is like enlarged courtyard with buildings on the four sides. The east, west, south and north is basically symmetrical. The layout is orderly, the vigor is very splendid, and the surrounding is encircled with rectangular high walls in order. The former residence of celebrities and the princes' residence scattered in downtown area are all authentic courtyard with buildings on the four sides. Courtyard with building on the four sides has the difference of trivial details and simplicity according to high and low social status of the people. Big courtyard with building on the four sides of dignitary and rich businessman is dainty architecture, owns carved corridor and picture ridgepole with front and back yard. Small courtyard with building on the four sides of populace has simple design and owns narrow appearance and low house wall. Recently Beijing's building and mansion is more and more, we scarcely see courtyard with buildings on four sides. There still are two relatively integrative courtyards with buildings on the tour sides within 2nd Ring Road and later we could only see its appearance in TV series. Before the end of Qing Dynasty, China was still in laggard natural economy. Engage in trading is a inferior occupation in feudalism idea. So Beijing is a consumption city with most of imperial noblemen living idlely. Various living scence mostly assemble in hutong. Courtyard with building on the four sides (Siheyuan) is a miniature of the living status and social culture of that period. At the end of Qing Dynasty, hutong went from prosperity to wane. This is a natural development trend of Beijing hutong with the collapse of feudalism.
Manpower pedicab with red peak and black body is main traffic tool of visiting hutong. If in the three seasons of spring, summer and autumn, tourists can enjoy folk living sights of the two sides of Shishahai by taking old manpower boat besides by taking manpower pedicab for sightseeing. At nightfall, people light lamp on the boat, and there is a lady with traditional stringed and woodwind instrument plays gentle and fair-sounding folk music on the fore. When boat goes through Silver Bridge and arrives at back sea, tourists could taste tea and cake, or have a barbecue dine together on the boat. When the sun falls and night curtain raises, tourists on the boat light paper river lamps and put them into water and make a wish to God murmuredly. The lamps float on the surface of water and move with stern, suddenly bright and suddenly dark just like Qin Huai River of Tang and Song Dynasties. It is specially recommended to visit hutong before sunset and at nightfall in summer. Because there are abundant and busy folk activities along the two sides of Shi Sha Hai and the lives of common people in hutong is very active and various.

• Recommended sightseeing route by pedicab
1. Taking pedicab and go to the Drum Tower - Visiting the Drum Tower - Taking pedicab - Shi Sha Hai - Silver Ingot Bridge - Visiting hutong and hutong family - Take boat and return to the back door of Beihai (North Sea).
2. Take boat in front sea - Front sea - Silver ingot bridge - Back sea - Visiting hutong and hutong family - Taking pedicab - Visiting Gong Wang Residence Garden- Taking pedicab and return the following sights.
You can choose to interlude with hutong travel.

2. Beihai park
Beihai Park is one of the best-preserved imperial gardens with the longest history now exiting in China. It has a history of nearly one thousand years. The splendid scale Tai Ning Place was built on the basis of it in the nineteenth year of Dai Ding (1179) in Jin Dynasty. Tai Ning Palace inherited "A big pool with three hills" stytem of Chinese imperial garden and was transferred lake stone of Bianjinggenyue imperial garden of North Song Dynasty onto Flowery Islet Island (Qionghuadao). Until the fourth year of Zhiyuan (1267), Kublai Khan, ancestor of Yuan dynasty, established the capital central with Tai Ning Palace Flowery Islet Island (Qionghuadao). Flowery Islet Island (Qionghuadao) and its lakes were planned into the Imperial City and granted the name of Longevity Hill(Wanshoushan) and Tai Ye Pool. In the eighteenth Yong Le year (1420), Ming Dynasty moved the capital to Beijing, Longevity Hill (Wanshoushan) and Tai Ye Pool became imperial garden on the west of Forbidden City names West Garden. Ming Dynasty moved toward south and developed water surface and formed the structure of three seas. Qing Dynasty inherited West Garden of Ming Dynasty. North Sea was rebuilt in Qian Long period and set later scale and pattern. The whole garden occupies 68 hectares (including 39 hectares water surface) and is composed of Flowery Islet Island (Qionghuadao), sights of east bank and north bank. It inherits Chinese form garden tradition and adopts various garden technologies. It owns great vigour of north gardens and euphemistical charm of personal gardens of south river and magnificence of palace and grandeur of religion temple, nature abounds in changes and one integrated mass and is the gem of China gardens art.
- Directions:Form 8:00 to 17:00. Take No.103, 109, 107, 111 tramcar and 101 buses

3. Jingshan Park
Jingshan Park occupies 23 hectares, and the mountain is forty-three meters high. This place is a good place of overlooking Beijing and enjoying the panorama of the Forbidden City in Beijing. In Jin Dynasty, here became hillock, and explored into imperial forbidden garden in Yuan Dynasty named Qing Mountain. In Ming Yong Le, piled the earth of city moat and dregs of city wall into a high earth mountain named Wansui Mountain. The twelfth Qing Shunzhi(1665), changed it into Jin Shan, expanded large-size in Qian Long (1749-1751), successively established Shouhuang Palace, Yiwang Building, Guanmiao Pavilion, Zhoushang Pavilion, Wanchun Pavilion, Yifang Pavilion and Fulan Pavilion. Jinshan Park is a beautiful and unique imperial garden and feudal emperor often came here enjoying flower, shooting, drinking something and visiting sights. On the mesa on the east of Guanmiao Pavilion, the wryneck tree is the hanging place of emperor of the end of Ming Dynasty, Chong Zhen.
- Address: Jingshan FrontStreet, Xicheng District

4. Gong Palace Garden
The another name of Gong Palace Garden is Cui Jin Garden, was originally built in Ming Dynasty and there is a history of over 200 years. The whole garden occupies an area of 28,000 square meters and owns 31 ancient architectures. The construction structure is divided into three ways. Gong Palace and its gardens are the residences of scholar He Shen in the period of Emperor Qian Long. He Shen was captured in the fourth year of Emperor Jiaqing and bestowed to Prince Qing. In the first year of Emperor Xian Feng, the Palace was re-bestowed to Prince Gong Yi Xin, since then it was named as Gong Palace and Gong Palace Garden. Prince Gong Yi Xin assembled hundreds of handicraftsmen to rebuild the garden. Integrated gardens art of the South and construction style to the North, the Garden combines western architecture and Chinese classic gardens architecture together, and hills, stones and woods were also added into. The colored painting is bright-colored. The ground is paved with flower and grass, and tree becomes shade. The corridor is bright and the bird sings clangorouslly. The garden ranked No.1 among hundreds of Princes' residence in Beijing at that time. And it could be called as "Immortals' residence on the earth and the peal of Shi Sha Hai".
- Directions: Take No.13, 107 and 111 buses and get off Beihai

5. Guo Moruo Former Residence Memorial Hall
The gate of the former residence is on the west toward east. There hangs gold character wooden board of "Former Residence of Guo Morou" inscribed by Deng Yingchao on the door head. The most conspicuous inside the yard is gingko and peony planted by Guo Morou couple. Go into flower gate and then courtyard with building on the four sides, east and west rooms are explored into display room, and reveal the whole life of the poet and scholar and soldier with pictures and material objects. Sitting room, office and bedroom of the principal rooms are still the original display. Warm corridor surrounds small China Rose Garden, connects the northeast room and the middle room is the place where Guo Morou couple studied calligraphy. The giant was dead and the old garden is still like before. One and one volume manuscript and one calligraphy works keep hid verve. In 1992, Beijing Municipal people's Government named Guo Morou Memorial Hall for the first group of youth education base.
- Address: No.18 Qian Hai West Stree, Xicheng District
- Directions: Take No.13, 107, 111, 118 buses and get off at the back gate of Beihai Park, on the north toward west

6. Former Residence of Song Qingling
Former Residence of Song Qingling is located on beautiful Beijing Back Sea North Edge of Shishahai. It is the living place of Song Qingling from 1963 to 1981 in Beijing and it is a national key protection unit of cultural relic and youth education base in Beijing. Here is the prince residence garden of the father of the last emperor Pu Yi, Prince Chun Zhai Feng. After new China was founded, Premier Zhou Enlai planed and prepared personally and rebuilt it into an apartment for Song Qingling. In the yard, flower and wood assemble old tree shade, mountain stone overlaps, and green water surround, building hall and pavilion strew at random and are full of poetry and picturesque scene. Now the yard of the former residence and main display still keep the original status before Song Qingling was dead and there is still "Exhibit of Song Qingling's life" showing her great brilliant achievements.
- Address: No.46 Back Sea North Edge, Xicheng District
- Directions: Take No.5 or 819 nuses and get off at Guozi stop, go south along Back Sea Passgeway

7. Xu Behing memorial Hall
Xu Beihong Memorial Hall was established by the nation in memory for the art master Xu Beihong. There are 2000 collections that are all national rare articles. 1000 of them are Xu Beihong's posthumous works, 1000 are Xu Beihong's collection and there are also thousands of various information materials. According to Xu Beihong's testament before his death, curator, Liao Jingwen, contributed the above collections to the state. There are seven display rooms in the displaying room for temporary exhibition of painting and calligraphy artists.
- Address: No.53 Xinjiekou North Street, Xicheng District
- Directions: Take ring-line subway and get off at Ji Shui Tan stop, or No.22 and 27 bus and get off at Hou Hou stop. Weat of Xin Jie Kou North Street

8. Former Residence of Mei Lanfang
Established in October 1986, Mei Lanfang Memorial Hall is a typical courtyard with building on the four sides (Siheyuan) in Beijing, occupying an area of 700 square meters. There hangs the stele of "Mei Lanfang Memorial Hall" in scripted by Deng Xiaoping on the red-painted gate. Mei Lanfang passed his final 10 years in this quiet and comfortable yard before he died in 1961.
- Address: No. 9 Huguosi Street, Xicheng District
- Directions: Take No. 13, 107 or 111 buses and get off at North Sea Back Gate

9. Beijing Zoo
Beijing Zoo situated in Xi Zhi Men Wai is the zoo opened earliest and owning the most kinds of animals in China. It occupies an area of about 90 hectares and raises over 650 kinds and 5000 exhibit animals. Here originally is the imperial demesne of Ming Dynasty and personal residence of Qing Dynasty imperial nation. During Guangxu, it was opened to foreign and established agriculture experiment plant and occupied three hectares. II imitates German Hamburger Zoo establishment and was originally called "Thousand Animal Zoo". In 1955, it was formally named as Beijing Zoo, and large-scale reconstruction have been taken. Nowadays Beijing Zoo has established friendly link with more than 50 countries and districts in the world. Here you can enjoy rare and strange animals from the world and experience the greatness and surprise from natural world.
- Address: No. 137 Xi Wai Street, Xicheng District
- Directions: Take No. 111, 105 tramcar or No. 7, 25,19, 45, 27 bus and get off at Zoo stop

10. Beijing Aquarium
Beijing Aquarium is located in Beijing Zoo and it is the largest inland Aquarium. The whole construction area of the hall is 42,000 square meters and virescence area is eighty thousand square meters. The Aquarium is divided into 6 different exhibit halls, namely Yulin Qiguan, Chu Mo Chi, Haidi Huanyou, Shake Hall, Jing Tun Wan and Ocean Showplace. The hall exhibits over ten thousand fish, including about thousand kinds of ocean viewing fish and fresh water viewing fish. Except viewing fish, Beijing Aquarium owns a strong ocean animal showing group, including the animals of dolphin, cetacean and sea lion.
- Directions: Take No. 16, 933 buses or No. 102,103,105 tramcar and get off at Zoo stop

11. Guang Ji Temple
Guang Ji Temple is famous large-size temple of Buddhism. The temple was constructed in Jin Dynasty. There are rare cultural relic in the temple and still presented gift of many Buddhism areas. In 1993, Guang Ji Temple became the place of China Buddhism Association and activity center of national Buddhism affairs.
- Address: On the west of Xi Si road gate, No. 25 Fu Cheng Men Nei Street
- Directions: Take No. 13,101,102,103,105, 823, 812 or 814 bus and get off at Xi Si stop

12. White Cloud Temple
White Cloud Temple (Baiyunguan) is the first Buddhist monastery of Taoism Quanzhen, is also the ancestral temple of Long Men Group, renamed as Baiyunguan at the beginning of Ming Dynasty. It is the key cultural relic protection unit of Beijing. The hall of now existing Baiyunguan was rebuilt in Ming and Qing Dynasties. When you enter the mountain gale, you can find it is divided into middle and east and west three roads and back yard. It possesses magnificent scale, and in the middle there are Ling Gong Palace, Yu Huang Palace, Lao Lu Hall, Qiu Zu Hall, San Qing Cabinet, Si Yu Palace and the Drum & Bell Building. There is Cang Jing Building on the east of San Qing Cabinet. The east part is Nan Ji Palace, Dou Mu Cabinet and Luo Gong Tower. The west part is Lu Zu Palace, Eight-Immortals Palace, Yuanjun Palace, Wenchang Palace, Yuanchen Palace, and Temple Yard etc. There are two stone inscription of lections, Dao De and Yin Fu, embedded in the right and loll walls of the Temple Yard. I he backyard is named as Yunji Yard and also named small Fabled Abode of Immortals. Jietai and Yunji Rooms are the center of the yard with artificial hills alternate with each other There are winding corridors, Yunhua Immortals' Room, Youhe Pavilion, Miaoxiang Pavilion and Tuiju Building scattering among the yard. Green trees form large area of shade, which is fresh and tranquil and make you target to return.
- Address: Bai Yun Road, Xicheng District
- Directions: Take No. 320 (branch) or 414 and get off at Baiyunguan or take No. 114, 308 or 937 and get off at Bai Yun Road stop and then go south

13. White Pagoda Temple
There is a world famous and huge Tibetan-style white Pagoda in the White Pagoda Temple, which is the earliest and largest Tibetan-style Pagoda now existing in China. Emperor Qianlong once commanded to display a block of things for guarding the tower in it. The guarding things are all rare treasures of Buddhism. The design style of the top of the Temple also exclusively exists in China. The White Pagoda is 51 meters high. The temple body is like a bowl standing upside down and it has 13 collars that represent the highest rank of Buddhism. The diameter of Tian Pan is nearly 10 meters and is 2 meters high. There is a small Lama Tower in the peak of Tianpan, which is exclusively owned in present Tibetan-style Pagoda. The White Dagoba model is displayed in the center of the Hall and also exhibits the tower guarding treasures. The inscribed board "Yi Zhu Xin Jing" bestowed by Emperor Qianlong was originally placed in the second Hall. Now the second hall is used as the Tibetan Ten-thousand-Buddha-Figure Art Exhibit. There exhibit almost 10,000 Tibetan Buddha figures in the hall and the number is enormous and the age is long.
- Address: No. 171 Fuchengmennei Street, Xicheng District
- Directions: Take No. 13, 101,102,103, 823, 812 or 814 buses and get off at White Tower Temple stop