Touring in Beijing

Bedijing Xuanwu District
Xuanwu District located on the south west of Beijing has 3000 years' history. Jin Zhong Du of 6 states is located in Xuanwu District. As foreign city of Ming Dynasty, it formed its own special geographic situation and deep history deposition. Today, here still is commerce and culture center with the densest flowing populace and the most frequent commerce and trade activities. Old stores of Tong Ren Tang, Nei Lian Sheng, Liu Bi Ju and Zhang Yi Yuan are updating, and modern mansion is extraordinarily splendour. Not only condense historical essence, but also show new appearance. Brilliant traditional culture of China nation and city mien of new times shine upon each other and form a unique beautiful sight with Xuan Wu characteristic and gestates numerous civilian culture, commerce culture and opera culture of old Beijing and forms unique culture of south of Xuanwu District.

1. Beijing Grand View Garden
Nowadays Grand View Garden is an archaizing architecture newly constructed according to the description of Cao Xueqin. On the premises in accordance with lime spirit and architecture style of original works, we still can track the sincerity of original appearance of red building. Here are main sights of TV series "A Dream of Red Mansions". There are pavilions inside the park, the corridor is sinuous, the flower and tree is flourishing, and the green wave is poppling. The elaborate works assemble, the content is abundant, the taste is elegant and people can deeply know the broad and deep of "A Dream of Red Mansions".
- Address: No.12 Nan Cai Yuan Street, Xuan Wu District
- Directions: Take No.19, 59, 61, 351 or 819 and get off at Dayuan Park stop

2. Taoranting Park
Taoranting Park was established in 1952. It is a new city gardens combining classic architecture and modern gardens art and extruding "pavilion culture" of China nation. The famous Taoranting inside the park originally was the three-room house 1695, established by the Doctor of Ministry of Works of Qing Dynasty, Jiang Zao. He picked up the sentence of Bai Juyi, "waiting chrysanthemum ripe and drinking with the gentleman in Taoranting" and named Tao Ran Ting. So we can say that Taoranting is a witness place of history events and its history significance is great. You can enjoy the famous Pavilion at a near distance.
- Address: No.19 Tai Ping Street, Xuanwu District
- Directions: Take No.40, 59, 102, 343, 603 or 819 bus and get off at Tai Ping Street stop

3. Fayuan Temple
Fayuan Temple was established in Tang Dynasty. It was rebuilt in the 12 year of Emperor Yongzheng in Qing Dynasty (A.D. 1734) and begun to use the nowadays name from then on. There are 6 steles of Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty, including Source of Dharma Temple Stele carved in the 12 year of Emperor Yongzheng in Qing Dynasty that is a temple history of Fayuan Temple. On the beam of Guan Yin Cabinet, there hangs "Cun Cheng" stele inscripted by Qing Dynasty Kang Xi emperor for monk having seals of Source of Dharma Temple. Chang Jing Building is also named Rosewood Qianfo Palace and final palace on the axis of Source of Dharma Temple and there are two stories. There is a gingko tree with hundreds of years old and two Chinese flowering crabapples planted in Qian Long period. There display Zi Guang Tan Qian Fo and many rare Buddhism cultural relics in the yard.
- Address: No.7 Fayuansi Front Street, Xuanwu District
- Directions: Take No. 61 and gel off at Niu Street South Gate, go along Heng Xi Street to Jiao Zi Hutong and then go east

Chaoyang District
Chaoyang District is the largest suburb and layout district of Beijing and it is a district with the most minorities and the highest travel revenue. Developed traffic network, remote history culture and the successful application for holding Olympic games make Chaoyang District change quickly and everyday you can get a surprising feeling.

1. Chaoyang Park
300 Mu larger than Summer Palace, Chaoyang Park is the largest park in Beijing. Joy World inside the park combines the function of high technology, leisure and sports, its Parachute Tower is 67 meters high, the tallest in China, its bungee jumping tower is 75 meters high, also the tallest in China.
- Address: No.1 Nongzhanguan (National Agricultural Exhibition Center) South Road, Chaoyang District
- Directions: Take No.35, 43, 302 or 115 bus and get off at Chaoyang Park stop

2. Underwater World of Blue Zoo
Underwater World of Blue Zoo in the Worker's Stadium is located under the artificial lake of Beijing Worker's Stadium and the architecture area is 7800 square meters and Beijing first aquarium. It possesses Asian longest 120 meters Yakeli transparent underwater tunnel and people can enjoy sea sight of the main pool. Underwater World of Blue Zoo helps you to know and enjoy ocean and know the secret of sea world through high technology of education and amusement.
- Address: South Gate of Beijing Worker's Stadium
- Directions: Take No. 110, 113,115,118,120 or 403 buses and get off at Gongti stop

3. Chinese Ethnic Culture Park
Locating at southwest of the Asian Games Village and occupying an area of more than 40 hectares, Zhonghua Nationalities Garden is a large base of nationality culture integrating the traditional architecture, folk customs, singing and dancing, arts and crafts as well as folk cuisine of Chinese ethnic minorities. In the north part of the Park which has been open now, there are 16 scenic spots of ethnic groups including the nationally largest iron-cast sculpture and emulational tropic banyan woods, underwater solution cave, earth woods, "swirling dragon" waterfall, Ali Mountain God Wood, Lunyuan rock paintings, etc. While visiting ethnic villages, tourists can also enjoy and take part in such performances as ethnic singing and dancing, festival celebration, production, skill competition and craft.
- Address: Minzuyuan Road, Chaoyang District
- Directions: Take buses No.380, 406 or Te 2 and get off at Tiyuzhongxin Ximen (West Gate of Sports Center) stop, or take buses No. 386 or 406 and get off at Beichenlu stop

4. Honglingjin Park
Founded in 1958, Major scenic spots include: the Theme Square of the Song of Red Scarf, with an area of 3000 square meters; on the north of the Square stands the Theme Sculpture of the Song of Red Scarf, and sculptures of such heroes as Lei Feng, Liu Hulan, Liu Wenxue, Zhuo Ya, Little Radish, Zhang Jinhui, Luo Zhiqun and Deng Jindi stand on each side of the Square where grow pines and cypresses. The whole square is grand and solemn; the Gingko Square: mainly used for tourists' activities. In this area grow 27 large-sized gingkoes, and a 1920-square-meter natural terraced flower belt. Viewed from opposite shore of the lake, it's too beautiful to be absorbed all al once; the Botanic Area: in the east part of the east lake. On the wide lawn that follows the physiognomy of the lake stand such ornamentals as cedars, Chinese pines, gingkoes, silktree, redbud, flowering peach, korean weigela and other shrubs. In the south part of this area.
- Address: 5 Houbalizhuang, Chaoyang District
- Directions: Take No.9 bus and get off at Jintailu, then go west along Chaoyang North Road or you can get there by No.611 or 712 buses

6. Temple of Sun Park
Temple of Sun Park, also named Chaori Temple (Worshiping Sun Temple), located at the southeast of Chaoyangmenwai, Beijing, is a location for emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasties to sacrifice the Sun, the God of Brightness. It was enclosed and built in the Jiaqing 9th Year of Ming Dynasty (1530). Prior to the founding of New China, most of the ancient buildings are destroyed, with the cultural relics stolen. Temple of Sun got into a piece of ruins. In 1951, it was expanded to the Temple of Sun Park covering an area of more than 20 hectares by the order of Beijing People's Government. The south and north gales as well as exhibition show windows were built, together with the Mudanyuan (Peony Garden), Qinghui Ting (Clear Sunshine Pavilion), Quchi Shengchun (Green Pool) Garden, "Sacrificing the Sun" fresco, elegant "Xiheya House", classical southwest scenic spot, gallery, etc. The pulled down Sacrificial Temple was also restored. Now, the Temple of Sun Park gets more beautiful and gorgeous with the adumbral trees, trim road surface, simple, elegant and serene scenes.
- Address: Ritan Road, Chaoyang District
- Directions: Get there by buses No.1, 4, 43, 28, 57, 120 or tramcar bus No.109

Shijingshan District
Shijingshan District, "east close to the emperor's court, west adjacent to the Hunhe Rive", is named alter the Shijingshan Hill within the District which is usually known as the first fairy mountain in capital Beijing. With beautiful natural landscapes, precious humanism resorts, joyful recreation and entertainment centers, the District enjoy three major locations for relaxation and entertainment that have their own special features respectively. So it has been a geomantic treasure place for tourists from ol old. It contains numerous humanism resorts: on the Shijingshan Hill that stands on the bank of Yongdinghe River, there are many temples and steles. Each of the Buddhist Scriptures Balcony (or Liang Jing Tai), Buddhist Scriptures Depository (or Cang Jing Dong) and Grand Drama Stage has its unique style. The famous Badachu Park is extraordinarily splendid like the Charles's Wain among the Lushi, Pingpo and Cuiwei Hills. The worldly rare Buddhist teeth relics ol Sakyamuni are treasured up in the Lingguang Temple. The national key reservation cultural relic - Fahai Temple, which contains top frescos of Ming Dynasty, reflects like a bright pearl with the elegant and green Panlong Hill. Additionally, on this beautiful land assemble such natural essences as Babaoshan Revolutionary Memorial Park, eunuch of Ming Dynasty Tianyi's Grave-the testimony of a downfallen dynasty, Baoshengxian Bridge, Wanshan Bridge, Cishan Temple (or Charity Temple), Shuangquan Temple (or Double-Fountain Temple), Cheng'en Temple, etc.

1. Badachu Park
Situating in Beijing Xishan Scenic Spot, Badachu Park is a Buddhist temple garden with long history, numerous cultural relics and beautiful scenes. For thousands of years, it has been well known for three Hills, eight Buddhist temples and twelve scenes. Cuiwei Hill, Pingpo Hill and Lushi Hill are like chairs with luxuriantly green woods. Chang'an Temple, Lingguang Temple, Sanshan Temple, Dabei Temple, Longquan Temple, Xiangjie Temple, Baozhu Temple and Zhengguo Temple lie among numerous hills and valleys. Ancient trees and rare stones depend on each other. Emperor's steles reflect with pagodas. Especially the Pagoda of Teeth Relics of Sakyamuni is renowned home and overseas due to the teeth of Sakyamuni sacrificed here. The Double Ninth Festival Climbing Meeting has become a major joy for Beijing common people to climb mountains and enjoy the autumn scenery.
- Address: Badachu, Shijingshan District
- Directions: Get off at Yuquanlu subway, then change No.389 bus; or take No.374 bus and get off at Badachu stop

2. Fahai Temple
Started in the Zhengtong 4th year of Ming Dynasty (1439) and completed in Zhengtong 8th year (1443).Its essence is the large fresco completely preserved in the Daxiong Treasure Palace (Daxiong Bao Dian). The existing 10 frescos are distributed on the facade wall, east and west gable walls and back gable wall, having an area of 236.7 square meters, including the auspicious cloud picture, Buddhists picture, three scholar-officials picture and Brahma picture. What was painted on the pictures include many Bodhisattvas, twenty gods, fairies, animals, flowers, mountains, water and cloud, etc. In terms of painting art, character model and craftwork, Fahai Temple frescos may be the top of Ming Dynasty frescos in China, the existing excellent fresco painted by aulic painters rarely found since Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, the outstanding representative of Beijing in respect of fresco. Compared with Dunhuan Fresco and Yongle Palace Fresco, each has its strong point. It's comparable favorably with the European renaissance frescos.
- Address: Moshikou Street, Shijingshan
- Directions: TakeNo.311 bus and get off at Moshikou stop, then go westward; or take No.336 bus and get off at Shougang Xiaoqu stop, then go eastward

Fengtai District
The famous tourism scenic spots in Fengtai District include the War of Chinese Resistance against Japan Memorial Hall and the historical site Marco Polo Bridge (Lugouqiao) etc. before 1990s. The World Park opened in 1993, which improved the image in a whole of the tourism industry in Fengtai District. The tourism industry in Fengtai District enters a new stage. The whole district entertained 2,700,000 person-times of domestic and foreign tourists in 1998 and the tourism income is 280,000,000 Yuan. There are more than 10 tourism scenic spots in the whole district at present. 1 of them is key cultural relics protection unit at nation level and 7 of them are key cultural relics protection unit at city level. Fengtai is listed as the first station of Capital Southwest Tour by Beijing Tourism Bureau.

1. World Park
The 46.7-hectare park collects more than 100 humanism and natural scenes of 50 world countries. The plane layout is designed according to the domain of five continents. Main sight spots include: Eiffel Tower, Triumphal Arch, White House, World Trade Plaza, Red Square, etc. All sight spots containing different culture of world countries meet together in the park. Tourists will experience the rich and colorful cultures of foreign countries in the tour. Splendid foreign singing and dancing performances as well as impassioned and bright foreign customs parade are demonstrated to people in a vivid form another side.
- Address: 158 Dabaotai, Huaxiang, Fengtai District

2. China Anti Japanese War Sculptures Garden
The Sculptures Park is situated at the gore lot between Wanpingcheng of Fengtai District and Beijing-Shijiazhuang Expressway. It has an area of 20 hectares. It includes the sculpture group zone reflecting the 8-year bloody war of Chinese resistance against Japan with the National Anthem; subsiding central square, Wanping city wall, green wood, etc. In 2000, it was appraised as the Beijing Patriotism Education Base, Beijing National Defense Education Base; Furthermore, it usually cooperates with visiting groups to carry out theme education activities focused on patriotism.
- Address: 101 Wanpingcheng Neijie, Lugouqiao, Fengtai District

3. Marco Polo Bridge (Lugouqiao) Wanping Cheng (City)
Over the Yongding River, which is 15km southwest from Tian'anmen, Lugou Bridge is a large stone bridge of multi openings and joint arch existing in Beijing. It has a history of more than 800 years. Such a majestic ancient bridge is rarely found across the country.
Lugou Bridge was started from June of Dading 29th year of Jin Dynasty (1189) and completed in March of Mingchang 3rd year (1192). Originally named as "Guangli Bridge" and then renamed as "Lugou Bridge". Also called as "Marco Polo Bridge" overseas. It has a total length of 260m, a width of 9.30m, 10 bridge piers and 11 openings. It was very safe when a 429-ton large truck passed through. Each side of Lugou Bridge has posts and sidewall. On each of the 281 posts there is a stone lion. And on the head, back, belly and under the claws of the every lion hides a stone lion in different shapes.
Wanpingcheng (City) was started in Chongzhen 11th year of Ming Dynasty, or more than 300 ago. The City is 640 meters long from east to west, and 320 meters wide, with two city gates in east and west, as well as a city gate tower. At the four corners of the city, there are towers for local authorities. It's also the monumental place for the "July 7 Incident of 1937". There are yet craters on the city wall fired by Japanese invaders when they attacked Wanping City.
- Address: Wanpingcheng, Fengtai District
- Directions: Take buses No.310, 309 or 339 and get off at Tanhuangchang (Spring Plant), then go northward