8Information
26Australian EmbassyC3
27Canadian EmbassyC3
28French EmbassyF1
29German EmbassyD3
30Irish EmbassyC8
31Japanese EmbassyF1
32Kazakhstan EmbassyE2
33Laotian EmbassyD3
34Mongolian EmbassyC8
35Mongolian Embassy – Visa SectionC8
36Myanmar EmbassyE3
37Nepalese EmbassyD2
38Netherlands EmbassyE2
39New Zealand EmbassyE3
40North Korean EmbassyC7
41Pakistan EmbassyE3
42Russian EmbassyA2
43South Korean EmbassyE1
44Thai EmbassyB7
45UK EmbassyC7
46Vietnamese EmbassyC7
47Wild ChinaE1
CCTV HeadquartersARCHITECTURE
(央视大楼, Yāngshì Dàlóu MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 32 Dongsanhuan Zhonglu, 东三环中路32号 bLine 10 to Jintaixizhao, exit C)
Shaped like an enormous pair of trousers, and known locally as Dà Kùchǎ (大裤衩; Big Pants), the astonishing CCTV Tower is an architectural fantasy that appears to defy gravity. It's made possible by an unusual engineering design that creates a three-dimensional cranked loop, supported by an irregular grid on its surface. Designed by Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren, the building is an audacious statement of modernity (despite its nickname) and a unique addition to the Běijīng skyline.
Rìtán ParkPARK
(日坛公园, Rìtán Gōngyuán MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 6 Ritan Beilu, 日坛北路6号 h6am-9pm; bLines 2, 6 to Chaoyangmen, exit A or Lines 1, 2 to Jianguomen, exit B)F
Meaning ‘Altar of the Sun’, Rìtán ('rer-tan') is a real oasis in the heart of Běijīng's business district. It's a nice place to stroll and take in the atmosphere of this beautifully landscaped park where you'll see locals dancing, singing, flying kites, playing table tennis and hanging out. It dates back to 1530 and was one of a set of imperial parks that covered each compass point – others include the Temple of Heaven and Temple of Earth (Dìtán Park).
Dōngyuè TempleTAOIST TEMPLE
(东岳庙, Dōngyuè Miào MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 141 Chaoyangmenwai Dajie; adult ¥10, with guide ¥40; h8.30am-4.30pm Tue-Sun, last entry 4pm; bLines 2, 6 to Chaoyangmen, exit A, or Line 6 to Dongdaqiao, exit A)
Dedicated to the Eastern Peak (Tài Shān) of China’s five Taoist mountains, the morbid Taoist shrine of Dōngyuè Temple is an unsettling, albeit fascinating, experience and one of the capital's most unusual temples. An active place of worship tended by top-knotted Taoist monks, the temple's roots go all the way back to the Yuan dynasty. It's most notable for its long corridor exhibiting a series of comically macabre displays of statues representing different 'departments' from the Taoist underworld.
WORTH A TRIP
798 ART DISTRICT
o798 Art DistrictGALLERY
(798 艺术新区, Qī Jiǔ Bā Yìshù Qū GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Jiuxianqiao Lu & Jiuxianqiao Beilu, 酒仙桥路 hgalleries 10am-6pm, most closed Mon; g403, 909, bLine 14 to Jiangtai, exit A)
A vast area of disused factories built by the East Germans, 798 Art District, also known as Dàshānzi (大山子), is Běijīng’s main concentration of contemporary art galleries. The industrial complex celebrates its proletarian roots in the communist heyday of the 1950s via the retouched red Maoist slogans decorating gallery walls and statues of burly, lantern-jawed workers dotting the lanes. The giant former factory workshops are ideally suited to multimedia installations and other ambitious projects.
You could easily spend half a day wandering around the complex. There are signboards with English-language maps to guide you around.
Some of the bigger galleries include the 798 Art Factory (798艺术工厂; 798 Yìshù Gōngchǎng GOOGLE MAP ; %186 1132 2248; 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, 798 Art District; 酒仙桥路4号大山子艺术区 h10am-6pm; bLine 14 to Jiangtai, exit A), a Bauhaus hangar-like space with its ceiling decorated in 1950s Maoist slogans, and original machinery scattered among changing art exhibitions by Chinese and foreign artists. The Danish gallery Faurschou Foundation Beijing (林冠基金会北京; Línguān Jījīn Huì Běijīng GOOGLE MAP ; www.faurschou.com; 2 Jiuxuanquao Lu, 798 Art District; 酒仙桥路2号798艺术区 h10am-6pm; bLine 14 to Jiangtai, exit A) has exhibitions by internationally acclaimed artists, with past shows including the likes of Lucien Freud, Ai Wei Wei, Andy Warhol and Yoko Ono. Springs Centre of the Arts (泉空间; Quán Kōngjiān GOOGLE MAP ; %010 5762 6373; www.springsart.com; 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, 798 Art District; 酒仙桥路2号大山子艺术区 ¥10; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun; bLine 14 to Jiangtai, exit A) also exhibits headliner artists from both China and abroad. UCCA (Ullens Center for Contemporary Art; 尤伦斯当代艺术中心, Yóulúnsī Dāngdài Yìshù Zhōngxīn GOOGLE MAP ; %010 5780 0200; http://ucca.org.cn/en/; 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, 798 Art District; 酒仙桥路4号大山子艺术区 ¥10-60; h10am-7pm Tue-Sun; bLine 14 to Jiangtai, exit A) is another big-money gallery with immense, modern exhibition halls and the attached cool UCCA Design Store (尤伦斯当代艺术中心; Yóulúnsī Dāngdài Yìshù Zhōngxīn GOOGLE MAP ; %010 5780 0224; http://ucca.org.cn/en/uccastore/; 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, 798 Art District; 酒仙桥路4号798艺术区 h10am-6pm Tue-Sun; bLine 14 to Jiangtai, exit A).
Other highlights include the Xin Dong Cheng Space for Contemporary Art (程昕东国际当代艺术空间; Chéngxīndōng Guójì Dāngdài Yìshù Kōngjiān GOOGLE MAP ; 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, 798 Art District; 酒仙桥路4号大山子艺术区 h10am-6.30pm Tue-Sun; bLine 14 to Jiangtai, exit A) which showcases young avant-garde Chinese artists in a lovely space; Zhu Bingren Art Museum (朱炳仁美术博物馆; Zhūbǐngrén Měishù Bówùguǎn GOOGLE MAP ; www.cu100.com; 798 Art District; 大山子艺术区 h10am-6pm; bLine 14 to Jiangtai, exit A) features the copper and bronze sculpture of renowned Shandong artist Zhu Bingren. Also check out the Pyongyang-based Mansudae Art Studio (万寿台创作社; Wànshòutái Chuàngzuò Shè GOOGLE MAP ; %010 5978 9317; www.mansudaeartstudio.com; 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, 798 Art District; 酒仙桥路2号大山子艺术区 h10am-6pm Tue-Sun; bLine 14 to Jiangtai, exit A), which exhibits North Korean artists and sells DPRK collectibles.
There are also plenty of quirky open-air sculptures scattered around the site. The caged dinosaurs out front of 798 Art Factory are popular, while original socialist realism sculptures in the southwest of the complex include a headless Chairman Mao statue. Nearby are shipping containers used as a canvas by graffiti artists. The area around 798 Live House is the best for stencils, murals and other street art.
Summer Palace & Hǎidiàn
oSummer PalaceHISTORIC SITE
(颐和园, Yíhé Yuán MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 19 Xinjian Gongmen, 新建宫门19号 Apr-Oct ¥30, through ticket ¥60, Nov-Mar ¥20, through ticket ¥50, audio guide ¥40; h7am-7pm, sights 8am-5pm summer, 8.30am-4.30pm winter; bXiyuan or Beigongmen)
As mandatory a Běijīng sight as the Great Wall or the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace was the playground for emperors fleeing the suffocating summer torpor of the old imperial city. A marvel of design, the palace – with its huge lake and hilltop views – offers a pastoral escape into the landscapes of traditional Chinese painting. It merits an entire day’s exploration, although a (high-paced) morning or afternoon exploring the temples, gardens, pavilions, bridges and corridors may suffice.
The domain had long been a royal garden before being considerably enlarged and embellished by Emperor Qianlong in the 18th century. He marshalled a 100,000-strong army of labourers to deepen and expand Kūnmíng Lake (昆明湖; Kūnmíng Hú), and reputedly surveyed imperial navy drills from a hilltop perch.
Anglo-French troops vandalised the palace during the Second Opium War (1856–60). Empress Dowager Cixi launched into a refit in 1888 with money earmarked for a modern navy; the marble boat at the northern edge of the lake was her only nautical, albeit quite unsinkable, concession. Foreign troops, angered by the Boxer Rebellion, had another go at torching the Summer Palace in 1900, prompting further restoration work. By 1949 the
palace had once more fallen into disrepair, eliciting a major overhaul.
Glittering Kūnmíng Lake swallows up three-quarters of the park, overlooked by Longevity Hill (万寿山; Wànshòu Shān). The principal structure is the Hall of Benevolence & Longevity (仁寿殿; Rénshòu Diàn MAP GOOGLE MAP ), by the east gate, housing a hardwood throne and attached to a courtyard decorated with bronze animals, including the mythical qílín (a hybrid animal that only appeared on earth at times of harmony). Unfortunately, the hall is barricaded so you can only peer in.
An elegant stretch of woodwork along the northern shore, the Long Corridor (长廊; Cháng Láng MAP GOOGLE MAP ) is trimmed with a plethora of paintings, while the slopes and crest of Longevity Hill behind are adorned with Buddhist temples. Slung out uphill on a north–south axis, the Buddhist Fragrance Pavilion (佛香阁; Fóxiāng Gé MAP GOOGLE MAP ) and the Cloud Dispelling Hall (排云殿; Páiyún Diàn MAP GOOGLE MAP ) are linked by corridors. Crowning the peak is the Buddhist Temple of the Sea of Wisdom (智慧海; Zhìhuì Hǎi MAP GOOGLE MAP ), tiled with effigies of Buddha, many with obliterated heads.
Cixi’s marble boat (清晏舫; Qīngyuàn Chuán MAP GOOGLE MAP ) sits immobile on the north shore, south of some fine Qing boathouses (船坞; Chuán Wù MAP GOOGLE MAP ). When the lake is not frozen, you can traverse Kūnmíng Lake by ferry to South Lake Island (南湖岛; Nánhú Dǎo), where Cixi went to beseech the Dragon King Temple (龙王庙; Lóngwáng Miào MAP GOOGLE MAP ) for rain in times of drought. A graceful 17-arch bridge spans the 150m to the eastern shore of the lake. In warm weather pedal boats (颐和园脚踏船; Yíhé Yuán Jiǎotà Chuán MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 4-/6-person boat per hour ¥80/100; h8am-4pm Apr-Oct) are also available from the dock.
Try to do a circuit of the lake along the West Causeway (西堤; Xīdī MAP GOOGLE MAP ) to return along the east shore (or vice versa). It gets you away from the crowds, the views are gorgeous and it’s a great cardiovascular workout. Based on the Su Causeway in Hángzhōu, and lined with willow and mulberry trees, the causeway kicks off just west of the boathouses. With its delightful hump, the grey- and white-marble Jade Belt Bridge (玉带桥; Yùdài Qiáo MAP GOOGLE MAP ) dates from the reign of emperor Qianlong and crosses the point where the Jade River (玉河; Yù Hé MAP GOOGLE MAP ) enters the lake (when it flows).
Towards the North Palace Gate (北宫门; Běigōngmén MAP GOOGLE MAP ; bBeigongmen), Sūzhōu Street (苏州街; Sūzhōu Jiē) is an entertaining and light-hearted diversion of riverside walkways, shops and eateries, which are designed to mimic the famous Jiāngsū canal town.
Summer Palace
1Top Sights
1Summer PalaceC1
1Sights
2BoathousesB1
3Buddhist Fragrance PavilionC1
4Buddhist Temple of the Sea of WisdomB1
Cloud Dispelling HallC1
5Dragon King TempleC3
6Hall of Benevolence & LongevityC2
7Jade Belt BridgeB2
8Jade RiverB2
9Long CorridorC1
10Marble BoatB1
11North Palace GateC1
12West CausewayB1
2Activities, Courses & Tours
13Summer Palace Pedal BoatsC2
4Sleeping
14Aman at Summer PalaceC1
Běijīng Botanic GardensGARDENS
(北京植物园, Běijīng Zhíwùyuán GOOGLE MAP ; adult ¥5, through ticket ¥50; h6am-8pm Apr-Oct, last entry 7pm, 7.30am-5pm Nov-Mar, last entry 4pm; bXiyuan or Yuanmingyuan, then bus 331)
Exploding with blossom in spring, the well-tended Běijīng Botanic Gardens, set against the backdrop of the Western Hills and about 1km northeast of Fragrant Hills Park, makes for a pleasant outing among bamboo fronds, pines, orchids, lilacs and China’s most extensive botanic collection. Containing a rainforest house, the standout Běijīng Botanical Gardens Conservatory (Běijīng Zhíwùyuán Wēnshì; with Běijīng Botanical Gardens through ticket ¥50; h8am-4.30pm Apr-Oct, 8.30am-4pm Nov-Mar; g331, bXiyuan or Yuanmingyuan, then) bursts with 3000 different varieties of plants.
About a 15-minute walk from the front gate (follow the signs), but still within the grounds of the gardens, is Sleeping Buddha Temple (卧佛寺; Wòfó Sì adult ¥5, or entry with through ticket; h8am-4.30pm summer, 8.30am-4pm winter). The temple, first built during the Tang dynasty, houses a huge reclining effigy of Sakyamuni weighing 54 tonnes; it’s said to have ‘enslaved 7000 people’ in its casting. Sakyamuni is depicted on the cusp of death, before his entry into nirvana. On each side of Buddha are arrayed some sets of gargantuan shoes, gifts to Sakyamuni from various emperors in case he went for a stroll.
On the eastern side of the gardens is the Cao Xueqin Memorial (曹雪芹纪念馆; Cáo Xuěqín Jìniàn Guǎn 39 Zhengbaiqi Cun; 正白旗村 h8.30am-4.30pm Apr-Oct, 9am-4pm Nov-Mar; c; g331, bXiyuan or Yuanmingyuan, then), where Cao Xueqin lived in his latter years. Cao (1715–63) is credited with penning the classic Dream of the Red Mansions, a vast and prolix family saga set in the Qing period. Making a small buzz in the west of the gardens is the little China Honey Bee Museum (中国蜜蜂博物馆; Zhōngguó Mìfēng Bówùguǎn), open 8.30am to 4.30pm March to October.
Old Summer PalaceHISTORIC SITE
(圆明园, Yuánmíng Yuán GOOGLE MAP ; %010 6261 6375; 28 Qinghua Xilu, 清华西路28号 adult ¥10, through ticket ¥25, map ¥6; h7am-6pm Apr-Oct, to 5.30pm Nov-Mar; bYuanmingyuan)
Located northwest of the city centre, the Old Summer Palace was laid out in the 12th century. The ever-capable Jesuits were subsequently employed by Emperor Qianlong in the 18th century to fashion European-style palaces for the gardens, incorporating elaborate fountains and baroque statuary. In 1860, during the Second Opium War, British and French troops torched and looted the palace, an event forever inscribed in Chinese history books as a low point in China’s humiliation by foreign powers.
Most of the wooden palace buildings were burned down in the process and little remains, but the hardier Jesuit-designed European Palace buildings were made of stone, and a melancholic tangle of broken columns and marble chunks survives. Note: to see these remains, you need to buy the more expensive 'through ticket'.
The subdued marble ruins of the Palace Buildings Scenic Area (Xīyánglóu Jǐngqū) can be mulled over in the Eternal Spring Garden (Chángchūn Yuán) in the northeast of the park, near the east gate. There were once more than 10 buildings here, designed by Giuseppe Castiglione and Michael Benoist. The buildings were only partially destroyed during the 1860 Anglo-French looting and the structures apparently remained usable for quite some time afterwards. However, the ruins were gradually picked over and carted away by local people all the way up to the 1970s.
The Great Fountain Ruins (Dàshuǐfǎ) themselves are considered the best-preserved relics. Built in 1759, the main building was fronted by a lion-head fountain. Standing opposite is the Guānshuǐfǎ, five large stone screens embellished with European carvings of military flags, armour, swords and guns. The screens were discovered in the grounds of Peking University in the 1970s and later restored to their original positions. Just east of the Great Fountain Ruins stood a four-pillar archway, chunks of which remain.
West of the Great Fountain Ruins are the vestiges of the Hǎiyàntáng Reservoir (Hǎiyàntáng Xùshuǐchí Táijī), where the water for the impressive fountains was stored in a tower and huge water-lifting devices were employed. The metal reservoir was commonly called the Tin Sea (Xīhǎi). Also known as the Water Clock, the Hǎiyàntáng, where 12 bronze human statues with animal heads jetted water for two hours in a 12-hour sequence, was constructed in 1759. The 12 animal heads from this apparatus ended up in collections abroad and Běijīng is attempting to retrieve them (four can now be seen at the Poly Art Museum). Just west of here is the Fāngwàiguàn, a building that was turned into a mosque for an imperial concubine. An artful reproduction of a former labyrinth called the Garden of Yellow Flowers is also nearby.
The palace gardens cover a huge area – 2.5km from east to west – so be prep
ared for some walking. Besides the ruins, there’s the western section, the Perfection & Brightness Garden (Yuánmíng Yuán) and, in the southern compound, the 10,000 Springs Garden (Wànchūn Yuán).
Bus 331 goes from the south gate (which is by exit B of Yuanmingyuan subway station) to the east gate of the Summer Palace before continuing to the Botanic Gardens and eventually terminating at Fragrant Hills Park.
WORTH A TRIP
FRAGRANT HILLS PARK
Fragrant Hills ParkPARK
(香山公园, Xiāng Shān Gōngyuán GOOGLE MAP ; ¥10 Apr-Oct, ¥5 Nov-Mar; h6am-6.30pm Apr-Oct, to 6pm Nov-Mar; bXiyuan or Yuanmingyuan, then bus 331)
Easily within striking distance of the Summer Palace are Běijīng’s Western Hills (西山; Xī Shān), another former villa-resort of the emperors. The part of Xī Shān closest to Běijīng is known as Fragrant Hills Park. Beijingers flock here in autumn when the maple leaves saturate the hillsides in great splashes of red.
Scramble up the slopes to the top of Incense-Burner Peak (Xiānglú Fēng), or take the chairlift (one way/return ¥80/160, 9am to 4pm). From the peak you get an all-embracing view of the countryside, and you can leave the crowds behind by hiking further into the Western Hills.
Near the north gate of Fragrant Hills Park, but still within the park, is the excellent Azure Clouds Temple (碧云寺; Bìyún Sì Xiāngshān Gōngyuán; 香山公园 adult ¥10; h9am-4.30pm; g331, bXiyuan or Yuanmingyuan), which dates back to the Yuán dynasty. The Mountain Gate Hall (Shānmén) contains two vast protective deities: Heng and Ha, beyond which is a small courtyard and the drum and bell towers, leading to a hall with a wonderful statue of Mílèfó – it’s bronze, but coal-black with age. Only his big toe shines from numerous inquisitive fingers.
The Sun Yatsen Memorial Hall (Sūn Zhōngshān Jìniàn Tāng) contains a statue and a glass coffin donated by the USSR on the death of Mr Sun (the Republic of China's first president) in 1925. At the very back is the marble Vajra Throne Pagoda (Jīngāng Bǎozuò Tǎ), where Sun Yatsen was interred after he died, before his body was moved to its final resting place in Nánjīng. The Hall of Arhats (Luóhán Tāng) is well worth visiting; it contains 500 statues of luóhàn (those freed from the cycle of rebirth), each crafted with an individual personality.
Lonely Planet China Page 12