Capital Museum (Confucius Temple)
Guozijian Jie, Andingmennei,
Dongcheng
6401-2118
Housed in a former imperial temple and Confucian civil-service university, this was where China's best and brightest came to serve the state.
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Palace Museum
The Forbidden City - Imperial palaces
6513-1892
Twenty-four emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties lived in this palace city, officially making it the home of China’s emperors for five centuries. The Palace Museum, formerly known as the Forbidden City, lies in the heart of modern Beijing. Built in the early 1400's, the structure is impressive with more than 9,000 rooms and halls containing many precious relics - making it the largest architectural palace in the world. Did we mention it's no longer forbidden?
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Yonghegong Lamasery
Yonghegong Lamasery was built in 1694 and remains one of the largest lamaseries in Beijing. Yonghegong also houses the largest wooden statue in the world, an 18 meter tall Buddha carved from a single sandalwood tree.
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Beijing Recreation Center
Beisihuanzhong Road, Andingmenwai
6499-3434
Family fun including wave pool, simulated river, water slides and a sports complex featuring bowling, squash, tennis, roller-skating, disco dancing, billiards and sauna.
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Yuanmingyuan
Ruins of an impressive imperial palace built during the Qing Dynasty, the grounds of Yuanmingyuan are well preserved and open to the public.
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Ming Tombs
The Ming Tombs are located on an area measuring roughly 40 kms square. The mausoleum houses 13 Ming emperors. Of the tombs only two are actually open to the public. The most famous and perhaps the most thrilling is the Dingling - practically an underground palace.
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Hutongs
A hutong is a kind of street lined on both sides by courtyards containing compound houses and are a special feature of downtown Beijing. The hutongs (alleyways) were created by the traditional Beijing courtyard-style architecture.
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Summer Palace - Imperial gardens
Yiheyuan Street
Haidian District
6288-1077
The Summer Palace is known as one of the most tranquil places in the city of Beijing. Lakeside gardens and elegant pavilions adorn this grand imperial palace. It was originally built as a summer home for the emperor. Nowadays the gardens, pavilions, bridges, and towers receive hundreds of thousands of visitors. A curious feature in the Summer Palace is the marble replica of a Mississippi steamboat.
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Yonghe Gong - Tibetan Lama Temple
Yonghegong Dajie is worth the journey for the colorful halls, mandalas and notable display of statuary.
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Miraculous Amusement Palace
Chaoyang Park
Chaoyang District
6506-6382
Wax exhibits depict episodes from the famous Chinese story A Journey to the West, featuring the monk, the pig, the monkey and the warrior.
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Marco Polo Bridge
Built in 1189, the Marco Polo Bridge is the oldest and grandest arch bridge in Beijing.
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Chinese Geology Museum
15 Yangrou Hutong
Xisi Nandajie
6617-6387
Minerals, gems and fossils of Paleozoic plants and animals. A great place to take the family!
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Blue Zoo Beijing
(Gongti Nanlu), Chaoyang District
6593-5263
This international-class aquarium is great for the kids. The main attraction is a moving walkway that swirls around underneath the main tank, with sharks swimming overhead. The museum focuses on such marine issues in China as the damming of the Yangtze River and the slaughter of sharks for shark fin soup.
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The Central Park of Beijing
1 Wenjin St
Xicheng District
6404-0610
Beihai Park has an 800-year history as the royal garden of the Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. The park is grand and sprawling, with beautiful plantings, a lake and paddleboats for rent.
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Beihai Park
Noted as one of the oldest of the Chinese gardens, the Beihai Park was the imperial garden of the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.
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