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Beijing
Points of Interest
Despite much recent construction, Beijing
remains a city of great monuments, palaces,
temples and other reminders of the past
glory of imperial China. The Palace Museum,
located within the Forbidden City, was
the former residence and official site
of the imperial family and court. Built
more than 500 years ago, this complex
comprises a series of great halls and
palaces which served for official and
ceremonial occasions of state, banquets,
and residential purposes. To the west
of this complex is Zhongnan Hai, a large
park and cluster of lakes that is walled
and serves today as the residential compound
for China’s top leadership. Immediately
south of the Forbidden City is Tiananmen
Square.
Beijing worker stadium |
This is the site of large celebrations
and rallies, such as the National Day
celebrations held each year on October
1. On the east side of the square is the
Museum of China’s History and Revolution,
and in the center is the Monument to the
Heroes of the People and the tomb of Mao
Zedong, who established the Communist
form of government in China in 1949. In
1989 the square was the site of massive
student demonstrations which were violently
suppressed by the army. See Tiananmen
Square Protest.
In the northwestern suburbs are tombs
of most emperors of the Ming dynasty,
who ruled in China from 1368 to 1644.
The tombs are approached by the long Avenue
of the Animals, lined with marble lions,
elephants, camels, and horses. Northwest
of the Ming Tombs, within the municipal
boundaries, is a portion of the Great
Wall.
Tample of heaven |
Of the many temples in the old city,
perhaps the best known and most beautiful
is the complex known as the Temple of
Heaven, located in Tian Tan Park in the
southern part of the outer city. This
complex includes two circular ceremonial
buildings with blue-tiled roofs. These
were the shrines where China’s emperors
worshiped; after the Communist revolution
in 1949, the Temple of Heaven became a
public park. Other noteworthy temples
include the Confucian and Lama temples
and the Temple of the White Dagoba built
to commemorate the visit of the fifth
Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan
Buddhism, in 1651.
Major sporting events are held at the
Beijing Stadium, the Workers’ Stadium,
and the Sports Ground. Other parks include
the Summer Palace in the northwest suburbs
and the surrounding temples and parks
known as the Fragrant Hills, which were
established as religious retreat areas
and hunting grounds. Beijing also has
a major zoo, a planetarium, and a former
imperial observatory famed for its ancient
cosmological and astronomical devices.
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