Make no mistake. Beijing is not the cosmopolitan city that Shanghai is. (Unlike in Shanghai, I was often the only white person in sight on the subway in Beijing. I got stared at in Beijing at times. This never happened in Shanghai.) Regardless, imperial Beijing is where the history is. This is why the most spectacular sights I saw on my 2015 trip to China were for the most part in Beijing.
In my estimation, Beijing has 5 major tourist sites. Perhaps controversially, I’ve only included 4 of them in my must-sees below. I had to drop 1 of them to make room for must-see entertainment in Beijing.
Must-Sees in Beijing
1. The Forbidden City
No-brainer, right? I mean, the Forbidden City is one of the world’s must-sees, let alone one of Beijing’s. It’s a city within a city. It dazzles. It overwhelms. You must see it.
Click here for more about the Forbidden City.
2. The Great Wall of China
Another no-brainer. It’s the Great Wall of China. What more is there to say! No, you can’t see it from space after all. But you’re never going to be up in space anyway, so it doesn’t really matter. You’re going to see it up close. You’re going to stand on it. You’re going to walk on it. You are.
Click here for more about the Great Wall of China.
3. Peking Opera
I consider the Temple of Heaven to be one of Beijing’s 5 major tourist attractions. And its star feature, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, is absolutely stunning. But it’s no Forbidden City or even a Summer Palace. (And I swear I’m not being biased just because it’s where I fell and hurt my back.) The Temple of Heaven is a pleasant site. But it didn’t captivate me like my night at the Peking Opera did. One word: unforgettable!
Click here for more about my night at the Peking Opera.
4. The Summer Palace
Traditional Chinese imperial architectural (plus a European-inspired immobile boat) is just the beginning at the Summer Palace. The grounds themselves have an extraordinary beauty. Plan to spend the better part of a day at the entrancing Summer Palace.
Click here for more about the Summer Palace.
5. Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square is a must-see by default. You have to enter Tiananmen Square in order to enter the Forbidden City. But you’d want explore the sights on the Square regardless. And no sight on Tiananmen Square is more iconic than the eternal portrait of Mao ceaselessly watching the goings-on from his permanent perch on Tiananmen (the Gate of Heavenly Peace). If you’re really ambitious, catch the sunrise flag-raising ceremony. Personally, I was quite satisfied by watching the flag-lowering ceremony at sunset.
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