Must-see attractions in Beijing

  • Beijing Botanical Gardens

    Beijing

    Feed your inner florist with a jaunt to the Botanical Gardens, established in 1956 on land that was once part of a swath of royal real estate set against…

  • Bust of Mao Dun in the courtyard of Mao Dun Former Residence.

    Mao Dun's Former Residence

    Beijing

    This largely renovated residence was the home of Mao Dun, the pen name of Shen Yanbing (1896–1981), a well-known author. He lived at the back courtyard…

  • Bust of Mei Lanfang at Mei Lanfang Former Residence.

    Mei Lanfang's Former Residence

    Beijing

    A place of pilgrimage for Peking opera aficionados, this sleepy sìhéyuàn (courtyard mansion) belonged to Mei Lanfang (1894–1961), acclaimed as the 'queen…

  • Capital Museum.

    Capital Museum

    Beijing

    It's a case of 'so near and yet so far' for Beijing's flagship museum, which, on architecture alone, promises so much. A neat timeline exhibit charts the…

  • City diorama inside Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall (Beijing Shi Guihua Zhanlanguan)..

    Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall

    Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South

    Presenting a top-down perspective on the world's most micromanaged megacity, dry exhibits detail the government's grand schemes for Beijing, with scant…

  • Tanzhe Temple

    Beijing

    Cradled by Beijing's Western Hills, this expansive Buddhist temple and former monastery climbs the hillside under a canopy of towering cypresses and pines…

  • Peking University

    Beijing

    China's most prestigious institute of learning, Peking University (PKU) is the ultimate dream for millions of Chinese high-school students and their ever…

  • Wanping Old Town

    Beijing

    An astonishing sight, given that you're still within the confines of Beijing’s 5th Ring Rd, this double-gated, Ming dynasty walled town was built during…

  • Fragrant Hill Hotel

    Beijing

    This forgotten architectural landmark is all the more intriguing considering it was only built in 1982. The work of Chinese-American architect IM Pei (of…

  • Ditan Park

    Beijing

    Beijing is surrounded by four heavenly altars, or tán, and Ditan (Altar of the Earth), situated in the north within grounds that are today a public park,…

  • Yuan Dynasty Walls Relics Park

    Beijing

    Back when Beijing was 'Dadu', capital of Kublai Khan's Yuan dynasty, the city was sheltered by an earthwork wall, the northern battlements of which are…

  • Marco Polo Bridge

    Beijing

    Described by the great traveller himself in the 13th century, this 266m-long bridge spanning the (mostly dry) Yonding River dates to 1189 and the Jin…

  • Nanluogu Xiang

    Beijing

    Beijing's most touristy hutong, Nanluogu Xiang is a north–south strip of snack stalls, small food courts, souvenir shops and more people than you can…

  • Divine Music Administration

    Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South

    Music, song and dance were integral components of the arcane rituals performed by the Emperor at the Temple of Heaven, and here is where the ranks of…

  • Beijing Red Star

    Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South

    Fans of Communist ephemera or esoteric booze brands might get a kick out this place set up by Red Star, a popular brand of Beijing báijiǔ, China's famous…

  • Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

    Beijing

    Central Beijing's earliest church dates back to a chapel beside the house of Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci, who brought Catholicism to China in the early…

  • Duan Qirui Former Government Building

    Beijing

    This imposing slab of Republic-era architecture, complete with brick clock tower, is the former headquarters and residence of Duan Qirui, a warlord who…

  • China Railway Museum – Zhengyang Gate

    Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South

    In the old Qianmen Railway Station, which served Beijing from 1906 to 1959 (although only the clock tower is original), this museum offers a fairly…

  • Beijing Natural History Museum

    Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South

    New York and London needn't fret: Beijing's Natural History Museum isn't going to rival their august institutions any time soon. Not with exhibits that…

  • Pagoda Forest

    Beijing

    Containing the funerary stupas of Buddhist monks serving at the neighbouring Tanzhe Temple, this garden complex was closed and undergoing renovation at…

  • Guangji Temple

    Beijing

    As the HQ of the Buddhist Association of China, this is one of the few temples in Beijing where robed monks and worshippers tend to outnumber tourists. A…

  • Round City

    Beijing

    Just outside Beihai Park's southern entrance is this raised, circular platform crowned with the Hall of Divine Light (Chéngguāng Diàn). You can peek…

  • Sleeping Buddha Temple

    Beijing

    Established in the Tang dynasty but rebuilt many times in successive eras, this temple within the Beijing Botanical Gardens is home to a 54-tonne bronze…

  • Museum of the Ming Tombs

    Beijing

    Housed in several buildings at Dìng Líng, some of which were closed for renovation at time of research, this museum displays a selection of items…

  • Dragon King Temple

    Beijing

    Reached via the 17-Arch Bridge, this temple on South Lake Island was used by the royal family to pray for rain in times of drought. At sunset, the nearby…

  • China Railway Museum

    Beijing

    Way out on the northeastern fringes of Beijing, this hangar-like museum contains dozens of historic locos, including several souped-up carriages used by…

  • Animal Killing Pavilion

    Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South

    With its double-tiered roof of green glazed tiles, the Animal Killing Pavilion was where the slaughter of oxen, sheep, deer and other animals took place,…

  • Long Corridor

    Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South

    A covered promenade connecting the Animal Killing Pavilion with the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Long Corridor these days is a veritable mini…

  • Qìng Líng

    Beijing

    The tomb of the Taichang Emperor, one of the last emperors to be interred at the Ming Tombs. The road here actually passes through the grounds of the…

  • China Science & Technology Museum

    Beijing

    Suitable for kids, this imposing facility 8km north of the city centre has an array of hands-on scientific exhibitions, a kids' science playground and 3D…

  • West Causeway

    Beijing

    An artificial causeway spanning the western side of Kunming Lake, this is a tribute to the famous Su Causeway in Hangzhou. You'll see fewer visitors here…

  • Bronze Ox

    Beijing

    Cast in 1755, this life-sized, bronze sculpture of an ox was set at the eastern shore of Kunming Lake to guard against floods, the ox believed to be in…

  • Zhu Bingren Art Museum

    Beijing

    Admire the burnished sculptures of Zhu Bingren, a fourth-generation bronze and copper craftsman from Shandong province. The big-ticket installation on…

  • Five Dragon Pavilions

    Beijing

    Built in the Ming Dynasty as a fishing spot for emperors, the five ornate pavilions over the water are joined by a corridor said to resemble a swimming…

  • North Palace Gate

    Beijing

    The North Palace Gate is not as busy as the East Palace Gate. It's fun to clamber up the back of Longevity Hill from here. The gate is close to the…

  • Dragon Phoenix Gate

    Beijing

    Ornamental gate along the Spirit Way path at the Ming Tombs, adorned with a dragon symbolising the emperor and a phoenix for the empress.

  • Cao Xueqin Memorial

    Beijing

    Inside the Beijing Botanical Gardens is the former home of Cao Xueqin, author of the classic novel Dream of the Red Chamber.

    • placement: fullWidth
    • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
    • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [300, 250], [320, 50], [1, 1],
    • targeting:
      {
        "position": "superzone"
      }

More destinations you need to see