Upon the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, the Hongwu Emperor moved the capital from Beijing in the north to Nanjing in the south, and ordered to burn down the Yuan palaces. When his son Zhu Di became the Yongle Emperor, he moved the capital back to Beijing, and the construction of Forbidden City began in 1406. The construction lasted 15 years, and required more than a million workers. Material used include whole logs of precious Phoebe zhennan wood found in the jungles of south-western China, and large blocks of marble from quarries near Beijing. The floors of major halls were paved with "golden bricks".

　　The Forbidden City, situated in the very heart of Beijing, was home to 24 emperors of the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) Dynasties. In ancient times, the emperor claimed to be the son of Heaven, and therefore Heaven’s supreme power was bestowed upon him. The emperors' residence on earth was built as a replica of the "Purple Palace where God was thought to live in Heaven". Such a divine place was certainly forbidden to ordinary people and that is why the Forbidden City is so named.

   The Forbidden City is the world's largest surviving palace complex and covers 72 hectare . It is a 961 meters from north to south and 753 meters from east to west. It consists of 980 surviving buildings with 8,707 rooms. The Forbidden City was designed to be the centre of the ancient Beijing. It is enclosed in a larger, walled area called the Imperial City. The Imperial City is, in turn, enclosed by the Inner City; to its south lays the Outer City.

      The Temple of  Heaven is located in the Chongwen district in the southern part of  Beijing. It was built in 1420 during  a time when many other important buildings were constructed in Beijing. Tiantan served as a place of ceremonies and rituals for the Ming and Qing emperors.

　　The Palace of  Abstinence is located near the western entrance of the temple. Before each  ceremony, emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties held a three-day fasting period during  summer and winter festivals. The emperors spent two days fasting in the Forbidden City and completed the last day of fasting in the Palace of Abstinence.

　　South of the  Echo wall stands the Altar of Heaven, built entirely of white marble. The altar  has four entrances and a flight of nine steps leading down in every direction.  At the center of the upper terrace lies a round stone surrounded by nine  concentric rings of stones.

Even the numbers  of the carved balustrades on these terraces are also multiples of nine. When you  stand in the center of the upper terrace and speak in a low voice, your voice  will echo back much louder to yourself than to others, as the sound waves are  reflected back by the marble balustrades to the focal point at the center.

　　The main  building in the compound is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. The entire  structure was joint by wooden bars, laths and brackets, without using steel and  concrete. The four large pillars in the center are known as the Dragon Well  Pillars with each pillar representing one of the four seasons.

Temple of Heaven tour experience the sacred past of the capital

Temple of Heaven is a place of worshipping for Ming and Qing emperors.

Take a tour to explore the hall of prayer, the dragon walls and the stunning greenery around the temple. Enjoy the play of colors and of number 9. Book your tour to learn more! 　　

　　Mutianyu Great Wall locates in county Huairou Beijing. Mutianyu is around 73 kilometers to Beijing with a long history & brilliant culture and reputed as “the most beautiful part of-Great Wall”. Mutianyu is 5400 meter-long and the lush green cover 90% of. Mutianyu is the longest section ofand granted as one of the 16 most beautiful sceneries in Beijing.
　　Mutianyu great wall mainly made of slabs of granite. It measures 7 meters to 8 meters in height, and 4 meters to 5 meters in width.
　　was initially built in(550-557). In the Ming Dynasty  (1368-1644), general Xuda rebuilt based on Great Wall in Qi Dynasty. Since 1569, Tan Lun and Qi Jiguang, two famous patriotic generals, renovated it in order to strengthen its defensive potential when they guarded the strategic pass. It served as the northern protective screen, guarding the capital and imperial mausoleums for generations.

Currently, there are a first-class cable car andfixed in Mutianyu Great Wall. Mutianyu Great Wall has formed a comprehensive landscape gathering culture, Stone  and health fitness.
　　has six specialties:
　　One: lushly greens.
　　Lushly greens inover 96% of. In spring, flowers bloom on the mountainside; in summer, grasses dress the hills in green; October is the most beautiful month as the leaves turn red, yellow, and gold. The Great Wall is also magnificent in winter while dressing by snow. Mutianyu Great Wall offerslooks in four seasons.
　　Two: Watchtowers in unique shape
　　The gate of Zhengguan tower is not designed in the middle, but is on the eastern side. The two-storey terrace is comprised of three hollow watchtowers, a large one in the middle and two smaller ones on two sides. It has many rooms to store grain and station troops. Mutianyu Great Wall is the only section with the-shaped watchtower.
　　Three: Heavily-dense watchtowers located
　　From Big Corner Tower to Zhengguan tower, less than 500 meters,built with 4. From No. 1 watchto No. 20, with a total 3000 meter long, there are heavily occupied with 25 watchtowers. Every hundred-meter interval is located with one watchtower.
　　Four: the main and branch wall co-existed. There are 23distributed at close intervals along the wall. They are located not only in the main wall but also at the distinctive "branch city". Branch cities are built on the hill ridge against the inner or outer side of the wall. For example, No. 11 Watchtower can be found on the branch wall.

Five: double parapets

　　Both sides of the Great Wall have parapets to defend against enemies. Some parapets- tooth shaped instead of the regular rectangular form. Below the parapets, there are square embrasures, the top of which are designed in an arc structure, different from the traditional round embrasures.
　　Six: three-dimensional appeal
　　Pass Mutianju has the lowest latitude only with 486. From the east to Big corner tower, less than 500long, Mutianyu great wall117 meters. From the Zhengguan tower  to the 19th tower, the great wall lies morefrom the 20th tower to the, via 10 watchtowers, Mutianyu Great Wall reaches from 486 meters to 1039 meters in-depth, seems quite magnificent.
　　Three terrific scenic spots:
　　Terrace (No. 6 Watchtower) is 40 meters long, 30 meters wide, and 20 meters high. The terrace was built in 1404 with an important strategic position. One side facing the Mutianyu Pass is stationed with Mongolian troops whileis an entry to Beijing and an express way to imperial tomb. The gate is not designed in the middle, but is on the eastern side. The two-storey terrace is comprised of three hollow watchtowers, a large one in the middle and two smaller ones on two sides. It has many rooms to store grain and station troops.

Big Corner Tower (No. 1 Watchtower) is connected with Mutianyu in the west, with Gubeikou in the east, and with a branch city wall in the south. The tower looks like a corner from each angle, so it is called Big Corner Tower. Big corner Tower divide Great Wall occupied by County Ji from Great Wall occupied by County Chang. Big Corner Tower is one of the biggest and the toppest eastern tower. A broad view from the big corner tower convenience visitors a lot.

　　“Yingfeidaoying” is one of the steepest sections of the Great Wall in Beijing. “yingfeidaoying” is the best word to depicting the “steep Great Wall in a particular part”. Jiankou is the hottest spot for taking photos nowadays. Great Wall from the middle of the mountain to the toppest of the mountain, after built one watch tower on the top of the mountain, the great wall suddenly climbs down back the middle, and then suddenly up to 840 meters, because the bend is in the shape of an ox horn and hence got the name “ox horn”. Mutianyu great wall along the side of the ox horn is reputed as “Yingfeidaoying” for the whole wall built on stone cliffs mostly with a 50 degree slope, there is one even nearly 90 vertical degree. The step is only few inches wide booked for the brave only.

Restored masterpiece-Mutianyu Great Wall

　　Situated 80 km northeast of central Beijing in Huairou County, The Great Wall of Mutianyu is stunning!

　　Book the Mutianyu Great Wall tour to visit the restored section of the wall. Enjoy the slide way and cable car fixed at the wall.

　　When you’re done, relax and take in the beautiful landscape all in one day! The splendor awaits you!

     The Ming Tombs  are located in Changping district, about 50 kilometers to the northwest of  Beijing city.

　　During the Ming Dynasty, there  were 14 emperors from the Yongle Reign of Zhudi to the Chongzhen Reign of  Zhuyoujian. 13 emperors had their tombs built there except Zhuqiyu (the Jingtai  Reign) who was buried at the Golden Mountain in the western suburbs of Beijing,  hence the name of the Tombs of 13 Ming Emperors (The Ming Tombs). 

　　Encompassing an area of 10  hectares, Changling, the tomb for Emperor Zhudi and his wife lies at the foot of  Tianshoushan (the Mountain of Heavenly Longevity). It comprises three courtyards  with Changling Hall, or the Lingsi Hall on par with Taihe Hall (Hall of Supreme  Harmony) of the Palace Museum, Dacheng Hall of Confucius Temple in Qufu of  Shangdong Province and Tiankuang Hall of Dai Temple at the foot of Taishan. The  Changling Hall covers an area of 1956.44 square meters, that surpassing that of  the Taihe Hall (Hall of Supreme Harmony). It is supported by 60 precious  columns, each made of a whole trunk of nanmu and remaining intact without any  protection after 500 years.

Beijing Olympic Park is where the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and Paralympics took place. The park was designed to contain ten venues, the Olympic Village, and other supporting facilities. Afterward, it was transformed into a comprehensive multifunctional activity center for the public.

National Stadium also known as the Bird's Nest is a stadium in Beijing. It hosted the opening and closing ceremonies, athletics, and football finals of the Games. The stadium has room for 91,000 spectators, but the capacity was reduced to 80,000 after the Olympics. It will be the site of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2022 Winter Olympics. It was made of strong steel with natural curves and crossing lattices, it seems like a giant cradle and nest for impregnating life. Total structures of inside and outside for the stadium is neoteric and simple. 

The Beijing National Aquatics Center "Water Cube" hosted the swimming, diving and synchronized swimming events. It has a capacity of 6,000 (17,000 during the 2008 Olympics) and is located next to the National Stadium. It will be the site of the curling competitions in 2022. The shape of Water Cube inspired from the natural formations of soap bubbles and cells. It has been praised as a magic water cube since it can decorate with natural iridescent light. In the evening, people might feel pleasant and leisure when they watch these buildings which display colorful lights casting a bright and dazzling sea world.

They are unparalleled and unprecedented landmarks in Beijing. They hold thousands of competitions insides the stadium but also attracts millions of visitors to appreciate remarkable buildings in China.

　　Beijing zoo is a  park in Beijing, China. Loc in the Xicheng District, the zoo occupies an area of 89 hectares, including 5.6 hectares hectares of lakes and ponds. It is one of the oldest zoos in China and has one of the largest animal collections in the country. The zoo and its aquarium has over 450 species of land animals and over 500 species of marine animals. In all, it is a home to 14,500 animals. More than six million visitors come to the zoo each year. The zoo was founded in 1906 during the late Qing Dynasty. Like many of Beijing's parks, the zoo's grounds resemble classical Chinese gardens, with flower beds amidst natural scenery, including dense groves of trees, stretches of meadows, small streams and rivers, lotus pools and hills dotted with pavilions and historical buildings.

　　The Beijing Zoo is best known for its collection of rare animals endemic to China including the Giant Pandas, which are zoo's most popular animals, the golden snub-nosed monkey, South China Tiger, white-lipped deer, Pere David's Deer, Crested Ibis, Chinese Alligator and the Chinese Giant Salamander. Other endangered or threatened species include Siberian tiger, yak, Przewalski's horse, snow leopard, Tibetan gazelle, and kiang.

　　The zoo also has a broad collection of megafauna such as lions, jaguars, clouded leopards, Asian and African elephants, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, black bears, polar bears, tapirs, sea turtles, penguins, gorillas, chimpanzees, kangaroos, muntjac, addax, zebras, otters, bats,flamingos and lemurs. The Beijing Zoo has 13 of the world's 15 species of cranes.

The Summer Palace, located ten kilometers to the northwest of Beijing, used to be a summer residence of Qing Dynasty emperors. It is an imperial garden known far and wide for its architectural grandeur and stunning natural beauty. It is one of the Four Most Famous Gardens in China. The construction of the Summer Palace started in 1750.

　　The northern part of the Summer Palace is the 60-meter-tall Longevity Hill. Its southern part is a wide expanse of water called Kunming Lake. The whole garden covers 290  hectares, with the lake taking up four-fifths of its total area.

　　Along the northern bank of Kunming Lake runs the Long Corridor with a total length of 728  meters and 273 sections.. The crossbeams of the Long Corridor are decorated with more than 8,000 color paintings with Chinese landscape and historical stories.

 The 17-arch bridge on the  southern bank of Kunming Lake is more than 150 meters long. Carved stone lions, of different sizes and postures, sit on top of the bridge's stone columns. An octagonal pavilion stands at one end of the bridge and near the pavilion lies a bronze ox with its head raised toward the lake. On the back of the ox is engraved a line from Emperor Qianlong stating that the ox is used to control flooding of the lake.

　　A Ming-style street winds along a stretch of water on the back side of Longevity Hill. The Suzhou Street, 300 meters long, is lined with more than 60 shops and decorated with archways and gateways. The shops, of different shapes and sizes, are built with bluish gray tiles and bricks. The marketplace lends a folksy flavor to the imperial garden.

Summer Palace is a fascinating ensemble of gardens, lakes and palaces

Book a tour to the Summer Palace and experience a stunning ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing. It remains to be a popular tourist destination to this day!

The  buildings are positioned in a fashion that creates a sharp contrast to the hilly backdrop. Enjoy walking through these splendid halls and pavilions, admiring the construction and natural beauty all at once!

　    According to experts，the word Hutong originated from Mongolian language meaning"Well". In ancient times，people tended to gather and live around wells. So the original meaning of Hutong should be"a place where people gather and live."Another explanation says that during the Yuan Dynasty，in the 13th century，residential areas in the city were divided into  many quarters.  In Mongolian language，passageways  were called Hutong. But no matter what Hutong exactly means，one thing is for sure: Hutongs first appeared in Beijing during the Yuan Dynasty.

 In the early 13th century, a Mongolian tribe from the north became very strong. Led by Genghis Khan，the Mongolian occupied Beijing，the capital of the Jin Dynasty. In the year 1271，Kubla Khan，the grandson of Genghis Khan，founded the Yuan Dynasty and set Beijing as the capital city. Unfortunately，the old city was completely destroyed during the war. So they had to rebuild it. In old China，all the structures and roads were required to be symmetrical. So the city was well designed. First，they had to find a center，and then built a regular square city. The layout of the city was very much like a chessboard. About 50 residential areas were constructed，with straight roads and Hutongs in between. At the time，there was a clear definition for avenue，street and Hutong. A 37-metre-wide road was called an avenue，an 18-metre-wide one was called a street，and a 9-metre-wide lane was called a Hutong. Most of today's Hutong were formed during the Ming and Qing Dynasties that followed.

Hutongthe Chinese narrow streets

Why book a Hutong tour to explore these streets?.

Beijing has some of the most mesmerizing architectural masterpieces.

Walk around these historical streets which patterned to fit a square city. You’ll find the reflection of the great Chinese dynasties!

　　The Lama Temple is located at the northeast corner of Beijing City. It was originally used as official residence for court eunuchs of the Ming dynasty and was converted to the royal court of Prince Yongzheng during the 33rd year (1693) of Kangxi's reign of the Qing dynasty. In the 3rd year of Yongzheng's rein (1725), it was elevated to imperial palace for short stays away from the capital with the name changed to Yonghe Palace. During the 9th year of EmperorQian Long's reign (1777), it was changed into Lama Temple.

　　　　The dimensions of the temple are magnificent, which have five courtyards in a row. The front structural layout in the temple is bright and spacious dotted with screen walls with carved murals, lifeless things and decorated archways. The interior pavement leading to the main halls and the evergreen pine and cypress appear to be rather peaceful and secluded in the environment. The back structural layout is composed of a cluster of building, halls and pavilions intermingled with each other, with upturned eaves and ridges beautifully interwoven presenting a picturesque sight.

　　Palace of the Heavenly King, Yonghe Palace, Eternal Blessing Hall, the Hall of the Wheel of the Law and Hall of boundless Happiness are the main structures. Amongst which the Hall of the Wheel of the Law is extremely imposing; the overall arrangement of its plane diagram forms a cross sign and there are five petty garrets on the ceiling decorated with small lama pagodas, which are characterized by the style of lamaism. The Hall of Boundless Happiness is the biggest building in the Lama Temple  flanked by the Hall of Everlasting Health and the Hall of Peace. They are connected by a corridor of the Suspension Hall, which form a cluster of majestic dignified buildings. In the Hall of the Boundless Happiness, stands a famous huge statue of Buddha, 26 meters high carved out of a whole piece of sandalwood; it is the biggest wood-carving Buddha in the world.