In summer days many prefer to stay indoors and huddle somewhere enjoying the coolness from electric fans or air conditioners, while others want to have a tour of the city and search for treasures hidden somewhere only explorers can have access to. You may be thinking about visiting those renowned places such as the Forbidden City or the Summer Palace. Yes, they are entertaining but visiting them involves admission fee. How about touring places where you can have much fun but don’t have pay a penny? Let’s check them out!
Nanluoguxiang
Nanluoguxiang is a highly popular tourist attraction in Beijing, but people outside Beijing may not be so familiar with it or even haven't never heard of such a place hidden inside the antique hutongs near the city center. Touring this alley can offer you an experience of the ancient town of the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368), so much fun of a modern city, lots of delicious snacks to eat and fashionable shops to visit. You can visit this alley whenever you think you are free.
Address: Nanluoguxiang, Dongcheng District, Beijing
Admission: Free
Getting there: Take Bus No. 5, 60, 82, 107, 124, 204, 210 or 635 to Gulou Stop and walk to the alley; take Bus No. 823, 107 or 118 to Nanluoguxiang Stop and walk to the alley; or take Subway Line 6 to Nanluoguxiang and walk across the street to the alley.
Yandaixie Street
With a length of 232 meters (254 yards) and a width of 5 to 6 meters (5.5 to 6.6 yards), Yandai Xie Street (烟袋斜街), also known as Tobacco Pouch Tilt Street, was a prosperous commercial street specializing in the sales of tobacco pouches, calligraphy and paintings and jade articles during the Qing Dynasty (1616 -1911). You can visit this alley even at night.
Address: Di'anmenwai Avenue, Xicheng District, Beijing
Admission: Free
Getting there: Take Subway Line 2 to Gulou dajie or Subway Line 6 to Nanluoguxiang.
798 Art District
Named after the 798 factory which was built in the 1950s, 798 Art District is located in the northeast corner of the city. The art district covers an area of 0.6 square kilometers and has become the exhibition center of Chinese culture and art.
Admission: Free
By Bus: Take Bus No. 401, 402, 405, 445, 909, 946, 955, 973, 988, or 991 to Dashanzi Road Crossing South or Wangyefen Stop.
Panjiayuan Flea Market
If you want to visit only one market during your Beijing trip, Panjiayuan Flea Market is the right choice. As China's most comprehensive and largest collecting and distributing center of antique goods and handicrafts, Panjiayuan has nearly everything for everyone visiting the market.
Admission: Free
Address: No. 200, West of Panjiayuan Bridge, Chaoyang District
Bus Route: Bus 36, 51, 802, 674, 28, 368, 627, 638 or 99 takes you there.
Olympic Forest Park
As a part of Olympic Green, the Olympic Forest Park is a 5A tourist attraction located at Lincui Road, in the North Fifth Ring Road. Covering an area of 680 hectares, the park enjoys abundant forest resources with extremely high rate of green coverage.
Admission: Free
Transportation: To get to the park, you can take No.8 Metro Line, No. 510 and No.81 Bus, or No.3 Bus Rapid Tansit.
Peking University
Peking University was founded in 1898 with the name Peking Imperial University. As the cradle of the New Culture Movement and the May 4th Movement, Peking University is also at the vanguard of various schools of political thought and social ideals. Surrounded by Weiming Lake, the campus retains many traditional Chinese-style landscape including traditional houses, gardens, pagodas as well as many notable historical buildings and structures.
Admission: Free
Add: No. 5 Yiheyuan Road, Haidian District
Nearby Subway: Line 4 (East Gate of Peking University Station)
National Museum of China
The National Museum of China, located east of Tiananmen Square, was founded in February 2003, based on the merging of two previous museums, namely the National Museum of Chinese History and the National Museum of Chinese Revolution. Its basic functions are collections of cultural relics and artworks, exhibitions, public education, history and art research and cultural communication. Visiting this museum is free, but you need to make an appointment in advance. Individuals can now make an appointment online and visit this museum in 3 - 9 days.
Admission: Free, but you need to you need to make an appointment in advance.
Location: East of Tiananmen Square
Source: travel.sohu.com
