China’s scenic areas can be divided into 5 levels, AAAAA, AAAA, AAA, AA and A. 5A, the highest level, represents world class touristic attractiveness and is given to some of the most important places or buildings relevant to China's history and culture. There are 7 scenic areas of 5A-class level in Beijing.
1. Palace Museum
Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, was established in 1925. As a precious cultural heritage of mankind, it was approved to be a national AAAAA tourist attraction in 2007. It was the imperial palace of the Ming (1368-1644) and the Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Located in the center of Beijing, the Palace Museum is the world's largest and most well preserved of its kind as well as the most complex of ancient buildings.
Admission:
April 1 - October 31: 60 RMB
November 1 - March 31: 40 RMB
Treasure Gallery (Zhenbao guan): 10 RMB
Hall of Clocks (Zhongbiao guan): 10 RMB
Address: No.4, Jingshanqian Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
The Palace Museum will start selling tickets online from July this year. Visitors will be able to buy their tickets from the convenience of their cellphones. Physical tickets as we know it will have their sales suspended starting October and only electronic tickets will be issued. The booking portal is http://gugong.228.com.cn). For more detailed information and instruction, please refer to the "ticketing notice". Foreign visitors are required to produce their passport number for online booking.
2. Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven is located in southern Beijing. It was turned into a park in 1918 and was approved to be a national AAAAA tourist attraction in 2007.
It had its construction first started in 1420, the 18th year of the reign of Ming emperor Yongle, and was extended and renovated during the reigns of Ming emperor Jiajing and Qing emperor Qianlong. It was the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties prayed for good harvest. With an area spanning 273 hectares, it is the largest architectural complex in the world for paying homage rituals.
Tour Guide:
Operating hours: 6:00-22:00
The scenic spots inside the Temple of Heaven：
From March 1 to June 30: 8:00------17:30
From July 1 to October 31: 8:00——18:00
From November 1 to February 28: 8:00——17:00
Bus Routes:
East Gate: Take bus No. 6, 34, 35, 36, 39, 43, 60, 116, 128, 525, 623 or 684 and get off at Tiantan Dongmen (East Gate) Station. Take subway Line 5 to Tiantan Dongmen Station, Exit A.
South Gate: Take bus No. 36, 53, 122, 525, 958, Te 3, Te 11, Te 12, Yuntong 102.
North Gate: Take bus No. 6, 34, 35, 36, 72, 106 or 110.
West Gate: Take bus 2, 15, 17, 20, 35, 36, 53, 71, 72, 93, 120, 622, Te 11 or Rapid Bus 1.
3. Summer Palace
Located in the northwest outskirts of Beijing, 15 km from the city, the Summer Palace was approved to be a national AAAAA tourist attraction in 2007.
The Summer Palace, originally named "Qingyiyuan" (Gardens of Clear Ripples), was an imperial garden in the Qing dynasty. Stretching 290 hectares, it is a large scale natural landscape garden based on the foundations of Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill, with the West Lake scenic spot as chief source, absorbing the essence of design as well as artistic conceptions of the traditional southern Chinese gardens. For all its charms, it gets the reputation of “Museum of the Royal Garden”.
Ticket Prices:
-Busy Season (April 1 to October 31): 30 RMB
Garden of Virtue and Harmony: 5 RMB
Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha: 10 RMB
Suzhou Street: 10 RMB
Wenchang Gallery: 20 RMB
All-inclusion ticket (Entrance ticket + Wenchang Gallery + Garden of Virtue and Harmony + Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha + Suzhou Street & Hall of Serenity): 60 RMB
-Low Season (November 1 to March 31): 20 RMB
Garden of Virtue and Harmony: 5 RMB
Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha: 10 RMB
Suzhou Street: 10 RMB
Wenchang Gallery: 20 RMB
All-inclusion ticket (Entrance ticket + Wenchang Gallery + Garden of Virtue and Harmony + Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha + Suzhou Street & Hall of Serenity): 50 RMB
Address: No. 19, Xinjingongmen Road, Haidian District, Beijing
4. Badaling Great Wall
Badaling Great Wall is located in Yanqing County, 60 kilometers to the northwest of downtown Beijing. The 3,741-meter section of the Badaling Great Wall is open to tourists. It comprises 21 city units and enemy units. Badaling Great Wall was built along mountain ridges, making it look precipitous externally but gently sloped from within.
It was officially opened to tourists in 1958. It is the section of the Great Wall which sees the largest number of visitors. In the five decades since it was opened, the Badaling Great Wall scenic spot, pertaining to the Great Wall of China, was conferred World Cultural Heritage status by UNESCO. It was listed among the country’s first group of 5A-class tourism scenic spots. In 2007, in the appraisal process of the world’s new seven wonders, the Great Wall maintained the top spot for its extensive and profound history and culture as well as its longstanding prestige.
Ticket:
Busy Season (April 1 to October 31): 40 RMB
Low Season (November 1 to March 31): 35 RMB
Public buses: Take No. 919 bus, either via express way or local bus to reach the location.
5. Ming Tombs
Located at the foot of Tianshou Mountain in Changping District, 50 kilometers north of Beijing city center, the Ming Tombs Scenic Area covers a total area of over 120 square kilometers. The area includes the mausoleums of thirteen emperors from Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), being the world’s best preserved mausoleum with the most emperors buried.
Ticket:
Changling Tomb: 50 RMB
Dingling Tomb: 65 RMB
Zhaoling Tomb: 35 RMB
Sacred Way: 35 RMB
All-inclusion ticket (Changling Tomb + Dingling Tomb + Zhaoling Tomb and Sacred Way) 135 RMB
Address: Changping District, Beijing
6. Prince Kung’s Mansion
Prince Kung’s Mansion is located deep in the shade of willows alongside the Shichahai Lake in Beijing. It became a National 5A Tourist Attraction in 2012. It was the mansion of Heshen (a powerful prime minister in Qing dynasty) and Prince Qing Yonglin (the 17th son of Emperor Qianlong). Having Qianhai Lake to its east, Houhai Lake to its north, Liuyin Street to its west and Ping’an Street to its south, the Mansion is endowed with elegant ancient buildings, beautiful gardens as well as rich culture and history. Facing south, the whole Mansion occupies an area of over 60,000 square meters in total, of which 53,000 square meters are open to the public.
Address: Qianhai West Street, Xicheng District, Beijing
Opening Time:
Peak season (Mar. 15-Oct. 31): 8:00 - 17:00
Off season (Nov. 1-the next Mar. 14): 9:00 - 16:00
Admission: 40 RMB/person
7. Beijing Olympic Park
Located in Chaoyang District, Beijing Olympic Park sits at the north end of the south-north central axis of Beijing. It is the largest urban park under the construction planning of Beijing. As the nearest forest park to the residents of Beijing, the park covers an area of 680 hectares. It is larger than the total areas of the Summer Palace and the Old Summer Palace combined.
Admission: Free
National Stadium: 50 RMB
National Aquatic Center: 30 RMB
Address: Junction of Jingguan Street and North National Stadium Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing
