“Beijing became Peking when it snowed and we backed to the Ming and Qing dynasties when we saw snow at Houhai.” Said by a poet. For your visit to Beijing, appreciating wonderful snow landscape is necessary for this northern city of China. It will show totally different look in winter.

The Forbidden City

In the heart of Beijing, the Forbidden City is hailed as the icon of Beijing. As the royal residences of the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties from the 15th to 20th century, it was constructed about 600 years ago and witnessed the enthronement of 14 Ming and 10 Qing emperors over the following 505 years. The Forbidden City was inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.

In winter, the splendid imperial palace looks gentler than in other seasons. Golden vitreous tiles hide its shine in pure snow. The integration of white snow and red and yellow buildings bring you a unique experience on visiting Beijing.

To get to Wu Men:

Bus:

The bus stops near Wu Men are Tian’anmen East (天安门东, the pronunciation is Tian An Men Dong) and Tian’anmen West (天安门西, the pronunciation is Tian An Men Xi). The ticket usually cost 2 RMB at least.

Buses stop at Tian’anmen East: 1, 120, 2, 52, 59, 82, 99, Night Bus 1 (夜1), Night Bus 2 (夜2), Sightseeing Bus 1 (观光1线), Sightseeing Bus (观光2线)

Buses stop at Tian’anmen West: 1, 5, 52, 99, Night Bus 1(夜1), Sightseeing Bus (观光2线)

Subway:

Subway is also available. You can take subway Line 1 and get off at Tian’anmen West Station or Tiananmen East Station. If you don’t have a plan to visit Tian’anmen Square, you can get off at Tian’anmen East and exit through Exit D.

Summer Palace

The Summer Palace is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing. Mainly dominated by Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, it covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometers, three-quarters of which is water. In December 1998, UNESCO included the Summer Palace on its World Heritage List. Located in the northwest outskirts of Beijing, 15 km from the city, the Summer Palace is originally named "Qingyiyuan" (Gardens of Clear Ripples). Based on the scenery of West Lake as the chief source, the garden absorbs the design method as well as the artistic conception of traditional southern Chinese garden. It gets the reputation of the “museum of the royal garden”.

As the largest royal garden of the Qing Dynasty, it features wonderful scenery in four seasons. It is a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value. In winter, the palace gets more mild and vintage.

Admission Fee: 30 RMB April 1 – October 31

20 RMB November 1 – March 31

Opening Hours: 6:30 – 20:00 last entry at 18:00 April 1 – October 31

7:00 – 19:00 last entry at 17:00 November 1 – March 31

Address: #19 Xinjiangongmen Road, Haidian District, Beijing

北京市海淀区新建宫门路19号

Transportation:

West Gate: Take Bus No.469 or 539 and get off at Summer Palace West Gate Stop (颐和园西门站)

North Gate: Take Subway Line 4 and get off at Beigongmen Station (北宫门站).

Take Bus No.303, 330, 331, 346, 375, 384, 563, 601, 608, 683, 696, 697, 718 and get off at Summer Palace North Gate Stop (颐和园北宫门站)

Houhai

Shichahai Scenic Area is a historic scenic area in Beijing where the ancient outlook of the city is best preserved. With a water area of 336,000 square meters, it is also the only open area with a wide expanse of water in the city. Shichahai consists of Qianhai (Front Lake), Houhai (Rear Lake) and Xihai (West Lake). As a part of Shichahai, Houhai is not only famous for its bar street and rich snacks but also boasts wonderful snow landscape.

Houhai carries memory of childhood for many old Beijingers. The lake became the wonderland of skating in winter where locals had fun. Tired out because of winter sports, people can taste all kinds of old Peking flavors in the restaurants along the Houhai Lake. What a wonderful experience!

Transportation:

Subway:

Take Line 6 and get off at Beihai North Station (北海北站) or take Line 8 and get off at Shichahai Station (什刹海站)