Name: Beijing Zoo

Star Rating: 4A

Admission: 15 RMB (Excluding 5 for panda site); 40 yuan (including the panda's house and the boat); Children shorter than 1.2 meters (3.9 feet) are free of charge.

Opening Hours: 07:30 a.m. - 18:00 p.m. (Apr. 1 to Oct. 31), 07:30 a.m. - 17:00 p.m. (Nov. 1 to Mar.31)

Phone: 010-68314411

Address: 137 Xiwai Street, Xicheng District

Description

Beijing Zoo was known for a short time after the founding of the People's Republic as the “Western Suburbs Park” (Xijiao Gongyuan). The grounds combine cultivated flower gardens with stretches of natural scenery, including dense groves of trees, stretches of grassland, a small stream, lotus pools and small hills dotted with pavilions and halls.

Beijing Zoo mainly exhibits China’s wild and rare animals. The Giant Pandas are one of the most popular exhibits, but other popular animals include the Sichuanese golden snub-nosed monkey, Manchurian tigers, white-lipped deer, yaks from Tibet, enormous sea turtles, polar bears from the North Pole, kangaroos from Australia, and zebras from Africa.

The zoo is also a center of zoological research that collects and breeds rare animals from various continents.

Featured Attractions:

Beijing Aquarium is a must for anyone visiting it. Opened in 1999, it is widely-recognized by tourist bodies as being one of the country's top attractions, and is actually the largest inland aquarium in the world. The aquarium features thousands of different aquatic species - man-eating fishes, precious Chinese sturgeons, huge sea elephants and fierce sharks are among some of the highlights. Tourists can also enjoy shows performed by the dolphins, sea lions and whales in the aquarium's Ocean Theater.

While at here, visitors also have the chance to sample some of the nearby historical relics: Lemarck Hall was built to commemorate the life of Lemarck (1744-1829), a famous French natural historian, and has also been used as the Chinese Botanical Science Research Base.

Also on the site is the Song Jiaoren Memorial Tower. Song (1882-1913) was one of the early leaders of the Kuomintang, but was assassinated soon after he was elected as China's premier in 1913.

Another site of historical interest is the Changguanlou: a two storied, baroque-style building constructed from brick and wood. In the late-19th century it was occupied by the Empress Dowager Ci Xi (1835-1908), ruler of the Qing court between 1861 and 1908. Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925), the founder of the Kuomintang, is also said to have lived in the hall.

Transportation:

Subway: Subway Line 4: get off at Beijing Zoo Station, get out of the station from Exit A (northwest exit), and you'll find the south gate.

Bus Route: Take Bus No. 360, 319, 347, 362, 534, 714, 87, Yuntong 106, Yuntong 104, 563, Yuntong 205, Te 4, 614, 697, 209, 608, 107, 105, 206, 111, Yuntong 105, 27, 632 and get off at Beijing Zoo Station.

Hot Travel Routes: Summer Palace - Zoo - Lama Temple - Hutong Tour

Nearby Accommodation: Xi Yuan Hotel (Yangyi Yuan)