Being the capital of China and one of the most important metropolises in the world, Beijing has large numbers of modern and ancient landmarks for you to explore. You might have your own top 10 or top 20 landmarks Beijing features, but we have ours and I guess you must love them and shall not miss them when you travel in Beijing.
1.Tiananmen 天安门
Tiananmen, literally translated as Gate of Heavenly Peace, is the front entrance to the Forbidden City, which is located behind the Meridian Gate, the first entrance to the Forbidden City. The construction of the Forbidden City began from 1406 and was accomplished in 1421. Tiananmen was constructed in 1420. One of the most important events that took place on it was when Chairman Mao announced the foundation of the People’s Republic of China.
2.Forbidden City故宫
The Forbidden City is located behind Tiananmen, the front entrance to the Imperial City of China in ancient times. Between Tiananmen and the Meridian Gate is an area which you can visit for free and there is only one gate standing inside this area which is called Duanmen or Southern End Main Entrance. Entering the Forbidden City, you will have lots of astounding traditional Chinese buildings to explore and appreciate.
3.Badaling Great Wall八达岭长城
Badaling Grear Wall is famous because the late Chinese Chairman Mao once visited it and said, “Those who cannot reach the Great Wall are not haohan (Chinese way to say heroes or men with great power and a strong will)”. The most stunning characteristic of it is its steepness. You may try it if you arrive in China. The only nuisance is it is always crowded since it has a good fame. Visiting the section in snow must be a very good choice, for you will have a amazing view of the Great Wall.
4.National Museum of China中国国家博物馆
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.
5.Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest 祈年殿
The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest is located inside the Temple of Heaven Park and is the most important building inside it. From its name we can deduce that it should once be a place for the emperors to worship the Grain God to ask for good harvests. It was first constructed in 1420 but burned to the ground in 1889. Many years later, it was reconstructed according to its original version.
6.Tower of Buddhist Incense 佛香阁
The Tower of Buddhist Incense is the most important building inside the Summer Palace, for without it, the whole imperial park would not be as colorful as it is today. Building the tower on a high stone stage started in 1749 and became ashes in 1860 during the Second Opium War. In 1891, the Qing’s government reconstructed this tower to its original version. There was an Amitabha Buddha inside it, and the Empress Dowager Cixi visited this tower to worship the Buddha on the first and 15th days of each lunar month.
7.Dashuifa Site 大水法
Dashuifa Site is part of Xiyanglou (European Palaces) in the Old Summer Palace. The main attraction of this site is the fountains, named Shuifa (waterworks) in the Qing Dynasty. The characteristics of these fountains appeared obvious: a large number, a splendid view and very special designs. This site turned into ashes in 1860 during the Second Opium War. What we can see now are but a few ruins of the past spectacle.
8.White Dagoba 白塔
The White Dagoba is situated at Miaoying Temple in Beihai Park and is the spotlight of the whole park. Its landmark function is similar to the Tower of Buddhist Incense in the Summer Palace. This temple and the Dagoba were built during the Yuan Dynasty of China (1271 AD - 1368 AD). The Dagoba symbolizes Tibetan Buddhism.
9.Bird’s Nest鸟巢
The construction of the Bird’s Nest began on Dec. 24, 2003 and was completed on March 2008. Located in the Olympic Park, the Bird’s Nest was the main stadium of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. After the 29th Olympic Games, the Bird’s nest has become a place to hold major matches and sports events. Now, it is one of the most famous landmarks in Beijing.
10. Water Cube 水立方
The Water Cube is a mega-size bubble glowing pure blue. It is the National Aquatics Center of China, built for the swimming competitions of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Now it has become a popular swimming pool in Beijing.
11.Monument to the People’s Heroes 人民英雄纪念碑
The Monument to the People’s Heroes stands at Tiananmen Square and is the most prominent building at the square. The aim of building this monument was to commemorate those who sacrificed their lives to fight for the foundation of New China during the wars which broke out across China. The project was accomplished in 1958.
12.National Grand Theatre 国家大剧院
The National Grand Theatre or The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) was designed by French architect Paul Andreu. The exterior of the theater is a titanium-accented glass dome that is completely surrounded by a man-made lake. It is just like an egg cut into a half. Therefore, it is also nicknamed Giant Egg. It is located west of Tiananmen Square.
13.CCTV Headquarters CCTV总部大楼
The CCTV Headquarters must be one of the most prominent buildings in Beijing. Standing at many different locations of the city, you can have distinctively good views of the huge building. The construction of the building began from September 21, 2004 and was finished in January 2009. Visiting this building is now possible. Buying a 30-yuan ticket (10:00 - 16:00), you can tour the whole building.
14. Arrow Tower at Qianmen 前门箭楼
The Arrow Tower at Qianmen is also named Zhengyangmen, which means "Facing the Sun Gate" and was the most compelling of the nine gates of the inner city walls of Beijing in ancient China. The arrow tower has 4 floors. There are 94 watch windows in the east, south and west, which were used for shooting arrows. The arrow tower has become a tourist attraction since 1915.
15. China Millennium Monument 中华世纪坛
The China Millennium Monument was built to welcome the new millennium - the year 2000, and covers a total area of 4.5 hectares. On top of the monument is a pointer of 27-meter long pointing to the sky. The pointer has an inclination angle of 45 degrees. This shows the Chinese people’s spirit of creation and a will to work hard into the future.
16. Terminal 3 of Beijing-Capital International Airport 北京首都国际机场3号航站楼
Terminal 3 of the Beijing-Capital International Airport covers a building area of 900, 000 square meters where 99 airplanes can park. A new runway of 3,800 meters long and 60 meters wide can also be found here, so that the world’s largest passenger airline A380 can set off or land smoothly. In addition, viewing the airport terminal from above is also an exciting experience.
17.Beijing West Railway Station北京西站
The Beijing West Railway Station, located beside Lianhuachi East Road in Fengtai District, is one of the top four railway stations in Beijing, and is also one of the most important railway hubs in China. It began its service on January 21, 1996.
18.Beijing South Railway Station北京南站
The Beijing South Railway Station has the largest area of its kind in Beijing and serves as one which receives and sends out the most trains in the region. This station mainly receives and sends out high speed trains.
19. Marco Polo Bridge 卢沟桥
Beijing’s Marco Polo Bridge is the famous Lugou Bridge, which is famous for the vivid stone lions on it and the Lougou Bridge Incident during World War Two. It stretches across Yongding River, about 15 km southwest of downtown Beijing.
20.China World Trade Center Tower 3 中国国际贸易中心第三期
The China World Trade Center Tower 3 with a height of 330 meters is the topmost building in Beijing so far but will be surpassed by the Z15 Tower (528 meters after it is finished) in the future. The Tower 3 is located in the Central Business District (CBD) of Beijing, just several stops away from Tiananmen Square.
