Tiananmen Square

The Tiananmen Square on the north to south axis is at the center of Beijing city. It's the largest square in the world, encompassing an area of 14 hectares, and measuring 865 meters north to south, and 500 and 370 meters east to west on the northern and southern ends respectively. Tiananmen is actually the front gate to the original Forbidden Palace. The Five-Star Red Flag flutters high above the mid-point of the square's north side. The Monument to the People's Heroes towers over the center of the square. To its south lies Chairman Mao's Memorial Hall. The Chinese Revolutionary Museum and the Chinese History Museum stand to the east of the square, the Great Hall of the People to the west and the magnificent Heavenly Peace Gate Tower to the north. The Tower is adjoined on its left side by the Zhongshan Park and on the right side by the Working People's Palace of Culture. Opposite the tower in the far south is the Zhengyang Gate Tower. These fine and unique buildings arranged in perfect harmony add greater beauty and grandeur to the Tiananmen Square. The Tiananmen Square is also the people's square, where grand state ceremonies are held on important occasions such as National Day on October 1st.

Temple of Heaven

The magnificent and colorful Temple of Heaven (TianTan) was where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties would offer sacrifices to heaven and pray for good harvests. It was constructed between 1406 and 1420 during the Ming Dynasty and featured separate complexes for the earth, sun and moon. The Temple of Earth (DiTan) can be found in north Beijing. The temples of the sun and moon are in the east and west of Beijing. In 1998, the Temple of Heaven was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Temple of Heaven consists of three main structures. At the southern end is the Altar of Heaven, an empty three-tiered plinth that rises 5 meters from a square yard. In the center of the north-south axis are the Echo Wall and the Imperial Vault of Heaven. At the north end of the Temple of Heaven is the majestic Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, where the sacrificial ceremonies used to take place.

The Summer Palace

The Summer Palace was first built in 1153 and served as an imperial palace for short stays away from the capital. The two main elements of the garden are Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake. Kunming Lake, with an exquisite building in the middle, takes up three quarters of the garden's 290 hectares. The garden consists of three parts: the political activity area, the empress's living quarter and the scenic area which separately centers on the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, the Hall of Jade Ripples and the Hall of Happiness and Longevity. The groups of buildings, hills and lakes, together with the background of West Hills, give an ever changing scene. The buildings on the southern slope of Longevity Hill are characteristic of the garden. Major attractions includ Cloud-Dispelling Hall, the Pavilion of the Buddhist Incense and the Wisdom Sea. The Back Lake at the northern foot of Longevity Hill is natural and peaceful. On its bank is Suzhou Street, a replica of a commercial street in the old days, and hosts eateries, shops, and entertainment of traditional Beijing.

Lama Temple

Situated to the northeast corner of Beijing, Lama Temple (Yonghegong), or Palace of Peace and Harmony Lama Temple or Yonghegong Lamasery, is a renowned lama temple of the Yellow Hat Sect of Lamaism. Lama Temple features five large halls and five courtyards with beautifully decorative archways, upturned eaves and carved details. It houses a collection of traditional Buddhist art, including sculptured images of gods, demons, Buddhas, and Tibetan-style murals. This temple houses the coffin of the Qing Dynasty Emperor Yongzheng. Thereafter, the temple was converted into a lamasery and became a residence for large numbers of monks from Mongolia and Tibet, an effort to sustain friendly relations with Tibet and Mongolia during the Qing Dynasty.

WangFuJing Street

Wangfujing is located in the center of Beijing and is not too far from Tiananmen Square. There are a number of public transportation options including subway and buses that take you directly to this shopping haven. Wangfujing street and its surroundings have quite a selection of shopping options.  There are two western style, modern malls.  In the first of the two malls, named "Xin Dong An", you can find fashion stores, souvenirs, cafes and restaurants, a cinema and a built-in large department store with some reasonably priced high-quality electronics. The second of the two malls is near the subway and is called Oriental Plaza. This is a huge complex and one of the biggest malls in Asia. It has only 2 floors, but it stretches for a few city blocks and features fashion stores, dining, cinemas, Apple Computer center, VW and Audi car showrooms, Sony science exhibition center, banks and lots more. This street is also famous for its local eateries, where dozens of street vendors congregate to offer Beijing's most famous treats and snacks.

Beijing Junefield Department Store (SOGO)

Featuring a total floor area of 80,000 square meters, Beijing SOGO is the largest individual shopping mall gathering shopping, catering, entertainment and leisure in Beijing. Incorporating the management style of the Japanese SOGO model, it is labeled a style of passion, fashion and fine commodity. In a gist of best commodity, best service and best shopping mall, SOGO gains an intensive focus, high market awareness and reputation through individual service, fashionable commodities and catchy promotions.