Top 14 Beijing Tourist Attractions, Beijing Sightseeing 2024
What to see, to buy, to experience in Beijing? What are the best you should never miss, and what are the feature activities only the locals know?
To help you plan your Beijing vacation and explore the real life of this city, here we have collected the TOP 14 Beijing Attractions where you can get a better understanding about the past and present of Beijing and learn more about Chinese culture and history. We have also selected 6 recommended featured activities you can choose to add more fun to your Beijing trip.
Our Guests Visiting Beijing Great Wall
- Top Attractions
- Featured Activities
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No.1: Forbidden City
Type: Historic Site, landmarks
Recommended Length of Visit: 2-3 hours
Forbidden City is absolutely the top must-see place in Beijing, which will show you what the Chinese culture and Dynasty is all about. Consisting of more than 9,000 rooms and spreading over 250 acres, it is once reserved only for the Emperors in 15-18th century. Once you enter the palace, you have stepped in the centuries' old history of China's imperial dynasties. More about Forbidden City
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No.2: Great Wall
Type: Historic Site, Landmarks, Hiking Trails
Recommended Length of Visit: about 3 hours' hiking
Hiking the Great Wall is always a must for Beijing first-time visitors. From the continuous line of the Wall, there are some famous sections for visitors to go near Beijing city, including the most famous Badaling Great Wall, the less crowded Mutianyu Section and Simatai section, the beautiful Jinshanling, steep Jiankou, war-striken Gubeikou, strategic Juyongguan, unique Huanghuacheng, etc. The views from the Wall are spectacular and you can feel a sense of history as you walk.
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No.3: Tian'anmen Square
Type: landmarks, Square
Recommended Length of Visit: less than 1 hour
Tiananmen Square is a vast open concrete expanse at the heart of modern Beijing. Here you can see the national flag raised at dawn and lowered at dusk every day, and the locals, as well as visitors strolling about at ease. The most famous site, Tian'an Men is where Chairman Mao announced the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. More about Tian'anmen Square
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No.4: Temple of Heaven
Type: Historic Site, Parks, Religious Site
Recommended Length of Visit: 1-2 hours
Temple of Heaven is the largest building for religious worship in China with a total area of 270 acres. It is where the Ming and Qing emperors to pay homage to Heaven and pray a rich harvest for the next year. Nowadays it has become a leisure park, where you can see many beautiful temple buildings and halls with colorful decorations on them. More about Temple of Heaven
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No.5: Hutong
Type: Historic Walking Area
Recommended Length of Visit: about 2 hours
Beijing is famous for its centuries-old alleys known as hutongs. What is charmful to visitors is the 'real life' of Beijing in these neighborhoods of narrow, twisting alleys. Houhai area is the best place to explore the Hutong culture. The most-visited Nanluoguxiang and the oldest commercial street Yandaixie Street are both near Houhai. More about Beijing Hutong
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No.6: Summer Palace
Type: Hisotric Site, Parks
Recommended Length of Visit: 2-3 hours
Summer Palace, called Yiheyuan in Chinese, used to be the summer retreat for emperors majorly consisting of Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill. But now it is a park for both locals and tourists. You can stroll around the ancient pavilions, temples, bridges and huge lakes to enjoy the amazing view of this royal garden. More about Summer Palace
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No.7: Ming Tombs
Type: Historic site, Monuments
Recommended Length of Visit: 2 hours
Ming Tombs, called Chang Ling in Chinese, is the resting place for 13 of the 16 Ming emperors. In Ding Ling, the only tomb opened to the public, you will see the treasures and Chinese Feng Shui alignment. The highlight is the Sacred Road leading to the tomb with hundreds of small stone animals. Only 30 km northwest of Beijing city, Ming Tomb is always companied with the tour to Great Wall. More about Ming Tombs
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No.8: Lama Temple
Type: Religious & Historic sites, Museums
Recommended Length of Visit: 1-2 hour
Lama Temple, also called Yonghegong in Chinese, is the highest-standard Tibetan Buddhist temple in Beijing. The buildings are a combination of Han and Tibetan styles. Here you can learn more about Tibetan Buddhism while appreciating the excellent architectures and impressive Buddha statues, one of which is an impressive fifty-four-foot high Buddha carved from one complete piece of Tibetan sandalwood. More about Lama Temple
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No.9: Confucius Temple
Type: Cultural site, Museum
Recommended Length of Visit: 1 hour
For Confucius fan, you will never miss the trip to Confucius Temple and Guozijian Museum. Less crowded than other sites, you can learn a lot about Confucius while enjoying the quiet atmosphere here. Even you know nothing about Confucius, you will know more about him and his spirit in the East and the West Halls that talked about Confucius's life, philosophies, impact, legacy, etc. in perfect English.
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No.10: Beijing Olympic Park
Type: Arenas
Recommended Length of Visit: 1 hour
Beijing Olympic Park, also called Olympic Green, is a spacious park built for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. It contains 10 Olympic venues, 7 non-competitive venues, and a forest park, some of which have become landmarks of Beijing and representative works in architectural history such as the Bird's Nest and Water Cube. The best time to visit there is in the afternoon till night, for the splendid colorful lights will add more unforgettable memory to your Beijing trip. More about Beijing Olympic Park
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No.11: National Museum of China
Type: Museums
Recommended Length of Visit: 2-3 hours
With over 1 million precious and rare artifacts, covering Chinese history from 1.7 million years ago till the present, National Museum of China is the third largest and the second most visited museum in the world. It is located on the east side of Tiananmen Square and the south side of East Chang'an Street, right at the city center of Beijing. More about National Museum of China
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No.12: Jingshan Park
Type: Parks, Historical Sites
Recommended Length of Visit: 1-2 hours
Jingshan Park, located in the central axes of Beijing and adjacent to Forbidden City, is the highest point of Beijing Old Imperil City. It offers a fantastic panoramic view of Forbidden City as well as modern Beijing. There are ancient towers and colorful flowers for sightseeing and many local people playing interesting traditional instruments. More about Jingshan Park
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No.13: 798 Art District
Type: Art Galleries, Photography
Recommended Length of Visit: 2 hours
A bunch of once-abandoned factories has now become synonymous with art and originality. 798 Art District is one of the most avant-garde places in Beijing. No matter you are an art enthusiast or not, 798 Art District will show you a different Beijing. You can attend upscale exhibitions, find many creatively designed architectures, stylish boutiques, cafes and restaurants here. More about 798 Art District
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No.14: Gubei Water Town
Type: Holiday Resorts
Recommended Length of Visit: Half day
Gubei WaterTown, located at the foot of Simatai Great Wall, is the northeast gateway of Beijing. It is a theme resort of ancient northern architecture built by a lake. Though it is not a historical water town, it has developed into a large-scale tourist's destination for sightseeing, night tour, boating, great wall hiking, and hot spring spa, etc. More about Gubei Water Town
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