Beijing Capital International Airport 36 min
Beihai Park (25 min) First opened to the public in 1925, this 69-hectare former imperial park features a massive lake. The Palace Museum (29 min) Massive palace complex & museum featuring tours, art exhibits & restaurants. Temple of Heaven (34 min) Renowned temple complex from 1420 featuring distinctive circular buildings set in a popular park. Forbidden City (25 min) Completed in 1420, this palace complex with 980 buildings features a museum with art & artifacts. Tiananmen Square (27 min) Historic, massive city square (one of the world's largest) & meeting place, featuring a 37m obelisk. Summer Palace (20 min) Lakefront palace renowned for its ornate temples & artworks plus its lavishly landscaped grounds. Jingshan Park (26 min) Historic 57-acre park located on a hill & offering views of the Forbidden City. Houhai (17 min) Picturesque lake known for its shoreline of bustling bars, cafes, souvenir shops & restaurants. Beijing Zoo (11 min) Venerable zoo, founded in 1906, with traditional landscaping & native animals such as pandas. Yuanmingyuan Park (21 min) Park featuring colorful gardens & ruins dating from 1707 & burned during Second Opium War of 1860. Lama Temple (18 min) Ornate Tibetan Buddhist temple complex built in 1694 & featuring bronze statues & incense burners. National Museum of China (30 min) Free, massive (2.2 million-sq.-ft.) museum of Chinese history & art with more than 1 million relics. National Stadium (20 min) Iconic stadium known as the Bird's Nest built for the Olympics & now hosting concerts & sports. Drum Tower and Bell Tower of Beijing (18 min) Red watchtower reconstructed in 1420, offering views & performances with replica Ming dynasty drums. Tiananmen (28 min) Symbolic, famed gateway to the Forbidden City dating to the 15th century but rebuilt many times. |