Beijing, the Capital of China - At a Glance

My friend and me joined a tour to Beijing for we were not familiar with transportation arrangement in China. The advantage was we could have a rest for most of activities were arranged. The drawback were we had to visit several recommended shops on the way.

View of huge Forbidden City from Jingshan Park. The park was once an imperial garden in Ming and Qing Dynasties. The last emperor of Ming Dynasty committed suicide here.

















Wangfujing Hotel, a high-rank hotel which was not for a budget traveler like me.

















Snack stalls on Wangfujing pedestrian street, one of the busiest street in town.

















Temple of Heaven, emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasty prayed for good harvest here.

















Tiananmen Square, the world's third large city square.

















The throne inside the Forbidden City.

















This was one of recommended shops to visit. You could find weapon there in the past and silk products there now.

















The Great Wall, I doubt how soldiers could walk on the deep slope and narrow stairs in heavy armors.

















Prince Gong's Mansion, the decorative garden and huge area demonstrated the prestige Prince Gong (in Qing Dynasty) had.

















Tsinghau University, one of the most reputable universities in China.

















Old Summer Palace (圓明園) was known as the Garden of Gardens for its extensive garden and building architectures. The palace was destroyed by foreign armies during the Second Opium War in Qing Dynasty.

















The Summer Palace (頤和園), another huge-scale imperial garden. Well, you can understand why the Qing Dynasty fell now.

















The Drum Tower was built for musical reason.