Getting around
There are many places of interest in Beijing for sightseeing. We give a brief introduction to 5 of the most famous places. For more travel information about sightseeing, food, shops, leisure and hotels, please visit http://www.ebeijing.gov.cn/Travel/.
The Forbidden City (9.8 km from the venue)
The Forbidden City, historically and artistically one of the most comprehensive Chinese museums, was established on the foundation of the palace that was the ritual center of two dynasties, the Ming and the Qing, and their collections of treasures. Designated by the State Council as one of China's foremost-protected monuments in 1961, the Forbidden City was also made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.
Situated at the heart of Beijing, the Palace Museum is approached through Tiananmen Gate. Immediately to the north of the Forbidden City is Prospect Hill (also called Coal Hill), while on the east and west are Wangfujing and Zhongnanhai neighborhoods. Twenty-four emperors lived and ruled from this palace during this 500-year span.
The Summer Palace (9.8 km from the venue)
The Summer Palace was first constructed in 1750, dominated mainly by Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, covers an area of 2.9 square kilometers, three quarters of which is under water. Its 70,000 square meters of building space features a variety of palaces, gardens and other ancient-style architectural structures.
The Summer Palace is a monument to classical Chinese architecture, in term of both garden design and construction. Borrowing scenes from surrounding landscapes, it radiates not only the grandeur of an imperial garden but also the beauty of nature in a seamless combination that best illustrates the guiding principle of traditional Chinese garden design: "The works of men should match the works of Heaven". In December 1998, UNESCO included the Summer Palace on its World Heritage List.
Tian'anmen Square (15 km from the venue)
Tian'anmen Square is one of the largest city squares in the world. It is situated in the heart of Beijing. Tian'anmen was built in 1417 and was the entrance gate to the Forbidden City. President Mao Zedong's portrait is hung above the central entrance of Tian'anmen. There are two slogans, one is "Long Live the People's Republic of China" and the other is "Long Live the Great Unity of the People of the World". It was on this gate that president Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China on Oct 1st 1949. Since then Tian'anmen Rostrum has been the symbol of China.
The Great Wall (82 km from the venue)
The Great Wall, symbolizing China's ancient civilization, is one of the most famous, grand and splendid ancient construction wonders in the world. It is just like a giant dragon starting from Yalu River and crossing high mountains, deserts and grassland to the Pamirs Plateau, the roof of the world from east to west in the northern part of China. From many centuries, the Great Wall, as a military gigantic defensive project kept out the invading troops of the northern nomadic tribes. Now, the Great Wall has become a famous historical scenic spot for tourists, and it liaise a role in bridging the friendship between the Chinese people and peoples in different parts of the world.
The Temple of Heaven (16 km from the venue)
The Temple of Heaven is located in southern Beijing. It is included in the UNESCO would heritage list in 1998. With an area of 2.7 million square meters, it is the largest of its kind in the country. Built in 1420, the 18th year of the reign of Ming Emperor Yongle, the temple was where emperors went to worship heaven for good harvests.
Around the Hall of Abstinence are two imperial ditches and they are circled by a 163-bay walkway. The Abstinence Bronze Man Pavilion and Time and Memorial Tablets Pavilion are at the Celestial Terrace of the main hall. To add the solemnity of the occasion, the bells in the two bell towers at the northeast end were struck when the emperor prayed for good harvests.
