The Great Wall, symbolizing China's ancient civilization, is one of the world's most renowned projects. It is about 50 miles northwest of Beijing. Its highest point at Badaling is some 800 meters above sea level. Construction started during the period of the Warring States (476 - 221 BC). At that time, walls were built at strategic points by different kingdoms to protect their territories. In 221 BC after the first Emperor of the Qin Dynasty unified China, he decided to have the walls linked and extended.

Historical records show that about 1 million people, one-fifth of China's population at the time, were involved in the project, which took more than ten years.

The Great Wall was rebuilt during the Ming Dynasty in the 16th century. It extends from Shanhaiguan Pass, a seaport along the coast of Bohai Bay, to Jiayuguan Pass in Gansu Province. Its total length is almost 4100 miles.

TIAN’ANMEN (Gate of Heavenly Peace)
The symbol of New China, this gate was built in 1417 and renovated in 1981. It was originally called the Gate of Heavenly Succession. The late Chairman Mao proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China here on October 1st, 1949. The gate has five passages, which were closed and used only on ceremonial occasions. Only the emperor was entitled to pass through the central passage. Before leaving on a journey he would make a sacrifice in front of the gate. At other times imperial edicts were sent down, in a gilded box shaped like a phoenix, to officials kneeling below. The edict was then taken to the Ministry of Rites where copies were made for dispatch to the whole country.

Tiananmen Square
Tian'anmen Square is large enough to hold half a million people. The square has witnessed the Chinese people's struggle against foreign aggression and reactionary rule at home.

In 1919, the May 4th Movement broke out in Beijing. Students and residents staged a patriotic demonstration in the square. In 1935, students in Beijing launched the December 9th Movement against the Japanese aggression and Chiang Kai-shek's policy of non-resistance, They held a demonstration in the square.

On April 5, 1976, people gathered to commemorate Zhou Enlai and oppose the "Gang of Four".

Many tourists to Tian'anmen Square have their pictures taken in front of the white marble Jinshuiqiao (Gold Water Bridges). The bridges were named after the Gold Water River they span, Seven bridges, each supported by three arches, cross the Outer Gold Water River in front of Tian'anmen, Zhongshan Park, and the Beijing Working People's Palace of Culture. Five one-arched bridges cross the Inner Gold Water River inside the Forbidden City between Wumen (Meridian Gate) and Taihemen (Gate of Supreme Harmony).
The outer bridges, together with two graceful Huabiao (ornamental columns) and two stone lions nearby, set off Tian'anmen, making it look more imposing. The inner bridges make the spacious square look harmonious.

During the Ming and Qing (1368-1911) dynasties, the middle one of the seven outer bridges, which is larger than the others was called Yuluqiao (Bridge of the Imperial Way) and was used exclusively by the emperor. The two bridges on each side were called Wanggongqiao (Royal Bridges) and were used by the royal family. The two bridges farther out were the Pinjiqiao (Ranking Bridges) and were used by important civil and military officials. Everyone else could use only the outer two bridges, which were called Gongshengqiao (Public Bridges).

PALACE MUSEUM

The Palace Museum is also known as the Purple Forbidden City. It is the largest and best preserved imperial residence in China. Under Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty, construction began in 1406. It took 14 years to build the Forbidden City. The first ruler who actually lived here was Ming Emperor Zhudi. For five centuries, it was the residence of 23 successive emperors until 1911 when Qing Emperor Puyi was forced to abdicate the throne.

In 1987, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognized the Forbidden City’s world cultural legacy and named it a World Heritage Site. Click on Beijing for more information.

Historians believe the Palace Museum, (Zi Jin Cheng means Purple Forbidden City), got its name from astronomy and folklore. Ancient astronomers divided the constellations into groups and centered them around the Ziwei Yuan (North Star). The constellation containing the North Star was called the Constellation of Heavenly God and the star itself was called the purple palace. Because the emperor was considered to be the son of the heavenly gods, his central and dominant position would be further highlighted by the use of the word purple in the name of his residence.

And the Starbucks in the corner of the central square adds to the mystical feel. . .

CALLIGRAPHY
Calligraphy is understood in China as the art of writing a good hand with the brush or the study of the rules and techniques of this art. As such it is peculiar to China and the countries influenced by ancient Chinese culture.

TEA CULTURE
China is known as the hometown of tea. People throughout the country drink tea daily. Because of the geographic location and climate, different places grow various kinds of tea. In general, there are five kinds of tea classified according to different technique involved in the making of tea. They are Longjin of Hangzhou, Wulong of Fujian, Jasmine tea, Black tea and compressed tea.

THE TEMPLE OF HEAVEN
The Temple of Heaven is one of the most strictly protected and preserved cultural heritages of China. There are 12 million visitors every year. The largest group of architectures ever to be dedicated to Heaven, the Temple of Heaven served as an exclusive altar for Chinese monarchs during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

THE BEIJING ZOO
The Beijing Zoo was built in 1906 and opened to the public in 1908. At that time only several dozens of species were shown, such as lions, tigers, leopards and monkeys. Today the Beijing Zoo has more than 6,000 animals from some 500 species from all over the world. Animals living here include giant pandas, elephants, brown and polar bears, tigers, hippopotami, rhinoceros, antelopes, apes, kangaroos, bison, giraffes and reptiles.

The Giant Panda
One of the most famous mammals in the world, the giant panda is meek and looks like a bear. With the exception of its shoulders, its limbs and the rims of its ears and eyes, which are black, this lovable animal is white all over. Statistics show that China now has only approximately l,000 giant pandas living in the wild, in some remote mountain areas of Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces.

Research shows the giant panda came into existence 600,000 to 700,000 years ago. The panda used to be a ferocious carnivore, but with environmental changes, it gradually became accustomed to a diet of mainly bamboo. As its natural habitat shrank, its numbers decreased, and the panda itself became docile.

To protect the panda, the Chinese Government established 10 nature reserves in places where pandas are found: eight in Sichuan, one in Gansu and another in Shaanxi
In 1955, giant pandas were exhibited in the Beijing Zoo. In 1978, by artificial insemination, the female giant panda Juanjuan gave birth to twins, one of which survived.

Giant pandas live in humid and dense bamboo groves in high mountainous areas. They are afraid of living in extreme weather conditions and make their lairs in tree holes or mountain caves. They seldom live in groups. Their diet is bamboo leaves, sprouts and shoots. They mate in April and May and give birth in autumn, with one or two cubs in each litter.

THE ANCIENT BELL MUSEUM OF
THE GREAT BELL TEMPLE
The Great Bell Temple is located on the western outskirts of Beijing. It houses the largest bell in China. The bell was also named Yongle Bell after Ming Emperor Yongle who ordered its creation 600 years ago.

According to a recent test by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, its crisp, clear sound reaches up to 120 decibels and can be heard 30 miles away in the depth of night.
Music experts of the Chinese Acoustics Institute have found its tone pure, deep and melodious.

The bell is known as China's "king of Bells," it is 6.75 metres high, 3.3 metres in diameter and weighs 46.5 tons.

The third Ming Emperor Yongle took power in 1403 after a coup known in Chinese history as the Jingnan (Pacification) Coup. Legend has it that, feeling guilty, he tried to atone for his misdeeds by having the great bell cast with 17 Buddhist sutras. They are inscribed all over the bell, inside and out. Altogether there are 227,000 Chinese characters inscribed on it. Emperor Yongle hoped to "divert public indignation by striking the bell," according to an "Ode to the Great Bell" inscribed on the tablet erected during the reign of Qing Emperor Daoguang. The tablet still stands by the side of the bell.

The bell was originally kept in the Imperial Longevity Temple. Shipping the bell from the foundry to the temple was a big problem, since there was no vehicle or machine that could handle it. A ditch was dug along the way, and water was fetched from newly-sunk wells to make an ice route in winter. Placed on a huge sleigh, the giant bell was hauled to its destination by oxen. In 1733 the bell was moved form the Imperial Longevity Temple to the present site.

In addition to the Yongle Bell, 31 other bronze bells from the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties are also on display here. They illustrate the evolution of Chinese bells and the history of Chinese metallurgy. Most of the bells are made of bronze, and the oldest was cast 700 years ago.

THE SUMMER PALACE
The construction of the Summer Palace started in 1750. At that time, the Qing Dynasty was in its heyday and China was a vast and powerful country, ruled by the Emperor Qianlong. With supreme power and large sums of money, he summoned the greatest artisans from all over the country to carry out this construction work in honor of his mother's birthday. After 15 years and one seventh of the nation's annual revenue spent, the Garden of Clear Ripples was completed and served as a testimony to China's scientific and technological achievements.

In 1860, Anglo-French forces destroyed this vast royal garden, along with the Yuanming Yuan (Garden of Perfection and Brightness). In 1888, Empress Dowager Cixi reconstructed the garden on the same site and renamed it the Garden of Nurtured Harmony (Summer Palace). Today it is one of the most famous tourist sites in the world.

The East Gate is the main entrance to the Summer Palace. On top of the eaves of the door there is a plaque bearing the inscription "Garden of Nurtured Harmony. " The calligrapher was Emperor Guangxu. That gate was used exclusively by the emperor, the empress, and the queen mother. All others used the side doors

THE WORLD PARK
Located in the Fengtai District of Beijing 10 miles from the city proper, the World Park in Beijing features 106 of the most famous sites from 14 countries and regions the world over.

The park consists of two parts: The scenic area of miniature models, displayed according to the position of its country, and a shopping, dining and entertainment area. The entertainment area is situated in an international folkloric village characterized by buildings in the American and European styles. You can take an electric train and a motorboat through the park to simulate a trip around the world.

The park includes most of the recognized spots of interest on the globe. Among these are the Wooden Pagoda in China's Ying County, the world's oldest and best-preserved wooden pagoda, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Pharoas Tomb of Alexandria and Eiffel Tower in Paris. China's Qingyingjing Park, Japan's Katzura Imperial Villa, and an old-style garden of the US are grouped together to represent the splendor of the world's different gardening styles and in recognition of the many distinctive forms which landscape gardening has taken in China.

Great efforts were made to build the structures out of the same materials as the real ones, and marble and granite surfaces, together with copper and gilded sculptures help produce a realistic effect. For instance, the Pyramid is made of 200,000 white marble bricks, each as large as a bar of soap. Red Square is paved with 5 million red bricks smaller than mahjong tiles.

Lawns in the park are dotted with 100 well-known sculptures, among them the Statue of Liberty, the Little Mermaid from Copenhagan, Michelangelo's David and the Venus de Milo.
The park also has a fountain operated by laser beams, a plant maze and a fairyland in which children and adults alike can enjoy themselves. Regular international parades are planned to give a chance to view folk customs from different countries.

MILLENIUM MONUMENT
The China Millennium Monument, with its oriental cultural overtones and contemporary architecture art, promotes national spirit by embodying an original style, displaying a modern aestheticism, and expressing hopes of the future.
As China' s symbolic and commemorative building to welcome the Year 2000, it is a gift for the world of the 21st century from the Chinese people, forever standing in China' s capital.

It stands along a north-south axis between the Military Museum and the Central Television Complex, with the scenic Yuyuantan Park to the north and the West Beijing Railway Terminus to the south, occupying an area of 4.5 hectares and a total floor space of about 42,000 square metres.
The Monument is a grand structure ingeniously combining the spirit of traditional Chinese culture with modern architectural style, and integrating architecture, landscaping, sculpture, mural painting, and various other art forms. It will not only be an eternal memory of the turn of the millennium, but also serve as a center for cultural, artistic, and scientific exhibitions both at home and abroad, as well as an inspiration in patriotism.

Along both the eastern and western side of the plaza, there is a steady current of water cascading down the steps, reminding the visitor of the mother rivers of the Chinese nation: the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers.