Great Things to do in Beijing, China

Beijing, the capital of China, is one of the most populous cities in the world. For more than 800 years, the city has been the center of politics and power in the country. Apart from being the capital of this emerging super power, the city is also a popular tourist destination.

Every year, people from around the world travel to Beijing, and explore its history, culture, heritage and cuisine etc. The city has many beautiful and interesting temples, opulent palaces, walls, gardens, gates and tombs. It is also the educational and cultural center of the country. The city provides people with a fair insight into the country which is the fastest growing major economy in the world. The best thing to do is Beijing is to visit the wide range of tourist attractions that you can find there. Being a historical city, Beijing has many monuments and historical buildings which can be of great interest to the tourists. The two most popular attractions in Beijing are as follows:

Tiananmen Square

Situated in Dongcheng District, it is arguably the most famous landmark of Beijing. It is a historical place which receives both domestic and international visitors all the year round. It is also the place where the infamous 1989 massacre (Tianamen Square) took place. Tiananmen Square was built by Chairman Mao. It is surrounded by government buildings and monuments which were built during the Soviet era. Other places near Tiananmen Square that are worth visiting include the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, The Great Hall of the People, Monument to the People's Heroes, Tian'anmen Gate, The Chinese National Museum, and Forbidden City etc.

It is the 4th largest city square in the world. It is the place where the Chairman Mao declared the formation of the People’s Republic of China. The square has a lot of significance for the people of China and the communist party. To the rest of the world, it is mainly known as the place where the infamous protests of 1989 took place in which hundreds of protesters died after military intervention.

Open hours: 5 am - 10 pm daily
Entry: Free.
Note: Entrance fee will be charged when entering other tourist sites near the square.

Capital Museum

It is the most famous art museum in China. By visiting the Capital Museum, you can get a fair insight into the history and artistic style of the country. The museum contains more than 200,000 different cultural relics, which were collected from all over China. The museum is housed in a very beautiful and modern building and it also contains different artifacts which were unearthed in the capital city itself. In this museum you will come across ancient bronze, calligraphy, porcelain, paintings, sculptures, Buddhist statues (collected from China and other places in Asia) and jade. The museum was established in the year 1981 and at that time, it only had around 83,000 objects. Over the years, the collection of the museum has increased.

The relics and artworks that people can see in the Capital Museum can provide them with a fair insight into the glorious history of the city and the country in general. If you are someone who loves art and is also interested in learning more about the history of China, you should certainly visit this museum. Some amusing artifacts that can be found in this museum include porcelain dishes used during the Ming Dynasty, ceramics, currencies etc.

Open hours: 9 am - 4 pm Tuesday to Saturday (Sunday Closed).
Entry: Free entrance. 3 day advance reservation required to visit the museum.