Yonghe Lamasery

Situated on the east side of Yonghegong Street in the northeastern corner of the city, the Yonghe Lamasery is the largest and best-known lamasery in Beijing. The principal components are three exquisite memorial archways and five major halls, all of which stand on a north-south axis. The total area of the compound calculated from the southernmost memorial archway to the lamasery; s northernmost point is 66,400 square meters.

The Yonghe Lamasery was originally built by order of Emperor Kangxi in 1694 to serve as a residence for his son and successor to the throne-Yinzhen. The new residence was given the name the Mansion of the Beile Yin. When his title was later officially raised to that of prince, the name of the residence was changed to "Residence of Prince Yong." Yinzhen lived here till his ascension to the throne in 1723.

When Yinzhen became Emperor Yongzheng after his father's death, a section of the residential grounds was maintained as a temporary palace to be used by the emperor for short visits, while the other half was turned over to eh Lamaists to serve as a place for the recitation of scriptures. Later, the palace section was razed by fire and in 1725 that section of the compound occupied by the Lamas was given the name Yonghe (Harmony and Peace) Lamasery.

Entering the lamasery compound at eh southernmost gate, the visitor will notice that this first courtyard contains only two screen walls decorated with carved murals and a single memorial archway. To the north through the gateway, a stone-paved pathway leads through the center of a rectangular courtyard planted with pines and cypresses to the Gate of Luminary Peace (Zhaotaimen).

This gate leads into the third courtyard, where two stela pavilions and the Drum and Bell towers typical of all Buddhist temples may be seen. At the north end of this courtyard stands the Gate of Harmony and Peace (Yonghemen), the entrance to the Devaraja Hall (Tianwangdian). In the center of the hall is a statue of Maitreya Buddha and, flanking it, four large statues of the Heavenly Kings.

Behind this hall is a stela pavilion containing a tall stone tablet inscribed in the han (Chinese), Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan languages. A bypass from here leads to the largest hall in the lamasery -- the Hall of Harmony and Peace.

The hall's pillars and square ceiling panels are painted in brilliant varicolored motifs. In the center is an altar where offerings are made to the Buddhas of the Three Ages-Sakyamuni, Kasyapa and Maitreya. On the side walls are mural paintings of the 18 arhats, and in the corners images of Ksitigarbha and Maitreya.

The entrance to the fifth courtyard is known as the Hall of Eternal Blessings (Yongyoudian). This hall and the Hall of Heavenly Kings are almost identical in size. Immediately to the north is the Hall of the Dharmacackra (Wheel of the Dharma) in which stands a 15-meter-high bronze statue of the founder of the Yellow Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, Tsong-kha-pa. Behind the statue is a panoramic sandalwood sculpture of 500 arhats standing indifferent postures on a hill, known as the hill of the Arhats. On the walls there are huge mural paintings depicting episodes in the life of the Buddha.

The principal building in the rearmost courtyard and tallest building in the lamasery is the three-story Hall of Infinite Happiness (Wangfuge), also called the Hall of Great Buddha (Dafolou). Flanking it on both sides is two two-story pavilions-the Eternal Health Pavilion (Yongkangge) and the Perpetual Tranquility Pavilion (Yanningge), both connected to the central hall by overhead bridges. A huge statue of the Tathagata Buddha (Rulaifo) stands in the center of the hall. Made from the trunk of a single sandalwood tree, the standing statue is 26 meters in height (eight meters below the ground floor and 18 meters above) and eight meters in diameter. It is said that when this statue was first installed it was fitted with a yellow monk's robe made of more than 1,800 meters of satin.

Besides the structures described above, the Yonghe lamasery has a number of auxiliary buildings lining the courtyards on the east and west, many of which display exotic Lamaist sculptures and paintings. The buildings set along the central axis rise progressively from south to north, and a visitor entering from the southernmost gate looking north will see a series of roof-ridges rising impressively one above the next.

The lamaseries house a treasury of Buddhist art. To mention a few of the most interesting items: examples of the calligraphy of Qing emperors written on scrolls and inscribed on stelae; bronze lions and incense burners; sculptured images of gods, demons and Buddhas; and Tibetan-style murals.

Fragnant Hill

Situated 28 kilometers northwest of downtown Beijing, this park had long been a favorite summer retreat of the emperors. In the 12th century it was a royal hunting park. Its focal point is the Incense Burner Peak (Xianglufeng) ?557 meters above sea level. On top is a huge rock that resembles an incense burner.

In Jin Dynasty (which as over-800 years ago), emperors began to build temples and halls here. By Qing Dynasty, 28 sights were completed and they were included in Jingyi Garden.

In 1860 and 1900, the Garden was twice destroyed by imperialist aggressors, and the temples and halls were burned down. After the founding of New China, they were gradually renovated. In the deep of autumn every year, large leaves on over-90000 smoke trees all present a bright red color over the mountain.

Red Leaves on smoke trees in Fragrant Hill have all along been well-known. In autumn , the Hill is covered by red leaves and look gorgeous. The scenery area is formed mainly by mountainous fields and natural forests. Over 200,000 tress of over-100 varieties are in the 160 hectare area which is also the site where various kinds of birds dwell. Fragrant Hill is also famous for its snow scenery in winter.

There is also a cable car ride (approx 18 minutes one way). The view was cool, although smog usually covers most of it. On the top you can eat/drink/buy souvenirs. Chinese people usually climb these hills instead of taking the cable so it’s all up to you.

The Ming Tombs

At a distance of 50 km northwest of Beijing stands an arc-shaped cluster of hills fronted by a small plain. Here is where 13 emperors of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) were buried, and the area is known as the Ming Tombs.

Construction of the tombs started in 1409 and ended with the fall of the Ming Dynasty in 1644. In over 200 years tombs were built over an area of 40 square kilometers, which is surrounded by walls totaling 40 kilometers. Each tomb is located at the foot of a separate hill and is linked with the other tombs by a road called the Sacred Way. The stone archway at the southern end of the Sacred Way, built in 1540, is 14 meters high and 19 meters wide, and is decorated with designs of clouds, waves and divine animals.

Some parts in this area are :

1. Sacred Way - The Sacred Way inside the gate of the Ming Tomb is lined with 18 pairs of stone human figures and animals. These include four each of three types of officials: civil, military and meritorious officials, symbolizing those who assist the emperor in the administration of the state, plus four each of six types of animals: lion, griffin, camel, elephant, unicorn and horse. Many of the guided tours will not take you there, or if they do there is an extra charge. It is well worth the extra bucks to see it though.
2. Stone Archway - The stone archway at the southern end of the Sacred Way, built in 1540, is 14 meters high and 19 meters wide, and is decorated with designs of clouds, waves and divine animals. Well-proportioned and finely carved, the archway is one of the best preserved specimens of its kink in the Ming Dynasty. It is also the largest ancient stone archway in China.
3. Stele Pavilion - The Stele Pavilion, not far from the Great Palace Gate, is actually a pavilion with a double-eave roof. On the back of the stele is carved poetry written by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty when he visited the Ming Tombs.
4. Yongling Tomb - Yongling, built in 1536, is the tomb for Emperor Shizong, Zhu Houcong (1507-1566). He stayed in power for 45 years.
5. Dingling Tomb - The Dingling Tomb is the tomb of Emperor Wanli (reigned 1573-1619), the 13th emperor of the Ming Dynasty, whose personal name was Zhu Yijun, and of his two empresses, Xiao Duan and Xiao Jing. The tomb was completed in six years (1584-1590), it occupies a total area of 1,195 square meters at the foot of Dayu Mountain southwest of the Changling Tomb.
6. Maoling Tomb - Emperor Xianzong, Zhu Jianshen, and his three empresses are entombed within Maoling. Zhu Jianshen (1447-1487) was the first son of Emperor Yingzong. He stayed in power for 22 years.
7. Changling Tomb - Changling is the tomb of emperor Yongle (reigned 1403-1424), the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty whose personal name was Zhu Di, and of his empress. Built in 1413, the mausoleum extends over an area of 100,000 square meters. The soul tower, which tells people whose tomb it is, rests on a circular wall called the "city of treasures" which surrounds the burial mound. The "city of treasures" at Changling has a length of more than a kilometer.
8. Underground Palace - The underground palace at Dingling Tomb consists of an antechamber, a central chamber and a rear chamber plus the left and right annexes. One of the pictures shows the central chamber where the sacrificial utensils are on display. Two marble doors are made of single slabs and carved with life-size human figures, flowers and birds. More than 3,000 articles have been unearthed from the tumulus, the most precious being the golden crowns of the emperor and his queen.

Summer Palace

Curiously, Tihetuan, the Chinese name for the place known in English as The Summer Palace, does not actually mean “Summer Palace”. It roughly translates as the garden of peace with “peace” being used in the context of ‘no rebellion”.

The Summer Palace was first named the Garden of Clear Ripples, which was burnt down by the allied forces of Great Britain and France in 1860. Reconstruction started 25 years later and was completed in 1895, and the name was changed to Yiheyuan (Garden of Good Health and Harmony). The design gives prominence to the Longevity Hill and the Kunming Lake. The total area is 290 hectares, and the buildings are measured in over 3,000 bays.

Some buildings in the Summer Palace are :

1. Foxiang (Buddha Fragrance) Pavilion - It stands on a 21-meter-high stone terrace on the sheer front side of the Longevity Hill. It overlooks Kunming Lake in front and Zhihuihai Buddha Hall in the back. Other buildings stretch on either side of it in a neat symmetrical pattern. The tower was burnt down by British and French soldiers in 1860 and a new one was built on the site later.
2. Marble Boat - also known as Qingyanfang, it was made with huge stone blocks in 1755. The 36-meter-long immovable boat has two tiers. It was placed in the lake to symbolize the steadfast rule of the Qing Dynasty.
3. Grand Opera Tower – The imperial theater in the Dehe Garden is the largest of its kind in China today. It is 21 meters high and has three floors. An opening is in the ceiling of the first floor, in which a winch could lower performers and props down onto the first floor. Performers could appear on the three floors at the same time.
4. Leshou (Happy Longevity) Hall – The large courtyard was the living quarters of Empress Dowager Ci Xi. The red pillars and gray gabled roof display a unique style of architecture.
5. Long Corridor – The 728-meter-long corridor runs from a moon gate in the east to Shizhang Pavilion in the west. All the 273 sections are decorated with more than 8.000 paintings of landscapes, flowers and human figures. It is the longest and most famous corridor in the world.
6. Bronze Bull - Built of marble and white stone, the Jade Belt Bridge has a high arch and is one of the six bridges on the West Shore on Kunming Lake.

Tian'anmen Square

Large enough to hold 1 million people, the 440,000-square-meter Tian'anmen Square in the center of Beijing is the world's largest city square, where sunrises and sunsets are observed solemnly with national flag hoisting and lowering ceremonies. Tian'anmen Gate on the northern edge of the square sued to be the front gate of the Ming and Qing Imperial Palace. The rostrum atop the gate, where national leaders review mass rallies or gala celebrations on important occasions, is open to tourists. The Monument to the People's Heroes stands in the center of the square. Behind Zhengyang Gate to the south sprawls Mao Zedong Memorial Hall; to the east is the complex which houses the Museum of Chinese Revolution and the Museum of Chinese History. The Great hall of the People stands on the western side. It was from here that Mao proclaimed establishing of Chinese People’s Republic in 1949. The gate consists of five doors. In the past, only the emperor could user the central door. Today it’s enough to pay for the ticket and you may without any fear use the main door. Remember that the ticket for Tiananmen Gate does not entitle you to enter Forbidden City. The night scene of Tian'anmen Square is definitely a MUST for any visitor to Beijing.

Temple of Heaven

Temple of Heaven or Tiantan was built along a north-south, celestial, axis lie the building where the Ming and Qing emperors came four times a year to offer sacrifices to the Gods and to Pray. The great complex of the Temple of Heaven is in 273 hectares of stunning forest, and this alone makes it an unusual place (line upon line of Chinese cypress, Chinese juniper and scholar trees). Some of the them are more than 600 years old so you must see then. If you can look the temple from the air, you would see that the temple are all round, and the bases of them are all square. This is due to the Chinese belief that heaven was round and the earth was square.

Some parts in Temple of Heaven are :

1. Echo Wall - The circular wall surrounding the Imperial Vault of Heaven is 193.2 meters long, 3.7 meters high and 0.9 meter thick. If one speaks against the wall at one end, another can hear his voice at the other end of it (there tend to be a lot of visitors all trying it out at the same time, so be patient).
2. A Bird's View - The main buildings on a central axis (from top to bottom): Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, Imperial Vault of Heaven and Circular Mound Altar.
3. Heart of Heavenly Stone - The stone placed in the center of the top tier of the Circular Mound Altar. Around it there are nine circles, each with nine stones, altogether 3,402 pieces. They are of identical size and appearance and put closely together. They have remained intact during the past several hundred years. When people stand on the Heart of Heavenly Stone and shout echoes will be heard.
   
4. Circular Mount Altar - Also known as Heaven Mound Altar, it is five meters high and of three tiers. Around each tier there are white marble balusters. During the Ming and Qing dynasties in early winter the emperor would come to this mound to pay homage to heaven and pray for peace and a good harvest.
   
5. Hall of Abstinence - The hall on a white marble foundation is of bricks without any pillar or beam. Bronze statues, a stone pavilion and a stone pavilion with a sundial are in front of the hall.
   
6. Left Parlor of the Main Hall of Abstinence - Displayed in this room are a set of jade chimes, musical bells and sacrificial objects used by the emperor for the ceremony.
   
7. Sweet Spring Well - The water from the well in the compound of the Divine Kitchen tastes sweet. It was used to make soup for the sacrificial ritual. Taoists in the Ming Dynasty said the well was connected with heaven. Emperor Zhu Houzong believed it and named the well "Heavenly Well".
   
8. Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest - Also known as Qigu Hall, it was the spot where the emperor of the Ming and Qing dynasties prayed for good harvest in spring. The umbrella-like structure of three tiers stands on a six-meter-high white marble circular terrace and is 32 meters high and 24.2 meters around at the base.
   
9. Double-Circle Longevity Pavilion - The pavilion was originally built in 1741 by Emperor Qian Long to celebrate his Mother's 50th birthday in the Imperial Palace. In 1977 it was relocated in a cypress grove on the western side of the hall of prayer for Good Harvest. It is a master piece of wooden structures from ancient times.

The Great Wall

Welcome back again with Visit ToDay. Today we are going to talk about the Great Wall. Great Wall is one of the 7 wonders of the world. Your visit to China would not be complete without seeing this symbol of China's isolation. Was built from 5th Century BC to 221 BC, these walls were made mostly by stamping earth and gravel between board frames. The Great Wall winds its way from east seaside to west desert of China, with a length exceeding 5.000 KM. To visit all of the walls is almost impossible, but you can visit some famous parts.

The following Great Wall is located near beijing.

1. Ba Da Ling Great Wall. This part, which means "giving access to every direction", is very splendid and is the best-preserved section of the Great Wall.
2. Si Mai Tai Great Wall. This part is famous for its craggedness, old people is not suitable for climbing this section. For more information about this section you can visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simatai.
3. Jin Shan Ling Great Wall. This part is never rebuilt, it remain as it was 400 years ago. Most foreigner like this part.
4. Mu Tian Yu Great Wall. The mountain on this part have a high forest cover rate (around 90%), therefore it is beautiful. If you come in Summer, I suggest you to visit this part because of the forest. For more information about this section you can visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutianyu.
5. Ju Yong Guan Great Wall.

Forbidden City

If you are planning to go to Beijing, you must go to Forbidden City. Forbidden City or Palace Museum is was built on Ming Dinasty (1406 - 1420). It was called the Forbidden City because it was home to Chinese Emperors and only their servants and Chinese Royalty were allowed during that time. It was also declared by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1987. The enourmous size (around 72000 m2) of the palace grounds and main halls will make you understand why China always translates as "Middle Kingdom".

I recommend you to enter from the north gate instead of the south because the route leads you into Tiananmen Square. The only advantage of entering from Tiananmen Square is if you wish to rent the taped tour narrated by Roger Moore (one of the James Bond actors). The taped tour also offered in many languages). Starting from the north also gives you the beautiful view from atop Jingshan Park, which is best visited in the morning when the old folks are doing their thai chi. Aside from the general entrance fee, be prepared to pay for extra tickets allowing you to see special exhibits and to enter the Tiananmen rostrum.It Simply Amazing. A must see !

For more historical information you can visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbidden_city