The main venue for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Beijing Olympic Green
includes eye-catching monuments such as the National Stadium (popularly
referred to as the "Bird's Nest") and the National Aquatics Centre
(known as the "Watercube").
Other sites in the Olympic Green include a forest park and lakes, the
Olympic Village, the Olympics Tennis Courts, the National Indoor Stadium and
the China National Convention Centre (CNCC).
The Great Wall
Spanning over 8,850 kilometres, the Great Wall of China is one of the
greatest human architectural achievements. It winds its way from the East to
the West of China, through nine provinces including Beijing.
Constructed over 2,000 years ago, the Wall was built by a multitude of
soldiers, convicts and locals. The Great Wall was intended to ward off the
marauding Northern tribes, especially the Hsiung-nu.
The extant structure was mainly accomplished by Emperor Qin Shihuang of
the Ming dynasty, who succeeded in uniting the nation under him in 214 B.C.
The Forbidden City
Built by a million workers over a period of 14 years (1407 – 1420), the
Forbidden City is the biggest palace complex in the world.
The Palace Museum displays over 100,000 artefacts in several halls that
showcase the wealth and splendour of China’s heritage. This grand architectural
monument served as a royal domain for 24 Emperors throughout the course of 5
centuries, until the expulsion of the last Chinese emperor in 1924.
The most perfect example of Ming architecture, the Temple of Heaven was
built specifically for the worship of heaven and prayers for good harvests. The
temple complex is a treasure trove of ancient Chinese architectural design and
The Ming Tomb
The Ming Tombs, about 50 kilometres northwest of Beijing, are the burial
site of 13 of the 16 Ming Dynasty emperors (1368 - 1644).
Built over an area of 40 sqm, each tomb is placed at the
foot of a separate hill and links with the other tombs by a road called the
Sacred Way. The only tomb that has been excavated is Dingling Tomb, which holds
Emperor Shenzong, the 13th emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
world's largest public square, Tiananmen Square is an immense courtyard with
breathtaking views. The square is surrounded by a variety of historical
edifices: the Chinese Revolution History Museum, Chairman Mao's Mausoleum, the
Great Hall of the People, and the Monument of the People's Heroes.
Square is the symbolic centre of the Chinese universe. The rectangular
arrangement, flanked by halls to the east and west, echoes the layout of the
the impressive flag-raising ceremony performed at sunrise and sunset each day
by a specially trained battalion of PLA troops.