Top 10 Attractions & Best Things to do in Beijing

Looking for the top attractions to visit and the best things to do in Beijing? Beijing is definitely one of the most popular destinations for kinds of foreign tourists with hundreds of tourist scenic spots and historical sites to offer. However, in order to make the most of your stay in Beijing, you can check the following things you can’t miss and plan a better Beijing tour.

The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City is absolutely the top must-see attraction in Beijing. It is the largest palace complex in the world with 90 palaces and halls with courtyards and nearly 1,000 other buildings. From 1492 to 1912, there were 24 emperors who reigned over the country from the Forbidden City. It serves as a museum that displays lots of valuable Chinese artifacts and artworks that showcase the old history of China's imperial dynasties over centuries.

The Forbidden City

The Great Wall

It is no doubt that hiking the Great Wall is surely a must-do for tourists who first come to Beijing. It has been reinforced several times since its original construction in 771. Badaling-Mutianyu Great Wall tourist area includes Badaling Great Wall scenic spot and Mutianyu Great Wall Scenic Spot. The Badaling Great Wall is the first Great Wall of China, the essence of the Ming Great Wall. Mutianyu Great Wall is the most beautiful one and also the longest Great Wall in China.

The Great Wall

The Temple of Heaven

A tour of The Temple of Heaven is one of the best parts of your Beijing trip. It is the place where the Ming and Qing emperors held sacrificial rites to heaven and prayed for a rich harvest for the next year. Now, it serves as a huge public park for local Chinese people to take a walk and do morning exercise. Although it can be dated back to the early 15th century, its outlook and colorful decorations are still fresh and bright.

The Summer Palace

Located 15 kilometers (9 miles) from downtown Beijing, the Summer Palace is the largest and best-preserved imperial garden in China. It was a summer retreat for China's imperial rulers of Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). Now it is a beautiful park for both locals and tourists to take a walk and enjoy the excellent view there. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is absolutely a top attraction in your Beijing tour.

The Summer Palace

Hutongs

Many tourists come to Beijing with one purpose to see what the hutongs look like. It is true that Beijing is very famous for its hutongs as it can show others the important part of Beijing's development and evolution. Tobacco Pouch Street and Nanluogu Hutong are two of the most famous ones of all hutongs in Beijing. Tourists love to walk along the street to learn something about the traditional customs of this city.

Lama Temple

Lama Temple also called Yonghegong in Chinese, is one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the world. The buildings are a combination of Han and Tibetan styles. When visiting it, you are able to know something about Tibetan Buddhism and also appreciate the amazing architecture and wonderful Buddha statues. There housing a tall statue of Maitreya Buddha with a height of 18 meters (69 feet).  

Tian’anmen Square

Sit to the south of the Forbidden City, Tian'anmen Square is the largest city square in the world. For locals or tourists who first come to Beijing, they will choose to visit the square. It is very symbolic for Chinese people. It is surrounded by many grand buildings, including Chairman Mao's tomb, National Museum, the People's monument, Railway Museum, and Tian'anmen Gate. The national flag of China will be raised at dawn and lowered at dusk daily here.

Ming Tombs

Ming Tombs are the tomb complexes of the thirteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty. There are five tombs that are open to the public, Changling, Dingling, Zhaoling, Shenlu, and Kangling. They were built between 1409 and 1645, covering an area of 40 square kilometers. Ming Tombs are the largest surviving tomb complex in China and even in the world. It offers a beautiful natural landscape and a collection of cultural relics and monuments.

Beijing Duck

It is a famous Beijing dish of roast duck served to people. The high-quality duck will be roasted over charcoal with fruitwood and will be sliced perfectly before being taken to diners. The meat is fatty but not greasy. One taste and you will love this dish. It is hard to tell which restaurant can offer the best Beijing Duck since different people have different taste.

Beijing Duck

Beijing Opera

Beijing Opera, also known as Pingju and Jingxi, is China's national opera with about 160 years of history. It is one of the quintessence of Chinese culture that deserves all foreign tourists to appreciate. Beijing Opera is a performance that makes use of singing, dancing, dialogue, and acrobatic fighting to tell the audience a story and show them different characters with their feelings. You will find yourself completely lost in it.