Beijing Off The Beaten Path

 44 Reviews  Visiting the Great Wall of China is a must when in Beijing. Most people will visit the extremely touristy and most visited section of the wall at Badaling which is only about 50 miles (80km) outside... 

 10 Reviews  If you feel like a bit of pampering and have a little spare time - treat yourself to a hairdresser's visit. They are open till really late which is perfect and as it was very cold during our visit to... 

 8 Reviews  Don't bother with The Underground City. It is very difficult to find and when you find the entrance you will discover that is no longer open to tourists. We looked for it on two trips to Beijing. On... 

 10 Reviews  There are numerous markets throughout the city. I visited one of the larger ones. It had seperate sections for produce (fruits and vegetables), spices, meats and fish, clothing and beverages. There... 

 8 Reviews  Beijing International Art Camp (BIAC) is situated near the highway to the airport and frankly speaking, it is not very easy to find, even on a taxi. It's situated inside a village called "Suojia... 

 27 Reviews  Not many people go to the Botanical Gardens when in Beijing. I did as I am into botany somewhat and particular flowers. The spacious grounds are full or various ornamental gardens such as the Rose... 

 12 Reviews  50 kilometers (30 miles) northwest from Beijing lies the Ming Tombs - the general name given to the mausoleums of 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). The mausoleums have been perfectly... 

 8 Reviews  This museum is very interesting, if you want to see enormous scelletons of dinosaurus and other animals from millions of years ago. It also houses an exhibition about Beijing man and evolution. In... 

 3 Reviews  CCTV auxiliary is burned down 2009 March in a ridiculous accident caused by people making fires on top of the building to celebrate a Chinese traditional holiday. What's in the picture is the... 

 4 Reviews  There's plenty more to see around the Marco Polo bridge area (or Lugouqiao Bridge as it's known in Chinese) than just the bridge itself. The bridge leads directly to the gates of the recently restored... 

 8 Reviews  The Beijing Language Institute is a wonderful place with many trees and a lot of nice people from all over the world. Please see my travelogue! It is the best place in China to learn Mandarin. Now it... 

 3 Reviews  In 1703, Chengde, (located approx 150 miles, 250km north-east of Beijing), was chosen by the Kangxi Emperor as the location for his summer residence. Constructed throughout the eighteenth century, the... 

 3 Reviews  Lama Temple, short for Palace of Peace and Harmony Lama Temple, is better known as Yonghe Temple. I was intrigued to visit this 315-year old significant temple which is said to be one of the largest... 

 2 Reviews  Beijing Zoo is one of those places that is *just* off the beaten track, but one which is often on that secondary list of places once visitors ahve seen the main sights of Beijing. I am not a great... 

 1 Review  Da Zhong Si. The temple was known as Juesheng Si (Awakened Life Temple), but clearly there wasn't enough awakening going on, so a 46 1/2-ton bell was transported here on ice sleds in 1743. The third... 

 solopes Says:  It was easy to notice the deep changes that the city was suffering, with the Olympic games boosting the fever of construction. We didn’t stop near the stadium... 

 cal6060 Says:  During my 2011 trip to Beijing, I was staying near the Temple of Heaven. On 8/10/11, I had a morning walk to the Temple of Heaven Park. Temple of Heaven is one... 

 cal6060 Says:  Fan-Shaped Pavilion is located right opposite to Double-Ring-Shaped Longevity Pavilion. This Fan Shaped Pavilion is small, but has unique shape to enhance the... 

 cal6060 Says:  As I walked around the Temple of Heaven Park, I noticed this beautiful Pavilion with interesting roofs like the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. It matches so... 

 cal6060 Says:  After visiting the museum at Divine Music Administration, I found the history of this place is very interesting as a music training institution in the ancient... 

 cal6060 Says:  Divine Music Administration (Shenleshu) is located west of Temple of Heaven, next to Fasting Palace. I was not known this place, but the ticket (Y10) is... 

 cal6060 Says:  Living Hall is located north of the Fasting Palace, behind Beamless Hall. This was the place where the emperor exercised abstinence, met with officials and... 

 cal6060 Says:  In the Beamless Hall, there are several ancient items that were used during ritual ceremonies. They include the following:1) Dragon Pavilion of Censer: "It is...