Sign in with Facebook- Join for free
- Sign In
Sign in with FacebookLatest Beijing hotel reviews
Initially named The Ten Thousand Animal Garden, the zoo was built in 1908, making it 100 years old. It is located in Xicheng District of Beijing City, beside Beijing Exhibition Hall, facing Beijing Astronomical Observatory. The Zoo was originally an imperial manor during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). Plants were cultivated and animals were raised here during the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), Prince Foot Kang ann Mansion. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, it was reconstructed and renamed the West Suburb Park. In 1955, the name was changed to the Beijing Zoo.
The zoo has developed rapidly and by 1987 covered an area of over 40,000 square meters. Bears, elephants, pandas, lions, tigers, songbirds, hippopotami, rhinoceroses, antelopes and giraffes were brought in the late 1950s, and a gorilla cage, leaf-monkey cage and aquarium house, was opened, containing specimens of over 100 species of reptiles from all over the world, including crocodiles and pythons.
The Beijing Zoo now houses over 7,000 creatures of 600 different species from all over the world.
Updated Sep 12, 2008
Address: Xizhimen
Website: http://www.beijingzoo.com/
Lazy panda's eating bamboo all day- yep it's not so exciting, but it's super cute.
We saw about 4 panda's which is not the largest, but you can see them chomping away and waddling around.
You can buy panda shirts and beijing olympic 2008 shirts.
We didn't get to spend much time around the garden or the zoo, but we're told that it's a great treat!
The TIP
Do not take a tour to the Garden/Zoo, you'll just be rushed through the panda garden and that's all! So take the day or at least 3 hours to see around the zoo.
Written Aug 1, 2008
Address: Xizhimen
Phone: Telephone 010-68314411
Helpfulness
Nice way to spend a few hours of free time in Beijing. Blue Zoo Beijing was the first walk-through aquarium established in Beijing, the capital of China. Blue Zoo Beijing is the largest aquarium of its type in Asia. The main attraction is the central tank holding 3.5 million litres of artificially produced salt water. A complete eco-system has been created in this tank to allow thousands of fish to live in as natural an environment as possible.
Written Apr 5, 2008
Address: Xizhimen
Website: http://www.blue-zoo.com/htdocs/main.html
Helpfulness
Nice way to spend a few hours of free time in Beijing. Blue Zoo Beijing was the first walk-through aquarium established in Beijing, the capital of China. Blue Zoo Beijing is the largest aquarium of its type in Asia. The main attraction is the central tank holding 3.5 million litres of artificially produced salt water. A complete eco-system has been created in this tank to allow thousands of fish to live in as natural an environment as possible.
Written Apr 5, 2008
Address: Xizhimen
Website: http://www.blue-zoo.com/htdocs/main.html
Helpfulness
The zoo is located outside Xizhimen Beijing. During Ming Dynasty, the Beijing zoo as the site of an imperial park. In the late Qing times, it was an experimental field for farming arts and zoo was put up there. In 1908, Empress Dowager Cixi did another rebuilding job and used it to house a collection of 700 animals imported from Germany, was therefore called Wanshengyuan (the ten thousand animals garden). After 1949, it was officially given name “ Beijing Zoo”.
A lot of constructions have been built ever since for monkeys, elephants, bears, tigers and lions, deer, hippos, reptiles, pandas, aquatic fowls and small animals. The collection of animals here has been growing both in species and Quantity. One can see here animals peculiar to China such as giant pandas, golden hair monkeys, tufted deer, wild horses, white-lipped deer, and also exotic animals from other parts of the world such as gorillas, polar bears, giraffes, African elephants and penguins
Written Mar 11, 2008
Address: Xizhimen
Helpfulness
I didn't spend much time at the zoo as I found the whole experience quite upsetting. The animals were in horrible cages with little comfort and stimulating activities or surroundings. I did however want to see the Panda's so that was my only reason for visiting here.
The zoo is in the same place as the aquarium so you can buy a combined ticket.
Written Jul 20, 2007
Address: Xizhimen
Helpfulness
The Beijing Zoo is China’s largest and purportedly its best. I had heard horror stories regarding the condition of the Shanghai Zoo and the behavior of the people, but observing similar conditions and behavior first hand still came as a bit of shock. With few exceptions, the animals were kept in small cages that contained little more than concrete floors, food trays, and a branch or two or an elevated platform on which to lie. Many of the animals appeared malnourished and sickly, and nearly all of them looked stressed. Given the number of people banging on glass and shouting at and throwing things at the animals, it’s little wonder why. Some such behavior can be expected from kids, but these were adults. I would suggest boycotting these zoos until this behavior changes, but, if you are desperate to see Giant Pandas, you will see them and more than 500 other neglected species for Y35.
Written May 21, 2007
Address: Xizhimen
I must say it was something that i really wanted to see... the Pandas... even though i know i should not expect too much.
I should say I was right.. the ONLY thing that you should even spend time on should be the Pandas.. the rest, i felt more sad looking at them then excited...
Not sure if it's coz of the sand storms there that make the place look permanently sandly/dusty/dirty or it's really so
Updated Mar 19, 2007
Address: Xizhimen
Helpfulness
Beijing Zoo is the second zoo that I went in China. Great to see the pandas this time not behind cage but a glass wall. As usual, the pandas are either snoozing or eating their favorite and only food - bamboo leaves.
There are other rare animals in the zoo like the Golden Monkey, lesser pandas, endangered cranes but we only had limited time to explore the zoo. So most of the time was spent with the pandas and Golden Monkey of the southern China.
Written Oct 11, 2006
Address: Xizhimen
Helpfulness
Wary of zoos, I chose to go to the Beijing Zoo nonetheless since it was on the way to Summer Palace and it was my only chance to see pandas on this trip.
I found the poor old pandas in probably the worst enclosures in the zoo,which is odd considering they are probably the big attraction. The zoo seems rooted in 1960's.A lot of money and effort was being put into upgrading the parks side of the zoo. I hope the pandas are in line for their share too.
Written Oct 11, 2005
Address: Xizhimenwai dajie
Sponsored Links
Park Plaza Beijing Wangfujing Beijing
4 Reviews and 773 Opinions Located centrally in the Wangfujing area, this hotel is close to everywhere you want to get to...
Shangri-La Hotel Beijing Beijing
6 Reviews and 223 Opinions I stayed there in April of 2007 and was at first disappointed when the driver approached the...
GRAND HYATT BEIJING Beijing
15 Reviews and 431 Opinions The Beijing Hyatt provided a welcome familiar respite to a hectic, foreign world. It turned out to...
Xizhimen
Zoo & Aquarium tips and photos posted by real travelers and Beijing locals.
Write a ReviewWary of zoos, I chose to go to the Beijing Zoo nonetheless since it was on the way to Summer Palace and it was my only chance to see pandas on this trip.I found...
657 members live in Beijing
Q: We are group of 3 kiwi students with 2.5 full days to explore in Beijing on a budget. Want to see the 'must do's' great...
A: Two and a half days would be enough for what you mentioned. You won't need a tour for visiting these places except Great Wall. If you choose Badaling section, you can do...
Read 3 Replies
1
After 4 1/2 years in Beijing, I have moved to London, England where I am starting on my London pages. UPDATE: See latest pages on UPDATE: See latest pages on Chengdu and Zhangjiajie/Wulingyuan...
2
I've got some interesting experiences in Beijing. I'd love to share with you the 119 tips I've written, the 120 photos uploaded, and 0 travelogues I've created.
4
Beijing: from the Forbidden City to the Great Wall
Our China - Tibet roundtrip started in Beijing. We had 3,5 days to see Beijing. But there is so much to see and to do in Beijing, that you really need to select, and that is not as easy as there...
5
Beijing - The Northern Capital
Few cities in the world besides Beijing have served as the political and cultural centre of an area as immense as China for so long. Described as "One of the world's great cities", Beijing has been an...
Build your own Beijing page
Sponsored Links
