TIANANMEN SQUARE

In the centre of Beijing, the rectangular 440,000 sq. metre paved public space of Tiananmen Square was built under Chairman Mao, and carries obvious echoes of Soviet architectural style, though traditional Chinese principals are also imbedded in its layout.

The sheer scale of the square is clearly intended to project power and is capable of containing mass gatherings of up to a million people, vast assemblies which were common during Mao’s early years.

In later times the square has also occasionally hosted huge crowds, notably after the death of both Mao and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai in 1976. For many foreigners, however, the square is forever remembered for the 1989 pro-democracy demonstrations and their aftermath.

Still to this day presiding over the square in death, Mao’s mummified remains are housed in the square’s Chairman Mao Memorial Hall.

Directly east of the square, The National Museum of China is a vast homage to China’s long civilisation, with an outstanding display of its precious historical artefacts. Just south of the National Museum, the European era buildings of the Legation Quarter are accessed through an archway, and are now the home of some fine restaurants and shops.


Few locations anywhere carry the gravitas of Beijing’s Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage site and onetime inner sanctum of China’s mighty Emperors, from the Ming through to the end of the Qing Dynasties, with certain death being deployed as the customary disincentive for uninvited access to the citadel, from which it acquires its evocative name.


Public entry into the Forbidden City itself is through the following Meridian Gate, once the exclusive preserve of the Emperor himself, from which one passes into an enormous courtyard, capable historically of holding assemblies of one hundred thousand people. A distinctive feature of the courtyard is the bow shaped Golden Stream over which five marble bridges lead the way onward toward the Gate of Supreme Harmony.

Within the courtyard, the Hall of Martial Valour houses a collection of paintings and calligraphy, whilst the Hall of Literary Glory plays host to a fine collection of ceramics.

Passing through the Gate of Supreme Harmony, another courtyard greets the eye, beyond which a vast three tiered plinth provides an elevated pedestal for the Three Great Halls, The Hall of Supreme Harmony, The Hall of Central Harmony and The Hall of Preserving Harmony.
       
Within the Hall of Supreme Harmony sits the Mighty Dragon Throne, where the Emperor would preside over his court. In the smaller Hall of Central Harmony, reserved for meetings with the Emperor’s closest ministers, sit two Sedan Chairs, whilst the Hall of Preserving Harmony was chiefly used for ceremonial banquets.

The buildings that run along the side of the Great Halls courtyard were used to store the Emperor's treasures, and nowadays often host interesting periodic exhibitions.

Beyond the Three Great Halls, the thrillingly ornate marble imperial carriageway leading from the Hall of Preserving Harmony is incredibly and beautifully carved from a single block of stone, 16.5 metres (54 feet) long, 3 metres (10 feet) wide and with a depth of 1.7 metres (5 and a half feet), weighing some 200 tonnes, and was originally rolled into Beijing upon beds of ice.   


Alongside the entire precession of halls and courtyards, numerous other buildings lie on either side, some of which are open to the public and reveal the true vastness of the imperial complex, containing many interesting features of the imperial era such as the lovely nine-dragon screen of the Palace of Peace and Longevity.

Just beyond the North Gate exit, Jingshan Park was originally created from the mound accumulated through the excavation of the Forbidden City moat, and provides an excellent view over both the Forbidden City and wider Beijing.

Alongside the western flank of the Forbidden City moat, a series of lakes, collectively known as the Houhai Lakes, are a great open space to wander around, watching the locals at leisure and contain a number of places of interest, such as the Great Hall of the People and the White Cloud Temple.

TEMPLE OF HEAVEN


The structural similarities to elements of the Forbidden City are due to the construction’s origins with the Yongle Emperor who also commissioned that space.

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is an architectural marvel constructed of wood, without the use of nails or mortar. Originally built in 1420 AD, the faithful reconstruction of today was built in 1889, following the devastation of the original by fire from a lightning strike.

Other notable structures in the park are the octagonal Imperial Vault of Heaven and its surrounding Echo Wall, the Round Altar, the sacrificial Animal Killing Pavilion, Divine Music Administration and the Fasting Palace.

THE HUTONGS


Many of the original Hutongs have been destroyed in the modern era and in the future probably all will be eventually redeveloped. Of what does remain, the hutongs provide the visitor with a remarkable insight into the reality of both contemporary Chinese life and its connection to ancient times, and is a thoroughly fascinating adventure best enjoyed by a bicycle or on a walking tour.

Aside from the general ambience of the area, one of the central features of the Hutongs is the Drum Tower, originally built by the Mongols in 1272 AD, when the city was known by the pre-Beijing name of Dadu. Destroyed by fire, the 1420 AD reconstruction was also further modified in the later Qing Dynasty.

The original purpose of the Drum Tower was to keep time in the city, with drums being sounded at various times during the day. Next door, the Bell tower, achieved the same ends with the use of bells and is of similar antiquity. Inside you can view the impressive 63 tonne bell.

SUMMER PALACE


   

Not far from the Summer Palace, Fragrant Hills Park was originally yet another Imperial retreat, and is a visual delight, particularly in the autumn, when the maples turn delirious golds and reds, imbuing the pleasant countryside with beautiful hues. Yet another nearby delight in this area is the Botanic Gardens.