The Tiananmen Square was created in 1652 and during the times of Mao it often served for various performances. But really famous in Europe this square became after the campus unrests of 1989, which were cruelly put down by the government. The Tiananmen Square is the center of Beijing. If to cross the street in the direction of the Forbidden City, you'll see the gates of the Tiananmen Square. Over them you'll find the marvelous image of Manchuria. The Old Summer Palace: unfortunately, just a little has left from this palace, that used to be one of the most fabulous and attractive buildings of China. It was almost completely ruined by French and British army during the Second Opium War of 1860. The palace was built in 12th century as an element of an enormous park territory to the north-west of Beijing.
The Summer Palace used to be the favorite place for thinking about the future of the country and simply having rest of Empress Ci Xi. It'll be a mistake to think that the beauty can be fully felt only in summer. In winter it still attracts many people with the harmony of the gardens, lake landscapes, hills and pavilions.
The park, which is 294 hectares large, is almost for three quarters covered with water. It's situated to the north-west of Beijing near the West Mountains at a 15-kilometer distance from the center. Since 1998 it was put in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.
Besides already named showplaces of Beijing, surely for many tourists of great interest are such sights, as the Beihai Park, the tombs of Thirteen, Marco Polo's Bridge and many other sightseeing attractions.
The best time visiting Beijing. Winter is the coldest time in Beijing, in summer it's quite hot and dry there, in spring you'll face with sandstorms, so the most suitable season for having a trip to Beijing is autumn.
Read more about Beijing in our City Guide ...
Airport Address: Beijing Capital International Airport, Airport Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100621, China
Distance and Location: The airport is located 28km (18 miles) northeast of Beijing
Airport Website: www.bcia.com.cn
Airport E-mail: Via the airport's website
Airport Telephone: (0)10 6456 3220 or 4247 or 3604
Country Code: 86
Time Zone: GMT + 8
Total Number of Terminals: 2
Moving between Terminals: Shuttle buses run between the two terminals.