Explore the most famous attractions in Beijing city center, including the Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Jingshan Park and Summer Palace in one day. You will know more about the Chinese history and culture from this one day private tour. This classic day tour with professional guide and driver service will never let you down.
Your tour guide will meet you at your hotel lobby at around 9:00AM. In the morning, you will first visit the Tiananmen Square — the largest city center square in the world, where Chairman Mao announced the establishment of the New China. Then walk into the Forbidden City — the largest ancient art museum and imperial palace best preserved in China. Jingshan Park is located on the city central axis of Beijing, it is a good place to have a bird’s-eye view of the Beijing city especially the Forbidden City. You can take pictures there and enjoy a panoramic beautiful city scenery there. Your guide will recommend a good restaurant for you to have lunch. Then go on to the famous Summer Palace,one of the most famous imperial gardens in China and the largest of its kind so far in the world. At the end of the tour, you will be dropped off at your hotel.
Tiananmen Square is the largest public square in the world. It has long been a gathering place for locals and visitors alike. On the north side of the square is Tiananmen Gate (the Rostrum). It was from the balcony of the Rostrum on October 1, 1949 where Mao Zedong, chairman of the Communist Party, proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China. Mao gazes south from a huge portrait on the south side of the gate onto Tiananmen Square. Behind the Rostrum lies the Forbidden City, also known as the Imperial Palace.
Directly behind the Rostrum, was home to 24 emperors beginning with its creation by Emperor Yongle in 1420 until the last Qing emperor, Puyi, left in 1924. The entire complex consists of 8,706 rooms in which an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 people lived including 3,000 eunuchs, as well as maids and concubines, all within 170 acres. Behind walls more than 30 feet high and within the 160-foot moat, complex rules and rituals dictated life in the Imperial Palace. Strictly off-limits to Chinese ordinary people (hence the name) the gates today lead to a fascinating display of Chinese history in what is probably the best-preserved site of Classical Chinese architecture.
Jingshan Park was a part of the Forbidden City until the early 1900's when the walls were pulled down and a road cut through it destroying several gates and buildings between the park and the rear entrance of the palace. The hill in Jingshan Park was made with the earth removed to create the palace moat. It is well worth the climb on a clear day for spectacular views of the Forbidden City and Beijing.
Ten kilometers northwest of Beijing City, the Summer Palace of 290 hectares is one of China’s largest and best-preserved imperial gardens. It consists mainly of Kunming Lake of 210 hectares and Longevity Hill dotted with halls and pavilions. Places of interest in the garden include the Long Corridor of 728 meters, the Pavilion of Buddha’s Fragrance on top of Longevity Hill, the Marble Boat mooring forever by the lakeshore, a boat ride on the Kunming Lake by a private dragon boat with drinks and tea served.
