China is a country that surprises its guests. Here, a mysterious story adjoins an energetically developing modernity. Traditions, accumulated over the centuries, fascinate, and the productions of the culture of our contemporaries are sometimes staggering. Much here is the "most" - the largest, the oldest, the most popular in the world. A kind of China's showcase can be called its central city of Beijing, whose name literally translates as "the northern capital." The sights of Beijing perfectly reflect the essence of modern China. Already the very layout of Beijing, despite the numerous destruction and ruin, preserved the shape of a rectangle, strictly oriented to the sides of the world, causes curiosity. The age of settlements, which became the basis for the city, has more than 4 thousand years. Until now, some of the sights that were built in the 10th century have survived. And one of the youngest architectural works that attract tourists is the Olympic complex, built for the 2008 competition.

Main square

The center and heart of Beijing can be called the squareHeavenly peace - Tiananmen. It is by right considered to be the largest in terms of area in the world. It is on it that all important events for the state take place. And during national celebrations or political debates, it does not at all fit its name. Every day on the square there is a solemn uplift and descent of the national flag. Surrounding the area are important for the city facilities: the Hall of the People's Representatives of China, the mausoleum of Mao Zedong, the National Museum of China. The latter should be told in more detail. After all, this is the largest and most visited museum in the world. There are more than 600 thousand exhibits, able to tell about the history of China, prescription in 5 millennia. Especially famous are the tripod Dean - the largest bronze antiquity product of 3 thousand years old. Its weight is 833 kg. Another piece of bronze is a square wine vessel with images of four sheep heads, referring to the time of the Shang dynasty. The museum's attraction, older than 2 thousand years old, is a funeral costume made of jade, processed with golden braid. Time to significant events count down the clock on the facade of the museum.

A long wall of 10000 li

Having visited Beijing, it is impossible not to visit the GreatThe Chinese wall. This grandiose construction, the construction of which lasted almost 2 thousand years. The wall was designed to protect the country from foreign enemies and to protect Chinese citizens from mixing with neighbors. The dimensions of this architectural landmark are amazing: the length of it with all branches is 8850 km. The towers on it were arranged at a certain distance, so that from any of them two neighboring ones could be seen. Thus, an alert system was created, which could quickly be betrayed as the enemy approached. Of course, most of the wall has not been preserved to our days in the proper condition. But some of its plots are restored and open for visiting. The best-preserved sections of the wall are located not far from the urban part of Beijing. Approximately 60 km is the most visited site - Badalin. Its length is 50 km, and it was built in 1505. The height of the wall is about 8 m, and the width is 5.5 m. It is always very crowded. And most of the visitors are Chinese themselves. For most of them this is a kind of "holy" duty. Badaling is in the county of Yanqing. On its territory there are also caves, in which people from ancient times lived. You can reach the sights by electric train from Beijing. At a short distance from Beijing are the sites of Jingshanling and Simatay, as well as Mutianyu. The latter is interesting by the presence of both restored and untouched parts of the wall. It will already have to go with transplants. Maybe that's why he is not as popular as Badalin, but many visitors claim that Mityanya is much prettier. But Simatay and Jinshanlin are good for those who wish to fully immerse themselves in history. They are the most remote from the capital and have not been restored. There are few tourists here. Wherever you go, no matter what site you climb on the Great Wall of China, it will almost certainly be one of the strongest impressions of your travels.

The Legacy of Ancient China

Another great landmark of Beijingis the Forbidden City, the largest palace ensemble in the world. Created in the 15th century, it served for five centuries as the ceremonial and political center of the empire: here was the residence of 24 emperors of the Ming and Qin dynasties. In Chinese, the palace has 2 names of Ziujingcheng and Guogun. That translates as "purple forbidden city" and "palace of former rulers", respectively. The complex has 980 buildings. Its walls form a rectangle, surrounded on all sides by a moat. You can get inside through 4 entrances located on each side of the world. Bridges are thrown across the ditch across the gate. The palace is divided into internal and external parts. The courtyard was used by the emperor and the confidants as a dwelling, and external for receptions and ceremonies. From the south to the north entrance the main square with the "inner river with golden water", 6 palaces and the imperial garden stretch. In the south of Beijing is located one more of the sights, built in ancient China. This is a heavenly temple. It is a complex of structures surrounded by a double wall. Initially, everything in it was planned very carefully, and each element of the buildings served certain purposes. For example, the temple on one side is round, and on the other it has the shape of a square. This was done in order to identify the forces of the heavenly and earthly elements. The altar consists of 9 marble slabs. The number 9 for the Chinese is sacred, it brings good luck and is a symbol of the unity of the forces of heaven and earth. Acoustic effects in some structures are of interest. For example, the quiet words of prayer, which were pronounced by the emperors on the special site of the Altar of Heaven, were strengthened more than once. A three-time echo can be heard from the stones located on the way to the Pavilion of the Celestial Vault. Not all rooms are allowed to tourists pass, but the uniqueness of the architecture of those times can be perfectly appreciated, looking only at the facades of buildings.

Where else is it worth to visit?

The name of the next attraction is the parkBeihai, which translates as "northern lake / sea". The park ensemble includes many galleries, bridges, gardens, distinguished by grace. It is worth to visit the Round Town on the observation platform: from here you can see a beautiful view of the park. There is also a Buddha statue made of white jade. Opposite is the Jade Island, surrounded by a pond. In summer, the surface of the pond is covered with a lot of pink and white lotuses. The same colors adorn the bridge, along which you can get to the island. The Pavilion of 5 Dragons is also of interest. In the mornings in the park you can observe local residents conducting various training sessions. Of the sights open to tourists, the former summer residence of the emperors of Iseiuan is known for its theater in 3 floors. It is worth to visit Yuanmingyuan Park, where the ruins of the summer palace of the same name are located. It is interesting to get acquainted with the Lama Temple - the abode of Tibetan Buddhist monks, to consider the complex of tombs of 13 emperors - Shisanlin. If you want to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the ancient city, then it's good to take a walk in the Nanluogusyan district. Some houses here were built in the 13th century. A significant monument of the Old City are the two towers - the Drum and the Bell, once replacing the locals with their music, the battle of the clock. Enumerate monuments of antiquity can be long. Each of them is interesting and mysterious in its own way. But besides the historical places in Beijing there are many interesting places. For example, the Beijing Zoo. Mostly wild and rare animals of China are represented here. Including a large panda, which causes the greatest interest of visitors. Fans of modern painting, undoubtedly, will attract the Arts District, where artists' studios and exhibition halls are concentrated. The Olympic forest park is built on the principles of Feng Shui, and the stadium has become another business card of modern Beijing. In the capital of China you can admire the Moscow Kremlin, the Eiffel Tower, and almost a hundred more famous objects. Their reduced copies are presented in the theme park of the world. Travel to Beijing is sure to please even the most picky tourist. It is a city of secrets, contrasts. Familiar and exotic at the same time, he will surely leave an indelible impression.

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