DK Travel : Beijing : Places of interest

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Ghost Street

Gui Jie, or Ghost Street, is a mile-and-a-quarter (2-km) stretch of Dong Zhi Men Nei Dajie that come nightfall is jammed with cars double-parked outside its string of around one hundred or so restaurants, many of which open 24 hours. The roadside is all festively lit with strings of red lanterns bobbing in the breeze, while most establishments favor corny, old-China décor with lots of red lacquer and pagoda motifs, and waitresses in silk tunics. This is the home of hotpot, although all regional Chinese cuisines are represented here.
Great Bell Temple

The 18th-century Da Zhong Si follows a typical Buddhist plan, with a Heavenly Kings Hall, Main Hall, and a Guanyin Bodhisattva Hall. What distinguishes it, though, is the 46.5 ton (47, 250 kg) bell – one of the world’s largest – that is housed in the rear tower. The bell was cast between 1403 and 1424 and Buddhist sutras in Chinese and Sanskrit cover its surface. Hundreds more bells can be seen in another hall on the west side of the complex.
Great Hall of the People

Over 300 rooms large, yet built in only 10 months.
Great Hall of the People

This the Chinese parliament building, home of the nation’s legislative body, the National People’s Congress. Regular tours visit the banquet room where US President Nixon dined in 1972 and the 10,000-seat auditorium with its ceiling inset with a massive red star. The building is closed to the public when the Congress is in session.
Great Wall

A visit to the wall is an absolute must. The closest section to Beijing is at Badaling, and you can get there and back in half a day. However, if you suspect that your appreciation of this matchless monument would be improved by the absence of coach-loads of fellow tourists, then considering traveling that little bit farther to the sites at Mutianyu, Huanghua Cheng, and Simatai (see Great Wall of China).
Happy Valley

Disneyland-style theme park divided into six themed regions, with 120 attractions. The park’s aim is to keep both parents and children content by providing interactive education experiences. Thrill-seekers can enjoy no less than 40 rides, of which ten are “extreme,” including a “Drop Tower” in which riders fall at 45 mph (72 km/h) in a terrifying simulated plunge to earth. There is also a shopping complex, and an IMAX cinema.
Hou Hai

The most visitor-friendly neighborhood of Beijing, Hou Hai is three joined lakes surrounded by an expansive and labyrinthine sprawl of age-old hutongs (alleys). Visit for a handful of well-preserved mansions, as well as the opportunity to see a more humble form of Beijing life as it has been lived for centuries – but visit soon before the developers have their way and demolish the lot (see Hou Hai).

Mahjong players at Hou Hai

An exercise park beside Hou Hai
Imperial City Museum

Much of the Imperial City of Beijing was destroyed under the Communists. A model in the museum illustrates the extent of what has been lost, including the wall that once encircled the city, the gates, and a great many temples. There are also exhibits on the hutongs, plus collections of armor, weapons, and ceramics.
Jing Shan Park

Jing Shan (Prospect Hill) lies immediately north of the Forbidden City. The hill was created from the earth that was excavated while building the moat around the palace complex during the reign of the Ming Yongle emperor. The hill’s purpose was to protect the emperor and his court from malign northern influences, which brought death and destruction according to classical feng shui. The park is dotted with pavilions and halls, but the highlight is the superb view south from the hill-top Wancheng Pavilion.
Lama Temple

About a 30-minute walk east of the Drum and Bell Towers, or just a few minutes south of the Yonghe Gong subway station, the Lama Temple is Beijing’s largest working temple complex. It is filled every day with about an equal number of worshipers and visitors (see Lama Temple).