DK Travel : Beijing : Western Beijing

Xicheng, which in Chinese means “West City”, is the central district west of the Forbidden City and the lakes. It’s an area that lacks any great landmarks, and neither is it pedestrian-friendly in the way that Hou Hai or the Sanlitun areas are. It is best experienced as a series of half-day expeditions: a visit to the Military Museum with a look at the Millennium Monument afterwards and a walk through Yuyuan Tan Park, or a trip to the zoo and aquarium followed by the Temple of the Five Pagodas. Expect to make liberal use of taxis and the subway.

There are few good restaurants in Western Beijing but Hou Hai, with its excellent dining, is only a short taxi ride away See Restaurants

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Beijing Aquarium

Located in the northeastern corner of the zoo is this new and very impressive addition. It’s reputedly the largest inland aquarium in the world, with massive tanks containing thousands of weird and wonderful fish, plus a shark tank, coral reefs and an “Amazon rainforest.” There are also several dolphin and seal shows held throughout the day.

Beijing Aquarium
Beijing Exhibition Hall

A monument to the one-time ideological union between China and the USSR, the hall is a Muscovite-styled period piece (built 1954) fronted by a red-star-topped spire. Although not generally open to the public you can usually access the entrance lobby, which is festooned with massive crystal chandeliers.
Beijing Zoo

Visit for the pandas, the famously rare bears that are native to China and nowhere else. The zoo has several, housed in a new “panda house.” However, most of the other 2,000 animals here are not so lucky; their cages are tiny.
Chinese Military History Museum

Vast halls of Cold War-era hardware including lots of silvery fighter planes and tanks fill the ground floor. Upstairs has exhibitions on historic conflicts, including the Opium Wars and Boxer Rebellion. Unfortunately, there is little labeling in English. What is not mentioned is that the museum is close to the Muxidi intersection, scene of a massacre of civilians by the Chinese army during the 1989 democracy protests.
Lu Xun Museum

Lu Xun is regarded as the father of modern Chinese literature, responsible for ground-breaking works such as “Diary of a Madman” and “The True Story of Ah Q”. This is the house in which he lived from 1924 to 1926. The rooms display artifacts relating to his life and there’s also an adjacent exhibition hall with more than 10,000 letters, journals, photographs, and other personal objects.
Miaoying Temple White Dagoba

Celebrated for its Tibetan-styled, 167-ft (51-m) white dagoba (stupa), said to have been designed by a Nepalese architect, the temple dates to 1271, when Beijing was under Mongol rule. The temple is also noted for its fascinating collection of thousands of Tibetan Buddhist statues.
Millennium Monument

Built to welcome the year 2000, Beijing’s millennial structure is a curious bit of concrete constructivism that looks like something that might have adorned Moscow back in the 1920s. It is fashioned to resemble a giant tilted sundial. Inside is a plaza with the “Holy Fire of China” (a flame fed on natural gas), plus several exhibition halls.
Temple of Heavenly Tranquility

Home to Beijing’s most striking pagoda, the temple (Tianning Si) was built during the 5th century AD, making it one of the city’s oldest. The 196-ft (60-m) octagonal pagoda was added in the early 12th century. The bottom of the pagoda is in the form of a huge pedestal decorated with carved arch patterns, symbolizing Sumeru, the mountain of the gods. Above are thirteen levels of eaves, very close together, with no doors or windows – the pagoda is with-out stairs inside or outside and is, in fact, solid.
Temple of the Five Pagodas

Just north of the zoo, this temple displays obvious Indian influences. It was built in the early 15th century in honor of an Indian monk who came to China and presented the emperor with five golden Buddhas. The pagodas sport elaborate carvings of curvaceous females, as well as the customary Buddhas. Also here is the Beijing Art Museum of Stone Carvings, with 2,000 decorative stelae.

Temple of the Five Pagodas
War and peace

Morning

Even if you’re no big fan of mechanized heavy armor, the Chinese Military History Museum is a fascinating place to spend a morning. Exhibits begin with the technology that made China one of the world’s first military superpowers, including the “Flying Dragon,” an early form of missile launcher. There’s one room devoted to the wonderfully tacky gifts that have been bestowed on China’s army chiefs and leaders, such as a pistol presented to Chairman Mao by Fidel Castro. Mao’s limousine is displayed on the ground floor and there’s one hall devoted to statues and assorted representations of the Communist Party’s great and good. It all makes for a fascinating insight into the mentality of late 20th-century China.

Afternoon

Leaving the museum, turn right and walk west along Fuxing Lu and take the first right; this will bring you to the Millennium Monument. One of the oddest bits of architecture in Beijing, the Monument nevertheless plays an active role in the city’s cultural life; its various halls are used for all kinds of temporary exhibitions. There is almost always something worth seeing. Afterwards, for some refreshment, walk east to the very pleasant Hong Hao Ge Teahouse . North of the teahouse stretches the vast and very green Yuyuan Tan Park, with a large lake at its center. It makes for a relaxing place to stroll.