7:30 AM – 08:00 AM Hotel pick-up
Today our guide will pick you up at your hotel around 7:00-8:30 a.m.
08:00 AM – 08:40 AM Visit Jingshan Park
Jingshan Park(or Coal hill park ) lies to the north of Pal-ace Museum, so it is also called the back garden of the Palace. The garden was built early in Yuan Dynasty, and was called Wansuishan ( Longlive hill), then the name was changed to Jingshan in the 12th year of Shunzhi reign (1655) of Qing Dynasty. At the east foot of the hill, there wasa scholartree, on which the last emperor Chongzhen of Ming Dynasty hanged himself. At present, Jingshan is the best place to get a bird’-eye view.
of inner city of Beijing.
08:40 AM – 09:30 AM Drive to Summer Palace about 50 miniutes.
09:30 AM – 11:00 AM Visit Summer Palace.
Summer Palace is a royal garden of Qing Dynasty, with the area of 2.9 million square meters. The Palace construction started in the period of Qianlong reign of Qing Dynasty, named the Garden of Clear Ripples. In 1860, The garden was destroyed by the Anglo-French Army, then in the 14th j year of Guangxu reign (1888 ) Empress Cixi reconstructed with the money that had been appropriated to the navy and renamed as Yiheyuan (Park of Natured Harmony, which was inscribed on the List of World cultural Heritage in 1998 by UNESCO.
Yiheyuan is also called Summer Palace, the summer resort for the royal family and the place to handle administrative affairs. The main beautiful and splendid scenery extends around the magnificent Foxiangge (Tower of Buddhist Incense) on Longevity Hill as the center, just as a roll of stereoscopic painting. The palace pools the magnificent spectacle of northern Chinese garden style and the delicate beauty of southern Chinese garden, thus it gathers the essence of Chinese garden structures, called as a Chinese garden museum.
12:00 AM – 1:00 PM Lunch Time
Lunch will be at Da Wan Ju restaurant which serves traditional Chinese food.
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM Visit the Temple of Heaven
Temple of Heaven is the largest architectural complex in the world for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven. It was built in the 18th year of Yongle reign of Ming Dynasty with the area of 2,730,000 square meters, being one of the most outstanding and distinct architectures in the world. It not only sufficiently expresses the worship of Chinese to the heaven, the earth and the deity, but also reflects the simple cosmic outlook of ancient Chinese people and excellent architectural skills. In December of 1998，the Temple of Heaven was added on the List of World Cultural Heritage. With two enclosed walls, Temple of Heaven are divided into two parts: Inner Altar and Outer Altar. According to the belief of ancient Chinese that the Heaven is round and the Earth is square, the Altar Wall of northern part is round and the Altar Wall of south part is square. The main buildings are located in the Inner Altar. The center of the northern architectural complex known as the Altar of Prayer for Com is the Qiniandian ( Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest), where emperors prayed for good harvest. The main southern architectural complex is known as the Yuanqiutan (Circular Mound Altar) including Huangqiongyu ( Imperial Vault of Heaven ) and Yuanqiutai ( Circular Mound ). Every winter emperors held the ceremony of Praying to the Heaven. Zaigong ( Palace of Abstinence) located at the west part of the Inner Altar was for emperors to fast, bathe expressing piousness to the Heaven before worshipping Heaven ceremony. Today, as the imperial prayer site, a broad area planted with pine and cypress trees together with mysterious altars form an environment of grace, silence and harmony.
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Visit Qianmen Street
Already a major business centre 500 years ago, Qianmen Street is clustered with old stores. Many stores on the "pedestrians only" Dashalan Street, for instance, are at least 100 years old.
4:00 PM – 5:30 PM Transfer back to hotel
