Tours in and around Beijing

Tours in and around Beijing

The following tours in and around Beijing will be organized during the Congress.

CT-1: The Great Wall- Ming Tombs (full day)
CT-2: Forbidden City - Temple of Heaven (full day)
CT-3: Summer Palace - Yonghe Lamasery (full day)
CT-4: Hutong (Traditional Alleys) Tour on Rickshaw (half day)
CT-5: Forbidden City-Tian'anmen Square (half day)
CT-6: Beijing Roast Duck and Peking Opera
CT-7: Silk Market (half day)
CT-8: Panjiayuan Folk Culture Market (half day)
CT-9: Wangfujing Market Street (half day)
CT-10: Liulichang Culture Street (half day)
CT-11: Hongqiao Market (half day)
CT-12: Peking Man Cave (half day)

CT-1: The Great Wall- Ming Tombs (full day)
Date:	Friday, 4 July 2008
	Sunday, 6 July 2008
Cost:	RMB 450
The Great Wall was originally built in 221 BC. The section of Juyongguan, which we will visit was built in the 15th century during the Ming Dynasty and recently repaired. The Ming Tombs are a group of mausoleums of 13 Ming Emperors. The underground burial chamber of Ming Emperor Wanli has been open to the public since its excavation in 1956.

The Great Wall
		The Great Wall was the greatest man-made military defense structure in ancient China. Its construction started during Ancient Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period (770-221 B.C.) At that time, walls were built by some warring states to protect their own territories. In 221 B.C., Qin Shihuang, who became the first emperor of a unified China, linked the separate walls into a ten-thousand-li wall to defend against invaders from the North. From then on, the Great Wall was continuously extended and repaired by following dynasties. Most of the Wall has deteriorated badly; at present, the best preserved is the wall built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Ming Tombs
		Located at the foot of the Tianshou Mountain in Changping District, Beijing, the Ming Mausoleums, occupying an area of 120 square kilometers, are well preserved and have the largest number of emperors buried in the world. Built in the seventh year of the Ming Emperor Yongle's reign (1409), Changling Tomb of Emperor Chengzu (Zhu Di) is the first one among the Ming Mausoleums. The other eleven mausoleums built in the Ming Dynasty, including Xianling, Jingling, Yuling, Maoling, Tailing, Kanling, Yongling, Zhaoling, Dingling, Qingling and Deling were founded at the two sides of the Changling Tomb. At present, three mausoleums, Changling, Dingling and Zhaoling, and the Sacred Way are open to the public as scenic spots.

CT-2: Forbidden City - Temple of Heaven (full day)
Date:	Sunday, 6 July 2008
	Wednesday, 9 July 2008
Cost:	RMB 480
The Forbidden City was the political center of China for nearly 500 years. Today, it remains as the most complete and best preserved collection of ancient buildings in China. The Temple of Heaven has been called the noblest example of religious architecture in China.

The Forbidden City
		Built from 1406-1420 during the Ming Dynasty, the Imperial Palace, popularly known as the Forbidden City, was the permanent residence of the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911). It covers over 720,000 square meters of floor space, with more than 8,700 rooms, surrounded by city walls as high as ten meters and a city moat as wide as 52 meters. The Imperial Palace is
the largest and most complete ancient imperial complex preserved so well in China. It embodies collectively ancient Chinese traditions and architectural art. In 1987, UNESCO proclaimed the Forbidden City a World Cultural Heritage.

The Temple of Heaven
		At the Temple of Heaven Emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911) worshiped Heaven and prayed for good harvests. Built first in 1420 during the Ming Emperor Yongle's reign, it was expanded and renovated during the Ming Emperor Jiajing's (1522-1566) and Qing Emperor Qianlong's (1736-1795) reigns. The Temple of Heaven with its long history, deep cultural significance and magnificent architectural style mirrors the ancient culture of the China. A masterpiece of the Ming and Qing architectural art and a precious
example of China's ancient architecture, the Temple of Heaven is the largest architectural group for worshipping Heaven in the world. In 1998, it was recognized by UNESCO as a human heritage of the world.

CT-3: Summer Palace - Yonghe Lamasery (full day)
Date:	Saturday, 5 July 2008
	Tuesday, 8 July 2008
Cost:	RMB 400
Built in 1888, the Summer Palace was a resort for the Imperial Court. There are palaces, pavilions, terraces and long corridor stretches out along the northern shore of Kunming Lake. Yonghe Lamasery, a renowned lama temple of the Yellow Hat Sect of Lamaism, is situated in the northeast part of Beijing city. It was originally built in 1694 as the residence of the Qing Emperor. Today there are some 70 lamas tending the temple.

The Summer Palace
		The Summer Palace landscape, dominated by Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, covers an area of 2.9 square kilometers, three quarters of which is water surface. Its 70,000 square meters of building space features a variety of palaces, garden and other ancient-style architectural structures. The Summer Palace is a monument to classical Chinese architecture, in terms of both garden design and construction. Incorporating scenes from surrounding landscapes, it radiates not only the grandeur of an imperial garden but also the beauty of
nature in a seamless combination. In 1998, UNESCO included the Summer Palace on its World Heritage List.

Yonghe Lamasery
		This lamasery, also known as the Palace of Harmony and Peace, was built as a mansion for Emperor Yongzheng in the Qing dynasty when he was a prince. When the young prince ascended the throne, the mansion was converted to a temple, according to tradition. The temple consists of five halls, connected by five courtyards and three archways with exquisitely carved eaves. The prayer halls contain many superb statues, including the 23-meter-high Maitreya, carved from a single white sandalwood tree brought from Tibet, as well as
Tibetan scriptures and a great copper cauldron. The Great Stele Pavilion has a square stone inscribed with Lamaist scriptures in Chinese, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan.

CT-4: Hutong (Traditional Alleys) Tour on Rickshaw (half day)
Date:	Friday, 4 July 2008 (afternoon)
	Monday, 7 July 2008 (morning)
Cost:	RMB 300
This is a tour of residential areas taken in an old style tricycle. It is the place where you can experience the local culture, tradition and the informality of ordinary life.

Hutong
		Hutong is an ancient city alley peculiar to Beijing. Beijing has more than 4,550 Hutongs. Those surrounding the Forbidden City are best preserved. The buildings in Beijing hutongs are mainly compounds with houses around a courtyard, also known as quadrangles. Narrow passages between these quadrangles link one hutong with another. The hutong in Beijing was mainly formed in the Yuan (1279-1368), Ming and Qing dynasties. Tourists may have a tour of the 700-year-old hutongs in Beijing by tricycle.

CT-5: Forbidden City-Tian'anmen Square (half day)
Date:	Saturday, 5 July 2008 (afternoon)
	Tuesday, 8 July 2008 (morning)
Cost:	RMB 320
Tian'anmen Square is located in the heart of Beijing. It was first built during the Ming Dynasty. It measures over 500 meters from east to west, more than 800 meters from south to north and covers an area of 440,000 square meters.

The Forbidden City

See CT-2.

Tian'anmen Square
		Tian'anmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace) was the main entrance to the Forbidden City during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is also honored as the "Gate of the Nation." As one of the largest city squares in the world, Tian'anmen Square occupies an area of 440, 000 square meters -spacious enough to accommodate half a million people. Many annual and special celebrations and assemblies are held here. On October 1st, 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong declared the founding of the People's
Republic of China on the Tian'anmen Rostrum, thus opening a new chapter in the history of China. In the new period of reforms and opening, Tian'anmen, with its long history and rich culture, attracts people from all over the world.

CT-6: Beijing Roast Duck and Peking Opera

Date: Wednesday, 9 July 2008 (evening)

Cost: RMB 510

The Beijing roast duck is a dish well known among gastronomes the world over. Peking Operahas entertained Beijingers for over 200 years with its elaborate costumes, ear-splitting arias, dazzling martial arts and musical dialogues. They are usually based on folk tales, famous novels and fairy tales. The theater has a subtitle message board of English and Chinese.

CT-7: Silk Market (half day)
Date:	Saturday, 5 July 2008 (morning)
	Thursday, 10 July 2008 (afternoon)
Cost:	RMB 150
A market near the embassy area where you can find various clothing in traditional Chinese style such as clothes, caps, and gloves. Enjoy bargaining with sellers and the pleasant surprise of finding a real treasure if you are lucky enough.

CT-8: Panjiayuan Folk Culture Market (half day)
Date:	Friday, 4 July 2008 (afternoon)
	Friday, 11 July 2008 (morning)
Cost:	RMB 150

The Panjiayuan folk culture market is a market in Beijing dealing in secondhand goods of private citizens and art and craft articles. As a market for people to visit in holidays and leisure, it also involves all varieties of goods for collectors in the nation and is China's biggest collecting and distributing center of art and craft articles. Antiques, calligraphy, paintings, ancient porcelains, jadeware, bronzeware, copperware, and other used objects are sold there.

CT-9: Wangfujing Market Street (half day)
Date:	Sunday, 6 July 2008 (afternoon)
	Thursday, 10 July 2008 (morning)
Cost:	RMB 150

This is the largest and busiest market street in Beijing. Lining the street are many old stores, specialized stores, bookshops, and department stores. The number of customers reaches 100,000 every day.

CT-10: Liulichang Culture Street (half day)
Date:	Tuesday, 8 July 2008 (afternoon)
Cost:	RMB 150

Located in the southwestern part of the city, Liulichang is a traditional market of old and rare books, antiques, paintings, calligraphy and arts and crafts. It is one of two streets that still bear the appearance of a Qing Dynasty market street. Those who love antiques or arts and crafts will find it an ideal place to shop, and those who are not planning on spending money may also find it worth going to have a look at the street itself.

CT-11: Hongqiao Market (half day)
Date:	Monday, 7 July 2008 (afternoon)
Cost:	RMB 150
Outside the eastern wall of the Temple of Heaven, there is a modern building of several storeys. It is the Hongqiao Market which sells on its fourth floor a variety of goods such as antiques, calligraphy, paintings, jewelry, clothing and silk cloth.

CT-12: Peking Man Cave (half day)
Date:	Wednesday, 9 July 2008 (morning)
Cost:	RMB 600
Peking Man is the ape-man who lived some 500,000 years ago on a hill called Dragon Bone Hill in Zhoukoudian on the southwestern outskirts of Beijing and Peking Man is regarded as the ancestor of the Chinese. Some 500,000 years ago, the Peking Man began to live in the caves on the hill. Later, the caves collapsed, and the tools, food and animal bones were buried deep. A museum has been built on the site of the discovery and exhibits replicas of the fossils of Peking man, Upper Cave Man and various animals, and the illustrated records of the excavation.