Beijing is not just a metropolis that lives by the laws of big business and an accelerated pace. It is also the capital of a great power, which has preserved for tourists traces of centuries of history, rich traditions and many opportunities for measured relaxation.
Instructions
Step 1
Be sure to visit the Summer Imperial Palace. The architectural creation is an excellent masterpiece of architecture, which, despite repeated destruction, has retained its beauty. The palace is also called the garden of harmony. Its history goes back over eight centuries. After the life of almost every ruler, the complex was attacked. Nevertheless, tourists will find many monuments preserved to this day, a visit to the huge Kunming Lake and a walk through the spacious park area.
Step 2
Take a look at the Dragon Throne, from which 24 generations of the most powerful Ming and Qing dynasties ruled. He is in the Forbidden City. Built more than five hundred years ago, the palace complex got its name because no one had access to it, except for members of the ruling family and their employees. An ordinary person who managed to get into the territory of the Forbidden City was subjected to painful torture and execution. The location of the complex was chosen according to astrological calculations. The Chinese believe that it is opposite the center of the earth. Now the Forbidden City is available to any tourist. The ruling families do not use it as a residence, so the imperial museum is located on the territory of the palace, which has more than a million exquisite exhibits.
Step 3
Visit the Temple of Heaven. From time immemorial, Chinese emperors have been attributed with all sorts of features unusual for mere mortals. In particular, the inhabitants believed that their rulers were in a special way connected with the heavenly powers. Such speculations were well supported by various kinds of ceremonies and the way of life of the emperors. For this, the ruler annually performed a prayer, addressing the heavens. This is how the Temple of Heaven appeared. From an architectural point of view, this is an almost ideal building. The artfully decorated temple embodies the interconnection of earth and sky. This can be seen especially clearly in the main hall for government prayer. The altar consists of 9 marble slabs, set in such a way that any spoken speech sounds incredibly solemn. The temple itself stands leaning on 28 pillars, which symbolize the 4 cardinal points, 12 months a year and 12 hours. In addition, each of the pillars is identified with a specific constellation in the solar system.
Step 4
In Beijing, you can visit many parks and temples. All of them are open to tourists and there are educational excursions. However, do not limit yourself to sightseeing only, pay attention to ordinary residential areas. Some of them still keep the ancient Chinese houses of ordinary people on their streets.
