Beijing - The Ancient City

2007年03月16日 15:56:00

Peking (Beijing) Man

December 2, 1929, Chinese anthropologists discovered traces of life, a human skull, property of so-called "Peking Man" who lived on the southwest outskirts of Beijing between 500,000 and 700,000 years ago. The caves where the Peking Man was found were recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site in 1987.

Beijing - The Ancient City

In 1986, an ancient city ruin was excavated. It is the earliest city in the history of Beijing. A wine jar unearthed from the ruins suggesting that the King of Zhou granted title and territory to the Duke of Yan in 1045BC at the beginning of the Western Zhou Dynasty. Beijing, then called "Ji" become the capital of Yan. The state of Yan later emerged as one of the seven states in the Warning Period (475 - 221BC) in the Chinese history. Bronze works discovered from the tomb of Shang Dynasty (about 16th-11th Century BC) indicated Bijingens had mastered the technology of metal works more than 5,000 years ago.

Beijing was also the capital of Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasty. Since 1 October 1949, Beijing has been the capital of the People's Republic of China.

Through generation after generation, beautiful and inspiring treasurers have been created in Beijing. The Forbidden City, which lies at the heart of Beijing, was laid out in accordance with the ancient principles of "Fung Shui" for the emperors. Its wooden structures exemplified the essence of Chinese architecture, and retain much of the mystique of their departed rules.

Today Beijing has evolved into a modern, high-tech city, but visitors can still catch a glimpse of living history as they stroll through old hutongs (alleys), observe worshippers at Buddhist and Taoist temples, wander through the magnificent gardens of Summer Palace or climb up the Great Wall.

Places of Interest

Tiananmen Square and Rostrum

This is the world's largest public square covering 444,000 square meters. Tiananmen is best to be visited in the morning, if you arrive there before sunrise, you will be able to see the spectacular flag-raising ceremony.

Tiananmen Rostrum was known in ancient times as "Cheng Tian Men." It was built in 1417 and was burnt down twice and rebuilt. After its rebuilding in 1651, it was renamed Tian An Men, meaning "the gate of heavenly peace"

Within walking distance, you can also visit the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall and Museum of Chinese History. Chairman Mao Zedong's remains are preserved and lie in a crystal coffin in the centre of the hall.

The Forbidden City

This is the heart of the Middle Kingdom (China) for the last five hundred years. It was the residence and administrative office of the Emperor, one of the world's largest surviving palatial compound of exquisite craftsmanship and architecture.

Colour in the palatial complex also have profound meaning. The dominant colour in the complex is Yellow. The use of this particular colour was because ancient Chinese believed Yellow representing earth, the essence of everything, and as rulers of the Kingdom, the emperor had the exclusive right to use Yellow colour.

The only exception in the complex is the Imperial Library which was constructed with a black tile roof. As black symbolizes "water" in the "fung shui" theory, black tiles were used to ward off fire.

The Forbidden City today has become the treasure trove of Chinese civilization, from its architecture to its collections, there are more than a million pieces of exhibits which can be seen.

Beihai Park

Beihai Park sits Northwest of the Forbidden City, and was Beijing's central point before the imperial compound took over as the most prominent landmark.

There are a few man-made lakes around Beihai Parks, these lakes were first excavated about 800 years ago. It is believed that Kublai Khen, an emperor of Yhan Dynasty, hosted Venetian Merchant Marco Palo here in the 13th century, when Beihai was used as an imperial resort. A well-known striking landmark is the "Nine-Dragon" screen, which features the mystical creatures arrayed across a sea of ceramic tiles.

Temple of Heaven

One of the most impressive architecture in Beijing. It used to be the place where the emperor prayed for good harvests, peace and important events. If you stand in the centre of the round Atlas and shout, your voice will echo as from the deep side of the earth.

Around the Temple of Gods is a 90cm thick echo wall. If one stands close to it and speak, another person standing on the other end of the wall, 65 meters away, can hear it clearly.

Summer Palace

It was an imperial garden built in 11th century and was extended into a full-scale seasonal residence by Emperor Qianlong in 1750.

The original configuration divided the 300 hectare ground into four parts, a court reception area, residences, temples and promenades, all around the Kumming Lake, which takes up about three-quarters of the park.

The palace was partially burned down by the English and French troops in 1860 and restored at twenty years later.

The Summer Palace is the best-preserved imperial gardens in Beijing, and remains a showcase of various Chinese fine architecture.

The Great Wall

China had built bits of the Great Wall before it was united as a nation. The first section of the Great Wall is believed to have been started in 770 - 476 BC but it was not until 201 BC, by order of Emperor Qin, these sections were systematically joined together.

The wall was further extended in different dynasty. By the time it was finished, the wall stretched a length of 6,700km.

A 629km wall snakes through today's Beijing City. This section contains 827 watchtowers and 71 fortified passes, all well preserved.

Badaling located at the furthest northwest reaches of Beijing is perhaps the best known section of the Great Wall. It has been visited by countless foreign dignitaries as well as general public.

The Ming Tombs

About 50km north of Beijing and half way to Badaling, the Ming Tombs provide an insight into the culture of Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644) of China.The tombs are nestled in an arch-shaped cluster of hills in front of a plain, and mark the final repose of 13 emperors out of a total of 16 who ruled the dynasty.

Of the 13 tombs, only the underground palace of Ding Ling (Ling means tomb) has been fully excavated. More than 3,000 pieces of relics have been unearthed from this single site.

To climb the stele towers at the two tombs opened is a must for visitors. They offer a panoramic view of the valley that no wonder why the emperor chose this site for final resting.

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