Beijing brings together imperial ritual history, historic urban planning, and expansive gardens. When choosing a hotel, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on during your stay: should the trip center mainly on history, garden art, or experiences in nature? The city’s attractions offer different highlights—from temples and former imperial residences to lakes, parks, and a zoo.
Imperial History and the Historic City Axis
The Temple of Heaven was built in 1420, the 18th year of the reign of the Ming emperor Yongle. It served the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for sacrifices to Heaven and prayers for good harvests. Its 273-hectare grounds are round in the north and square in the south. The site thus brings together precise geometric form and a long religious history.
The Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, was once the residence of 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. It was completed in 1420 during the Ming dynasty. The museum preserves more than 1.5 million relics and relic collections. In contrast to the Temple of Heaven, the focus here is on the former imperial residence and court, rather than a temple’s sacrificial function.
Beijing’s Central Axis runs from north to south through the heart of historic Beijing. As the centerpiece of the historic city plan, it stretches for 7.8 kilometers and includes former imperial palaces and gardens, sacrificial sites, and ceremonial and public buildings. Tian’anmen Square is in the heart of Beijing; it covers 440,000 square meters and is considered the world’s largest urban square. The two places offer different scales: a long historic city axis and a single, expansive square.
Qianmen Street is also located on the city axis and is a well-known shopping street in Beijing. Before 1550, it was the imperial road to the Altar of Mountains and Rivers. Prince Gong’s Mansion, also known as Prince Kung’s Mansion, offers a different perspective on imperial residences: the estate includes large courtyard compounds and gardens, and is one of Beijing’s best-preserved imperial residences. The garden alone covers 28,000 square meters.
Jingshan Park combines historical context with a viewpoint. During the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, it was an imperial garden and was once the highest point in central Beijing. Visitors can climb to the Wanchun Pavilion and enjoy panoramic views of the Forbidden City and the Central Axis from there.
Garden Art, Lakes, and Experiences in Nature
The Summer Palace is an expansive landscape garden formed by Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake. It is considered an outstanding example of Chinese landscape garden art, in which human creations and nature are brought together in harmony. According to the official visitor information accessed on September 15, 2026, audio guides, smartphone tours, and guided tours are available; audio guides are offered in 19 languages.
Beijing Olympic Forest Park covers 680 hectares and is Beijing’s largest urban park. Its area is therefore considerably larger than the Temple of Heaven’s 273 hectares. The China National Botanical Garden has a different focus: ex situ plant conservation is central to its work. The figure of 15,000 plant species also includes subspecies and other taxonomic ranks.
Beihai Park is a classic imperial garden in central Beijing, laid out around Beihai Lake. An approximately four-hour route leads from the Circular City through Jade Island and includes a ferry ride from Yilan Hall to the north shore. If you plan this route, check the ferry schedule in advance. This lets you account for the approximate duration of the park circuit when planning your day, without assuming that the ferry crossing is always available.
Shichahai is an urban scenic area with extensive lake waters and a distinctive historical culture. It also offers opportunities to experience folk customs and modern ways of life. Boat tours are offered seasonally; check availability for your travel dates if you plan to take a ride.
If you are looking for an animal-focused attraction in addition to gardens and historic sites, Beijing Zoo is home to more than 5,000 animals from around 400 species. The zoo is designated a National Key Park, a national base for science popularization and education, and a state-rated scenic area in category 4A. These parks and sites therefore each offer a different focus: garden art and lake scenery, plant conservation, or animal collections.
Discover more destinations: Mentougou, Changping.
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