Beijing Classic Day Tour A

Picked by our tour guide at your hotel. Then head to Tiananmen Square , the largest public square of this kind in the world. Located in the heart of Beijing City, it is the site for massive parades and rallies.This was the site when in 1949, from a rostrum on Tiananmen (the Gate of Heavenly Peace), Chairman Mao proclaimed the establishment of the People's Republic of China.

For security reason, Tiananmen Square is a fenced square circled by low iron grids with main four entrances – east, west, south and north. The square is now open to the public till midnight, but all the tourists have to pass a security check before they enter the square. So check points have been set up at all the entrances leading to the square.

The 40-minute visit allows you to have a glimpse at the outside of Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao, the Monument to the People's Heroes, the magnificent Great Hall of the People, the National Museum of China, the ancient Zhengyang Gate and Arrow Tower as well as the Tiananmen Tower which leads to the well-known Forbidden City.

Then move on to the Imperial Palace, also known as the "Forbidden City" , the largest and best-preserved ancient imperial palaces group with 500 years history. The palace was built between 1406 and 1420, but was burnt down, rebuilt, sacked and renovated countless times, so most of the architecture you can see today dates from the 1700's and onwards.

After lunch, continue to visit Temple of Heaven,

the place where the Emperors prayed for peace and harvest. It is located in the southern part of Beijing, and had been one of the most holy places for the whole country for more than five centuries. It used as a complex of sacrificial buildings for the Ming and Qing emperors.

The park is so huge. You are advised to wear your most comfortable shoes. It's a long walk! For summer time, be ready to bring an umbrella for sun protection, and bottles of water. Inside the huge park, there is a lovely temple complex, which is composed of three main parts – Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Imperial Vault of Heaven and Circular Mound Altar sitting along an axis from south to north.

Don't miss the Cypress Grove. Old cypress trees are worth having a close look. Some of the cypresses are more than 600 years old. Dr Henry Kissinger, when he visited the temple, stated that while the USA could recreate the Temple of Heaven if it desired, it could not create the trees!

Temple of Heaven Opening Hours

The park opens at 6am and closes at 8pm.

The main buildings inside the park：

From March 1 to June 30： 8：00 – 17：30

From July 1 to October 31： 8：- 18：00

From November 1 to February 28： 8：00 – 17：00

Kindly reminder: Through tickets selling is stopped at 16:00

After the day tour, return to your hotel in Beijing.

Lunch: Chinese lunch