The Great Wall China (From Haneda)

Where is Beijing?

Beijing is the capital of China. It is located in northeastern China near the city of Tianjin on the coast. It is one of the four municipalities in China.

What's the weather like in Beijing?

Beijing weather is characterized by its clear distinction of four seasons - short windy spring, long hot summer, cool pleasant autumn and long chilly winter. The hottest time is July and August, with the highest temperature over 40 C (104 F). The coldest month is January, with its lowest temperature at -20 C (-4 F). Considering the frequent sandstorms in spring, September and October with pleasant weather are the best time to visit Beijing.

	JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEP	OCT	NOV	DEC
°F	25	30	43	57	59	75	79	77	68	55	41	28
°C	-4	-1	6	14	20	24	26	25	20	13	5	-2

SIGHTS INFORMATION

Tian an men Square

The Tiananmen Gate was first built in 1417 in the Ming Dynasty. During the demise of the Ming Dynasty, heavy fighting between Li Zicheng and the early Qing emperors damaged (or perhaps destroyed) the gate. The Tian'anmen square was originally designed and built in Beijing in 1651. It was enlarged to its present size (four times its original size) and cemented over in 1958.British and French troops who invaded Beijing in 1860 pitched camp near the gate and briefly considered burning the gate and the entire Forbidden City down. They decided ultimately to spare the palace and to burn instead the emperor's Old Summer Palace. The Qing emperor eventually agreed to let the foreign powers establish headquarters in the area. During the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 the siege badly damaged the office complexes and several ministries were burnt down. In the conflict's denouement, the area became a space for foreign troops to assemble their armies and horses. It was cleared in due course to produce the beginning of what is now known as the Tiananmen Square.Near the centre of today's square, close to the site of the Mao Zedong Mausoleum, once stood one of the most important gates of Beijing. This gate was known as the "Great Ming Gate" during the Ming Dynasty, "Great Qing Gate" during the Qing Dynasty, and "Gate of China" during the Republic of China era. Unlike the other gates in Beijing, such as the Tiananmen and the Qianmen, this was a purely ceremonial gateway, with three arches but no ramparts, similar in style to the ceremonial gateways found in the Ming Dynasty Tombs. This gate had a special status as the "Gate of the Nation", as can be seen from its successive names. It normally remained closed, except when the Emperor passed through. Commoner traffic was diverted to two side gates at the northern and eastern ends of today's square, respectively. Because of this diversion in traffic, a busy marketplace, called Chessgrid Streets developed in the big, fenced square to the south of this gate. In the early 1950s, the Gate of China (as it was then known) was demolished along with the Chessgrid Streets to the south, completing the expansion of Tiananmen Square to (approximately) its current size.

1. 
   Tian an men (Gate of heavenly peace)

Forbidden City

Lying at the center of Beijing, the Forbidden City, called Gu Gong in Chinese, was the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Now known as the Palace Museum, it is to the north of Tiananmen Square. Rectangular in shape, it is the world's largest palace complex and covers 74 hectares. Surrounded by a six meter deep moat and a ten meter high wall are 9,999 rooms. The wall has a gate on each side. Opposite the Tiananmen Gate, to the north is the Gate of Divine Might (Shenwumen), which faces Jingshan Park. The distance between these two gates is 960 meters, while the distance between the gates in the east and west walls is 750 meters. There are unique and delicately structured towers on each of the four corners of the curtain wall. These afford views over both the palace and the city outside.
The Forbidden City is divided into two parts. The southern section, or the Outer Court was where the emperor exercised his supreme power over the nation. The northern section, or the Inner Court was where he lived with his royal family. Until 1924 when the last emperor of China was driven from the Inner Court, fourteen emperors of the Ming dynasty and ten emperors of the Qing dynasty had reigned here. Having been the imperial palace for some five centuries, it houses numerous rare treasures and curiosities. Listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1987, the Palace Museum is now one of the most popular tourist attractions world-wide. Construction of the palace complex began in 1407, the 5th year of the Yongle reign of the third emperor of the Ming dynasty. It was completed fourteen years later in 1420. It was said that a million workers including one hundred thousand artisans were driven into the long-term hard labor. Stone needed was quarried from Fangshan, a suburb of Beijing. It was said a well was dug every fifty meters along the road in order to pour water onto the road in winter to slide huge stones on ice into the city. Huge amounts of timber and other materials were freighted from faraway provinces. Ancient Chinese people displayed their very considerable skills in building the Forbidden City. Take the grand red city wall for example. It has an 8.6 meters wide base reducing to 6.66 meters wide at the top. The angular shape of the wall totally frustrates attempts to climb it. The bricks were made from white lime and glutinous rice while the cement is made from glutinous rice and egg whites. These incredible materials make the wall extraordinarily strong.
Since yellow is the symbol of the royal family, it is the dominant color in the Forbidden City. Roofs are built with yellow glazed tiles; decorations in the palace are painted yellow; even the bricks on the ground are made yellow by a special process. However, there is one exception. Wenyuange, the royal library, has a black roof. The reason is that it was believed black represented water then and could extinguish fire.
Nowadays, the Forbidden City, or the Palace Museum is open to tourists from home and abroad. Splendid painted decoration on these royal architectural wonders, the grand and deluxe halls, with their surprisingly magnificent treasures will certainly satisfy 'modern civilians'.

1. 
   Gate of Supreme Harmony
2. 
   Tai hei Hall at Forbidden City
3. 
   Main Entrance

Great walls

The Great Wall of China, one of the greatest wonders of the world, was listed as a World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching approximately 8,851.8 kilometers (5,500 miles) from east to west of China. With a history of more than 2000 years, some of the sections are now in ruins or have disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance. The Great Wall we see today was mostly built during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). It starts from Hushan Great Wall in the east to Jiayuguan Pass in the west traversing Liaoning, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Gansu and Qinghai. Excitement abounds regarding the vicissitude of the Great Wall of the Qin, Han, and Ming Dynasties.The Great Wall was originally built in the Spring and Autumn, and Warring States Periods as a defensive fortification by the three states: Yan, Zhao and Qin. It went through constant extensions and repairs in later dynasties. It began as independent walls for different states when it was first built, and did not become the "Great" wall until the Qin Dynasty. Emperor Qin Shihuang succeeded in his effort to have the walls joined together to fend off the invasions from the Huns in the north. Since then, the Great Wall has served as a monument of the Chinese nation throughout history.

1. 
   The Great wall at Simatai Peak
2. 
   Great walls at Badaling Peak

Ming Tomb

The Ming Tombs, which form a group of mausoleums, are those of 13 emperors in the Ming Dynasty (1368~1644). The tombs lie at the foot of Tianshou Mountain, in Changping District, about 50 kilometers from the urban area. They cover an area of about 120 square kilometers. Screened on the northwest by the lofty Yanshan Mountains, they sit on a small basin formed by floods; water flowing down the ravines meets on the plain and meanders to the east. Magnificent cemetery buildings with red walls, yellow tiles, upturning eaves stand on the eastern, western and northern slopes. In particular, the mausoleum of Emperor Chengzu lies in the center of the northern slope, which is flanked by the other twelve. The general layout conveys a solemn, harmonious order of importance, which is accentuated by the mountains and rivers. Among the mausoleums, the largest is the Chang Mausoleum while the smallest is the Si Mausoleum, but all of them were built in roughly the same way. They form a group, yet each of them stands alone as an independent unit. The Ming Tombs are characterized by its large size, complete system, and intact preservation. As the representative of ancient Chinese imperial mausoleums, they reflect the richness of traditional Chinese culture, with very high historic and cultural value. Entirely forbidden in the past, they are now a tourist attraction famous at home and abroad. Currently four spots are officially opened to the public, namely the Ding Mausoleum, the Chang Mausoleum, the Zhao Mausoleum and the passages to the tombs.

1. 
   Ming tomb / Sacred way
2. 
   Gate at the start of the sacred way leading to the tombs

Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven in the southern part of Beijing is China's largest existing complex of ancient sacrificial buildings. Occupying an area of 273 hectares, it is three times the area of the Forbidden City. It was built in 1420 for emperors to worship Heaven. The principle buildings include the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests, Imperial Vault of Heaven and Circular Mound Altar.
The Altar of Prayer for Good Harvest, 38 meters in height and 30 meters in diameter, stands on a round foundation built with three levels of marble stones. This towering triple-eave hall is under a three-story, cone-shaped glaze-tile roof in blue color crowned with a gilded knob. A circular wall of polished bricks known as the Echo Wall encloses the Imperial Vault of Heaven. The Circular Mount Altar, south to the Imperial Vault of Heaven, is where the emperor prayed to heaven. At the center lies a round stone called the Center of Heaven Stone that echoes when a visitor speaks loudly when standing on the stone.

1. 
   The hall of prayer for good harvest
2. 
   The highest level of religious place
3. 
   A man playing traditional musical instrument.

Olympic Stadium

The National Stadium will host the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies, as well as athletics and football competitions. After the Olympic Games, the stadium will become a center for sports, cultural and creative activities,. Its post-Games use is currently undergoing extensive planning. The illuminating facilities were put into operation inside the National Stadium, nicknamed the "Bird's Nest," on the night of February 4, 2008. The red lights and grey steel structures of the project make up a splendid addition to the capital city's nightscape.With the last 2,000 lamps scheduled to be adjusted on February 5, citizens can enjoy the magnificent night view on the eve of and during the Spring Festival holiday.

1. 
   Symbol of Beijing Olympic 2008
2. 
   Water cube
3. 
   Birs's nest

Hutong

Hutong Tour of Beijing is a unique cultural experience that allows you to take a glance on the traditional local life. Beijing's famous Hutongs or alleyways are unique housing structures that have been home to Beijing's families for centuries. A "Hutong" is an ancient city alley or lane typically lined with Siheyuan (the traditional residential areas of the people of Beijing, also known as Beijing Quadrangle). In fact a Hutong is the passage formed between the walls of Siheyuan. A Siheyuan is a walled compound of small buildings surrounding a courtyard. Most Hutongs run east-west because many Siheyuan face south for better lighting. Most are narrow alleys but some are wide streets that run for several kilometers. Hutongs are a glimpse into local people's lives. Many families have lived in a single Hutong for centuries.

1. 
   Beijing's hutongs haven't changed for centuries
2. 
   The Hutong are lined with Courtyard homes
3. 
   Rikisha drivers waiting for customers

Summer palace

The Summer Palace landscape, dominated mainly by Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, covers an area of 2.9 square kilometers, three quarters of which is under water. Its 70,000 square meters of building space features a variety of palaces, gardens and other ancient-style architectural structures. Well known for its large and priceless collection of cultural relics, it was among the first group of historical and cultural heritage sites in China to be placed under special state protection.
The Summer Palace, originally named Qingyi Yuan or the Garden of Clear Ripples, was first constructed in 1750. It was razed to the ground by the Anglo-French Allied Forces in 1860. The Government of the Qing Dynasty started to rebuild it in 1886 with funds that it had misappropriated from the Imperial Navy and other sources. Renamed two years later as Yihe Yuan or the Garden of Health and Harmony, it was supposed to serve as a summer resort for the Empress Dowager Cixi. Known also as the Summer Palace, it was ravaged by the Allied Forces of the Eight Powers that invaded China in 1900. The damage was repairedin 1902. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Summer Palace has undergone several major renovations. Its major attractions such as the Four Great Regions, Suzhou Street, the Pavilion of Bright Scenery, the Hall of Serenity, the Wenchang Galleries and the Plowing and Weaving Scenery Area have been successively restored.

1. 
   Long Corridor in Summer palace
2. 
   Jade belt Bridge in Summer palace
3. 
   A pavilion at the Summer Palace

Wangfujing

Wangfujing Avenue is the most prosperous business center of Downtown Beijing. Wangfu literally means Prince Mansion. Why is it connected with Jing or Well? Actually, there is a legend.Originally, it was the mansion of prince. And there was a famous well for its sweet water. The verge of the well is quite high. The well mouth is a big stone with a chiseled hole. The well is located in an exquisite six-corner pavilion. One year, the local suffered from an unprecedented drought. Nearly all the wells dried out in city except some wells remained some water. Wangfu Well was one of these. Besides, it not only had water, but water is quite sweet. The prince ordered the keepers to carefully manage the well and prohibit the strangers from getting water.However, this old keeper was kind-hearted. For relieving the drought and helping the poor drink water, the old keeper secretly facilitated the outsiders to get water when the prince was asleep. Subsequently, prince found this and furiously blamed the old keeper. The old keeper honestly answered:”Your Lord, it is true that I help these people get water in our well. I really disobeyed your order. But considered in another way, nobody will work for you if these people all died of drought”. The prince considered it was reasonable and stopped condemnation.Since then, many people lived afar also came to prince mansion to get water from well, and Wangfujing became more and more famous and gradually turned to be the place name. Hereafter, people always named the places around Wangfujing Wangfujing Bei, Wangfujing Nan, Wangfujing East and Wangfujing West and so on. In the new century, Wangfujing was resurfaced again and had a new look. Currently, visitors still can see the Well of Prince Mansion in Wangfujing Pedestrian Street.

1. 
   Wangfujing
2. 
   It is full of people day and night
3. 
   Bronze statue in Wangfujing

Peking Duck

As one of the most delicious dishes all over the world, no tourist will take the risk of missing the Beijing Duck when touring in Beijing. Slow roasted and succulent, this famous dish is served with thin crepe-like "lotus leaf pancakes" (heye bing), sweet noodle sauce (tianmianjiang) or hoisin sauce (haixianjiang) and finely sliced green onions. Often an adept chef slices the freshly roast duck table-side before serving, separating the skin from the meat. Once served, the meat is wrapped in a pancake with all the fixings and quickly enjoyed.

1. 
   Peking Duck
2. 
   Wrapping the duck,scallions,cucumbers and plum sauce spread a thin layer over pancake

Qianmen Street

Qianmen Street is a well-known commercial street in Beijing. Located in the axis of Beijing, Qianmen Street goes from Zhengyangmen Embrasured Watchtower in the north and stretches to Tiantan (Temple of Heaven) Road in the south, which connects with Tianqiao South Street. Before the outer city was built in the 29th year of Jiajing (AD 1550) during the Ming Dynasty, Qianmen Street used to be the Royal Road for emperors to go towards the Temple of Heaven and Altar to the God of Agriculture. When the construction work of the outer city was completed, it became the main north-south artery in the outer city, called Qianmen Street by the people. This street was officially called Zhengyangmen Street during the Ming Dynasty, Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, and was renamed as Qianmen Street in 1965. It is 1660 meters long and 20 meters wide (for carriageways).With the urban development and building projects during the Ming and Qing dynasties, many bazaars and guild halls converged in Qianmen Street, which gradually made it evolve into a major business district focusing on shopping and entertainment. At the same time, Quanjude Peking Roast Duck-Since 1864, Bianyifang Roast Duck Restaurant, Ruifuxiang Silk-Since 1862, Tongrentang Chinese Medicine-Since 1669 and other brand shops also opened outlets here, and a century-old cultural circle has emerged as a result. In comparison with Wangfujing Pedestrian Street, Qianmen Pedestrian Street gives more prominence to the original flavor of Beijing. Qianmen Pedestrian Street consists of many functional areas such as Beijing's Culture, Domestic and Foreign Cuisines, Brand Shopping, Leisure & Fitness and so on. Nowadays, over 80 of China's Time-honored Brands along the street unfold the far-reaching cultural deposits and characteristics of historic heritages of the Qianmen Area.

1. 
   View of Qianmen from south
2. 
   Diang-Diang vehicle
3. 
   Shopping arcade in Qianmen

Beijing Zoo

The land on which the Beijing Zoo sits has always been a beautiful site. In fact, it is so attractive that it was set aside by noblemen and emperors to be used as parks on their estate. In 1906, however, the land was converted into an experimental farm and zoo, which was called the Garden of Ten Thousand Animals.The zoo opened to the public for the first time in 1908. Unfortunately, it suffered greatly in periods of war and unrest, and by 1937, most of the animals had died. After 1949, the zoo was rebuilt and was again opened to the public in 1950. It was later given the simple but descriptive name, The Beijing Zoo, in 1955.

1. 
   Beijing Zoo Entrance
2. 
   Eating bamboo
3. 
   Panda

Lulichang

Liulichang street is only 750 meters long, is located south of Hepingmen (Peace) Gate within walking distance of the Hepingmen Quanjude Peking Duck Restaurant. It was named Haiwang Village in the Liao and Jin dynasties. In the Yuan and Ming dynasties an official kiln was located here which produced glazed tiles for building imperial palaces. During Emperor Kangxi's and Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty it became a well-know cultural street for selling antiques. Though the kiln was closed up in the Emperor Qianlong's reign, it has continued to be called Liulichang, or glazed tiles factory. It is a spot of historical and cultural interest that shows traditional Chinese culture, especially in terms of painting and calligraphy. Liulichang has also won high reputation among writers and artists for the four treasures of study sold here–writing brush, ink stick, paper and ink slab. The famous Yidege, which opened in 1865 (the 4th year of Emperor Tongzhi's reign in the Qing Dynasty), was the first manufacturer of Chinese ink. Daiyuexuan, created in 1916 and named after its creator, makes high-quality writing brushes, which were Qi Baishi's favorite.

1. 
   Entrance of Lulichang
2. 
   Antioque shops
3. 
   Lulichang

Lama Temple

Lama Temple is one of the key historic sites under national protection. It lies in the southeast corner of north 2nd Ring Road. It is one of the largest lamaseries of Tibetan Buddhism that remain in Beijing. At first it was the residence of Emperor Yongzheng before he was crowned. In the years of Qianlong it was changed into a lamasery, and began to serve as the headquarters of the Qing government's administration of Tibetan Buddhism affairs.
The complex covers an area of about 66,440 square meters. It is well-known for its great Buddhist architecture, places for emperors to conduct religious activities, and its special importance for linking the upper class of the Mongolians and the Tibetans. The Yong He Gong complex, which runs to 400 meters from north to south, consists of three beautifully decorated archways, six halls. They are of great historical and artistic value. Since the founding of the People's Republic, the government has repeatedly funded renovations. Now this lamasery attracts tourists from all over the world with the mysterious, splendor, and profundity of the culture it embodies.
Since it was made a lamasery for the Gelu cult, Lama Temple has been observing its own festivals and holidays besides traditional Buddhist holidays. Besides routine rituals performed on the mornings of the 1st, 10th, 15th, and 30th of each lunar month, other major Buddhist ceremonies are performed each year.

1. 
   Lama Yonghe Temple main gate
2. 
   The Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happiness's
3. 
   People visiting to pray

Airline company

• AIR CHINA (ECONOMY CLASS)

Hotel *4Star Hotel

• Shangri-la Beijing

Include

1. Round trip air (economy)
2. 5nights hotel accommodations
3. China Visa applicant
4. 5Breakfast 3Lunch 4Dinner
5. Fuel Surcharge and Departure Tax *Check Important notice*
6. English speaking guided tour with all transfer in Beijing except on 5th day

Not Include

1. Services which is not on itinerary
2. Beverages at the Restaurant
3. Travel insurance
4. Van & Guide on the 5th day
5. Misawa – Haneda Japan Airlines Domestic Flight

Block seat for Misawa Customer!

Air China 30Passenger is blocked by 01Mar 2011(Tuesday)

CHANGE & CANCELLATION POLICY

CHANGE & CANCELLATION DAY	CHANGE & CANCELLATION FEE
BEFORE 32DAYS OR MORE	¥0
BEFORE 31 - 4DAYS	20%OF TOUR FEE
BEFORE 3 - 2DAYS	30%OF TOUR FEE
BEFORE 1DAY	50%OF TOUR FEE
DEPARTURE DAY	100% NON REFOUNDABLE
Cancellation policy will be decided depending on not when you notice, but when we actually talked to organized Agency. We cannot make any action out of organized agency business hour. (National holidays & Weekends as well)

*Important notice

1. Round trip air (economy)
2. 5nights hotel accommodations
3. China Visa applicant
4. 5Breakfast 3Lunch 4Dinner
5. Fuel Surcharge and Departure Tax *Check Important notice*
6. English speaking guided tour with all transfer in Beijing except on 5th day

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