Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( Laodong Renmin Wenhua Gong; admission ¥2; 6.30am-7.30pm; Ti-
an'anmen East)
Sounding like a social centre for Leninist labourers, this haven
of peace was actually the emperor's premier place of worship, centred on the
¥10)
. The often-overlooked temple halls, cloaked in imperial yellow tiles and
hunched over expansive courtyards, are like a mini version of the Forbidden
City, only without the crowds.
ST JOSEPH'S CHURCH
( Dong Tang; 74 Wangfujing Dajie; 6.30-7am Mon-Sat, to 8am Sun;
Dengshikou)
A crowning edifice on Wangfujing Dajie, and one of Beijing's four
principal churches, St Joseph's was originally built during the reign of Shunzhi
in 1655, but was damaged by an earthquake in 1720 and reconstructed. The
luckless church also caught fire in 1807, was destroyed again in 1900 during
the Boxer Rebellion and restored in 1904, only to be shut in 1966. Now fully
repaired, the church is a testament to the long history of Christianity in China.
Church
ANCIENT OBSERVATORY
( Gu Guanxiangtai; admission ¥20; 9.30am-4.30pm Tue-Sun; Jianguo-
men)
This unusual former observatory is mounted on the battlements of a
watchtower lying along the line of the old Ming city wall and originally dates
back to Kublai Khan's days, when it lay north of the present site.
Clamber the steps to the roof of the watchtower to admire a mind-boggling
array of Jesuit-designed astronomical instruments, embellished with sculp-
tured bronze dragons and other Chinese flourishes - a kind of East meets
West astronomical fusion.
Historic Site
