Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The lakes look majestic in the winter, when they freeze over and become
the best place in Beijing to ice-skate.
PRINCE GONG'S RESIDENCE
( Gongwang Fu; 8328 8149; 14 Liuyin Jie; admission ¥40, guided tours incl
tea opera performance ¥70; 7.30am-4.30pm summer, 8am-4pm winter;
Pinganli or Shichahai)
Reputed to be the model for the mansion in Cao
Xueqin's 18th-century classic
Dream of the Red Mansions,
this huge courtyard
is one of Beijing's largest private residential compounds. Performances of
Beijing opera are held regularly in the Qing-dynasty
Grand Opera House
Offline map
Google map
( Daxi Lou) in the east of the grounds.
Historic Residence
GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE
( Renmin Dahuitang;
Click here
adult ¥30, bag deposit ¥5; 8.30am-3pm;
Tian'anmen West)
On the western side of Tian'anmen Square - on a site pre-
viously occupied by Taichang Temple, the Jinyiwei (Ming-dynasty secret ser-
vice) and the Ministry of Justice - the Great Hall of the People is the venue of
the legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC). The 1959 architecture
is monolithic, and a tour parades visitors past a choice of 29 of its lifeless
rooms named after the provinces of the Chinese universe. Also here is the
10,000-seat auditorium with the familiar red star embedded in a galaxy of ceil-
ing lights. The Hall is closed to the public when the NPC is in session. The
ticket office is down the south side of the building. Bags must be checked in
but cameras are admitted.
Historic Site
MIAOYING TEMPLE WHITE DAGOBA
( Miaoying Si Baita; 171 Fuchengmennei Dajie; admission ¥20; 9am-5pm
Tue-Sun; Fuchengmen)
Towering over the surrounding
hutong,
the Miaoy-
ing Temple slumbers beneath its distinctive chalk-white Yuan-dynasty pagoda,
which was being refurbished at the time of writing. The highlight of a visit here
is its diverse collection of Buddhist statuary: pop into the
Hall of the Great En-
lightened One
( Dajue Baodian), which glitters splendidly with hundreds of
Tibetan Buddhist effigies.
Buddhist
