Duration: 2-3 hours
Price Guide: 3 RMB
Last Reviewed:

This is a modern-style tour or you could call it a skyscrapers tour. If you like city views, do not miss this tour. You will feel like you’re a part of modern and fashionable Beijing.

Yonganli subway station

Coming out from Yonganli subway station, you will find yourself in the Guiyou Department Store.

The Yonganli subway station was built inside of Guiyou Department Store. You won’t miss this store because you have to pass through it. It is an old and famous department store, which is known particularly for its range of shoes and bags. But please remember, you cannot bargain in this department store. Guiyou Department Store is the start of Beijing new CBD.

After shopping in the Guiyou Department Store, walk backward. If you see a Starbucks Coffee shop on your left hand side, it means you’re heading in the right direction. Keep walking in this direction for about 20 minutes; you will see part of a crossover bridge. On your left hand side, you will see the old symbol of Beijing CBD, the World Trade Centre.

The World Trade Centre is one of the eldest skyscrapers in Beijing CBD. Beijing CBD was re-planned by the Beijing government at 2003. Before that, the CBD boundary was very vague. The World Trade Centre is a chocolate-coloured twin building. You won’t miss it as it’s the only chocolate-coloured building in the CBD area.

The buildings opposite the World Trade Centre are called Jianwai SOHO.

They were invested in by China’s famous real-estate businessman Pan Shiyi. Jianwai SOHO is famous in the Beijing CBD because it comprises more than 20 buildings all built in the same style. Each building in Jianwai SOHO has at least 50 levels. The style of the whole buildings is simple, modern. All the buildings are white. So when you see an area of white buildings, you know you are in Jianwai SOHO.

After visit Jianwai SOHO, don’t move. Just stand at the corner of this crossroad.

The place you are standing is the centre of Beijing CBD. It’s a transport centre, including subway, buses and private cars. It’s also the centre of business. It’s full of business buildings at the four corners of the crossroad. The rentals are also the highest, up to almost 20,000 RMB per square. Some of them are rented in American dollars.

Crossing the street, you can wait for bus 412 at the bus stop opposite to Jianwai SOHO. Or you can keep walking along in the direction of World Trade Centre. I suggest you walk because it is very easy to get lost in this area. Keep walking for about 15 minutes; you will see a light-blue glass skyscraper standing at the corner of another crossroad. That’s Jingguang Centre.

Jingguang Centre was built in the 1980s by a Japanese architect. It was the city’s first building designed by a foreign architect. It was, for a while, the most modern and highest skyscraper in Beijing. After that, there are many skyscrapers broke that record, but Jingguang Centre will always be the first.

If you are facing Jingguang Centre, keep walking along on your left hand side. When you reach another crossroad, you will see a huge department store – the Blue Island Department Store – at the opposite corner.

Blue Island Department Store was the first department store in CBD area and was built in 1990. Now Blue Island Department Store is a pretty expensive store – and you cannot bargain in it.

Duration: More than 3 hours
Price Guide: 1RMB
Last Reviewed:

Are you ready for an exciting ancient architecture tour? In this tour, you will visit the most famous ancient buildings in Beijing, of which the oldest dates back to the 15th Century. Please remember to wear comfy shoes. It might be a long day, but there are lots of things to see.

Tiananmen Square

Start from the south of Tiananmen Square, and walk north, towards the Tiananmen Gate, the building that has a large picture of Chairman Mao. Your first stop is exactly where you are standing, Tiananmen Square.

Tiananmen Square is the political centre of all of China. It is the biggest inner-city square in the world at 440,000 square metres. Tiananmen Square is built highly symmetrical. It used to be part of the corridor towards the Forbidden City, called the Thousand Steps Corridor. In 1950, the Chinese government changed it create the biggest square in the world.

The direction is towards to the centre of Tiananmen Square. There is a huge rectangle building, called Mao Ze Dong Memorial Hall.

The Mao Ze Dong Memorial Hall was built in 1977. Mao Ze Dong is the first Chairman in the People Republic of China (PRC). He is considered as a great hero in China. If you visit this Hall, you will learn something about this great man and the most attractive point is his real body in a crystal coffin.

If you look left from Mao Ze Dong Memorial Hall, you will see famous the Great Hall.

The Great Hall was built in 1959. At the back of the hall is the great hall which can hold 10,000 people. The banqueting hall in the north has 5000 seats. The National People’s Congress is held here each March. It is used as concert hall sometimes, but just for the highest level concerts.

On the right-hand side of Mao Ze Dong memorial Hall is the National Museum of China. Cross the street, you will be there.

The building was built in 1959 and became a museum from 2003. The National Museum of Chinese History has more than 3,000,000 precious articles which provide a vivid portrayal of Chinese history. In the National Museum of the Chinese Revolution there are displays of over 4500 articles, including literature, pictures, drawings and sculptures.

No matter which building you are at now, keep walking to the ancient gate that has Chairman Mao’s picture on it. That is the final attraction at Tiananmen Square.

Tiananmen Gate is the southern gate of the Forbidden City. It was built in 1417 during the Ming dynasty. There is a river in front of Tiananmen Gate, called Golden River and the marble bridges that cross the river are called the Golden River Bridges.

Walk through Tiananmen Gate and keep heading to the same direction until you reach the Five Phoenixes Building. Stop there and buy ticket from each side of this building to visit famous royal city – the Forbidden City.

The Forbidden City was the home of royal family and the political centre during the Ming and Qing Dynastys. It was begun in 1407 and finished in 1420. The Forbidden City has 9999 houses. It was divided into four parts, the outer court, east inner court, west inner court and royal garden. There are 12 ranks for all the buildings in the city. They are ranked by the number of beasts at the four corners of the rooves and by the structure of the rooves. If you intend to visit the Forbidden City in this tour, please add an additional two hours to this tour.

Coming out from north gate of the Forbidden City, you need to take bus 109 for one stop at the other side of street. Get off the bus and you will see Beihai park directly ahead.

Beihai Park used to be the winter palace of royal family. The whole park is full of ancient buildings. You definitely can’t miss this attraction. The first construction of this range of architecture was during the 10th Century, but it was rebuilt in 1651. The symbol of Beihai Park is the white Tibetan-style pagoda on the small hill.

Duration: 2-3 hours
Price Guide: 2RMB
Last Reviewed:

This is a underground tour. If you like underground adventures, it will be a good choice for you. Actually, this tour is quite fun because it can take you to many interesting attractions in Beijing (and it’s a great one when it’s too wet or too hot to face the outdoors). Oh, don’t forget! You only need 2 RMB for travelling.

Qianmen Station on Line 2

Take the subway two stations from Qianmen station in the Chonwenmen direction and disembark at Beijingzhan station.

Beijing subway line 2 was the first subway line in Beijing. It was begun in July 1965 and finished in October 1969. Beijing local citizens have given it the nickname the Loop Line. Beijing subway made a huge difference to Beijing’s traffic problem. Subway line 2 covers the Beijing inner-city circle.

You are now at Beijingzhan station. If you want visit Beijing’s oldest train station, you can come out from this station. Otherwise, keep traveling with Beijing subway.

Beijing Railway Station is the oldest train station in Beijing that is still in use. Please remember, it is not a museum, it is a functioning train station. Beijing Railway Station was built in 1901 during the late Qing Dynasty. In 1959, it was enlarged. Before the new West Railway Station was built, Beijing Railway Station was the most commonly used train station. Beijing Railway Station itself is a historical building. It is yellow brick structure. One huge clock hangs in the building of the building.

If you keep traveling with subway, do not panic to change subway line first, keep sticking with line 2 until you arrive at Yonghegong Station (La Ma Temple Station).

If you like religious temples, La Ma Temple is a good place to visit. La Ma Temple is the only royal Buddhist temple in the inner Beijing city. La Ma Temple was built in 1694, during the Ming dynasty. It is a typical Tibetan-style Buddhist temple. La Ma Temple is famous for its Buddha Maitreya in the Hall of Heavenly Kings. The whole Buddha is made from a single piece of sandalwood.

After visiting La Ma Temple, you need to change subway line from this station. Please do not panic about changing lines. Beijing subway is not as complex as the Russian subway or New York subway. Just simply follow the directions and you will easily change to Subway Line 5, the newest line.

Subway Line 5 is the newest subway line, having just opened in 2007. This subway line goes through Beijing city from north to south. It solved the traffic problem of people travelling through the city. The whole decoration style of subway line 5 is very modern and simple. The basic colour is warm pink. The two sides of the railway have glass walls to protect passengers. Now “Beijing Subway Fans” have a new line to travel through Beijing city.

Take subway line 5 to Tiantandongmen Station. You can visit Temple of Heaven here.

Temple of Heaven is one of the most important historical attractions in Beijing. It was built in 1420, during the Ming dynasty. It was built by ancient emperors for worshipping the sky. The size of Temple of Heaven is even bigger than the Forbidden City at 2,700,000 square metres.

If you change subway lines from Dongdan Station, you will travel with Subway Line 1. Local Beijing people call it Straight Line.

Subway Line 1 is the second oldest Beijing subway line. It covers the whole Changan Street, which is the “Axis Street”. This subway line covers many famous attractions, like Tiananmen Square, Wangfujing and Xidan Shopping Street.