Forbidden City AAAAA

Its location in relation with the old city of Beijing epitomizes the ancient Chinese concept of urban planning of "building the imperial palace at the central location".

Website: forbiddencitytickets.com/visit

Duration: 2 to 3 hours

Opening Hours: 08:30–17:00 (closed at 16:00). Closed on Mondays all year round (except statutory holidays).

Mutianyu Great Wall AAAAA

The Great Wall at Mutianyu has a long history and a brilliant culture. It is the essence of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall. The construction of the Mutianyu Great Wall has a unique style, with three watchtowers standing together with a main gate tower, which is rare in the Great Wall. It is known as "Mutianyu Great Wall outshines others among the Great Wall" both at home and abroad.

Website: en.mutianyugreatwall.com

Duration: One day

Opening Hours: Weekdays 7:30–18:00 (ticket sales end 17:00; check-in 7:30–17:30); Weekends 7:30–18:30 (ticket sales end 17:30; check-in 7:30–18:00).

The Summer Palace AAAAA

The Summer Palace is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing. Mainly dominated by Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, it covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometers, three-quarters of which is water. In December 1998, UNESCO included the Summer Palace on its World Heritage List. It declared the Summer Palace "a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design".

Website: summerpalace-china.com/English

Duration: 3 hours

Opening Hours: Opens at 6:00 AM, last entry at 7:00 PM, closes at 8:00 PM.

Temple of Heaven AAAAA

The siting of the Temple of Heaven reflects the ancient Chinese cultural tradition of setting "sacrificial facilities in the southern suburb." The Temple of Heaven is China's largest and best-preserved Ming and Qing era building complex for heaven-worshiping ceremonies. It symmetrically faces the Altar of the God of Agriculture lying on the west side of the Axis. The Temple of Heaven comprises the inner and outer sections. The inner and outer altar walls are round in the north and square in the south, representing the ancient belief that "heaven is round and earth is square."

Website: tiantanpark.com/english

Duration: 2–3 hours

Opening Hours: 6:00–22:00 (stop ticketing 20:00; latest admission 21:00).

Beijing Central Axis

Beijing Central Axis, running north–south through the heart of the old city of Beijing and governing the overall layout of the capital, is an ensemble of building complexes and archeological sites, comprising 15 components. It contains imperial palaces and gardens, imperial sacrificial buildings, ancient city management facilities, national ceremonial and public buildings, and central axis roads remains. Initially constructed in the 13th century and shaped in the 16th century.

Website: bjaxiscloud.com.cn

Duration: One day