Beijing – Around Town : South of Tian’an Men Square (part 1)

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The Qian Men (front gate) at the southern end of
Tian’an Men Square was once part of the inner city walls. These divided
the imperial quarters of the Manchu emperors from the “Chinese city,”
where the massed populace lived apart from their overlords. Walking
south from the gate you are immediately plunged into a network of narrow
and lively hutongs
(alleys), the remnants of the old quarter. Continuing south down Qian
Men Dajie eventually brings you to the western perimeter of the grounds
of the Temple of Heaven, one of Beijing’s most evocative sights.

The Boxers

The Boxers, a band of
xenophobic rebels from north China who rose up to rid China of the
“foreign devils,” drew from superstitious rituals that they believed
made them invulnerable. Supported by the Empress Dowager Cixi, the
rebels laid waste to Beijing’s Legation Quarter in 1900 while besieging
the district’s foreign population. The siege was eventually broken by an
eight-power allied force.




Top 10 Sights

  1. Urban Planning Museum

    On
    display here are dreams of the architecture and urban landscape of
    Beijing to be. These are dramatically represented through the medium of
    film, plus a vast model that covers most of the third floor and that is
    viewable from a gallery above.

    • 20 Qian Men Dong Dajie

    • 6701 7074

    • Subway: Qian Men

    • Open 9am–5pm Tue–Sun

    • ¥30

  2. Qian Men, Dazhalan & Liulichang

    A
    historical royal street and traditional shopping area, quaint Qian Men
    Dajie has a 1920s-style tram line and birdcage-like streetlamps. Running
    west off the northern end of Qian Men is Dazhalan Jie, an old hutong
    area that is great for exploring on foot or by rickshaw. It is full of
    Qing-era specialty shops selling pickles, silks, tea, and traditional
    Chinese medicine. To the west of Dazhalan is Liulichang Jie, with many
    restored buildings and many fascinating antique shops.

    • Subway: Qian Men




    Dazhalan Jie



    Liulichang Jie

  3. Underground City

    At
    the height of the Sino-Soviet rift in the 1960s, Mao Zedong gave orders
    to carve out a vast network of bombproof tunnels beneath Beijing. Part
    of this subterranean hideaway is open to the public. Guides show
    visitors around a circuit of dank tunnels, where signs illustrate the
    earlier functions of rooms, variously designated as hospitals, armories,
    and stores for food and water. Unlit passageways branch off from the
    main corridors, but many are blocked, and it is dangerous to wander off
    alone.

    • 62 Xi Damochang Jie

    • 6702 2657

    • Subway: Chongwen Men

    • ¥20

  4. Legation Quarter

    At
    the end of the Second Opium War, in 1860, foreign delegations were
    permitted to take up residence in a quarter southeast of the Forbidden
    City. On main Dong Jiao Min Xiang and surrounding streets, the first
    modern foreign buildings in Beijing took root. The embassies have long
    since left, and new occupants have moved in.The former American
    legation, for instance, is now a restaurant, bar, and lifestyle complex.
    Also here are the former City Bank of New York, now the Beijing Police Museum, and St. Michael’s Church.




    Beijing Police Museum, Legation Quarter

    • Subway: Qian Men

  5. Temple of Heaven

    The
    name refers to a vast complex that encompasses a large, marble
    sacrificial altar, the iconic three-story Hall of Prayer for Good
    Harvests, the smaller Imperial Vault of Heaven, and many ancillary
    buildings, all set in a landscaped park. Allow at least a half day to
    take in everything .




    Imperial Vault of Heaven



    Temple of Heaven

  6. Natural History Museum

    An
    overbearing piece of 1950s architecture houses a great collection of
    dinosaur skeletons, as well as stuffed pandas and other animals. There
    are also fish, both dead (preserved in formaldehyde) and alive (in the
    aquarium). Visitors of a nervous disposition may want to skip the
    partially dissected human cadavers, also pickled in formaldehyde, which
    are displayed up on the third floor.

    • 126 Tangqiao Nan Dajie

    • 6702 4431

    • Subway: Qian Men, then bus 15

    • Open 9am–4pm daily




    Natural History Museum

  7. Ancient Architecture Museum

    Housed
    in the Hall of Jupiter, part of the Xiannong Tan temple complex, this
    museum offers an excellent introduction to the ancient construction
    techniques of Beijing buildings, all helpfully illuminated with detailed
    models. A fascinating three-dimensional plan shows the city as it was
    in 1949, its city walls and gates largely intact.

    • 21 Dongjing Lu

    • 6301 7620

    • Bus 15 to Nanwei Lu

    • Open 9am–4:30pm daily

    • ¥15

  8. Cow Street Mosque (Niu Jie)

    Beijing’s
    oldest and largest mosque dates back to the 10th century. It’s an
    attractive building with Islamic motifs and Arabic verses decorating its
    halls and assorted stelae. Astronomical observations were made from the
    tower-like Wangyue Lou. The courtyard is lush with greenery, making it
    an idyllic escape from the city streets. Visitors should dress
    conservatively, and non-Muslims are not allowed to enter the prayer
    hall.




    Cow Street Mosque

    • 88 Niu Jie

    • 6353 2564

    • Subway: Xuanwu Men, then bus

    • Open 8am–sunset daily

    • ¥10

  9. Fayuan Temple

    This
    temple dates back to AD 696 and is probably the oldest temple in
    Beijing. All this time later, it remains a hive of activity. The layout
    is typical of Buddhist temples. Near the gate, the incense burner is
    flanked by the Drum and Bell Towers to the east and west. Beyond, the
    Hall of the Heavenly Kings is guarded by a pair of bronze lions. The
    Scripture Hall at the temple’s rear stores sutras, while another hall contains a 16-ft (5-m) statue of Buddha.

    • 7 Fayuan Si Qian Jie

    • 6353 4171

    • Subway: Xuanwu Men, then bus

    • Open 8:30am–3:30pm daily

    • ¥5

  10. South Cathedral

    The
    first Catholic church to be built in Beijing stands on the site of the
    residence of the first Jesuit missionary to reach the city, Matteo
    Ricci. Arriving in 1601, the Italian won the favor of the Wanli emperor
    by presenting him with gifts of European curiosities such as clocks and
    mathematical instruments. Ricci founded the church in 1605, although the
    present building dates to 1904, replacing a structure that was burned
    down during the Boxer Rebellion. It boasts some fine stained-glass
    windows.




    South Cathedral

    • 141 Qian Men Xi Dajie

    • Subway: Xuanwu Men