Lao She Memorial Hall is one of the historic sites under Beijing Municipal protection. It is located in Fengfu Lane, West Street, Dengshikou, Dongcheng District. In the beginning of 1950, after returning from America, Lao She bought it and lived here for 16 years. It is in this house that he wrote 24 plays, including Longxu Ditch, Teahouse, and Beneath the Pure Red Banner, and two novels. These works total about 4 million words. On Feb. 1, 1999, or the 100th anniversary of Lao She’s birth, the Memorial was opened to the public.

Lao She (1899-1966) was a novelist and playwright. His original name was Shu Qingchun, and his courtesy name was She Yu. He was born and raised in Beijing. Before the Japanese invasion he had successively been the principal of a primary school, a teacher at the Oriental College of London University, a professor first at Qilu University, then at Shandong University. During the war against the Japanese invasion, as head of the National Association of Writers and Artists against Invaders, he played an active part in mobilizing writers and artists for anti-Japanese propaganda. After the war was won, he went to America for lecturing and writing. After he returned to China in 1949, he held such posts as member of the Literature, Art, and Education Committee of the Political Affairs Department, deputy chairman of the National Association of Literature and Art, deputy chairman of the National Writers' Association, and chairman of the Beijing Association of Literature and Art. As a prolific writer, he enjoyed such a high reputation among common people that he was awarded the title “People's Artist”. He died in 1966.

The Memorial is a typical “Siheyuan” (Quadrangle Dwelling). It covers an area of 400 square meters. The most special thing about it is a rich exhibition entitled Lao She's Life and Works.

Entering the east-facing gate of the Memorial you'll see a gray brick screen wall and two south chambers. Enter the second gate and you’ll see a little colored wooden screen wall, a rarity in Beijing today. Round it and you’ll find yourself in the main part of the memorial hall. There are three principal chambers in the courtyard. The outer room and west room served as living rooms, and the east room was the bedroom and studio of Hu Jieqing, Lao She's wife. The west side room, which used to be Lao She's bedroom and study, is open to visitors with its original furnishings. The east house and west house in the courtyard serve as the exhibition hall No.1 and 2, in which are displayed a great deal of valuable manuscripts, books, photos, and other relics reflecting Lao She's life and writing career. The memorial hall mainly serves to protect the writer's former residence and the relics he left. It also holds exhibitions for primary or middle school students, the theme of which is what Lao She's wife said of her husband :“He was born and raised in Beijing, died in Beijing, and devoted his life to writing about Beijing.”

Address:No.19, Fengfu Hutong, Dengshikou West Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing

Lama Temple (Yong He Gong) is one of the key historic sites under national protection. It lies in the southeast corner of north 2nd Ring Road. It is the largest one of the lamaseries of Tibetan Buddhism that remain in Beijing. At first it was the residence of Emperor Yongzheng before he was crowned. In the years of Qianlong it was changed into a lamasery, and began to serve as the headquarters of the Qing government's administration of Tibetan Buddhism affairs. In 1981 it was officially opened to the public. In 1997 it was designated by the municipal government of Beijing as a museum for Tibetan Buddhist art.

The complex covers an area of about 66,440 square meters. It is well-known for its great Buddhist architecture, places for emperors to conduct religious activities, and its special importance for linking the upper class of the Mongolians and the Tibetans. It used to be the prison house of the inner court in the Ming Dynasty. In 1694, or the 33rd year of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, it was changed into the mansion of Yinzhen, the fourth son of the emperor. In 1709, or the 48th year of Kangxi, Yinzhen was created “Prince He Shuo Yong”, and his residence was renamed the Mansion of Prince Yong. In 1722, or the 61st year of Kangxi, Emperor Kangxi died, and Yinzhen acceded to the throne. In 1725, or the 3rd year of Yongzheng, the emperor ordered his former residence to be made a xinggong (a temporary abode of an emperor on tour) named Yong He Gong. On the ninth day of the second month of spring in the ninth year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign (1744), the emperor ordered Yong He Gong (where he was born) to be changed into a lamasery for the Gelu Cult of Tibetan Buddhism. Since then, the place has become one of the centers for disseminating Buddhism outside Tibet. Worship has been going on here for over 260 years.

The Yong He Gong complex, which runs to 400 meters from north to south, consists of three beautifully decorated archways, six halls——Yong He Gong Hall, Yongyou Hall, Falun Hall, Wanfu Pavilion, Suicheng Hall, and seven courtyards. On its east and west sides sit Jiangjing Hall, Shilun Hall, Yaoshi Hall, Mizong Hall, Yamudaga Tower, Zhaofo Tower, JieTai Tower, and Panchen Tower (the last two have been used for exhibiting cultural relics). The layout of the complex produces an effect of rigorous grandeur. The complex is complete with stone lions, baofang, and halls, towers, and pavilions richly decorated with colored paintings. They embody not only religious architecture in China but also the perfect blending of the Han and Tibetan architectural styles. The roof of Falun Hall, or the grand chapel, for instance, is modeled on Tibetan architecture. The five sacred-bottle-shaped glaze adornments for the skylight add to its religious solemnity and magnificence. The halls in the complex house a great number of Buddha figures, thangkas, and other valuable cultural relics. The most special among the woodworks are the Five-Hundred Arhats Hill made of red sandalwood, the large nanmu shrine adorned with carved dragons, and the 18-meter-high white sandalwood Buddha figure. Many of the relics were tributes offered by upper-class Tibetans or renowned lamas to the emperor or to the lamasery since the 16th century. They are of great historical and artistic value. Since the founding of the People's Republic, the government has repeatedly funded renovations. Now this lamasery attracts tourists from all over the world with the mysterious, splendor, and profundity of the culture it embodies.

Since it was made a lamasery for the Gelu cult, Lama Temple has been observing its own festivals and holidays besides traditional Buddhist holidays. Besides routine rituals performed on the mornings of the 1st, 10th, 15th, and 30th of each lunar month, other major Buddhist ceremonies are performed each year. One of the most ceremonious occasions at the lamasery is the Great Prayer Ritual which lasts from the 23rd of the first lunar month to the 1st day of the second. The ritual features the Exorcism Dance, popularly known as Beating Devils, which is meant to expel evil spirits and bring happiness. The Qiangong Mass, which lasts from the 13th to 15th of the fourth lunar month, celebrates the birth, accomplishment, and nirvana of the Buddha. The Great Power and Virtue Mass, which lasts from the 24th to 30th of the ninth lunar month is meant to expel groundless worries by evoking the power of the Buddha's warriors, and for praying for the peace of the country. The Master Zongkeba Mass, also known as the Randeng Festival, is held on the 25th of the tenth lunar month to commemorate the death of Master Zongkeba, a famous reformist who founded the Gelu cult. On this day, the lamas light a thousand lamps in token of the master's great enlightenment.

There are many key attractions in Lama Temple.

Falun (Wheel of Law) Hall is for lamas to conduct large-scale religious activities. It houses the gilded bronze statue of Master Zongkeba, the founder of the Gelu cult of Tibetan Buddhism. The statue is flanked by the thrones of Panchen and Dalai Lama, his two disciples. Here the 10th Panchen and the 11th Panchen had delivered sermons to lamas and blessed them by rubbing the tops of their heads.

The great figure of Maitreya, 18-meter-tall wooden figure, is housed in the Wanfu Pavilion, a triple-eave, complicatedly structured imposing building. It was made during 1748 to 1750, or the 13th to 15th year of Qianlong. It is said that it was carved out of a huge white sandalwood lumber offered by the seventh Dalai Lama. In August 1990 it was listed in the Guinness World Record. In 1992, RMB500,000 was spent on its renovation and gilding. In 1993, a grand ceremony was held to dedicate the figure.

A pavilion in Yong He Gong houses a 6.2-meter-high cuboid stone tablet. Each of its four sides, measuring 1.45 meters wide, is inscribed with On Lama in Manchu, Chinese, Mongolian, and Tibetan respectively, which decrees the system of appointing the Living Buddha. The inscription is an important embodiment of the Qing government’s policy on Tibet. The tablet was erected in 1792, or the 57th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign.

Address: No.12, Yonghegong Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing

As the famous resort of Beijing, Kangxi Grassland is located to the southwest of Yanqing County Town and one can arrive at it by taking the Badaling Expressway. It presents spacious and graceful scenery of the grassland.

Commonly known as “west barren land”, Kangxi Grassland is the land of inundation for Guanting Reservoir. As the quantity of water could hardly reach the design standard of the capacity of the reservoir, large area of grassland was formed. In 1988, the Yanqing County government decided to have an experiment on opening the Kangxi Grassland as a tourist site. In 1990, Kangxi Grassland was formally opened as a scenic spot.

To the south of Haituo Mount and to the east of Guanting Reservoir, Kangxi Grassland occupies an area of more than 20 million square meters. It is suitable for carrying out featured activities such as horse racing, arrow shooting, camel racing and fishing, etc. There is a standard horse riding field inside the scenic spots, with many horses for tourists to ride. There are also bountiful Mongolian foods such as roast goat, roast rabbit, milk tea, fried rice, kumiss, cheese, and milk fruits, etc. On the square, one can attend bonfire evening, appreciate Inner Mongolian songs and dances and listen to the playing of horse head string instrument. On an Islamic dome-type iron tower with three stories at a height of 20 meters, one can overlook the Haituo Peak and Guanting Reservoir at a distance, and the whole view of the grassland. There are rich animal and plant resources on the Kangxi Grassland, among which more than 50 are grass plants such as clover, wild chrysanthemum, and cogongrass, more than 20 birds such as herring-gull, wild duck, wild goose, grey crane, and more than 10 animals such as wild rabbit, fox and badger. In 1991, Kangxi Grassland cooperated with CCTV to establish three cities of Wei, Shu and Wu on the Kangxi Grassland as the outdoor scene base for shooting “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”. While one strolls around on the grassland, one can still feel the historic scenes of warriors fighting for dominance of the nation. The Yulinbao Village within the scenic spot was the ancient Yulin City, one of the relay stations on the road from Dadu to Shangdu in the Yuan Dynasty. “Afterglow of Yulin” is the famous scenery of Yanqing.

Kuijiu Valley Scenic Spot is located in the northwest mountains of the Thirteen Ming Tombs Scenic Spot of Changping District, about 55 kilometers away from the downtown Beijing. It was opened to the public in 1987. It is a valley-type natural scenic spot.

Stretching about 3,000 meters, the scenic spot belongs to Mountain Jundu Chain. It is the result of the weathering for more than 100 million years of granite stones formed by the movement of Yan Mountains. There are erect cliffs, rare stones, flowing streams, green trees and blooming flowers inside the scenic spot. It can be divided into four parts, namely Music Welcoming Guests, Streams on High Gorge, Wonderland of Golden Gorges and Dragon Pond, including 50 sights. The most featured one is the “Three-Gorges in the north of Beijing” in the Wonderland of Golden Gorges. The first gorge is called “Narrow Sky Gorge”. There is a very narrow crack between the two walls, with a huge stone wedged about 10 meters above head. The second gorge is the so-called “Faerie Fishing Gorge”. The cliffs of the gorge are straight, and there is a pond under the cliffs, with “faerie fishing stage” engraved on a stone beside it. The third gorge is “dragons playing in the water”. The textures on the granites are varied in shapes and bright in colors, dancing on cliffs or plunging into the pond, like dragons playing in the water.

Built in 1998, Kuijiu Valley folk custom village is close to the scenic spot. There are 48 tourist peasant households and 500 beds. The villagers are unsophisticated and hospitable. Shoal paddling field, bonfire evening square, fishing field, parking lot and other accessory service facilities are provided for folk culture activities. Many kinds of fruits are produced here including cherry, apricot, peach, large-fruited Chinese hawthorn, persimmon and Chinese chestnut, etc. In different seasons, tourists can taste more than a hundred potherbs and farmhouse meals. Tourists can also participate in the activities of groping for fish in the river, fishing, barbecue, roasting goat, playing firecrackers, etc.

Jiufeng National Forest Park is located in Bei'anhe, Haidian District, about 18 kilometers from the Summer Palace. Jiufeng Peak has a long history and used to be one of the 72 barracks of the Liao Dynasty. The two peaks look like a soaring vulture, so it was named Jiufeng Peak.

Jiufeng Peak not only attracts visitors with its winding and primitive paths, zigzagging ancient paths leading to the peak and its imposing and stunning scenery, but also is well-known in Beijing for its natural landscapes rich in foliage resources, and has therefore become the best place to climb up for a good view in the Xiaoxishan scenic area.

Jiufeng Forest Park, occupying an area of more than 830 hectares, is known as a treasure of plants. On the mountains, there are endless pine forests, and the forest coverage is as high as 90%. Moreover, the park is the natural bank of plants. In spring, flowers are everywhere on the mountains, and floral scent spreads far away from the park. In summer, thick forests shade the ground and it is cool and refreshing in the forest. In autumn, the forests turn red and yellow, and ripe fruits are everywhere. And in winter, the mountains above 700 meters are enveloped with snow, forming a wonderland of snow and ice, and on the mountains below 700 meters, the pine and cypress forests are still green and vibrant. With thick forests, this is a paradise for visitors for leisure, hiking and enjoyment.

Jiufeng Peak has numerous imposing and steep peaks and many zigzagging valleys. There are also many ancient sites listed by Haidian District Bureau of Cultural Heritage as key historic sites under district protection, including the Jiufeng Villa constructed in the Liao Dynasty, the Xiufeng Temple constructed in the sixth year of Emperor Zhengde of the Ming Dynasty, the Xiangtang Temple constructed in the ninth year of Emperor Xianfeng in the Qing Dynasty, and China's first seismological station built in the 1930….

After the visit to Jiufeng, visitors can go to the reception center in the park for accommodation, catering and entertainment. In addition, the park was named by Beijing municipal government in 1998 one of the first “popular science education bases of Beijing.” The park has developed its unique ecological tourist pattern integrating popular science education, summer camps, fitness, leisure, conference and vacationing.