Prince Gong's Mansion is situated on the Qian Hai west street. It is the best preserved princely residence of the Qing Dynasty. In 1982, it was placed on the list of major historic sites under state protection. Its garden was opened to the public in 1988. In 2003, the “Prince Gong's Mansion Administrative Office of the Ministry of Culture” changed its name into the “Prince Gong's Mansion Administrative Center of the Ministry of Culture”. Under the support of the leadership of the government and the Ministry of Culture, the center takes the reservation and renovation of the ancient architectural complex as its primary task, and will spare no efforts to make it a national museum for princely residences in 2008.

Prince Gong's Mansion was built in the 41st year of the reign of the Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1776 A.D.). It originally belonged to He Shen, the Councilor of the Court who was in the favor of Emperor Qianlong. In the fourth year of the Emperor Jiaqing's reign (1799 A.D.), He Shen was criminalized and ordered to commit suicide. The Emperor then gave the residence to his younger brother, Yong Lin and named it Prince Qing Mansion. In the first year of the Emperor Xianfeng's reign (1851 A.D.), the emperor took it back, granted it to his younger brother Yi Su and gave it its present name.

The residence is divided into two parts: a mansion and a garden. It is more than 300 meters long from north to south, more than 180 meters wide from east to west, and covers an area of 61,120 square meters, 32,260 square meters for the mansion and 28,860 square meters for the garden.

From the south to the north, the mansion is divided into four entrances with three lines of courtyards from east to west. The main architectural complex covers an area of over 20,000 square meters. The major buildings are the Main Hall called Yinan, and the Rear Hall named Jiale on the central line, the Duofu Study and the Ledao Hall on the eastern line and the Baoguang Room and the Xijin Study on the western line. In the part of the complex which connects the garden and the mansion there are 108 two-story rear rooms (commonly known as “99 and a half rooms”), which are 160 meters long from east to west. The wood rockeries were once used as the staircases in the building. This design is seldom seen in world architecture.

The garden is named “Langrui Garden” or “Cuijing Garden”, and is generally called “the Garden of Prince Gong's Mansion”. Taking a stroll in the garden is just like wandering in a landscape painting. Just like in the mansion, the garden is also divided into three lines from east to west. The middle line has an western-style arched gate made of white marble as its entrance and the Fu Stele inscribed withEmperor Kangxi's calligraphy of the Chinese character “Fu” (Good Fortune) as its center. In front of the stele there is a Peak named Dule and a Bat Pond. At its back, there is the Lv Tian Xiao Ying and the Bat Hall. The whole layout is very interesting. On the eastern line, there is a tastefully furnished Theatrical House. On its walls are found Chinese wisteria and purple flowers. This gives the audience the feeling they are sitting beneath trellises. To the south of the Theatrical House there is the Mingdao Study, Qu Jing Tong You, Chui Qing Yue, Yin Xiang Zui Yue and Liubei Pavilion. These five sceneries form a mini-garden inside the Cuijing Garden. The garden is decorated by tall ancient trees and forests of queer rocks. There are winding corridors that connect with each other, and pavilions and terraces here and there. The bluish green water flows like a jade belt beside the craggy stones. At night, the moonlight adds a special charm to the scenery of the garden. Thousands of tourists, Chinese and foreigners, are attracted to the Mansion, and search for the stories of the past in its green hills, winding paths, and bluish waters.

The pagoda forest is located in the north of Changping District, 50 kilometers from downtown Beijing. Here there are peaks, cliffs, boulders, and pitch-black rocks. It lies on a mountain, which is covered with silver-like snow in winter, hence the name “Silver Mountain”. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties it was one of the “eight greatest scenic spots of Beijing”. With 18 stupas remaining, it is a large scenic spot of historic interest.

The mountain used to be a famous Buddhist shrine in north China. As early as the Tang Dynasty it was the site for performing Buddhist rites, being rivaled by Gold Mountain in Jiangsu Province in south China. In the years of Yuanhe, eminent monk Deng Yinfeng gave lectures on Buddhism here. In the years of Tianhui in the Jin Dynasty, eminent monk Master Fojue arrived here to found Dayansheng Temple. Since then, the temple has been visited by numerous prominent monks; if anyone of them died here, a stupa would be built in his commemoration. Among the halls of the temple there are five brick stupas with closely set eaves, under which the holy relics of eminent monks of the Jin Dynasty are buried. In the middle is the stupa of Master Youguo Fojue; on the left, that of Master Huitang Youguo Fojue in the front and that of Master Xujing in the back; on the right, that of Master Yixing in the front and that of Master Yuantong in the back. Together with the temple structures they form a relatively concentrated pagoda forest. These stupas, in a beautiful, vigorous style, with exquisite brick carvings, are among the most precious of remaining ancient pagodas in China.

In the Yuan Dynasty and later dynasties, the temple was repeatedly enlarged and altered. In the 4th lunar month of 1429 (the 4th year of Xuande, in the Ming Dynasty), Wu Liang, a eunuch in charge of construction, donated a huge sum for the rebuilding of Dayansheng Temple. The work was completed in the 2nd lunar month in 1437 (the 2nd year of Zhengtong). In the same year, Emperor Yingzong conferred on it the name “Fahua Temple”. At that time, the temple was a complete complex made up of a main portal, five halls, a zendo (meditation room in a Buddhist monastery), an abbot's house, and a mess hall. In its vicinity there are a number of smaller temples known as “the 72 temples”.

Over four dynasties——Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing, many monks' tomb pagodas were built, most of which were Lama pagodas shaped like inversed bowls. Their sizes varied from about one meter to about a dozen meters. Some were built within the walls of the temple, while others were built somewhere else at the foot of the mountain. A folk saying goes that one can never count the pagodas on the Silver Mountain. One of them, shaped like a mushroom, stands on the platform where Deng Yinfeng gave lectures on the Buddhist doctrine. It is said to be capable of warding off evil spirits; besides, as the folklore goes, if you suffer from pain in the waist or legs, you may have it greatly relieved by turning round the pagoda three times clockwise and three times anti-clockwise. That is why tourists still turn around it today.

Apart from the ancient pagodas, the mountain keeps many other historic sites, such as the tree where a Buddhist master hung his clothes on, Ancient Buddha Rock, Great Tiger Rock, Rocky Cave; there are also such scenic spots as “three verdant peaks”, “sunset on eastern mountain”, and “moon reflection in cold spring”.

In 1941, passing the mountain on their way to the Anti-Japanese stronghold to the north of Peking, Japanese invaders demolished all the buildings in the temple, and damaged the pagodas. Since the implementation of the reform and opening-up policy, with donations from the government and other sources, some of the scenic spots have been restored.

Extending to about a hundred li, the Silver Mountain boasts of magnificent scenery. Three lofty summits stand out among the peaks. The peaks, slopes and valleys are completely covered with pines, cypresses, and large groves of oaks, pears, chestnuts, and walnuts. With a good environment, high negative ion level and fresh air, the mountain is an ideal place for pondering on the past, cultivating one's mind and temperament, exercising, and sightseeing.

Panjiayuan Antique Market lies to the southwest of Panjiayuan Bridge, East 3rd Ring Road South, Chaoyang District. It covers an area of 48,500 square meters, of which 26,000 square meters are for business. It mainly deals in antiques and old articles, handiwork, collections, and decorative articles, with an annual business volume of RMB several hundred million. There are over 4,000 shops in the market, with nearly 10,000 dealers, 60% of whom come from 28 provinces, cities, and autonomous regions outside Beijing and over a dozen nationalities such as Han, Hui, Manchu, Miao, Dong, Uigur, Mongolian, and Korean.

This spontaneous market came into being in 1992 as a roadside market. As trade in folk antiques and handiwork grew, it had become a large antique and handiwork market spreading folk culture in 2002. Many Chinese antique collectors believe that they started their career in Panjiayuan. A visit to the market has become as important a part of a foreigner's tour in Beijing as the Great Wall, the roast duck, and the Palace Museum.

The shops in the market are open every day, while the stalls operate on weekends. This is the most attractive antique market in the country. On weekends the number of customers reaches 60,000~70,000 a day, including over 10,000 foreigners. Here tourists with different skin colors, speaking different languages, from different classes, and having different beliefs are intermingled. Dozens of important foreign politicians, such as Hilary Clinton, Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives Dennis Hastert, Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, Romanian Prime Minister Nastase, Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga, and Thai Princess Sirindhorn have visited the market and bought things here. Some of them spend a very long time here, stopping before every stall.

The market has the greatest variety of collected articles in the country. Common kinds for sale are: ancient-style furniture, traditional stationery, ancient books, paintings, calligraphic works, old books, agate, jade, porcelain, Chinese and foreign coins, bamboo, wood, or bone carvings, shadow play masks, Buddhist articles, ethnic costumes, and relics of the Cultural Revolution.

The market is the largest distributing center of folk handicrafts, including snuff bottles made in Hengshui, Yangliuqing New Year paintings, embroidery made in Jiangsu, wood carvings from Dongyang, stone carvings from Quyang, shadow play paraphernalia from Shandong, porcelain and crystal ornaments from Jiangxi, boccaro wares from Yixing, bronze wares from Shaanxi, costumes from Yunnan, Tibetan Buddhist articles, white jade from Xinjiang, and Jiaozhi pottery from Taiwan. These folk handicrafts are gathered in the market before being distributed all over the world.

In 2004, at the prize-awarding ceremony of the first Annual Top Ten Lists of Collection in China, the market was elected one of the top ten antique markets in China.

Address:No. 18 Huaweili, Chaoyang District, Beijing

Niujie Mosque is a historic site under national protection. Standing in Niujie Street in Xuanwu District. It is one of the oldest and best preserved mosques in China.

Historical records show that the mosque dates back to 996 A.D., or the 14th year of Tonghe reign in the Liao Dynasty. It was expanded in the early Yuan Dynasty. In 1474, or the 10th year of Chenghua reign in the Ming Dynasty, the emperor conferred on it the name “Libaisi” (Mosque). After its renovation in 1696 (the 35th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign in the Qing Dynasty), a plaque was hung above the gate that said “Libaisi, Conferred by the Emperor”. Most of its existing buildings were built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

The mosque covers an area of about 6,000 square metes. Grand, solemn, and secluded, it is a classic of ancient Chinese architecture, a combination of traditional Chinese palace and the Arabic mosque. It has a symmetrical layout with a central axis. Before the west-facing gate there is a brick screen wall. Its main buildings are: Wangyue Tower, the chapel, and the minaret.

The chapel, which can house over 1,000 worshipers, is a perfect combination of traditional Chinese hall and Arabic decorative art. Supported by five front columns, it is has 42 bays in 7 halls, which are divided into 3 sections. The total floor space is over 600 square meters. Between the 18 main columns inside the chapel, which are decorated with golden patterns of vine-entwined peonies, are formed 21 Arabic-style pointed arches. Next to the arches are gilded inscriptions of the texts of the Koran and psalms on Allah and Mohammed in Arabic. The red floor is exquisitely decorated with gilded patterns. Next to the chapel stands a minaret for calling Muslims to prayer. On the east of the south sermon hall are the tombs of two Shaykhs. Made of bricks in the Yuan Dynasty they were renovated in modern times. Shaykhis a deferential title for aged, virtuous scholars of Islam. In the tombs are two Arabic priests that had preached in China. The well-preserved Arabic epitaph is a valuable cultural relic.

On the Festival of Fast-breaking, a traditional Islamic festival, Muslims come to the mosque for worship before they wish each other happiness and present to each other sacred oil and incense.

Address:No.88 Niujie, Xuanwu District, Beijing

Mutianyu Great Wall is located in the Huairou District of Beijing, about 17 kilometers to the northwest of Huairou after taking the Jingshun Road. It is a scenic spot integrating both the historical and cultural heritage and natural scenery.

The Mutianyu Great Wall was built in the Ming Dynasty by Xuda, the general of Zhu Yuanzhang who was the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty. It was later rebuilt by Qi Jiguang. With more than 600 years of history, it is the best preserved section of the Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty. In 1983, it was repaired. In April, 1988, it was formally opened to the tourists. It has won the titles of “One of the Sixteen Sceneries of the New Beijing”, “Number One in the world among Beijing’s scenic spots”. On November 11, 1990, Jiang Zeming inscribed the words “Mu Tianyu Great Wall”.

Connecting to Juyong Pass and Badaling in the west and Gubeikou and Jinshanling in the east, this section of Great Wall is winding and curveting among the Yan Mountains. It was built on the steep mountain ridges, occupying the commanding points, establishing watch towers on the top of mountains, valleys, and bayous. The lowest point is 486 meters and the highest point is more than 800 meters above the sea level, so it is called by the Great Wall experts as “Impregnable Pass on Dangerous Mountain Ridges”. This section of Great Wall was called “Skyscraping Valley (Motianyu in Chinese)”, showing that the mountain ridges in this area are high and steep. Maybe the word “Motian” gave offense to the emperor, while the system of “Tuntian” (Communal field) was applied, so the name “Mutian” was adopted. The opened section of Mutianyu Great Wall is 3000 meters in length, and there are altogether 26 watch towers and soldiers' rooms. The Great Wall's structure is unique, with crenels on both sides of it. The crenel is the highest place only second to the stage and watch towers. In the shape of teeth, having the same sizes and directions, and distributed evenly, the crenels are mainly used as the blindage to overlook, as well as the place to shoot arrows, logs and stones. The watch tower, no matter what size it is, is divided into the upper layer and the lower layer. There is a zigzag channel in the lower layer, with arrow windows around. There are arrow towers built on some watch towers. The lofty Zhengguan Tower of Mutianyu Great Wall is very unique in style, with a portal at the lower level and three hollow watch towers connecting to each other. It looks like a pass in the short distance and a city in the long distance. There is the interior branch city about 1000 meters long to the east of Zhengguan Tower, with watch tower built on it. The exterior branch city is connected to the Muzi Eleventh Stage. The section to the west of Zhengguan Tower includes “Beijing Knot” Great Wall, the sights of “Arrow Buckle” and “Upside-down Flying Eagle”, and Tianxianyu Pass, Pearl Spring, Cliff Stone Carving, etc. The plantation of Mutianyu Great Wall is rich in types, with more than 200 old and famous trees around including “Greeting Pine”, “Aix galericulata Pine”, “Crown Pine”, etc. The plantation coverage rate inside and outside the Great Wall is above 96%, including aspen, birch, Chinese pine, arborvitae and fruit trees such as Chinese chestnut, pear, mountainous apricot, hill haw and walnut, etc. The rich plantation and beautiful sights allow Mutianyu enjoy the fame of “Best Sight in Great Wall”.

Since 1988, traditional activities, such as climbing the Great Wall to watch the sunrise on the New Year's Day, visiting parks and appreciating flowers in the spring, and climbing the Great Wall and visiting gardens in the fall, were held every year. In 1995, it received the representatives of World Conference on Women. In 2004, it undertook the torch relay activities of Athens Olympics. In 2006, International Cultural Festival was held in Mutianyu Great Wall, including a series of activities of International Photography Contest, International Great Wall Cultural Forum, Camping Concert and World Culture and Art Week, etc. Since its opening, tens of famous foreign politicians such as former American President Clinton, former British Prime Minister Major, as well as many Chinese leaders, such as Li Peng, Zhu Rongji and Wu Bangguo, have paid a visit there.

No.1 Cable Car of the Great Wall:The ropeway of the cable car is 723 meters long, and the height at the end of the ropeway is 640 meters. There are 58 automatic open-and-shut carriages, and the volume of passengers one way is 1800 heads per hour. The operation system is fully automatic, safe, comfortable and quick, so it enjoys the reputation of “No.1 Cable Car of the Great Wall”.

At the foot of the Great Wall, China Dream Stone City occupies 33,000 square meters. More than 20,000 cubic meters of rare stones have been collected here, placed in the three scenic spots of Mutian Shuilin Cave, Queer Stone Park, and Rare Stone Grand Sight Building. There are almost 1,000 sights including “First Stone in the World”, “Galloping Horses”, “Lion Welcoming Guests”, “Roc Spreading the Wings”, “Summit Piercing into the Sky”, “Five-old-man Peaks”, etc.

Speed Slide way:Commonly called as “Sleigh on the Dry Land”, it is a transportation vehicle combining sports and recreation. The total length is 1580 meters, and the highest speed might reach 30 kilometers per hour.