Guozijian, or Imperial College, wa s the highe s t educ a t iona l administration in Yuan, Ming and Qing dynas t ies . Bui l t at the Chengxian Street in 1306, the college has three layers of courtyards where the buildings are perfectly symmetrical along the central axis. The college used to teach rites, music, law, archery, horsemanship, calligraphy and maths. It was the ideal and pride of all ancient Chinese scholars to enter the college.
Deshengmen Embrasured Watchtower
To the north of the western sea of Shichahai, the watchtower was built in 1439 of the Ming Dynasty. It is one of the best-preserved embrasured watchtowers in Beijing. Deshengmen was where the imperial troops set out to battle, and its name symbolizes victory.
White Pagoda Temple
The temple in Xicheng District was founded in 1271 and its site was chosen by Kublai Khan himself. The 50-m-tall white pagoda in the temple took eight years to build. It is one of the country"s oldest and biggest remaining pagodas of Tibetan Buddhism. The pagoda is an important landmark for Dadu, name of Beijing as the Grand Capital of Yuan Dynasty.
Dongyue Temple
At t h e Ch a o y a n gme n Outer Street, this is the bigge s t Taoi s t t empl e in northern China and features folk culture. First built in the early Yuan Dynasty, it enshrines the God of Mount Taishan. The temple has 376 rooms. Outside the front gate is a green glazed archway. It is said that the calligraphy on the archway was written by Yan Song, a cruel imperial minister of the Ming Dynasty. There are some 3,000 sculptures of various deities in Taoism and folklore. It is said the sculptures of Dongyue Temple are the best of its kind in the country
Guangji Temple
At No 25, Fuchengmen Inner Street, the temple is the site of China Buddhism Association and the center of the country"s Buddhist activities. First built in the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), the temple is known for strict doctrines. In its western part is a three-story white marble altar where novices are initiated into monkhood.
Five Pagodas Temple
On the northern bank of the Changhe River to the east of Baishiqiao outside Xizhimen, the temple preserves the country"s oldest and most intact pagodas with Buddha"s warrior attendants on the base. Indian Buddhist master Panditarama had many pleasant talks with Zhu Di (1360-1424), or Emperor Chengzu of Ming Dynasty. The emperor conferred him the title of "State Tutor" and granted him the place to build Zhenjue Temple. As there are five pagodas in the temple, it is commonly known as Wuta (Five Pagodas) Temple. The"Forest of Stone Carvings in Beijing" displayed inside and outside halls present a comprehensive history of stone carving in the city.
Wangfujing Catholic Church
The Catholic church is located to the east of the Wangfujing pedestrian street. The small square in front of the church has become a favorite choice of newly weds to take their wedding pictures.
Baiyunguan Temple
Outside the Xibianmen Gate, it is Beijing"s biggest Taoist temple and one of the country"s best preserved Taoist sites. Baiyunguan is one of three original temples for the Quanzhen Sect of Taoism. The Chinese Taoist Association is located here. First built in AD 739 of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), the temple is formed with four huge courtyards. Its name means "White Cloud Temple".
Niujie Street
On the eastern side of the middle of Niujie Street is the Niujie Mosque, the biggest and oldest Islamic mosque in Beijing. Dating back to AD 996 of the Liao Dynasty, the mosque of wooden structure f e a tur e s s t r iking I s l ami c decorations. There are two tombstones bearing Arabic inscriptions made in the 13th century. Another stone tablet dating back to 1496 of the Ming Dynasty carries Chinese and Arabic inscriptions about the founding of the mosque. T h e y p r o v i d e p r e c i o u s information for studying the history of Islam in China.
Tianqiao
Tianqiao is a general name for the area in the middle of Andingmen Inner Street of Xuanwu District. In history, the Tianqiao Fair was very popular among the local r e s ident s , who thronged there for various kinds of recreation and commodities.
Daguanyuan Garden
At Nancaiyuan of Xuanwu District, the garden is modeled upon the famous Daguanyuan described in the Qing Dynasty novel A Dream of the Red Chamber. Taking up 12.5 hectares, it features some 40 noted sites.
Baoguo Temple
Located on the northern side of Guang"anmen Inner Street, the temple was first built in the Liao Dynasty but collapsed in the early Ming Dynasty. In 1466, it was rebuilt and named Ci"en Temple. Local people call it Baoguo (Patriotism) Temple. It has become a market of antiques.
Lingshan Hill
Standing at 2,302 m above sea level, Lingshan is the highest mountain in Beijing. It has the biggest alpine meadow in the capital. But the local weather changes frequently. While it is sunny at the foot of the mountain, one might encounter a thunderstorm on the way to the mountain top. It is nicknamed Small Tibet for its height and cool weather. At 122 km away from downtown Beijing, the mountain is located at Qingshui Town of Mentougou District, bordering Zhuolu County of Hebei Province.
Site of City Wall for Yuan Capital Dadu
To the north of Xizhimen, visitors can find an earthen mound marked as the site of city wall for Dadu, the name of Beijing as the capital of Yuan Dynasty. The city wall, gate and other architectures no longer exist. But a narrow strip of garden lies from Mingguangcun crossroad to Guangmingqiao crossroad. In the past, the area was sheltered by giant trees and fog often lingered over the woods. It was one of the eight famous sights in Beijing.
Badachu
Lying on the southern slope of the Western Mountain, the famous site gained the name because of eight temples: Chang"an Temple, Lingguang Temple, Sanshan Nunnery, Dabei Temple, Longquan Nunnery, Xiangjie Temple, Baozhu Cave and Zhengguo Temple. The natural landscape and profound religious culture draw numerous visitors everyday.
Tanzhe Temple
