China Travel Reference

Tian Anmen Square

Tian Anmen Square is the largest city center square in the world, about 440,000 square meters. In the Ming and Qing dynasties it was the front Courtyard of the Forbidden City, but smaller in size and was a T-shaped square. On the both sides of that square, all the government offices were arranged according to the concept of “civil offices on the east and military offices on the west”. But when the last dynasty collapsed, all the buildings on the square were destroyed. After the founding of the People’s Republic

of China, large renovation work took place. Especially during 1959, on the Square two important buildings were built. One is the Great Hall of the People on the west, another is the Museum of Chinese history and Museum of Chinese revolution on the east.
Tian’an Men Square actually got its name from the grand gate that standing on the north side of the square, which is called Tian’an Men, means gate of heavenly peace. Tian’an Men Gate originally was one of the front gates of the Forbidden City and is a two-story building, five gates in the lower part and one wooden palace on the top. In the center of the square it is the Monument to the People’s Hero, built with marble stone in 1950s. From the monument southward, there stands the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao, built in 1977. From the memorial hall continue southward, there stands two ancient gates, one is called Zhengyang Gate, another Archery Gate. They were both old gates of the Forbidden City. The night scene of Tian’an Men Square is definitely a MUSAT for any visitor to Beijing.

Ming Tombs

Ming Tombs is located in Changping district about 70 kilometers away northward from downtown. It is the largest imperial cemetery in the world where so many emperors and empresses were buried. The Ming Tombs was first built in 1409 for the wife of the third emperor of the Ming dynasty. From then on, all the emperors followed the suit and had theirs tombs built there.
Taking an area about 40 square kilometers, the Ming Tombs are made up of 13 large tombs for 13 emperors and some symbolic buildings,such as the stone memorial gate –Pailou in Chinese, the big Red Gate, Beilou, a tower covering a huge tablet, as well

as the stone statues on the both sides of the Sacred Road. Among 13 larger tombs, there are two tombs open to tourists; one is Changling, another Dingling. In 1956 the Dingling was excavated and lots of burying objects were founded. Now the Dingling is mainly made up of two parts, three exhibition rooms and one underground palace, some burying objects are on display. The Changling only has one grand wooden palace above ground, but now it serves as an exhibition room.

Combining Chinese traditional Yinyang and Fengshui theory, the Ming Tombs exhibits a different culture concerning tombs, burial ceremony and the belief of the afterworld. All these make it unique and a priceless treasure of world. In 2003 the Ming Tombs was added on the List of World Heritage by UNESCO.

The Site of Peking Man

The Site of Peking Man is located at Zhoukoudian Village about 48 kilometers south west of Beijing.

The Chinese ape-man, also known as Peking Man, lived some 690,000 years ago in mid-period of Pleistocene epoch. In December 1929, a Chinese archaeologist discovered the fist complete skull of Peking Man. Later, large-scale excavation followed for several
times. Fossils of men and vertebrates were found. Of men fossils alone, a total of 152 pieces were unearthed, as well as 100,000 pieces of stone implements,charred bones and ashes. The Site of Peking Man provide not only a valuable scientific basis for the study of the origin and development of mankind but also an important base for research in the

origin of human species.
Now, exhibition there is divided into three sections. The first section shows the animal world before man and the evolution of life from lower to higher stages. The second section explains the origin and development of mankind by the models of Peking Man, theirs stone implements and ashes of using fire. The third section shows the research results on vertebrate paleontology and paleoanthropology.

In 1987, the UNESCO had the Peking Man Site enlisted on the List of the World Heritage.