THE SPLENDOURS of BEIJING

Officially known as Beijing National Stadium it is colloquially referred to as Bird's Nest. The stadium was designed for use throughout the 2008 Summer Olympics & the Paralympics. The stadium was designed by a Swiss architecture firm & it resembles a bird's nest.

The Marble Boat is a lakeside pavilion on the grounds of the Summer Palace in Beijing.It was erected in 1755 during the reign of Emperor Qianlong perhaps the greatest of the Qing Dynasty emperors. During the Second Opium War it was destroyed in 1860 by Anglo-French forces & was restored in 1893 on the orders of Empress Dowager Cixi.

The Great Wall at Badaling is popular not just because of its proximity to Beijing it also offers a scenic & panoramic view of the country-side with rolling hills & gates previously manned by soldiers to watch for the encroaching barbarians.

The Great Wall at Badaling is the most frequently visited section of the Wall as it is only 80 kilometres north west of Beijing. It was built during the Ming Dynasty along with military outposts reflecting its strategic location. Yours truly also visited The Great Wall at Mutianyu which is also some 80 kilometres from Beijing. This section of the Wall is much older than that at Badaling as it was first constructed during the Northern Qi Dynasty (550 to 557 AD).It connects Juyongguan Pass in the west to Gubeikou Great Wall. The Wall here is hilly so there is a cable car option to access Mutianyu.

The Temple of Heaven is a complex of Taoist buildings in the south-eastern part of Beijing. The Temple of Heaven complex was first constructed by Emperor Yongle from 1404 to 1420. It was visited by the Ming & Qing emperors for annual ceremonies for prayers to the Heaven for good harvest, peace & prosperity

One the west of the Inner Golden Gate Bridge is the Hall of Supreme Harmony (Tai He Dian) which was established in the early days of the Min g Dynasty. This was the meeting place of the Ming Emperors with the officials

The Hall of Martial Valour (Wu Ying Dian)After entering thru' the Meridian Gate one will see the Inner Golden Gate Bridge. To the east of the bridge is the Gate of Supreme Harmony. To the west of the bridge is the Hall of Martial Valour.

The Wall separating The Forbidden City (Gugong) & TianAn'men Square. Beyond the Wall is Wumen or Meridian Gate, the Southern Gate to Gugong

TianAn'Men Square the largest square in the world which can accommodate more than a million people. The structure is the Monument to the Peoples' Heroes. The building is The Great Hall of the People which is China's Parliament.