Breakaway Destination Guides (International)

Beijing, China's capital city is the nation's political, economic, cultural and educational centre as well as being the country's most important international trade and communication centre. Rich in history, Beijing has been inhabited for more than 3,000 years, serving as the capital for at least 800 years through the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties.

It is a stunning combination of ancient splendours and modern delights. Thirty-four emperors lived and ruled here and their Imperial Palaces stand as a reminder of the strength of this vibrant country's past.

The Forbidden City (Go Gong) is the most grand and best preserved imperial palace complex in the world. Lying at the centre of Beijing it served as the imperial palace during both the Ming and Qing dynasties. Now called the Palace Museum it cover the northern half of Tiananmen Square. The world's largest Palace complex, the Palace Museum is a rectangular structure with 9.999 buildings covering 74ha (183 acres) and is surrounded by a 6metre (33ft) high wall with a gate on each side. Opposite the Tiananmen Gate is the Gate of Divine Might (Shenwumen) facing Jingshan Park. They are 960m (3,150ft) apart while the gates on the east and west walls are 750m (2,461ft apart. Delicate towers dot the four corners of the curtain wall, giving views of both the palace and the city outside.

The Forbidden City is divided into two parts. The southern sector or the Outer Court where the emperor exercised his supreme power over the nation and the northern section or the Inner Court where the royal family lived. Until 1924 when the last emperor, Puyi, was driven from the Inner Court. 14 Ming and 10 Qing emperors lived here.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Palace Museum is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world. Because yellow was the symbol of the royal family it was the main colours used in the Forbidden City. Roofs have yellow glazed tiles, palace decorations are painted yellow and even the brick paths are yellow. The exception is the royal library, Wenyuange, whose black roof represents water and so was believed to be able to extinguish fire.

In the western outskirts of the Haidian District 15km (9.3miles) from centre Beijing is another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Summer Palace. The largest and best preserved royal park, the Summer Palace is an archetypal Chinese Garden encompassing graceful landscapes, magnificent architecture and ancient art. Originally called 'Qingyi Gardens' (Gardens of Clear Ripples) its construction was begun during the Jin Dynasty (265-420) and continued to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) The luxurious garden provided the royal family with rest and entertainment. It was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1886 by the Empress Dowager Cixi.

Composed mainly of Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, the Summer Palace covers 294ha (726.5acres) three-quarters of which is water. Guided by nature, landscaped artists designed the garden to maximize view points from every angle. Centred on the Tower of Buddhist Incense (Foxiangge) the Summer Palace consists of over 3,000 structures including pavilions, towers, bridges and corridors.

The Summer Palace can be divided into four parts, each with its own character. Front-hill is considered the most magnificent, with the most impressive architecture. Rear-Hill and Back-Lake Area have tranquil landscapes, with dense green trees and winding paths. Front-Lake covers a large part of the Summer Palace, with stunning views of the lake and many exquisite bridges.

The Temple of Heaven is larger than the Forbidden City, but smaller than the Summer Palace with an area of c270ha (670acres) It as built in 1420 to offer sacrifice to Heaven. The northern part of the temple within the enclosed wall is semicircular symbolising the heavens and the southern part is square symbolising the earth.

Not only are the magnificent temples architecturally and artistically breathtaking there is also a fascinating structure famous for its acoustics. Enclosing the Imperial Vault of Heaven, Echo Wall has a perimeters of 193m (633ft) If you whisper facing the vault while standing on one side wall, you will be heard on the opposite side.

"To cultivate trees, you need 10 years. To cultivate people, you need 100 years."

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