Beijing Central City Tour with Hutong Family Visit and Rickshaw

In the morning, our guide will pick you up from your hotel and start your day.

The first stop of our tour is the Temple of Heaven. The Temple of Heaven, a site for the emperors to worship Heaven and pray for good harvests, was built under the order of the Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The Emperor Jiajing held a coronation ceremony at the temple and ordered its reconstruction, hoping that Heaven would bless China. Not only does the temple embody majesty, but also it is now a good place for Beijingers to have leisure and entertainment activities. For example, you can watch the seniors practicing Tai Chi here.

After visiting the Temple of Heaven, we will come to Tian’anmen Square. Located in the center of Beijing City, with 440,000 square meters, Tian’anmen Square can accommodate up to one million people. As a witness to China’s decline and rise, it has experienced countless major historical events. The most important and magnificent activities here are the flag-raising ceremony in the early morning and the flag-lowering ceremony in the late afternoon. If you are interested, you could go there to watch the ceremony.

Then we will go to the Forbidden City(closed each Monday). The Forbidden City covers an area of 720,000 square meters. Since it is the most complete and largest wooden ancient building complex in China and even in the world, it is also known as “the top of the five palaces in the world”. As the palace of 24 Chinese emperors, it is a symbol of ancient China. Besides, the Forbidden City, or the Palace Museum, is the largest museum of ancient culture and art in China. When you visit the museum and see the collections, you will feel nothing but be amazed at the wisdom of the Chinese.

After the morning tour, we will take you to a local restaurant. After lunch, you will first have a Hutong tour. Hutong is a kind of unique ancient city lane in Beijing. So, some people also call Beijing’s culture “Hutong Culture”. When you visit the Hutong, you can take a rickshaw to experience the most authentic old Beijing lifestyle. We will also take you to visit some local families. There, you can have pleasant talks with local people. Beijingers are all very hospitable and welcoming so anything you wonder about Beijing can be answered here.

After the Hutong tour, we will go to the Summer Palace. The Summer Palace used to be the imperial palace and garden in the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912). Known as the “Royal Garden Museum”, it is a large-scale and well-preserved royal garden in China, with elegant scenery and numerous precious cultural relics. The Summer Palace is mainly composed of two parts, Kunming Lake and Longevity Mountain. The total area is over 290 hectares. Many of the attractions in the Summer Palace emulate some of the advantages of the gardens in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. When visiting, you can not only appreciate the magnificent palace buildings but also go boating on Kunming Lake. Enjoy yourself and you will be relaxed and even unwilling to leave.

Well, that’s the end of your one-day Beijing tour. Your private guide will take you to the airport according to your flight schedule. We hope you can choose us next time when you come to China!

Tian'anmen Square

Temple of Heaven

Author: Wang Qian

Proofreader: Carrie Zhang