
Beijing’s Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City
Beijing’s Tiananmen Square
and Forbidden City
No sights in Beijing are of such importance to its development than Tiananmen Square and
the nearby Forbidden City. Samples of classical Chinese architecture while
walking through history; nothing topples these sites in the capital.
WHY THIS TOUR?
Little of what Beijing the centre of it all during the earlier dynasties remains. The sights you are about to admire today, date back from either the Ming or later Qing dynasties. Modern city tower blocks and futuristic buildings are rising as the city takes on a transformation in line with the country’s economic boom. As one of the six ancient cities in China, Beijing has been the heart and soul of politics and society throughout its long history.
As a result, there is an unparalleled wealth of attractions to delight and intrigue visitors where the Tiananmen Square and the enclosed Forbidden City form the absolute epitome of a must-see. A morning walk in the footsteps of emperors in the Forbidden City and stroll through Tiananmen Square, the planet’s largest public plaza.



TRAIL ITINERARY
09:00 - 13:00
Before 9 am, your guide and driver welcome you warmly at your centrally-located Beijing hotel for the start of seeing what has been on must-see Beijing wish lists.
We commence at Tiananmen Square, one of the largest public square in the world. It was from the balcony of the Tiananmen Gate, that on October 1st 1949 Chairman Mao proclaimed the founding of the People’s Republic of China. His portrait on the south side of the gate still commemorates his spirit and leadership gazing onto Tiananmen Square. The square holds a strong symbolic meaning up until today with the Great Hall of the People and the granite obelisk (‘’The Monument to the People’s Heroes’), towering 125 feet high in the air as a symbol to those who perished during the revolution as the main points of interest.
Just crossing the busy street, you reach the main entrance to the Forbidden City. For hundreds of years, behind imposing walls over 10 metres high and surrounded by a moat 50 metres wide, complex rules and rituals dictated life in the Imperial Palace; a life that was a mystery and a wonder to ordinary Chinese people. Today, the gates of the Forbidden City lead to a fascinating display of Chinese history in what is arguably the best-preserved example of classical Chinese architecture. The Forbidden City holds no less than 9000 rooms, separated by courtyards, ceremonial halls, and special places that are now visible for outsiders. The main 170 acres area, the home for 24 emperors, is one of the most visited places in the capital. One often may still feel some solitude when walking around the more secluded corners.
Your driver for the morning waits for you at the exit and transfers you back to your hotel in Beijing.