Zhoukoudian (The Cave of Peking Man )

Zhoukoudian, situated 50 kilometers to the southwest of Beijing proper, is the former residence of Peking man, who lived here approximately 200,000 to 500,000 years ago. Since the discovery of a complete skull on December 2, 1929 , Zhoukoudian, which had more recently been noted for its production of lime, became world-famous as the "home of the Chinese ape-man." After the establishment of the People's Republic of China , the number of sightseers and scientists increased rapidly, and Zhoukoudian has become a great tourist attraction.

In addition, one can see the actual caves in which Peking Man and Hilltop Caveman lived. The cave at Site No.1 originally measured 140 meters from east to west. Its width was irregular and it had a height of more than 40 meters. The cave was first occupied approximately 500,000 years ago, and it is estimated that Peking Man maintained this residence over the course of a quarter of a million years.

 The Ming Tombs (Shisanling)

Although Beijing has been the capital of China for five dynasties, the only imperial mausoleums in the immediate vicinity of the city today are those of the Liao and Qing emperors are in the northeast China and in Hebei Province respectively. The tombs from the Jin Dynasty were destroyed at the end of the Ming Dynasty, and since the Mongol rulers of the Yuan Dynasty had no specific funeral rituals, there are no extant burial sites from this period.

The Ming tombs lie in a broad valley to the south of Tianshou (Longevity of Heaven) Mountain in Changping County , about 50 kilometers northwest of Beijing proper. To the southwest of this valley, a branch of the Yanshan Range suddenly to breaks off and forms a natural gateway to the 40-quare-kilometer basin in which the tombs were built. This gateway is "defended" on each side by the Dragon and Tiger hills, which are said to protect this sacred area from winds carrying evil influences. Thirteen out of the 16 Ming emperors are buried in this peaceful valley

Marco Polo Bridge (Lugouqiao)

"Over this river there is a very fine stone bridge, so fine indeed, that it has very few equals in the world."

(from The Diary of Marco Polo)

The Marco Polo Bridge is located 15 kilometers southwest of Beijing proper. Known also as the Guangli Bridge , it spans the banks of the Yongding River . According to historical records, the " Lugou River is also called the Heishui (Black Water) River." In the local dialect in ancient times, lu (reed) meant black; thus the Heishui River became known as the Lugou River , and the bridge was accordingly given the same name.

 

The Lugou Bridge is situated at a strategic point on the one overland route to the capital from the south. Bridge construction was begun in 1189 and completed four years later. The bridge is 235 meters long of white marble. It has 11 arches and as many broad piers. At the extremes of the bridge there are two stone stelae, one recording the history of the renovation work carried out in the reign of Emperor Kangxi (1662-1722), and the other bearing the inscription "The Moon over the Lugou Bridge at Dawn" in the handwriting of Emperor Qianlong

 The Ruins of the Yuanmingyuan (The Garden of Perfection and Light)

In a quiet section of the suburbs of Beijing to the northwest of Qinghua University , there once stood a complex of gardens known as the Yuanmingyuan. Built in the Qing Dynasty, this "garden of gardens" was made up of the Garden of Perfection and Light (Yuanmingyuan), and the Garden of Ten Thousand Springtimes (Wanchunyuan).

The work of building the garden went on over a period of 150 years, beginning in around 1700. The grounds had a circumference of 10 kilometers and occupied an area of more than 347 hectares. Of the hundreds of large and small buildings, which once stood here, all that remains are a few ruins in stone, a sorry reminder of past greatness.

 The Drum Tower and the Bell Tower

The Drum and Bell towers are situated at the northern end of the central axis of the Beijing Inner City to the north of Di' anmen Street.

The Drum Tower was built in 1272 during the reign of Kublai Khan, at which time it stood at eh very heart of the Yuan capital Dadu. At that time it was known as the Tower of Orderly Administration (Qizhenglou). In 1420, under the Ming Emperor Yongle, the building was reconstructed to the east f the original site and in 1800 under the Qing Emperor Jiaqing, large-scale renovations were carried out. In 1924, the name of the building was changed to the Tower of Realizing Shamefulness (Mingchilou) and objects related tot eh Eight-Power Allied Forces' invasion of Beijing and later the May 30th Massacre of 1925 were put on display. Nowadays, the upper story of the building serves as the People's Cultural Hall of the East City District.