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Plan your Beijing tour? Beijing is the capital city of China that has seen...
Two decades ago there were no such modern architectures as the CCTV Headquarters by Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren of OMA and no Giant Egg (The National Center for the Performing Arts) by French architect Paul Andreu.
A great way to enjoy Beijing is to see it when night falls with changing skylines and dazzling neon lights. Spare one night for a dreamy night tour of Beijing. We’ve selected the top 10 most iconic night views in Beijing. Or you may have your own version of the most beautiful night scenes in Beijing.
The city of Beijing looks gorgeous seeing it change from dusk to sunset, and to the nightfall with bright neon lights around the city below.
The landscapes – China World Hotel, CCTV New Office Tower and the bustling Chang’an Avenue and more – Beijing’s Central Business District ), and night view is dazzling, every minute making you intoxicated.
China Grill is one of the highest restaurants in Beijing and it is located on the 66th floor, Park Hyatt Beijing, No.2 Jianguomen Outer St., Chaoyang, Beijing where you can have a clear view of CBD. Recommended cuisines: Seafood platter, Appetizer bread, mashed Potatoes, Black pepper lobsters and more.
It is dubbed as the capital’s hottest fashion destination and the coolest place to hang out.
Taikoo Li Sanlitun is an open shopping district consisting of 19 low-density contemporary buildings. Sanlitun Taikoo Li itself represents a cultural gathering, so it’s all about people: creating art and leading fashion as well as enjoying food, shopping and fun.
Subway: take subway line 10 and get off at at the station of Tuanjiehu (团结湖), and exit from Exit A, 500 meters to the west; take Line 6 to Dongdaqiao Station （东大桥）, exit B, 700 meters to the north.；take Line 2 to Dongsishitiao （东四十条）Station, exit from Exit C.
Beijing National Stadium, billed as “Bird’s Nest”, is located in the center of Beijing Olympic Park. It was the site for the opening and closing ceremony for the Olympic Games in 2008. It was the place where Usain Bolt of Jamaica broke the world record by winning both the 100 and 200 gold medals at the Olympics.
National Aquatics Center, popular known as “Water Cube”, is located just beside Bird’s Nest. It is “cube”” because of its semi-transparent “bubbles” spread out all over its surface with a shape very similar to the structure of “H2O”.
North of Tiananmen Square is Beijing Tiananmen Tower ( Gate of Heavenly Peace ) . The tower sits on the platform which is a building with double-eave roof and yellow-glazed tiles. It has five archways with the middle gate used as the passage for Ming and Qing emperors.
Though not allowed to enter Forbidden City for a night view, people still have the opportunity to see Forbidden City’s night beauty. You may walk to the moat along on the northern wall of Forbidden City.
The night view of the turrets of Forbidden City is stunning with traditional buildings coated with lights.
It is one of the 4 most important landmarks in Beijing. The egg-shape theatre is absolutely worth having a glimpse. It was designed by French architect Paul Andreu. Construction started in December 2001 and the inaugural concert was held in December 2007.
The total cost for its construction is said to be over RMB 3 billion. The theatre has total 5473 seats with each seat costing about half million! The exterior of the theater is a titanium accented glass dome that is completely surrounded by a man-made lake. It just likes like an egg cut half.
“Shichahai”, literally “Ten Temple Lake”, actually refers to a large historical area (147 hectares) including the present three lakes – Houhai (Back Lake), Qianhai (Front Lake) and Xihai (West Lake) in the north of the central Beijing.
There used to be 10 temples in the area, hence the name of “Shichahai”. Some of the temples are still there, including Guangji Temple, Huitong Temple, Huoshen Temple, Guangfu Guan ( a taoist temple ), etc.
Acclaimed as “Historical and Cultural Scenic District” by the municipal government of Beijing in 1992, Shichahai has become one of the much-visited place equivalent of other highlights in Beijing such as Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace and the Great Wall of China.
Shichahai is a place where modernity meets tradition – historical hutongs and courtyards; trendy bars and restaurants. It is also a scenic area with willow lined lakes – boating in summer and skating in winter.
Shichahai is a delight to explore either on foot or by bike. You’ll need 2 0r 3 hours to savour the picturesque Shichahai which is often called “Houhai” by foreign visitors.
Shichahai in different seasons or even at different times of a day give you different views and activities. Shichahai at night is most attractive with great fun – neon lights, crowded and bustling, stuffed with all way of bars, restaurants, stalls and gifts shops. It is an entertaining place to browse. In a word, Shichahai is an ideal hangout on your Beijing night tour no matter.
The over-1000 meter Guijie ( Gui Jie) is located between Dongzhimen Subway Station of Line 2 and Bexinqiao Subway Station of Line 5. So you may walk from Dongzhimen Station or Beixinqiao Station to the brilliant food street with Beixinqiao being closer.
Gui Jie ( Ghost Street 簋街) is an almost 24-hour food street with many eateries on both sides. It is quite popular with local Beijing people, expats, tourists, etc. Almost all the restaurants here are decorated in red – red store-front plaques, red lanterns and red lights with great vibe, a great place for friends, families and couples all to meet for dinner here.
The bright red lanterns hanging at the restaurant fronts and over sidewalks pose stunning views at night, an interesting iconic night view in Beijing.
If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for guided tours to Beijing:
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