Beijing is a city of many firsts. Apart from being the political capital of China, its history dates as way back as 3 millennia. It is the last of the four ancient capitals of China that include; Nanjing, Luoyang, and Chang'an (Xi'an). The city boasts some of the most historic architectural marvels in the world.

Beijing is a city of many firsts. Apart from being the political capital of China, its history dates as way back as 3 millennia. It is the last of the four ancient capitals of China that include; Nanjing, Luoyang, and Chang'an (Xi'an). The city boasts some of the most historic architectural marvels in the world. Below are a couple of them.

1. The Great Wall of China

This is a series of stones and bricks that makes one of the most historic fortifications. It is more majestic than the English castles and French Chateaus. The wall was between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. Although very little of the original wall remains, it is still a very significant UNESCO world Heritage Site. The wall as we know it today was built by Ming Dynasty emperors.

2. The Forbidden City

This was the imperial palace for the Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty. It was built from 1406 to 1420 and has 980 buildings that cover 720,000 square meters. This building has had a major cultural influence in the whole of Asia. It is said that palace was built by over 1 million men. Today, it houses Palace Museum, one of the culturally richest museums in the world.

3. Summer Palace

This is an array of lakes, gardens and palaces that occupies 2.9 square kilometers, 70% of which is water. It is one of the most beautiful places on earth. The meticulous gardening and landscaping at Summer Palace makes it an ideal place to have a picnic and get insight into the lifestyles of the ancient Chinese.

4. Temple of Heaven

Situated on the southeastern part of Beijing, temple of heaven is part of a complex of buildings that are very central to the Buddhism religion in China. It is also referred to as Altar of Heaven.

Other attractions in Beijing include; Tiananmen Square, Yonghe Temple, Badaling, Matianyu, Beihai Park, Ming Dynasty Tomb and many more. Beijing is generally a modern city with an ancient district. If you ever want to sample how the peoples of yesteryears lived while living like a modern man, Beijing is a good place to start.