Social activities & attractions in Beijing

After classes are over for the day, our program allows you plenty of time to discover your new country, culture and everyday life.

Our language courses are supplemented with a wide variety of fascinating opportunities to learn about Beijing and local culture. Activities could include: workshops in local music, food,Chinese calligraphy, Chinese painting, martial arts, qigong, taiji, and other subjects related to Chinese culture or society.

At the weekend many students can arrange to take optional excursions to local cities or local places of interest. Some of the most popular weekend trips include: The Badaling Section of The Great Wall, The Ming Tombs, Zheng Yang Gate (watch tower), Lu Gou Bridge (Marco Polo Bridge), LiuLiChang Cultural Street, Tian'anmen Square, Liyuan Theatre (Beijing Opera, known as "China's State Opera"), The Alter of the Sun, the Summer Palace.

Attractions & places to visit in Beijing

The Great Wall of China
One of the greatest wonders of the world, was enlisted in the World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987. The Great Wall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching approximately 6,700 kilometers (4,163 miles ) from east to west of China. With a history of more than 2000 years, some of the sections of the great wall are now in ruins or even entirely disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance. The Great Wall of China is only 75 km away from Beijing, please see excursion page for more details.

Tiananmen square
Located at the heart of modern Beijing - the scene of many historic events - Tiananmen Square was renovated during the first half of 1999, in preparation for the celebrations of the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. It now has two green areas, trees and subtle ground-level lighting. Attractions in the square include the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, where Mao Zedong's preserved body is on display, the Museum of the Revolution, and the Great Hall of the People.

Forbidden city
Built in the fifteenth century, the Forbidden City (or Palace Museum) is a vast complex of courtyards, halls, pavilions and gardens, which was home to 24 emperors from the Ming and Qing dynasties. It now houses a vast collection of priceless relics including paintings, ancient pottery and bronzes.

Temple of heaven
Just south of Tiananmen Square, the Temple of Heaven (located within Temple of Heaven Park), is China's largest temple complex, built in the fifteenth century and used for prayer by the emperor to ask for good harvests. The architecture of the temple is exquisite and the roofs are covered with blue glazed tiles. The grounds of the temple also contain the Echo Wall, which carries the merest whisper.

Lama temple
Located in the northeast of the city, the Lama Temple, built in the late seventeenth century, used to be a centre of learning for the Yellow Hat sect of Tibetan Lamaism. Today, there are about 70 monks (or lamas) in residence. The temple consists of a series of halls, connected by courtyards. An impressive 75-foot Maitreya, carved from a single sandalwood tree, stands in the furthermost hall, which is accessible to the public.

Drum tower and bell tower
Every Chinese city once had drum and bell towers that were used to advise citizens of the time of day and announce curfews. The Beijing Drum Tower, in the north of the city, was originally built in the thirteenth century and reconstructed around 1420 when the Bell Tower was first built. The towers, which are quite different in style, offer good views across Beijing.

Beihai park or jingshan (prospect park)
Beihai Lake covers almost half of the 67-hectare Beihai Park and is a popular place for skating in winter and boating in summer. Qiong Hua Island (Jade Flowering Island), in the southern end of the lake, is reached by an arched marble bridge and is home to a Tibetan Buddhist shrine (the White Dagoba) and the Temple of Eternal Peace. Located immediately to the north of the Forbidden City, Jingshan contains a hill, known as Coal Hill, which enjoys superb views over the golden rooftops of the imperial buildings. One of the five pavilions on the summit -Wan Chun Ting (Pavilion of Ten Thousand Springs) - used to be the highest point in the city.