Beijing Bike Tour in Hutong

We will meet you at the hotel in the morning, then we will visit Tian’anmen Square. It is 500 meters wide and 880 meters long. Covering an area of 440,000 square meters, it can accommodate one million people. Hundreds of years ago, Tian’anmen Square was an imperial square and surrounded by walls on three sides. The ordinary people were not allowed to go into it. But now, everyone can visit it. There are many grand buildings on this square. For example, made of 17,000 granite rocks and white marble rocks, the Monument to the People’s Heroes is the largest monument in the history of China. It was built by many skillful craftsmen under the guidance of a group of excellent Chinese architects, artists and historians. The construction of this building lasted for several years and was completed in 1958.

After that, we will visit the Forbidden City (closed each Monday). During the Ming and Qing Dynasty(1368-1912), it was an imperial palace, where 24 emperors had lived. It was built from 1406 to 1420. The Forbidden City is surrounded by a ten-meter high wall that stretches for 3,400 meters. Outside the wall, there is a moat, about 52 meters wide. People usually call the moat Tongzi River. Six hundred years ago, people built the moat mainly for protecting the Forbidden City from the enemy’s attacks. In ancient China, the bow and arrow were the best weapons, and the arrows could be shot to a place as high as 52 meters. So the moat was also built with a height of 52 meters. Besides, the moat played great role in putting out the fire. Inside the Forbidden City, there are thousands of rooms, and most of them are made of wood, which are easy to catch fire. If there is a fire in the Forbidden City, this moat could provide enough water for putting out the fire in time.

Then, we will take a walk in the Temple of Heaven. The area of it is 2.73 square kilometers. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Temple of Heaven was first built in 1420 and experienced reconstruction for many times during the Qing Dynasty(1636-1912). It mainly consists of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest and the Circular Mound Altar. Many people might wonder what they were used for and why ancient people built this. Chinese ancestors thought heaven raised everything on the earth. For example, the sunshine and rain from heaven make the crops grow. Therefore, people built altars to worship heaven for a good blessing to the world. The Temple of Heaven was a royal place for the emperor to worship heaven. Every year, grand sacrificial ceremonies would be held in the Temple of Heaven, which was regarded as a way for the emperor to communicate with the heaven.         

After lunch, we will enjoy our Beijing bike tour in Hutongs. Hutongs refer to a kind of unique and narrow alleys. The history of Hutongs can date back to the Yuan Dynasty(1271-1368). These alleys are different in shapes, length and width, for example, the longest Hutong in Beijing is more than three kilometers and the shortest Hutong is less than 30 meters. For so many various Hutongs, cycling is the most flexible way to visit Hutongs without being too tired. In addition to admiring these Hutongs, we can also arrange a family visit for you. The guide will take you to visit one local family to get to know the real lifestyle of local residents. Besides, if you are interested in Chinese art or food, we can also arrange special class for you to learn to cook Chinese dishes, learn Chinese calligraphy or learn paper-cutting.

Free time suggestion:

If time allows, you can visit one of the most popular Hutongs - Nanluoguxiang(South Gong and Drum Lane), about 800 meters long. On each side of the lane, there are eight parallel Hutongs. As the only well-preserved Hutong of the Yuan Dynasty, it is also a busy and fashionable street. People usually go shopping, taste snacks and drink coffee in the street. The buildings here boast gray walls and gray roofs. The local people are hospitable. You can enjoy a relaxing time here.

Forbidden City

Temple of Heaven

Author: Yalin Zhao

Proofreader: Yan Liu