Beijing transportation and tourism detailed map

Author: Yang Xiaoyan, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-10-01
Features: Beijing urban map, Beijing suburban map, administrative divisions, transportation, travel guide. Tiananmen Square is located at the center of Beijing, 880 meters long from north to south, 500 meters wide from east to west, with a total area of 440,000 square meters, capable of accommodating 1 million people at the same time. It is currently the largest city square in the world. Tiananmen Square was once a royal palace square in front of the Forbidden City during the feudal dynasty, surrounded by walls on the east, west, and south, forming a forbidden area for ordinary people. In 1958, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, more than 1,000 designers and architects participated in the design competition for the renovation project of Tiananmen Square. Over the years, it has been renovated several times to form its current layout: at the northern end of the square stands the magnificent Tiananmen Gate Tower, opposite which the national flag of the People's Republic of China is fluttering. In the center of the square stands the Monument to the People's Heroes and the solemn Mausoleum of Chairman Mao. On the west side is the Great Hall of the People, which is also the headquarters of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China. To the south are two ancient gate towers built in the 14th century—Zhengyang Gate and the Front Gate Arrow Tower. The entire square is magnificent, symmetrical, harmonious, and powerful in its grandeur.
Badaling Great Wall is located in the southern part of Yanqing County, Beijing, to the northwest of the urban area, 75 kilometers from the city center. Badaling Great Wall is a part of the magnificent ancient defensive project, the Great Wall of China, built in the 18th year of the Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty (1505). It was repaired during the Jiajing and Wanli eras of the Ming Dynasty. The terrain of this section of the Great Wall is steep, with a commanding view from high up, making it an important military pass and a crucial defense barrier for the capital, Beijing.
Badaling Great Wall winds through the towering mountains, built along the terrain, with ups and downs and winding extensions. Badaling is located outside the Juyong Pass, with two gates—the Eastern Gate (Juyong Wai Zhen) and the Western Gate (Beimen Suoyao). The gate city is narrower on the east and wider on the west. The Great Wall starts from the city platform of the "Beimen Suoyao" gate, built along the mountains. The walls vary in height, with an average height of about 7.5 meters and a top width of about 6 meters, capable of accommodating five horses abreast or ten people side by side. The walls of this section are paved with neatly arranged large flagstones, some of which are as long as 2 meters and weigh hundreds of jin. The interior is filled with soil and stones, and the top is covered with square bricks, making it very flat. High parapets 1.7 meters high are built on the outer side of the top, with observation holes on top and shooting holes below, and an inner parapet is also built. Every, a square fort-like watchtower is built along the wall. The watchtowers vary in height—higher ones are called "enemy towers," used for guarding and as quarters for soldiers, while lower ones are called "wall platforms," with heights similar to the walls but extending outward, surrounded by parapets, used for patrolling and sentry duty. Beacon towers, or smoke towers, are also set up at the high points, used as ancient facilities for transmitting warning signals.
Since October 1, 1995, every weekend, 650 colorful spotlights light up the 1,200-meter distance from the southern to the northern four beacon towers of Badaling Great Wall, creating a dazzling light show. The area is open to visitors from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM every evening.