- Yonghegong Lama Temple
- The Temple of Heaven
- The Summer Palace
- The Forbidden City
- Jingshan Park
- The Great Wall of China
- Beijing Zoo
- The Mao Zedong Mausoleum
- Tiananmen Square
- The Great Hall of the People
- The National Museum of China
- Beijing Black Bamboo Park - Zizhuyuan
- Tanzhe Temple Beijing
- Beijing Hutongs
- Niu Jie - Ox Street - The Muslim Quarter
- « BACK TO MAIN
See Also...
Beijing Travel Insurance
We strongly advise you purchase comprehensive travel insurance before you leave. BME can recommend JS Insurance for travellers from the UK and AIG Travel Guard for travellers from the USA.
Learning Chinese Online
If you’re interested in learning a little Chinese to make your trip easier, Beijing Made Easy highly recommends signing up to the free trial from Chinese Pod
– all you have to give them is your name and email address.
Beijing Zoo
Beijing Zoo – ideal for human-cubs
Beijing Zoo (Bĕijīng dòngwùyuán – 北京动物园) celebrated 100th anniversary of its foundation in 2006. According to Zoo officials, Beijing Zoo has the greatest variety of animals of any zoo in China, with over 900 species and 10,000 animals. It is also China’s biggest.
If you’re near the zoo you might enjoy a wander around nearby Black Bamboo Park
Some of Beijing Zoo’s animals are seasoned international travellers- some travelling abroad on diplomatic mating missions, others having been donated to the zoo by heads of state. Rhinos were donated by the US in gratitude for China’s gift of two pandas. Elephants have been donated by various countries, including two Vietnamese elephants which allegedly participated in the Vietnam War transporting munitions.
Related Link:
Travel to Beijing – See the best of Beijing with our Beijing Tour packages. Over 50 years experience.
Tailor Made to your needs & Unbeatable value for money!
Beijng Zoo is huge, covering an area of around 90 hectares. There are plenty of animals native to China, but there are also the usual crowd-pullers like zebras, polar bears and kangaroos in areas dedicated to the animals of Africa and Australasia
Adults may be somewhat put off by the conditions some of the animals are kept in, a lot of enclosures are little more than concrete cells. ‘Trophy animals’, like the pandas, enjoy much more comfortable surroundings.
If you need something to entertain the kids for a few hours, then the zoo is really unbeatable.
The grounds of the zoo are quite pleasant, with trees, a stream, flower gardens and pavilions.
The newly opened Beijing Aquarium is part of the Zoo and gets rave reviews. Tickets are 100Y, but once you’ve bought that you can get into the rest of the zoo for free.
Beijing Zoo Practical Info
The zoo itself is to be found on the outskirts of the city centre, a reasonably signposted 1km (15 min) walk from Xizhimen subway. Alternatively, a taxi from the city centre should cost less than 50Y.
Opening times:
April 1 – October 31: Open 7:30——18:00
November 1 – March 31: 7:30——17:00
Admission is 15Y Apr-Oct, 10Y Nov-Mar.
The panda enclosure costs 5Y extra.
There is a student discount (to 8Y), but it only applies to students at Chinese institutions.
Beijing Hotels
Great discounts on Beijing hotels
Beijing hotels – from backpacker hostels to elegant courtyard hotels, Beijing Made Easy gives you the lowdown on where to stay and how to book it – Beijing hotels made easy.
Beijing Flights
Flights to Beijng from around the world
Beijing Flights – flying times and getting to Beijing Capital Airport, flight booking and who to fly with – everything you need to make Beijing flights easy.
Beijing Attractions
What to see and do around Beijing
Wonder at the Great Wall, be awed by the magnificent Forbidden City, drink in the scenery from a boat on the Summer Palace’s Kunming Lake.
