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Beijing Attractions

The Temple of Xiannong

The Temple of Xiannong is located on the west side of Beijing's central axis line and opposite the Temple of Heaven. It was built in the Ming Dynasty nearly 600 years ago.

Xiannong was the god of agriculture. At the beginning of the agricultural season every spring, emperors came to the t...

The Temple of Xiannong is located on the west side of Beijing's central axis line and opposite the Temple of Heaven. It was built in the Ming Dynasty nearly 600 years ago.

Xiannong was the god of agriculture. At the beginning of the agricultural season every spring, emperors came to the temple and performed rituals to ensure a bountiful harvest.

The Temple of Xiannong is a typical temple complex of China's ritual architecture. Besides the God of Agriculture, there were some other gods such as the God of Mountains, Jupiter and Wind that were worshipped here. These deities are mostly gods of nature who might help with good harvests."

At the end of China's dynastic period, the Temple of Xiannong stopped serving as a place of worship and was used for several other functions. For almost 100 years, it served as a park, a market, a school and a factory, but its achitecture was well maintained.

Renovation of the temple started in the late 1980s, and it was opened to the public as the Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum in 1991. The major renovations were completed by 2003 and the main buildings were restored to their original appearances

Only a few visitors a day come to the Temple of Xiannong, quite a contrast to the hordes that crowd into the other four temples. But Xiannong's relative quietness lets them carefully appreciate the buildings and ancient culture.

As the altar of sacrificing the God of Agriculture, the temple complex has less adornments than other palaces in Beijing. Although it is not as magnificent as the Forbidden City, it is really decent and definitely worth a visit."

The museum hosts year-round architectural exhibitions with artifacts, photos of historical buildings and elaborate models on display. Professional architects and people interested in architecture come here often to learn about and admire China's ancient architecture.

The Temple of Xiannong is not just a place for appreciating the marvelous creativity of ancient people, but also a venue for educational and ex-curricular activities. It provides exhibitions and activities for youngsters to learn about China's history and architecture.

As a theme museum, the temple is not as well-known as the Temple of Heaven or the Forbidden City. But if you are fed up with the crowds and noise at the more popular temples and other sites, the Temple of Xiannong is undoubtedly a good place to visit. You can enjoy the peaceful atmosphere or just sit quietly in the courtyard and imagine what it was like here hundreds of years ago.

Hongluosi

Hongluo Temple scenic spot covers an area of 8 square kilometers integrating the natural landscape with manmade features. It consists of two part: two scenic spots and three Buddhist areas.
    Two scenic spots refer to Hongluo Hill at the back of Hongluo Temple and Qinglong...

Hongluo Temple scenic spot covers an area of 8 square kilometers integrating the natural landscape with manmade features. It consists of two part: two scenic spots and three Buddhist areas.
    Two scenic spots refer to Hongluo Hill at the back of Hongluo Temple and Qinglong Hill to the east. Hongluo Hill, the natural barrier of the temple, has two peaks with an altitude of 813 meters. In spring you can enjoy bright-colored pediments and in autumn you can enjoy the red leaves all over the hill. In Qinglong Hill scenic spot there are maily ancient pines which boast an area of more than 1700 mu. Among which there are more than 10,000 ancient trees over 100 years old. It is one of the most important ancient trees group in Beijing. There are stone carvings of twelve annual animal signs and over 100 sets of stone tables and stone stools for tourists to have a rest in the ancient pinewoods. There the air is clear and fresh and the environment is quiet and tasteful. The air has a very high anion content. The gas emitted from the pines is good for people’s health. A saying goes around among the local people: If you stroll in the Arhat Valley once, all your disease will be removed. It is a good destination for tourists to keep healthy and relax themselves.
    Three Buddhist areas refers to Hongluo Temple , Boddhisattva Guanyin Temple and 500- Arhat Statues Garden. Hongluo Temple has a history of more than 1600 years. The temple was built at the foot of the mountain, facing to the south. Most buildings were built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. There is a main hall built in 3 tiers (The Hall of Heavenly Guardians, Grand Bodhisattva Hall, There Sages Hall) and four side halls in the east and west.(Faith Hall, Thousand-armed Goddess of Mercy Hall, Yaoshi Hall, Damo Hall) Buddhisattva Guanyin Hall is located on the halfway up the mountain. It takes half an hour to get there along the path for the climbers. There are the Gate Hall, Boddhisattva Guanyin Hall, Five-hundred-arhat garden, covering an area of 20 mu, is located in the ancient pinewoods of Archat Valley east of the temple. The stone statue of Maitreya is the center of the five-hundred-arhat garden. The archats are carved out of life-size bluestones. Each archat has different lifelike expressions.
    Hongluo Temple has relatively good tourist facilities. The Bamboo Fragrant Restaurant and the restautrant in Hongluo Hill Resort can accommodate a banquet over 500 guests. Hongluo Hill Resort located in the pinewoods, with the architecture of siheyuan(compond with houses around courtyard) and Japanese style log cabin. There are over 200 beds of different grade, a gymnasium , a Karaoke lounge and conference rooms. In the morning, you can stroll in the pinewoods breathing in fresh air and fully enjoying the relaxation, comfort and romance far from the city.
 

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Top Beijing Tours

$200 Per Day

Private Beijing Antique Shopping Tour with Lunch

Start your private tour with pickup from your central Beijing hotel, and meet your private guide. 
 
Hop inside your private, climate-controlled vehicle and travel to your first stop: Liulichang Antique Street. Situated in old Beijing, this history-steeped street is lined with stone shop-houses selling antique books, handicrafts, paintings, rubbings, glazed pottery, and other treasures. 
 
Hear about Liulichang’s history, and get advice from your guide as to the best shopping opportunities. Sift through the traditional shops and stands, and explore the side lanes (hutongs), where the shops still bear original Ming and Qing architectural features like ornately carved doors and upswept roofs. 
 
Next, drive to Panjiayuan Market, a so-called ‘weekend market’ that’s open daily. Weave through the throng of stands, perusing the huge array of antiques, curios, ceramics, Tibetan rugs, calligraphy, and other finds. 
 
After shopping here, refuel with lunch at a Chinese restaurant, and continue to Baoguosi Cultural Market, set around an old temple. Scour the courtyards of vendors hawking stamps, books, coins and jade, and get tips on scouting out and clinching the best deals from your guide. 
 
If time allows, squeeze in a visit to Hongqiao Market, a mall known for its pearl traders, and electronics, art, clothes, and accessories shops. Trawl for bargains, and haggle over pearls and other precious gems as perfect keepsakes of your time in Beijing. 
 
After seven hours, your tour concludes with a hotel drop-off.
$50 Per Day

One day tirp to Bajiao Zhai, a noticeable Danxia Landform.

This is a tailor-made trip for nature-lovers and fans of photography.  Danxia rock formation in the inland basin is a red rock debris, and later uplift due to the movement of the earth-crust, erosion of rocks by the water and weathering, which was dominant in the hillside to collapse back, kept down the rocks to form the red mountain block. This area was listed in the Natural Heritage of the world in 2009 by UNESCO. Bajiao Zhai Village is a combination of  strategic place, steepy mountian, elegant scenery and secluded remote. It is reputed as the "Soul of Danxia Landform". Here you can enjoy the sunrise or sunset and the sea-cloud. 1. I'll pick you up at 8:00 am in your hotel, and transfer to Bajiao Zhai Village by our private van. On the way, you can enjoy some terraced fields, bamboo groves and the wooden residences of the natives.(3.5 hours by ride) 2. First, we'll visit the village and have lunch in the village, and then we'll hike the mountains, the scenery including the group of snails looking up the sky, the ancient trail, Eye-stone, Joss stick of dragon's head and the Treasured sword Peak.(4 hours by hike) 3. After appreciating the sunset, after dinner in Ziyuan county, we'll take the bus back to your hotel around 10:00 pm.