Women-Friendly Travel in Beijing
The Beijing women-friendly travel guide places explicit women-friendly and family confidence signals first, while keeping uncertain details visible for review.
Beijing
Confucius Temple
This is a significant temple since it was built in 1306 to honor revered Chinese philosopher and thinker Confucius. The temple houses some ancient musical instruments worth looking at [Confucius thought music was key to self- development]; apart from that they are about 190 stele with Confucius' Classics inscribed on them. In the courtyard of the temple are inscribed the names of those students who secured top marks in the imperial examination during the different dynasties [the imperial exams were of prime significance since it was key to improving your position in society]. Students still come to burn incense and pray during the exam periods over here.
Beijing
The Big Bell Temple
Dating back to the 1700s this temple was used by Buddhists to pray for rain. It now houses the biggest bell [over 20 feet wide] built by any Chinese emperor as well as other bells dating back to the Yuan and Ming dynasties.
Beijing
Dong Yue Miao
This is one of the finest temples dedicated to Daoism. This was built in the early 1320s to honor the god Dong Yue thought to reside in the mountain known as Tai Shan. This god's duties entailed looking after the different levels of hell as well as after the over 70 departments each of which were dedicated to a specific cause such as accumulating wealth, pity/ sympathy, etc. Believers come to beseech the god to fulfill every wish of theirs and bring along with them various offerings.
Beijing
Temple of Past Emperors
This is the site where emperors belonging to the Ming and Qing dynasties made sacrifices to their dead ancestors. Unfortunately many of the features that made this temple unique and beautiful were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. These included the ancient wooden tablets that symbolized past rulers. Nevertheless it is still worth going to especially to catch a glimpse of the beautiful carved stele.
Beijing
Milu Park
This is a fantastic and enjoyable place for adults and children alike. It's a great place to view wildlife in conditions far different than those in a zoo. The Milu are a rare kind of deer which were on the verge of extinction towards the end of the Qing Dynasty. As a result of the efforts of Lord Bedford, Milu from all over Europe were brought to this Park and numbers have gone up significantly. The World Extinct Wildlife Cemetery should definitely be visited to learn more about other endangered species. Historically these grounds are important since this is where the Yuan, Ming and Qing rulers hunted and carried out military exercises.