A Taste Of Autumn In Beijing - 8 Must Sees

The autumn in Beijing is crispy and colorful, very different from that of Southern China. The fall season goes from mid-September to early November - the the best time to see the city and its surrounding area. If you are ever planning a fall trip to Beijing, here are 8 must-sees.

1. Shichahai (什刹海)

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The only open water scenery in the ancient capital! It is composed of Qianhai (Front Lake), Houhai (Back Lake) and Xihai (West Lake). Besides historic sites, the area also features various restaurants, clubs, cafes and boutiques.

2. The Summer Palace (颐和园)

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A vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces. It has a breath-taking sunset over the Kunming Lake!

3. Fragrant Hills Park (香山公园)

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An imperial garden at the foot of the Western Mountains in the northwestern part of the city.It covers 1.6 km² (395 acres) and consists of a natural pine-cypress forest, hills with maple trees, smoke trees and persimmon trees, as well as landscaped areas with cultural relics and Buddhist temples.

4. Jingshan Park (景山公园)

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Jingshan's history dates to almost a thousand years ago. Excellent place for a lovely walk. And you can climb the five pavillions to have a great view of the Forbidden City.

5. Marco Polo Bridge, or Lugouqiao Bridge (卢沟桥)

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A very fine 11-arch granite stone bridge. Built in 1192 and has become a place of revolutionary tradition. It crosses Yongding River in southwestern Beijing.

6. Miao Feng Shan (妙峰山)

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Located 55km West of Beijing, featuring an old Daoist pilgrim’s trail—the Golden Summit —is holding the biggest temple fair in northern China.

7. Lingshan Mountain (灵山)

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The highest mountain in the outskirts of Beijing. Over 700 kinds of animals harmoniously cohabit this natural environment. Tourists will easily find spot foxes, flocks of berghaan, active squirrels, stirring hares, eating wild goats and many other animals, and some lucky tourists may see the rare brown-eared pheasants.

8. Tan Tuo Temple (潭柘寺)

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The Pool and Cudrania Temple, or Tanzhe Si, is situated 45 kilometers west of the city. You will find it full of persimmon, hawthorn, crabapple and other special plant species such as Cotinus coggygria and Dan maple.