Chinese people are gearing up to celebrate the first Spring Festival since it was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. In this joyous holiday, everyone is welcome to experience unexpected encounters and discover the timeless charm of Beijing's World Cultural Heritage Sites.

The Great Wall

Badaling Great Wall has launched a series of night tours during the Spring Festival holiday, integrating traffic services, special local dishes, photography services, creative cultural gifts and more. Through harmonizing the intangible cultural heritage, interactive experiences and unique gastronomical offers, the tours are aimed at creating festive and culturally-rich festive ambiance for tourists through highlights like festive performances of intangible cultural heritage items like yangge dance and dry-boat dance, a ceremonial light show featuring Hanfu (the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group), and DIY sessions associated with folk handicrafts.

The Forbidden City

The architectural complex of the Forbidden City embodies the 5,000-year history and culture of China. It is therefore recognized as one of the most prestigious cultural heritage sites in China and the world at large. It is also the largest museum of ancient culture and art in China, with the artifacts it houses mainly coming from the collections in the palaces during the Qing Dynasty.

Recommended Spring Festival Exhibition in the Forbidden City:

Jade from the Kunlun Mountains: Special Exhibition on Hetian Jade Culture in the Qing Court

Venue: Exhibition hall in the Palace of Abstinence 

Time: January 7, 2025 - January 4, 2026 【currently underway】

Summer Palace

The Summer Palace, the largest and most well-preserved imperial garden in China, is recognized as one of the four most famous gardens in the country. During the Spring Festival period, the night-view lighting will be turned on at the Pavilion of the Fragrance of Buddha, to show the resplendence of the details of the Chinese classical garden architecture at night. Changguantang (Changguan Hall) will also host experience activities featuring the woodblock printing, where visitors can print the Chinese character "Fu" (福, which means "good fortune") by themselves.

Beijing Central Axis

In July 2024, the city's Central Axis was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This 7.8-kilometer-long central axis stretches from the Bell and Drum Towers in the north to Yongding Gate in the south, running through the core area of the old part of Beijing. During the Spring Festival holiday, a variety of activities will be launched along the Central Axis, such as Dongyue Temple Fair and Shichahai Ice and Snow Carnival. Visitors can take a walk along the route to discover the historical changes and cultural charm of Beijing.

Temple of Heaven Park

The Temple of Heaven Park is the largest existing ancient sacrificial architectural complex in China. Here, you can walk around for the gorgeous views of the exquisite ancient buildings and experience the traditional Chinese culture. During the current Spring Festival holiday, a series of interactive activities are taking place with the theme of "Greeting Spring with Intangible Cultural Heritage, Good Fortune Filling the Temple of Heaven", centered around intangible cultural heritage. There is also a series of online and offline performances with the theme "Ancient Rhymes Resound in the Temple of Heaven", bringing classic imperial music pieces that were performed in the Temple of Heaven during ancient times to visitors, allowing them to experience the cultural heritage of Yayue (a form of classical music and dance performed at the imperial court and temples in ancient China).

(Sources: Visit Beijing, Beijing Fabu, Xinhuanet)