Many people enjoy living in and visiting Beijing because of its rich historical past. Some of the top sites include The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall of China.

The Forbidden City is a complex with over 9,000 rooms and which is spread over 250 acres. It was built in the 1400’s, but it was burnt down and re-built so most of the current architecture dates back to the Qing Dynasty from the 1800’s.

Tiananmen Square is an important political site, as it contains monuments of revolutionary heroes, the great hall of people, the National Museum of China and the Chairman Mao Zedong Memorial hall. The square was also the site of a major pro-democracy protest in 1989 where Marshall law was declared in China and thousands of civilians were killed by soldiers.

For those who teach English in Beijing and are interested in taking a hike while being surrounded by an iconic historical site, head to the Great Wall. Come prepared with good walking shoes! The wall has 8 sections and is a well preserved site from the Ming Dynasty. This is a must-see!

Take a break from all the site seeing and enjoy authentic Chinese food! The cuisine is a true benefit of teaching English in Beijing! On every street corner you’ll find tiny morsels of Chinese food and the city is host to every provincial dish in the country, so you will not miss out on other regional dishes! If you’re more interested in dining in and making your own Chinese food, this is the best city to partake in home cooking! You will find many local magazines with information on where to take cooking class in Beijing. The Beijinger, TimeOut Magazine and City Weekend Beijing are just a few of the resources available for those who teach English and live in Beijing.