Page 99 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Beijing

Western Beijing ❮❮ 97

ground-breaking works as “Diary of WAR AND PEACE
a Madman” and “The True Story of
Ah Q”. This is the house in which he
lived from 1924 to 1926. The rooms Cuiwei
display artifacts relating to his life Mudan Yuyuan Lake
Yuan
and there’s also an adjacent exhi- Yuyuan
bition hall with more than 10,000 Tan Park
letters, journals, photographs, and Millennium Fuxing Lu
other personal objects. Monument
Military Museum
Temple of the Five
9 People’s Revolution Museum
Capital
of the Chinese
Pagodas
MAP B1 • 24 Wuta Si Cun • 6217 3836 MORNING
• Subway: National Museum or Xizhi
Men • Open 9am–4:30pm daily • Adm Even if you’re no big fan of
This temple displays obvious Indian mechanized heavy armor, the
influences. It was built in the early Military Museum of the Chinese
15th century in honor of an Indian People’s Revolution is worth a
visit. Exhibits begin with the
monk who came to China and technology that made China
presented the emperor with five one of the world’s first military
golden Buddhas. The pagodas sport superpowers, including the
elaborate carvings of curvaceous “Flying Dragon,” an early form
females, as well as the customary of missile launcher. One room
Buddhas. Also here is the Beijing is devoted to the gifts that have
Art Museum of Stone Carvings, been bestowed on China’s army
with 2,000 decorative stelae. chiefs and leaders, such as a
pistol presented to Chairman Mao
by Fidel Castro. Mao’s limousine
is displayed on the first floor, and
one hall is devoted to statues and
assorted representa tions of the
Communist Party’s great and
good. It all makes for a fascinating
insight into the mentality of late
20th-century China.
AFTERNOON
Leaving the museum, walk west
along Fuxing Lu and take the first
right. You will see the Millennium
Monument and, behind it, Yuyuan
Tan Park, a relaxing place for a
stroll. Pick up a snack from one
Close encounters in Beijing Aquarium
of the vendors here and have a
Beijing Aquarium
0 picnic, or head out to Cuiwei
Mudan Yuan (3rd Floor, Cui Wei
MAP B2 • 108 Gao Liang Qiao
Xijie • 6217 6655 • Open 9am–5pm Da Sha, 2 Hua Yuan Lu) for hot
pot before continuing on Fuxing
daily • Adm • www.bj-sea.com Men Wai Dajie toward Muxidi
Located in the northeastern corner and the Capital Museum (see
of the zoo is this conch shell-shaped p94). Audio self-guided tours in
building. It’s reputedly the largest Chinese and English are available
inland aquarium in the world, with at the entrance. Don’t miss the
Peking Opera exhibition on the
massive tanks containing thousands top floor, or the short film on
of weird and wonderful fish, plus a Beijing’s urban development,
shark tank, coral reefs and an screened in the auditorium on
“Amazon rainforest.” Both children the first floor.
and adults will love this place.
See map on p94
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