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Best Spot for Night Photography Beijing

Wednesday, October 18th, 2017

Of the Top 10 Photo Spots in Beijing, Jingshang Park is always my favorite, where you have some great photo opportunities – shooting sunrise and sunset; having a panoramic view of Beijing as well as snapping the incredible night scenes in Beijing.

Jingshan Park is just located across the north gate to Forbidden City. Basically you will visit Forbidden City by entering its south gate and exit from its north gate, an official obligatory south-north visit line.

From the north gate to Forbidden City, you can easily walk to the south gate to Jingshan Park. Beside the south gate, Jingshan Park has two more entrance gates – East Gate and West Gate.

Jingshan Park is dominated by Jingshan Hill after which the park is named. Jingshan Hill is 94.2 meters at sea level with the actual drop height at 45.7 meters, the highest viewing spot in the heart of Beijing along the historical Beijing central axis.

Jingshan Park, or Jingshan Hill in particular, is the best spot to have panoramic views of Beijing at all the time frame in a day – sunrise and sunset; day and night. For me, Jingshan Park is the Best Spot for Night Photography in Beijing.

No matter you are a photography enthusiast or just an urban tourist, when you are planning your Beijing tour, a short trip to Jingshan Park is a good choice to see Beijing at night when it sparkles.

There are several hill road leading up to the top. It takes you about 5-10 minutes’s walk along zigzag stone steps up to the hilltop topped by a pavilion known as Wanchun Pavilion.

Wanchun Pavilion is circled by three different levels of stone walkways which are very often full of visitors during the golden time standing in all the directions to have a bird’s-eye view of the amazing Beijing.

What a beautiful day today! Azure sky and white clouds, a great scarcity for the smog-frequented Beijing. The tempertation is so great that I take my camera backpack and tripod, driving to the east gate to Jingshan Park and climb up to the hilltop for shooting the magnificent night views of Beijing.

Below are some of the photos I take tonight, recording the wonderful night in Beijing.

Forbidden City under sunset glow

Looking at the west of Beijing – West Hill, CCTV Tower and White Pagoda

Looking at the southwest of Beijing – An illuminated Pavilion and neon-lit Buildings in the distance.

The White Pagoda in Beihai Park

CCTV Tower and West Hill

Lit-up Pavilions in Beihai Park

Looking at the North of Beijing – Drum Tower and Olympic Park

Looking at the east – Beijing CBD

Looking at the east – Beijing CBD

Tip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours
If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for guided tours to Beijing:

Beijing Highlight Day Tour from US$59 P/P
(Tiananmen + Forbidden City + Mutianyu Great Wall)
Beijing Classic City Tour from US$65 P/P
(Tiananmen + Forbidden City + Temple of Heaven + Summer Palace)
Beijing Excursion Tour from US$59 P/P
(Mutianyu Great Wall + Ming Tomb)
Beijing Hutong Highlight Tour from US$59 P/P
( Hutong + Rickshaw)

Mutianyu Great Wall Half Day Tour from US$55 p/p
Hike from Jiankou to Mutianyu Great Wall Day Tour from US$69 p/p

Mutianyu Great Wall Layover Tour from US$65 p/p
Beijing Highlight Layover Tour from US$75 p/p

Further Readings

Top 10 Attractions in Beijing
How to Visit Forbidden City
How to Visit Temple of Heaven
How to Visit Summer Palace
How to Visit Ming Tombs
How to Visit the Great Wall of China
How to Visit Tiananmen Square
How to Visit Hutongs
How to Visit Olympic Sites

Top 10 Markets in Beijing
Top 10 Shopping Malls in Beijing
Beijing Shopping

Wangfujing Night Snack Street
Qianmen Commercial Street
Beijing Huguosi Street

Any questions, just drop a line.

Tags: Best Place for Night Photography Beijing, Best Place for Night View in Beijing, Best Place to Shoot Beijing at Night
Posted in Beijing Attractions, Beijing Travel | No Comments »

A Good Place to See Beijing’s Changing Skyline

Sunday, October 8th, 2017

If you are interested in Beijing’s changing skyline or its amazing cityscape on your Beijing tour, you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to have a glimpse of or take pictures of Rem Koolhass’s CCTV Headquarters ( China Central Television Headquarters) and its new neighbor – China Zun ( still under construction ), the 118-storey, 528 m building which will be the tallest in Beijing.

Both the CCTV building and China Zun are visible from most of Beijing. The CCTV Headquarter is designed by OMA as a weird reinvention of the skyscraper as a loop instead of a typical skyscraper’s demand for height.

Designed by architecture firm Farrells, China Zun is still under construction and after completion it will surpass the height of the China World Trade Center Tower III by 190 metres and become Beijing’s tallest building.

China Zun literally means “ancient China wine vessel”, which ignites the imagination for the building design.

There are quite some good places in Beijing to view the CCTV Headquarters and China Zun in different angles at a closer distance. But Blue Frog ( Gumao ), a popular restaurant chain with American style food, is an ideal place to see the CCTV Headquarters and China Zun.

Blue Frog ( Gumao ) is on the 6th floor of the North Section China World Mall, Beijing. The restaurant has an open terrace where customers can dine and drink while viewing the magnificent CCTV building and its new tallest neighbor – China Zun at a closer distance with a good angle.

Blue Frog (Guomao)
NL6005 6/F, North Section China World Mall, No.1 Jianguomen Wai Street, Beijing
+86 10 8535 1186
Business Hours: 10:00-23:00 ( Mon – Sun ).

Come to Blue Frog for brunch or dinner if you are intrigued by the bright CCTV Building, China Zun and neon-lit CBD ( Central Business District ). They have many food and drinks choices on the menu – burgers, beer, wine and their steaks and salads are also very good.

Try to get there early for a table on the open terrace where you can look out at the CCTV Building and China Zun across the third ring road.

Blue Frog (Guomao) with a view of the CCTV Building and China Zun

Drinking on the terrace while looking out at the two landmarks in Beijing

The CCTV Building and China Zun – the Tallest Buidling in Beijing

Beijing’s new Skyline

The CBD （Central Business District）

Look out at the CBD ( Central Business District ) from the Terrace.

Sunset Glow over the CCTV Building

The Lit-up CCTV Building

The Lit-up CBD

The Night View of the CCTV Headquarter

They have many food and drinks choices on the menu – burgers, beer, wine，steaks, salads and more.

Tip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours
If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for guided tours to Beijing:

Beijing by Night Illuminations Tour from US$ 33

Mutianyu Great Wall Half Day Tour from US$55 p/p
Hike from Jiankou to Mutianyu Great Wall Day Tour from US$69 p/p

Mutianyu Great Wall Layover Tour from US$65 p/p
Beijing Highlight Layover Tour from US$75 p/p

Further Readings

Top 10 Markets in Beijing
Top 10 Shopping Malls in Beijing
Beijing Shopping

Wangfujing Night Snack Street
Qianmen Commercial Street
Beijing Huguosi Street

Any questions, just drop a line.

Tags: Best Beijing Restaurant with a view of CCTV Building, Best Place to Have a closer look at CCTV Tower, Best Place to see China Zun, Best Spot to See CCTV Headquarters, Good place ton see China Zun
Posted in Beijing Attractions, Beijing Travel | No Comments »

Sunset Over Houhai Lake in Beijing

Wednesday, October 4th, 2017

Houhai Lake, or Back Lake, is one of the three lakes in Shichahai, Beijing and the other two are Xihai Lake (West Lake) and Qianhai Lake ( Front Lake). Houhai Lake is often referred to as the general name for all the three lakes in Shichahai.

Shichahai still keeps the old world charm – crisscrossed by the narow hutong lanes, quaint courtyards, and former palaces of ministers, as well as residences of celebrities in Ming and Qing dynasties. Shichahai is now teemed with chic bars, cafes and local yummy restaurants. It has become a must- see vacation location in Beijing.

I cannot remember how many times I’ve been to Shichahai or Houhai Lake as people habitually call it. But each time it seems I’ve unfortunately missed the sunset scenes at Houhai Lake, which is said to be breathtaking and gorgeous.

Today, however, I’m lucky enough to catch the sunset over Houhai Lake and Yinding Bridge ( Ingot Bridge ). Yinding Bridge spans the narrow channel linking Houhai Lake and Qianhai Lake.

On the other side of the lakeshore of Qianhai Lake, I put up my tripod and set my my Canon camera with telephoto-lens to snap the pictures of the bright and splendid Yinding Bridge under the cozy and orange sunshines.

Yinding Bridge was originally built in Ming Dynasty ( 1368 – 1644 ). But the bridge we see today was renovated both in 1984 and 1990. The bridge connects the narrow neck between Back Lake and Front Lake, 8.3 meters long, 7.9 meters wide and 4,35 meters high. It is named as “Ingot Bridge” due to its shape like an upturned ingot.

Its fame comes from the fact that in the past while standing on the bridge people could see the view of the West Hill in Beijing. But now tall buildings are popping up here and there, coupled with frequent smoggy weather, I doubt about the classic scenery known as “See the West Hill from Yinding Bridge”.

Nevertheless, what I see through my telephoto-lens is exhilarating! The golden and orange sunrays shine through the one- arch-bridge, creating a mage of a golden crescent; people mill along the bridge with weeping willows glowing with shining sunset. Very often a paddle boat cruises through the golden bridge.

The golden and orange sunrays shine through the one- arch-bridge

People mill along the bridge with weeping willows glowing with shining sunset.

Very often a paddle boat cruises through the golden bridge

Standing on YInding Bridge and Taking Pictures

The sooner I finish my shooting of the golden bridge than I collect my camera equipment and walk fast towards the bridge, trying to locating a good point on the bridge to shoot the sunset over Houhai Lake.

The moment I get on the bridge, I find it packed with visitors using their iPhones to snap the photos of the setting sun. Looking like a professional photographer, I am treated with somewhat leniency allowing me getting a good spot soon on the narrow bridge.

I’m excited to see the sunset over Houhai Lake for the first time. The large orange setting sun above the trees and Houhai Lake and the rippling water of the lake is shined with golden lights. People row their boats on the water surface bright with golden rays. Sunset over a lake is always mesmerizing, giving you a lot of imagination.

Houhai Lake is bright with sunset glow.

The large orange setting sun above the trees.

People row their boats on the water surface bright with golden rays

Houhai Lake and the rippling water of the lake is shined with golden lights

Boating on the golden surface of Houhai Lake.

Boating on Houhai Lake

Tip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours
If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for guided tours to Beijing:

Beijing Hutong Highlight Half Day Tour from US$49 p/p2

Beijing Hutong Highlight One Day Tour from US$59 p/p