Zhoukoudian (The Cave of Peking Man )

Zhoukoudian, situated 50 kilometers to the southwest of Beijing proper, is the former residence of Peking man, who lived here approximately 200,000 to 500,000 years ago. Since the discovery of a complete skull on December 2, 1929 , Zhoukoudian, which had more recently been noted for its production of lime, became world-famous as the "home of the Chinese ape-man." After the establishment of the People's Republic of China , the number of sightseers and scientists increased rapidly, and Zhoukoudian has become a great tourist attraction.

In addition, one can see the actual caves in which Peking Man and Hilltop Caveman lived. The cave at Site No.1 originally measured 140 meters from east to west. Its width was irregular and it had a height of more than 40 meters. The cave was first occupied approximately 500,000 years ago, and it is estimated that Peking Man maintained this residence over the course of a quarter of a million years.

Entry Ticket : +/- 20 yuan/adult, +/- 10 yuan/student;
Address : Zhoukoudian, Fangshan District;
Transport : Take Bus No. 917 at Tianqiao bus terminus, and then change to a special-line bus at Liangxiang or Fangshan
Car : To drive a car, get onto the Beijing-Shijiazhuang Expressway and get out at the exit of Yancun, then turn right at Zhoukoudian.

The Ming Tombs (Shisanling)

Although Beijing has been the capital of China for five dynasties, the only imperial mausoleums in the immediate vicinity of the city today are those of the Liao and Qing emperors are in the northeast China and in Hebei Province respectively. The tombs from the Jin Dynasty were destroyed at the end of the Ming Dynasty, and since the Mongol rulers of the Yuan Dynasty had no specific funeral rituals, there are no extant burial sites from this period.