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Bucket list experience:

exterior of the huge stone Southeast Corner Tower in Beijing
Last updated: 02 October, 2022
Expert travel writer: Thomas O’Malley

Only traces remain of Beijing’s mighty city walls, built in the Ming Dynasty but torn down in the Mao era to make way for the Second Ring Road.

The southeast corner watchtower (also known as the Fox Tower) still stands, joined to a 1.2km stretch of wall restored in the 1990s, which runs westwards through a strip of parkland.

Inside the watchtower is an exhibition of historical photos, and you can even find scraps of graffiti from American and Russian soldiers dating to 1900 and the Battle of Peking.

Price from: £5
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

The old city wall and the southeast corner watchtower are located south of Beijing Railway Station.

The closest subway station is Chongwenmen (Line 2 & 5), from where you can stroll through a leafy park beside the wall and reach the corner watchtower in about 20 minutes.

When to do it

The watchtower is open all year round, seven days a week. The park adjacent to the city wall is open day and night.

Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

New World Beijing Hotel

Beijing, China[2 miles]

New World Beijing is one of the city’s best value five-star hotels, with a unique location close to the Temple of Heaven. The indoor pool and rooftop lounge bar seal the deal.

Official star rating:

Peninsula Beijing

Beijing, China[2.3 miles]

Enjoying a central location and huge, all-suite rooms, the long-established Peninsula is a safe bet for a holiday splurge.

Official star rating:

Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing

Beijing, China[2.4 miles]

Palatial guest rooms and Forbidden City views make this Beijing’s best hotel for a special occasion splurge. Its Wangfujing location puts the city’s central sights within walking distance.

Official star rating:

The PuXuan Hotel & Spa

Beijing, China[2.4 miles]

One of Beijing’s most stylish hotels, The Puxuan suits discerning grown-ups seeking a designer splurge. Convenient access to the sights, either by subway or on foot. Excellent restaurants and spa.

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Beijing

China

A burgeoning megacity with one foot in the past, Beijing is a marvellous melange of UNESCO-listed heritage buildings set within an ever-more tech-forward cityscape. Come for the culture, the people, and of course the food.

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Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first

Temple of Heaven

Beijing, China[2.9 miles]

Once a site for esoteric imperial rites, this marvellous complex of temples, altars and pavilions is set in a sprawling grove of knotted cypress trees. One of Beijing’s must-see sights.

Best for ages: 13+ | £2

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Tiananmen Square

Beijing, China[3.3 miles]

Overlooked by a giant portrait of Mao Zedong, this vast and politically-sensitive public space sits at the very heart of modern China, both literally and symbolically.

Best for ages: 13+ | Free

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Forbidden City

Beijing, China[3.8 miles]

A magnificent and unique 15th-century complex of imperial palaces that served as the home of Chinese emperors for 500 years. Beijing’s must-see attraction.

Best for ages: 13+ | £6

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Jingshan Park

Beijing, China[4.2 miles]

Beijing’s best park is also one of its only central hills, offering inspiring views of the Forbidden City. It’s also where elderly locals come to sing, dance and let off steam.

Best for ages: 13+ | £3

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Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..

Large black ball instrument at Beijing Ancient Observatory
Experience

Beijing Ancient Observatory

Beijing, China[0.7 miles]

A fantastic array of arcane astronomical contraptions, cast in bronze and carved with writhing dragons, can be seen at this museum on the site of a Chinese observatory formerly built into Beijing’s mighty city walls.

Best for ages: 13+ | £2

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Experience

Zhihua Temple

Beijing, China[1.8 miles]

Built to honour a corrupt and powerful eunuch, this is Beijing’s best-preserved Ming dynasty temple. The walls of the remarkable Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall are filled from floor to ceiling with tiny niches, each housing an effigy of Buddha.

Best for ages: 13+ | Free

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The National Museum of China on the east side of Tiananmen Square, one of the largest museum in the world
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National Museum of China

Beijing, China[2.9 miles]

The National Museum of China contains a humongous cache of bronzes, ceramics, Buddhist art and jade dating back through the dynasties. The bombastic ‘Road to Rejuvenation’ exhibition traces China’s rise from the 1840-42 Opium War with Britain to the country’s 21st century space programme.

Best for ages: 13+ | £5

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Monument in front of Mao's Mausoleum on Tiananmen Square, China . Mao's body was embalmed and the construction of a mausoleum began shortly after his death.
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Chairman Mao Memorial Hall

Beijing, China[3.2 miles]

Visitors line up in droves to shuffle past Mao’s embalmed corpse, on display in a mausoleum in the middle of Tiananmen Square. Guards keep the crowds moving through to the gift shop full of Mao-themed souvenirs.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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