Beijing Zoo 北京动物园
- Famous for its Giant Pandas
- Built in 1908
- Lots of fun things for kids
- Located in western Beijing
- Contains extensive pleasant gardens
- Beijing Aquarium nearby
- Grounds originally a Ming Period manor
- Holds more than 7,000 animals from 600 different species
Beijing Zoo History
Beijing Zoo, situated in the west of the city, was originally a Ming Period (1368-1644) manor and during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) plants were cultivated and animals kept here in a small menagerie.
Beijing Zoo was opened in 1908 and was originally named the "Ten Thousand Animal Garden." The zoo was badly damaged by the Japanese army during World War II and reopened only in 1950. The grounds of Beijing Zoo now cover around 40,000 square meters and contain a number of Qing period buildings as well as extensive flower gardens, streams and wooded areas.
Beijing Zoo (Beijing Dongwuyuan) is probably best known for its giant pandas, but the zoo also holds a number of other exotic species including red pandas, bears, elephants, gorillas, lions, tigers, and giraffes. There is an extra fee to enter the Panda House and with the exception of the pandas it must be said the zoo is not really up to international standard and many visitors may find it distressing.
Beijing Zoo has a reptile house and the Beijing Haiyangguan (Aquarium) or Beijing Ocean Hall in the north east corner of the zoo is a modern facility and is the largest in China.
Beijing Ocean Hall (Beijing Aquarium) was opened in 1999 and besides a large collection of fish and other sea creatures there are daily dolphin and sea lion shows.
Beijing Zoo Access
Beijing Zoo
131 Xi Zhi Men Wai Avenue
Xicheng District
Tel: 6831 4411
Hours: 7.30 am-5.30 pm; Daily
beijingzoo.com (Chinese)
Take the new Line 4 direct to Beijing Zoo / Dongwuyuan 动物圆. The station has an animal themed wall mural that greets commuters, which is a real crowd pleaser with lots of people stopping to take pictures of it. The nearest subway station to Beijing Zoo used to be Xi Zhi Men station on Line 2. The zoo is a 15-20 minute walk from here or take a taxi.
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