//
The 1,000-seat Beijing Exhibition Theater (北京展览馆剧场 Běijīng Zhǎnlǎnguǎn Jùchǎng) is one of the main elements of the Beijing Exhibition Center, a multi-functional building including an exhibition hall, hotel, restaurants and entertainment. The theater hosts a wide range of shows including Chinese plays, Western and Chinese operas and ballets, musicals and rock concerts. Built in 1954 during the height of Sino-Soviet cooperation, the building design is inspired by Soviet revival architecture. Within the building is the opulent Russian restaurant, "Moscow Restaurant".
© OpenStreetMap contributors
北京动物园 Běijīng Dòngwù Yuán
(They do have pandas but displays aren't as good as other places in China, such as the Panda Breeding Centre in Chengdu, Sichuan Province). The animals are kept in very small cages in which they pace to and fro in sheer restlessness and desperation. The lion and tiger building is particularly disappointing, housing a collection of large felines in concrete cages without any natural habitation. The pandas are relatively well looked after in comparison, but kept in pretty bleak conditions. Some are concerned with the way animals are treated in the zoo, but the aquarium is one of the biggest in the world, and very impressive. Entrance to the aquarium is not included in the standard Zoo ticket, and costs an extra ¥100. The zoo was built on the sites of some ancient gardens, and has lakes, ponds, pavilions and other beautiful old buildings.
北京天文馆新馆 Běijīng Tiānwén Guǎnxīnguǎn
Here you can watch movement of stars and planets, creation of the solar system, evolution of life, space shuttle simulation and the history of the sun.
中国古动物馆