Beijing Ancient Observatory

北京古观象台

Bronze star instruments on an old city wall

Hours

Closed Mondays

Address

2 Dongbiaobei Hutong, southwest of the Jianguomen interchange, Dongcheng

Bronze instruments point at the sky from a brick platform beside the traffic. It was built on a stretch of the Ming city wall, so from the top you look out over a ring of office towers. Up close are the dragon-wrapped armillary spheres and other instruments. Closed on Mondays.