A short journey from Beijing's Millennium Grand Hotel, Beijing Zoo is an oasis of calm in the bustling city that not only offers a stunning array of fauna but also flora as well.

The zoo was known as the Sanbeizi Gardens, supposedly named after the third son of Emperor Kangxi, Prince Cheng Yin and still offers cultivated flower gardens and natural scenery, including groves of trees, grassland, streams, lotus pools and small hills.

The gardens welcomed their first menagerie of animals in 1906 when the site became a farm and a zoo known as the Garden of Ten Thousand Animals, it opened to the public in 1908.

Over the years more animals have been housed in the zoo and today visitors can see over 7,000 creatures of 600 different species, including the symbol of China; the giant panda.

Animals come from all over the world and for reptilophiles there are more than 100 reptiles.

In 1999 an Ocean Hall was added allowing visitors to see a wide range of exotic sea creatures and well as those from the land.

The zoo is situated to the west of the Beijing Exhibition Center and can be reached by taxi or bus.

Looking for a Hotel in Beijing? Book your stay at the Grand Millennium Beijing