Situated in the Xicheng District, Beijing Zoo was the first of its
kind in China. It contains a diverse collection of animals, a number of
exhibition halls and some sites of historical interest.
Beijing
Zoo is home to around 450 different species and has a population of some
5,000 animals. Some of the most popular attractions among visitors are
the wild rare animals of China itself, such as the giant pandas,
golden monkeys, milu deer and northeast tigers. However, the collection
is far from restricted to those species found only in China; the polar
bears, American bison, zebras, kangaroos, giraffes and elephants also
draw large crowds.
Beijing Zoo is comprised of 16 different exhibition areas and halls. The most popular is the Panda Hall. Built in 1989 and covering an area of around 2.5 acres (10,000 square meters), it delivers an impressive aesthetic scene while also managing to account for the practical considerations of housing such large and physical animals. The inside of the hall replicates the style of traditional Chinese gardens and is shaped in the pattern of a Tai Chi diagram.