The tallest structure in Beijing, the CCTV tower stands on the west side of town. From the top, you can look down on everything. It was a bit windy and wasn’t the clearest day, but I’d definitely go back up on a clearer day.
This used to be the headquarters for China Central Television before they built the pants in the central business district. Now, it is used for some broadcasting, has a few studios, but mostly for tourism. There is an aquarium in the basement and observation decks on top. There’s even a rotating restaurant up there.
On the outdoor observation deck, there are signs pointing out landmarks around the city. They look to be left over from the Olympics. To the north is the Summer Palace. Directly east is the center of town with Tiananmen Square and the modern skyscrapers of the business district. I could see the three arched towers of Xizhimen and follow the road up to my apartment. In the distance we could see the Bird’s Nest, and out to the west, we could see the mountains.
It was windy up there and much cooler than at ground level, but it wasn’t breezy enough to clean up the air that day. On the indoor observation level, they have exhibits about the tower and CCTV. There is also a little shop from which we sent postcards to family back home.
