These century-old photos offer a rare glimpse of some of Beijing ’ s most popular tourist attractions at a time when they barely had any foreign tourists and no one had ever heard of a selfie . They are some of the earliest holiday snaps of the Chinese capital – taken between 1900 and 1911 during the Qing dynasty – and they show landmarks almost devoid of visitors . The quiet scenes are a far cry from modern-day Beijing , which is one of the most populous cities in the world and visited by tens of millions of domestic and international tourists every year . Scroll down for video . Photos taken between 1900 and 1911 during the Qing dynasty show Beijing 's famous landmarks with barely any visitors . A man casually poses for a photo while standing next to a large statue of a lion at Beijing's Yonghe Temple . A visitor stands alone at the Temple of Heaven , where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties held heaven worship ceremonies . This photo was taken at the pavilion outside the Church of the Saviour , which was established early in the 18th century . The extraordinary black and white photos show locals and foreigners posing at the Temple of Heaven , standing next to giant statues at the Western Qing Tombs and riding on boats at the Summer Palace . The origin of the photos is not known . Some show a member of the same family cheekily posing by stone statues of a lion , a camel and a horse . Long before the dawn of commercial aviation and industrialisation , there are no crowds to wade through , no selfie sticks and no smog in sight . A man poses next to a giant stone statue at the Western Qing Tombs , where more than 75 members of the royal family are buried . The Nine-Dragon Wall at Beihai Park was built in 1402 and features the legendary creatures on both sides . Guozijian , known as the National School or Beijing Imperial College , was the highest seat of learning during four Chinese dynasties . Today , these steps at the Temple of Heaven , a cluster of religious buildings in central Beijing , are crowded with visitors . Four emperors and their empresses are buried at the Western Qing Tombs , nearly 100 miles south-west of Beijing . A boy poses in between stone statues of animals at the Western Qing Tombs , which has four royal mausoleums . Some of the subjects in the photographs – taken mostly in Beijing – offer wide smiles , while others pose with blank expressions . It ’ s possible that some were wary of the camera ’ s lens , as there was once a belief by some in China that a photo could capture a person ’ s soul . The images offer an enchanting glimpse into China ’ s last imperial era , which ended in 1911 . The Western Qing Tombs contain tombs for the Yongzheng Emperor , Jiaqing Emperor , Daoguang Emperor and Guangxu Emperor . Only some of the subjects in the photos offered a smile ; there was once a belief that a photograph could capture a person 's soul . The quiet scenes are a far cry from modern-day Beijing , which is one of the most populous cities in the world and visited by millions . This man is pictured in several of the century-old photographs ; this snap was taken during a visit to the Western Qing Tombs . Long before the dawn of commercial aviation and industrialisation , there are no crowds to wade through and no smog in sight . Some of the Beijing-area attractions featured in these 100-year-old photos are now Unesco World Heritage Sites . A group of men pass under a bridge while navigating a stream at the Summer Palace , a Unesco World Heritage Site . A foreign tourist stands next to monuments at the foot of Beijing 's Yuquan Mountain , with a horse and cart parked nearby . Beijing 's Summer Palace is regarded as the largest and most well-preserved royal park in China , with a collection of gardens and lakes . Beijing has become such a popular destination for holidaymakers that the Forbidden City announced last year that it would limit the number of visitors . The former imperial palace in the heart of Beijing attracts more than 14 million visitors every year , according to Chinese state media . Some of the attractions featured in these 100-year-old photos are now Unesco World Heritage Sites , including the Forbidden City , Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven .
Black and white photos offer a rare glimpse of the Chinese capital 's landmarks devoid of tourists . Pictures were taken between 1900 and 1911 during the last imperial dynasty , the Qing dynasty of China . Locals and foreigners pose at the Temple of Heaven , Western Qing Tombs and Summer Palace . Quiet scenes are a far cry from modern-day Beijing , one of the most populous cities in the world .