Beijing Travel Guide
Beijing, Jing for short, is the nation's
political, economic, cultural and educational center
as well as China's most important center for international
trade and communications. Together with Xian, Luoyang,
Kaifeng, Nanjing and Hangzhou, Beijing is one of the
six ancient cities in China. It has been the heart and
soul of politics and society throughout its long history
and consequently there is an unparalleled wealth of
discovery to delight and intrigue travelers as they
explore Beijing's ancient past and enjoy its exciting
modern development.
As the capital of the People's Republic
of China, Beijing is located in northern China, close
to Tianjin Municipality and partially surrounded by
Hebei Province. The city covers an area of more than
16,410 square kilometers (6336 square miles) and has
a population of 14.93 million people.
Beijing is a city with four distinct
seasons. Its best is late spring and autumn. But autumn
is taken as the golden tourist season of the year since
there is sometimes in the spring of recent years, a
yellow wind. We suggest tourists visit Beijing during
the months of May, September, and October when people
can enjoy bright sunshine and blue skies. An abundance
of international class performances are presented in
May. If you like winter, you will have other chances
to appreciate another landscape of Beijing. After skiing
in Beihai and viewing the snowy sights on West Hill,
enjoying the steaming hotpot is the best choice, which
is really the fun of tour in Beijing. Please keep warm
and remember to bring your down garments and sweaters
when you visit Beijing in the winter.
How can one city boast so many phenomenal
places? Beijing's long and illustrious history started
some 500,000 years ago. It is here that the ancestors
of modern Homo sapiens, Peking men, lived in caves.
Records show that Beijing has been an inhabited city
for more than three thousand years and has endured invasions
by warlords and foreign powers, devastating fires, the
rise and fall of powerful imperial dynasties and has
emerged each time as a strong and vibrant city. For
more than 800 years, Beijing was a capital city - from
the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368) to the Ming (1368 - 1644)
and Qing (1644 - 1911) dynasties. Thirty-four emperors
have lived and ruled the nation in Beijing and it has
been an important trading city from its earliest days.
Although now Beijing is a modern
and fashionable city complete with a full 21st Century
vitality, you can experience authentic Beijing life
and become acquainted with 'old Beijing' by exploring
its many teahouses, temple fairs, Beijing's Hutong and
Courtyard and enjoy the Peking Opera. Add any or all
of these to your Beijing tour and you will leave with
a feeling of special appreciation in your heart for
this ancient city that has truly seen it all and tells
its story with matchless grace, charm and vigor.
With the biggest central square in
the world - Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City that
is the largest and best-preserved imperial palace complex,
a superbly preserved section of the Great Wall,as well
as the largest sacrificial complex in the world - the
Temple of Heaven, Beijing attracts both domestic and
foreign visitors who all come to wonder at its century-old
history and unique cultural relics.
Dwelling too much on the historical
past of Beijing may give tourists the false impression
that it is little more than an ancient city in style
but this is definitely not so! Strolling around Beijing,
you'll find it has much in common with any other great
metropolis elsewhere in today's world. There are towering
skyscrapers; busy shopping malls and an endless stream
of traffic that makes the city much the same as others.
The most famous and popular commercial circles and commercial
pedestrian streets are predominantly located near the
Yansha Shopping Mall, Tiananmen and Wangfujing Street,
Guomao Shopping Mall, Qianmen Street and Xidan Street,
etc. However, although you will find multinational chains
with their own brands to offer, nowhere else on earth
will you find such a variety of gourmet Chinese restaurants
offering the very best of the eight different styles
of Chinese cuisine as well as western style dishes.
Modern hotels abound, each offering the highest standards
of service and convenience.
After a day's Beijing tours, nighttime
can hold other surprises for you. These can vary from
traditional performances such as the Beijing Opera,
acrobatics and martial arts to modern ones including
concerts, ballroom dancing, pubs and clubs. Each and
every one has its individual enchantment for the tourist.
No description of our capital city is complete without
mention of the friendly people who throng the streets.
Everywhere you will encounter smiling faces and a warm
welcome, especially from the children who love to say
'Hello!' All these things add up to truly make your
visit a cultural experience of a lifetime.
Which is the oldest hotel for visitors
in Beijing? Can you say something about it?
Which
is the most famous and brisk street in Beijing?
How
long is the history of Beijing?
What
is the annual mean temperature in Beijing?
How
large an area does the Municipality of Beijing cover?
What is the elevation of Beijing?
How
many districts and counties are there in Beijing? How
about their locations?
Beijing,
whence the land of splendor and magnificence?
How
and when was the name of Beijing derived?
Why
the "Capital City" is again called "Spring
Brightness"?
Why
Beijing is Known as a "City of an Eightarmed Nezha"?
Beijing
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