BEIJING CITY

Beijing is the birthplace of Chinese Civilization and one of the six ancient capital cities in China. During the last 3000 years it served as a capital for several dynasties.
Beijing, a municipality directly under the Central Government is the capital of the People's Republic of China and the country's political, economic, cultural and transportation center as well as a famous historic city. Geographically located in the northwest part of the North China Plain, and covering an area of 16,800 square km.
Beijing is the second largest city in China with a population of more than 11 million. It has a semi-humid continental climate in the warm temperate zone. With an annual average temperature of 12 degrees Centigrade and rainfall of 641 millimeters, Beijing is neither cold in winter nor very hot in summer. The best seasons in Beijing are Spring and Autumn. Beijing is indeed an ideal place to visit all round the year.
Beijing is the political center of China where the Party's Central Committee, the State Council, ministries and commissions under the government, and more than 140 foreign embassies are located. It is also an international exchange center.
Beijing is an economic center of China Being one of the biggest industrial bases in China, Beijing's industrial production is the second largest in value among all Chinese cities. An industrial system with iron and steel, coal, machinery, chemical and petroleum, textiles, electronics and other industries as its mainstays has already taken shape. Beijing's arts and crafts are famous for their long history, great variety, and superb workmanship. The most popular ones among them are cloisonne, ivory carving, jadeware, carved lacquer ware, snuff bottles, silk flowers and Beijing's embroidery etc.
As the country's center of culture, education, science and technology Beijing has more than forty state scientific research institutions, over thirty universities and the greatest number of professional and technical personnel.
In Beijing, there are numerous museums and libraries with the largest collection of books in china. Beijing also serves as a center for international exchange in culture, science and technology.
It is a hub of communications, with good railroad and air links with all parts of China, as well as with major cities of the world, thus facilitating the rapid development of tourism as an important industry in Beijing.

Beijing is an ancient city with a long cultural history. The four feudal dynasties--Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing had all set up their capital here. That's why it became a most concentrated place of the country's scenic spots and historical sites. Among them, the best known are the Palace Museum, the Summer Palace, the Great Wall and the Temple of Heaven.
In Beijing area, you may visit so many places, such as The Great Wall, Tian An Men Square, Ming Tomb, The Summer Palace, The Forbidden City and so on.

THE GREAT WALL

It is one of the Seven Miracles of the World. Part of it was first built

more than 3,000 years¡¯ ago, and in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.) it was

connected from Sanhaiguan of Hebei Province to Jiayuguan of Gansu

Province, with a length of 6,000km. It was the only man-made wall that

can be seen with our eyes from the Moon.

TIAN ANMEN SQUARE :

With a total area of 440,000 square meters, Tiananmen Square is the

largest square in the center of Beijing. For over a hundred years, many ceremony and demonstrations have been held here. The grandeur of Tiananmen Gate (Heavenly Peace Gate) is a national symbol, with the Great Hall of the People on the western side and the Museum of the Chinese Revolution and the Museum of Chinese History to its east and west. The Monument to the People's Heroes - the 36 meters obelisk, made of Qingdao granite, dominates the center of the square. The Chairman Mao Memorial Hall and the Qianmen gate, sit in the south.

The Ming Tomb £º

In Changping County, northwest of Beijing, lie the tombs of thirteen

Ming Dynasty Emperors who ruled China from 1368 to 1644.
As one approaches the area via the Spirit Way, or Avenue of the Animals, 24 wonderful Ming Dynasty sculptures of animals appear, each carved out of a single large piece of stone. There are 12 pairs of animals. Beyond the animals are 12 stone carvings of 4 fierce looking soldiers. 4 civil officials, and 4 scholars. Coffins of emperors were carried to their final resting place in their tomb along this avenue.. When a Ming Emperor died all of his concubines were buried alive to serve him in the next world. Emperor Yongle was buried in Changping in 1424 at the end of Spirit Way.
A model, with explanations in English, of the entire site is displayed in the Palace of Sacrificing. This is the best preserved of all the tombs.
One of the three tombs open to the public is the mausoleum of Ming Dynasty

Emperor Wanli. Jewelry, garments, porcelain, curios, and religious

artifacts are on display in the museum.

THE SUMMER PALACE

It was first built in 1750, largely destroyed in the war of 1860 and restored on its original foundations in 1886 ¨C is a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value.

THE FORBIDDEN CITY

So named because its was forbidden for anyone but the emperor and his wives, concubines and eunuchs to enter its hallowed walls, Beijing's extraordinary Forbidden City dates back to the Ming and Qing dynasties of the early 15th century. Imperial Palace for the reign of 24 Emperors over 500 years, it is now open to all - a vision of ancient wonder in modern-day Beijing.
Surrounded by the Tube River moat and high outside and inside walls built with 12 million bricks, the complex is vast, covering 961 m from north to south and 753 m from east to west. Make sure you see the Meridien Gate, the Inner Golden River crossed by five bridges, and the Gate of Supreme Harmony leading to the centre, with its three palaces on raised terraces. To get a better idea of the scale of it all, buy an audio guided tour at the entrance.
The Forbidden City is a vast compound full of various palaces and buildings. Unfortunately a lot of the original buildings were destroyed numerous times over by fire (they're all made of wood) and their interiors looted during the cultural revolution in the 1960s. This should not deter the visitor however. The Forbidden City is a special place that was impenetrable for over a thousand years by the ordinary person. Just being able to stand where so many people wanted to tread and so much history has transpired is liberating.
The palaces to be seen are some of the few examples of their type anywhere in China again due to the revolution. There is also the Wall of Echoes which lets two people stand at either end and chat to each other over a large distance.