Beijing is a city unique in history, culture and characteristics. You cannot understand the Orient without visiting China or China without visiting Beijing.

Beijing (Peking) is one of the greatest cities in the world, famous for its long history and splendid culture.  It has been the capital of the country for the last 700 years and represents the second largest city in China. Its long history has endowed the city with countless historic and scenic spots: Beijing is filled with great monuments, palaces, temples and reminders of the past glory of imperial China.

Situated in northeast China, Beijing is the center for national politics and culture and a hub for international communication. The city covers an area of 16,808 square kilometers at an elevation of 43.5 m above sea level and has an overall population estimated to be 15.2 million people. The climate in Beijing is seasonal with cold, dry winters and hot, humid summers.

Beijing is a tourist city famed for its picturesque scenery. Autumn is considered to be the ideal season because the weather is dry and cooler.  Visitors may view the largest and most well-preserved ancient palace, the Imperial Palace, the scenic and serene Summer Palace and the world-famous Great Wall.  The Imperial Palace represents the crystallization of ancient Chinese architecture.  The Summer Palace has a concentration of the best of ancient buildings and is a virtual museum of traditional Chinese gardening.  The Great Wall, a huge project that began more than 2,000 years ago to keep out northern invaders, winds its way along the mountains and valleys bordering northern China and approaches quite close to Beijing.

A walk through city streets reveals dozens of places worth more than just a single visit: mansions, gardens, gate towers, temples, former residences of Chinese celebrities, and historical sites.  In addition, there is also the Temple of Heaven, where rulers of past Chinese dynasties used to worship heaven and give thanks for the harvest.  The Temple of Heaven is currently considered an ancient Chinese architectural treasure.

Today, with its magnificent Tiananmen Square, its network of cloverleaf road junctions and its skyline of high-rises, Beijing has taken on a new look, blending classical grace with high-tech modernity. The grand, magnificent Tiananmen Square stands harmoniously in the vicinity of crisscrossing cloverleaf junctions and serried skyscrapers.  Simple, classical tradition synchronizes perfectly with contemporary civilization: Beijing, this ancient city, has taken on a brand-new look.

Beijing will play host city to the 2008 Olympic Games.  Under the theme of “Green Olympics, High-Tech Olympics and People’s Olympics,” great changes are taking place in Beijing—not only high-speed economic development but also enhanced friendship between the local Chinese and people around the world.