Beijing, China's capital, has a population of 11 million. Spread over 16,800-square kilometers this political, cultural and economic center is roughly the size of Belgium. Over the last 3,000 years, many Chinese imperial dynasties have ruled the country from this capital. Odds are, when you visit China, Beijing will be among the first stops. Like many of the world's great metropolitan centers it is a major tourist destination.

A visit to Beijing means seeing some of the world's most recognizable structures such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and Tian'anmen Square. It is a colorful mixture of the modern and the antiquated. High-rise office towers and huge, five-star hotels are right next to small alleys (hutong) lined with traditional walled houses. While young people wear blue jeans, eat Kentucky Fried Chicken and listen to western music, the elderly still go to tea houses with friends, carry birdcages housing their pet songbirds in the morning mist and play chess by the roadside.

Beijing has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. Spring is dry and windy, summer is hot and rainy, autumn is clear and fine and winter is long, dry and cold.

Average temperatures are about 25.8.C in July, - 4.6.C in January and the city receives about 600 millimeters of average rainfall annually.

Visitors should be prepared for the heat of summer and the cold of winter. Summertime visitors should pack light, thin shirts, shorts, T-shirts, skirts, a sun-hat, rain gear and sunglasses. If you visit in the winter, make sure you don't leave home without thick, warm clothes, a padded jacket, a hat, gloves and boots.

The Forbidden City             

Entry into the inner court is via Qianqingmen (Qianqing Door). Qianqinggong Palace (Hall of Celestial Purity) was the emperor's office and bedchamber. He sometimes also held banquets here.

Kunninggong (Palace of Terrestrial Tranquility) was the empress' bedchamber. This particular photo shows the Nuptial Chamber.

Kunninggong is a smaller room called Jiaotaidian (Hall of Celestial and Terrestrial Union), used for small ceremonies. It was also where the official seals of the emperor and empress were stored. According to traditional Chinese beliefs, Qianqinggong represents heaven, Kunninggong represents the earth and Jiaotaidian represents their harmonious union.
	stone carving of clouds and dragons.
	10,000-Springs Pavilion in the Imperial Garden. This was the emperor's private garden where he could stroll and relax.
	The courtyard in front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation in the Inner Court. The adjacent building is a theatre hall where the imperial family watched performances.

 

Tian'anmen Square Tian'anmen itself is the Gate of Heavenly Peace. It's generally regarded as the center of Beijing because of its location and also because it has been a symbol of power ever since Chairman Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the new China on October 1, 1949. Every year on China's National Day, crowds gather all around Tian'anmen which is also the front gate to the Forbidden City. Two stone lions stand in front of Tian'anmen as a symbol of power, with two more standing guard at the bridges. Beside the lions are two Huabiao, stone-carved ornamental columns. Tian'anmen Square covers more than 40 hectares and is the largest public square in the world. The area is very often packed with people - and even more so during the holidays. Both visitors, snapping pictures with Tian'anmen in the background, and locals flock here and some even fly kites with their children. On the western side of Tian'anmen Square is the Great Hall of the People, a massive group of square buildings that serve as the center for political activities. Within this group of buildings, you'll find the Standing Committee of the People's Congress, China's equivalent to Parliament in western countries.

In the center of Tian'anmen Square is the Monument to the People's Heroes, in remembering those who sacrificed their lives for national independence and fought against foreign aggression. Standing at over 37 meters, the monument is in traditional Chinese style with marble rails and decorative carvings that tell the history of China's struggles against invaders and for independence.
Mao Zedong, (1894-1976) founder of the new China, was born a peasant in Hunan Province. He devoted his whole life to the socialistic cause of China. When he died, they constructed a huge mausoleum for him, the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao Zedong, which took a year to complete. Mao's body lies in a crystal coffin in the central hall.
Qianmen (Front Gate) is on the south side of the Square and was the gateway between the inner Forbidden City and the outer Forbidden City during the reign of the Qing Emperor, Yongle, in the 15th century. Today the wall that once separated the two is gone but the gate tower remains.

                                The Summer Palace

Yiheyuan (Summer Palace) is as famous as the Forbidden City and its name translated means Garden of Nurtured Harmony. It's a blend of southern China's gardens and northern China's parks, forming a unique style of garden architecture and landscaping. The gardens at Yiheyuan occupy an area of 290 hectares and consist mainly of Wanshoushan (Longevity Hill) and Kunming Lake. The Seventeen-Arch Bridge connects the east bank with Dragon King Temple. Kunming Lake covers about two thirds of the total area of Yiheyuan. The waters are still and shallow. You won't find any fountains or waterfalls here since Chinese rulers believed that peace and quiet were the key to their longevity. From spring to autumn, lotus leaves and flowers cover the shoreline and pleasure boats and ferries bring visitors around the lake. Xuequ (Harmonious Interest Garden) is known as the garden within a garden and was modeled after Jichangyuang (Pleasure Garden) in Wuxi, in Jiangsu Province