Location: North of China, north latitude: 39 ° 56 ′and east longitude 116 ° 20′
Population: 13.6 million
Area: 16,808 square kilometers
Altitude: 43.71 meter above the sea level
Climate Feature: “Continental Monsoon” climate. Beijing has four distinct seasons. Spring, from mid-March to mid-May, is mild, although sometimes dust storms strike the city. Summer, from mid-May to mid-September, is both humid and rather hot, and subject to heavy rains in July and August. Beijing's "Golden Autumn," from mid-September to mid-November, is pretty dry, with mild days and chilly nights. The long winter, from mid-November to mid-March, can be bitterly cold with Siberian winds, ice.
Best time for traveling: May, September and October
Being the modern capital, Beijing is not only the political, cultural, economical and educational center of China, but also a popular tourist destination holding the biggest collection of the ancient sites and relics in the nation.
In 1921, the Peking Man remains were found in Beijing, indicating the history of the city could be traced back to 69,000 years ago. In the year 1272, Beijing became the Capital of a unified country for the first time in the Yuan Dynasty, which was written in the Travels of Marco Polo. During the next 600 years, it was the capital of three dynasties – Yuan, Ming and Qing in succession until the year 1911 when Xinhai Revolution ended the more than 2000 years feudal society in China. On 31 January, 1949, Beijing was liberated by the Communist Party. In the same year on 1 October, the People’s Republic of China was founded, Beijing was once again chosen as the capital of the new China. From then on, Beijing has become the center of the international trade and communications as well.
Strolling around Beijing, you will find that the city is far from the impression of an ancient capital with more than 3000 years writing history. There are many towering skyscrapers; busy shopping malls and the endless stream of traffic which are in common with other great metropolis in the world. However, when you browse around the Hutong areas among the quadrangles, you still can feel the strong authentic Beijing style.
In the year 2008, Beijing will proudly host the Olympic Games. It will be the opportunity to show the charms of Beijing to the world and everyone will be impressed by the latest accomplishments and the amazing history of Beijing.
