All About Beijing

Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China, as well as its political, economic, cultural, and educational center. It is considered China's most important center for international trade and communications. Located in northern China, the city covers an area of about 6336 square miles, and has a population of nearly 15 million people.

Records show that Beijing has been an inhabited city for more than 3,000 years, enduring invasions by warlords and foreign powers, devastating fires, and the rise and fall of powerful imperial dynasties. Beijing is also known as a cradle of humanity, since Peking Man lived in caves in the southwest area of Beijing as early as 500,000 years ago.

On October 1, 1949 the People's Republic of China was founded, with Beijing as its capital. The Chinese government and the Communist Party are theoretically separate, but in practice the Party controls the government through the appointment of official posts and offices, and through the operation of agencies that oversee the day-to-day affairs of all government institutions.

Beijing has four distinct seasons. The hot summer weather begins in May and runs through August, with temperatures rising to 100ºF or more. July and August are also quite rainy. Spring and fall are considered the best times to visit the city. Temperatures are more moderate – 68ºF to 86ºF – and there is less rain. In the fall, however, warm days may be followed by cold, frosty nights. Winter requires plenty of warm clothing. The weather is generally dry and sunny in the winter, but the temperatures don't rise above freezing.

A word about air quality in Beijing: On a typical day, pollution levels in the city may be as much as five times higher than what the World Health Organization deems safe. When there is no rain or wind, ozone and fine dust accumulate. China is making attempts to clear the air, but even healthy visitors may experience sore throats and coughing. Children, the chronically ill, the elderly, and anyone who suffers from asthma face the greatest risk. If you experience symptoms, try to limit your time outdoors. And you should, of course, avoid exercising outdoors.

Beijing offers visitors an exhaustive variety of Chinese cuisine, as well as Western and fast food. You can splurge at a fancy restaurant, or dine well and more cheaply at the smaller family-run restaurants located all over the city. Any large tourist hotel offers Western food of varying quality and price, and fast food junkies can find many of their favorite chains here, including McDonald's, KFC, and Pizza Hut. There are also French, Italian, German, Japanese, Mexican, and Russian restaurants.

But when in Beijing, you owe it to yourself to try some Northern Chinese cuisine specialties, including Beijing Duck, Mongolian hotpot, Muslim barbecue, and Imperial food. You might also want to try Cantonese dim sum for breakfast or lunch.

Prices have been steadily rising in Beijing's eateries, but there are still plenty of back-alley cafes where you can find a cheap meal, especially in the hutongs (the old part of the city). Muslim barbecue is also a good bet for an inexpensive meal.

Also known as the Imperial Palace, the Forbidden City is the former residence of the ancient emperors, and was off-limits to most of the world for 500 years. Now a major tourist attraction, it is the best preserved cluster of ancient buildings in China, with halls, temples, and housing said to contain 9,999 rooms. It is divided into northern and southern parts. The southern section was used for ceremonies and entertaining guests; the northern area was the private residence. The former living quarters now function as museums, and special exhibits are sometimes mounted in other halls of the palace.

The entrance fee is rather steep, but you can easily spend a couple of hours here. No official guide is needed to see the palace (ignore anyone who tells you otherwise). You can rent a self-guided audio tour.

Tiananmen Square may well be Beijing's most popular tourist destination. A large open space surrounded by official buildings, the square is often used for celebrations and for official government speeches, as well as for kite flying. Much of the world knows it as the site of a deadly confrontation between protestors and government officials in 1989.

The flag to the front of the square is raised or lowered by a squad of army personnel at sunrise and sunset. Crowds generally gather to watch this, so plan to arrive an hour or so before, to get a good view. During the day you can buy a ticket to go up to the balcony from which the leaders address the people. The square remains open until 10:30 p.m., and is beautifully lit after dark.

Along the northern edge of Tiananmen Square you'll find the Gate of Heavenly Peace. A Chinese national symbol, the gate was originally built in 1420, during the Ming Dynasty, and was restored in the 17th century. It was from this gate that Mao proclaimed the People's Republic on October 1, 1949. Today Chinese officials watch mass troop parades from here.

Considered one of the manmade wonders of the world, the Great Wall is a series of stone and earthen fortifications that were built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 6th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire. The Great Wall stretches over approximately 4,000 miles at the southern edge of Inner Mongolia. It has been estimated that two to three million Chinese workers died during the centuries-long project of building the wall.

Much of the wall is badly deteriorated and cannot be accessed. From Beijing, however, you can get to a fully restored section called Badaling within two or three hours by bus or car. Walking the Great Wall is not for the faint of heart. Some sections have steps and railings, but other sections are just gradual, steep slopes.

The Summer Palace is located in the northwest corner of Beijing, near Beijing University. It was built as a retreat for former emperors and their families, but has since become an impressive public park, with the best-preserved imperial garden in China. The main feature of the park is a large lake with a walkway surrounding it, but there are many other features of interest, including towers, halls, temples, a 17-arch bridge, a pagoda, and a stone boat. In the summer there is boating on the lake. You can go with a group on one of the large dragon boats, or you can rent your own electric powered boat by the hour.

The Temple of Heaven is a large park and temple complex located in the south-central area of Beijing. The temple buildings date from 1420 A.D. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368 A.D. - 1911 A.D.), the complex was visited by the emperors for annual ceremonies of prayers and sacrifices to heaven for good harvest.

The centerpiece of the complex is a large tower that is said to be built entirely of wood without using a single nail. The park surrounding the structures is filled with more than 1,000 species of trees, some of which are hundreds of years old. Huge numbers of local residents gather in the park each day to practice martial arts, singing, opera, chess, dancing, and calligraphy.

Originally called the Ten Thousand Animal Garden, the Beijing Zoo was built in 1908. The zoo is also a center of zoological research that collects and breeds rare animals from various continents. It's famous for its giant pandas, but there are many other species, including Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkeys, Manchurian tigers, yaks from Tibet, enormous sea turtles, polar bears from the North Pole, kangaroos from Australia, and zebras from Africa. The grounds offer cultivated flower gardens with stretches of natural scenery, including dense groves of trees, grassland, a small stream, and lotus pools.

The Beijing Zoo is located in the northwest corner of Beijing, not too far from the center.

Wangfujing Street is a shopping mecca that lies in the center of Beijing. A 700-year-old commercial street, it offers two major shopping malls, large department stores, souvenir shops, and side streets filled with food stalls and stores selling shoes, caps, silk cloth, scissors, Chinese brushes and ink-sticks, jade articles, tea, and other commodities. The street is also home to one of the biggest bookstores in Beijing, Wangfujing Bookstore, as well as the largest outdoor TV screen in Beijing.

Wangfujing Street is especially crowded at night, when it is lit by an ever-increasing number of neon advertising signs.

Acrobats are revered in China, much as prima ballerinas or opera singers are revered in the West. It takes years of rigorous training to achieve the excellence demanded by this ancient art form, and training can begin as early as age four or five. The Chinese Acrobatics shows at Tianqiao Theatre are impressive, with amazing displays of athletic strength, impeccable balance, and perfect timing. The theatre is located in the southern part of Beijing, near to the Temple of Heaven.

The Legend of Kung Fu, showing at the Beijing Red Theatre, is a chance to see masters of the art of Kung Fu in action. The show follows the story of a young boy who dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master. The actors do not speak – the story is told through Kung Fu, dance, and acrobatics (English "subtitles," shown above the stage, keep you informed of the story line). Kung Fu practitioners have been drawn from all over China for this production; their average age is only 17 years old. The costumes, set design, and special effects were created by some of the best stage directors and designers in China. The Red Theatre is also located near the Temple of Heaven.

The hutongs are residential neighborhoods that still form the heart of Old Beijing. Hutongs are narrow alleys that formed as residents built traditional four-sided, walled compounds to house multigenerational families. In the years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, a great number of old hutongs have been demolished and replaced by modern high rises and wide boulevards.

Some of Beijing's ancient hutongs still stand, however, and a number of them have been designated protected areas. The hutongs in the vicinity of the Bell Tower and Shichahai Lake are especially well preserved. Tour the quarter in a pedicab, and get a glimpse of what life was like for many generations of Chinese in Old Beijing.