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Beijing City Guide
China > Beijing
Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China stands
as the center of politics, culture and international exchanges
as well as a modern metropolitan city. It is situated in the
northeastern part of China at an elevation of 43.5m above
sea level. The climate in Beijing is of the continental type,
with cold and dry winters and hot summers. January is the
coldest month (-4 Celsius), while July the warmest (26 Celsius).
The city that was once called as Ji, Zhongdu and Dadu is
now one of the world's most visited places. Given to the
striking historical places to visit such as, Tiananmen Square,
the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, Prince Gong Palace
and Beihei.
In Beijing too, is where the Great Wall resides. It was
built more than 2,000 years ago by meanders through mountains
and valleys for over hundreds of kilometers in the region
of Beijing. The Wall stands as one of the Seven Wonders
of the World and it is the greatest feature of China.
In addition to the Great Wall, the Shijing Mountain is
another wonderful trait of Beijing. This is where more than
15,000 stone tablets carved with Buddhist scriptures are
found. Also, the big Yongle Bell exposed us the exquisite
character of ancient China.
Another interesting feature of Beijing is the Drum Tower.
People say that this is the 'Big Ben of Beijing' as it is
actually a huge clock tower. It is said that drums were
beaten to mark the hour and time was kept with a water clock.
Besides the architectural and historical attractions, the
city is also lines exclusively with ancient-style shops
that sell Chinese antiques, Chinese calligraphy, traditional
Chinese paintings and silk clothes. One of the popular streets
in town to shop is the Liulichang Street.
Another, Beijing is too famous for its valuable collection
of fine works of art. There are many interesting galleries
that must be visited such as the China Art Gallery, Yanhuang
Gallery and the Palace Museum gallery.
Getting There and Moving Around
By air
Beijing has direct air connections to most major cities
in the world. Beijing's airport is 25 km (15 mi) from the
Forbidden City. Guangzhou and Shenzhen are both near Hong
Kong and have direct flights to Beijing.
By rail
Beijing Railway Station is situated at east of central
Zhongshan Park. For foreigners' convenience, there is a
Foreigners' Ticketing Office at the station. An express
train to Hong Kong takes about 30 hours.
By road
Another way to travel in and out of Beijing is by road.
Bus a good option as it's cheaper than the train and it's
easier to get a seat. The sleeper buses are widely available
and they are highly recommended for long overnight journeys.
A tip to find the right bus station is to look around the
city towards the direction you want to go; ie; west or south.
Moving Around
To travel fast within Beijing, one can opt for the subway,
or Underground Dragon. The speed is up to 70 km (43 mi)
per hour.
Otherwise, buses and taxis are widely available throughout
the city. Bike, too is one of the main transportation around
the city. Some hotels do rent out bikes at a reasonable
rate and there are other bike hire-outlets around the city.
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