Introduction
Where the mojo of MTV and mobile phones has eclipsed the magic of Mao. Capital of the country everyone's talking about, Beijing is a dynamic clash of the ancient and the modern. Steeped in history it might be, but Beijing redefi nes and reinvents itself while other cities are content to rest on their laurels.
The pace of Beijing is at times bewildering, and you'll be left gasping at its contrasts. Stunning historical sights rub shoulders with cutting-edge architecture, while serene temples coexist with buzzing nightspots, hip galleries and over 60,000 restaurants.
With a total area of 16,800 sq km, Beijing municipality is roughly the size of Belgium. The city itself may appear unforgivingly huge, but Beijing is a city of very orderly design. Think of the city as one giant grid, with the Forbidden City at its centre. The historical central areas east and west of the Forbidden City are Dongcheng and Xicheng, respectively. South of Tiananmen Sq are the districts of Xuanwu and Chongwen, while the huge district of Chaoyang occupies much of Beijing's east and north. The large district of Haidian ranges to the northwest. Street names can be confusing. Jianguomenwai Dajie means 'the avenue (dajie) outside ( wai) Jianguo Gate (Jianguomen)' - that is, outside the old wall - whereas Jianguomennei Dajie means 'the avenue inside Jianguo Gate'. The gate in question no longer exists, so it survives in name alone. A major boulevard can change names six or even seven times along its length. Streets and avenues can also be split along compass points: Dong Dajie (East Ave), Xi Dajie (West Ave), Bei Dajie (North Ave) and Nan Dajie (South Ave). All these streets head off from an intersection, usually where a gate once stood. Six ring roads circle the city centre in concentric rings, while a seventh is rumoured to be forming. Bus, taxi and train are the main methods of transport to the city centre from B ě ij ī ng's Capital Airport, 27km away.
Destination Facts
Time zone: GMT +8
Area: 16800
Coordinates: 39.9061927795 latitude and 116.388038635 longitude
Population: 16330000
Area codes: 010
Getting There
Of the shoulder seasons, autumn is optimal - the weather is gorgeous and fewer tourists are in town. Locals describe this short season as tiangao qishuang - literally 'the sky is high and the air is fresh' - with clear skies and breezy days. Spring is less pleasant - not many tourists but lots of wind and dust. Summer (June to August) is considered peak season, when hotels typically raise their rates and the Great Wall nearly collapses under the weight of marching tourists. Winter is the extreme opposite but makes for pretty surrounds if you can stand the freezing temperatures; you'll have Beijing to yourself and many hotels offer substantial discounts. Everything is chock-a-block during the Chinese New Year (usually in January or February) and the week-long holidays of International Labour Day (May 1) and National Day (Oct 1).
Weather
Autumn is lovely, with clear skies and breezy days. Arid spring is ok, apart from the (worsening) sand clouds that sweep in from Inner Mongolia and the ubiquitous static electricity that discharges everywhere. Spring also sees the snow-like liuxu (willow catkins) wafting through the air like snow and collecting in drifts. From May onwards the mercury can surge well over 30 ° C (86 ° F). Beijing simmers under a scorching sun in summer (reaching over 40 ° C/104 ° F), and there can also be heavy rainstorms late in the season. In winter it's glacial outside (dipping as low as -20 ° C/-4 ° F) and the northern winds cut like a knife through bean curd. Note that air pollution can be very harsh in summer and winter.
Places of Interest
From history to hysterical, Beijing by bike is best. The spinsterish Beijing of old is having a facelift and the cityscape is changing daily. Within the city, however, you'll still find some of China's most stunning sights: the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven Park and the Lama Temple, to name just a few.
Capital of the country everyone's talking about, Beijing is a dynamic clash of the ancient and the modern. Steeped in history it might be, but Beijing redefi nes and reinvents itself while other cities are content to rest on their laurels. The pace of Beijing is at times bewildering, and you'll be left gasping at its contrasts. Stunning historical sights rub shoulders with cutting-edge architecture, while serene temples coexist with buzzing nightspots, hip galleries and over 60,000 restaurants.
Events
Beijing becomes a more relaxed city when it erupts in the colour and excitement of its traditional festivals. Domestic tourists flood sights to capacity and hotel room rates go up. The dates of many traditional festivals are based on the lunar calendar, so they take place at different times each year. But as well as its age-old celebrations, Beijing hosts an increasing array of arts and music festivals.Spring festival or Chinese New Year (usually celebrated between late January and mid-February) is a riot of fireworks and family reunions. Locals head to temple fairs; Beijing's best is at the Lama Temple. Fifteen days after the start of Spring festival, lanterns go up throughout Beijing's major parks to mark the end of Chinese New Year. Sweet rice dumplings are traditionally eaten during Lantern festival. On April 4 (April 5 on a leap year) Chinese people remember their ancestors on Tomb Sweeping Day; families visit and clean their relatives' graves and burn paper money in honour of the deceased. Mid-Autumn Festival (usually in September), also known as the Moon festival, sees families get together to eat moon cakes. October 1 is China's National Day, commemorating Mao's declaration of the People's Republic from Beijing's Tiananmen Gate. It kicks off a week-long holiday.
Where the mojo of MTV and mobile phones has eclipsed the magic of Mao. Capital of the country everyone's talking about, Beijing is a dynamic clash of the ancient and the modern. Steeped in history it might be, but Beijing redefi nes and reinvents itself while other cities are content to rest on their laurels.
The pace of Beijing is at times bewildering, and you'll be left gasping at its contrasts. Stunning historical sights rub shoulders with cutting-edge architecture, while serene temples coexist with buzzing nightspots, hip galleries and over 60,000 restaurants.
With a total area of 16,800 sq km, Beijing municipality is roughly the size of Belgium. The city itself may appear unforgivingly huge, but Beijing is a city of very orderly design. Think of the city as one giant grid, with the Forbidden City at its centre. The historical central areas east and west of the Forbidden City are Dongcheng and Xicheng, respectively. South of Tiananmen Sq are the districts of Xuanwu and Chongwen, while the huge district of Chaoyang occupies much of Beijing's east and north. The large district of Haidian ranges to the northwest. Street names can be confusing. Jianguomenwai Dajie means 'the avenue (dajie) outside ( wai) Jianguo Gate (Jianguomen)' - that is, outside the old wall - whereas Jianguomennei Dajie means 'the avenue inside Jianguo Gate'. The gate in question no longer exists, so it survives in name alone. A major boulevard can change names six or even seven times along its length. Streets and avenues can also be split along compass points: Dong Dajie (East Ave), Xi Dajie (West Ave), Bei Dajie (North Ave) and Nan Dajie (South Ave). All these streets head off from an intersection, usually where a gate once stood. Six ring roads circle the city centre in concentric rings, while a seventh is rumoured to be forming. Bus, taxi and train are the main methods of transport to the city centre from B ě ij ī ng's Capital Airport, 27km away.
Destination Facts
Time zone: GMT +8
Area: 16800
Coordinates: 39.9061927795 latitude and 116.388038635 longitude
Population: 16330000
Area codes: 010
Getting There
Of the shoulder seasons, autumn is optimal - the weather is gorgeous and fewer tourists are in town. Locals describe this short season as tiangao qishuang - literally 'the sky is high and the air is fresh' - with clear skies and breezy days. Spring is less pleasant - not many tourists but lots of wind and dust. Summer (June to August) is considered peak season, when hotels typically raise their rates and the Great Wall nearly collapses under the weight of marching tourists. Winter is the extreme opposite but makes for pretty surrounds if you can stand the freezing temperatures; you'll have Beijing to yourself and many hotels offer substantial discounts. Everything is chock-a-block during the Chinese New Year (usually in January or February) and the week-long holidays of International Labour Day (May 1) and National Day (Oct 1).
Weather
Autumn is lovely, with clear skies and breezy days. Arid spring is ok, apart from the (worsening) sand clouds that sweep in from Inner Mongolia and the ubiquitous static electricity that discharges everywhere. Spring also sees the snow-like liuxu (willow catkins) wafting through the air like snow and collecting in drifts. From May onwards the mercury can surge well over 30 ° C (86 ° F). Beijing simmers under a scorching sun in summer (reaching over 40 ° C/104 ° F), and there can also be heavy rainstorms late in the season. In winter it's glacial outside (dipping as low as -20 ° C/-4 ° F) and the northern winds cut like a knife through bean curd. Note that air pollution can be very harsh in summer and winter.
Places of Interest
From history to hysterical, Beijing by bike is best. The spinsterish Beijing of old is having a facelift and the cityscape is changing daily. Within the city, however, you'll still find some of China's most stunning sights: the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven Park and the Lama Temple, to name just a few.
Capital of the country everyone's talking about, Beijing is a dynamic clash of the ancient and the modern. Steeped in history it might be, but Beijing redefi nes and reinvents itself while other cities are content to rest on their laurels. The pace of Beijing is at times bewildering, and you'll be left gasping at its contrasts. Stunning historical sights rub shoulders with cutting-edge architecture, while serene temples coexist with buzzing nightspots, hip galleries and over 60,000 restaurants.
Events
Beijing becomes a more relaxed city when it erupts in the colour and excitement of its traditional festivals. Domestic tourists flood sights to capacity and hotel room rates go up. The dates of many traditional festivals are based on the lunar calendar, so they take place at different times each year. But as well as its age-old celebrations, Beijing hosts an increasing array of arts and music festivals.Spring festival or Chinese New Year (usually celebrated between late January and mid-February) is a riot of fireworks and family reunions. Locals head to temple fairs; Beijing's best is at the Lama Temple. Fifteen days after the start of Spring festival, lanterns go up throughout Beijing's major parks to mark the end of Chinese New Year. Sweet rice dumplings are traditionally eaten during Lantern festival. On April 4 (April 5 on a leap year) Chinese people remember their ancestors on Tomb Sweeping Day; families visit and clean their relatives' graves and burn paper money in honour of the deceased. Mid-Autumn Festival (usually in September), also known as the Moon festival, sees families get together to eat moon cakes. October 1 is China's National Day, commemorating Mao's declaration of the People's Republic from Beijing's Tiananmen Gate. It kicks off a week-long holiday.
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