Beijing, China

Beijing is the economic, social, and technological heart of China. As China's capital city, Beijing provides a vast and remarkable experience for visitors from all over the world.

With a population of 21.5 million people, it is the nation's second-largest city after Shanghai. Beijing literally means Northern Capital, reflecting the role it has played many times in China's long history. The city first became notable after it was made the capital of the State of Yan. It then carried the name "Yanjing" and was one of the major kingdoms of the Warring States Period about 2,000 years ago. What is more, Beijing was also the seat of the Ming and Qing dynasty emperors until the formation of a republic in 1911.

Reasons to travel to Beijing

Beijing is a wonderful mix of China's numerous cultures and historical periods. Tourists can view China's Imperial past in perfectly preserved buildings, courts, and parks. The city is characterized by its vastness and large distances between locations. Until recently Beijing was almost entirely made up of hutongs with narrow lanes and single-story buildings. Now, many of the hutongs have given way to broad boulevards and modern buildings, contributing to an airy, sprawling feel, in sharp contrast to cities like Hong Kong and Shanghai. Among the main sites to put on your Beijing itinerary is the Forbidden City, like its configuration Beijing has concentric "ring roads", which are actually rectangular, that go around the metropolis. Beyond the ring roads are the most-visited parts of the Great Wall of China, an absolute must-do during Beijing travel.