Beijing in brief

Beijing, literally meaning the "northern capital", is the capital of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) commonly known as "Pekin(g)". Located in northern China, the municipality of Beijing is a metropolis bordering the Tianjin Municipality in the southeast and the Hebei Province in the north, west and southern parts: a size which can be compared to Belgium. Beijing is considered as China's political, cultural and international trade centre, while the modernization of the country makes Shanghai and Hong Kong increasingly dominating at an economical level. Divided in 14 urban and suburban districts, the city is now a major transportation hub to every single part of the country. Travelers coming for the first time to China cannot do without stopping by the Imperial city that is Beijing. Visits between ancestral traditions and relics, natural sceneries, parks and local inhabitants... Beijing is the must-see city of any travel to China that will never let you down.

History of Beijing – Imperial capital city of China

With a history tracing back to more than 500,000 years ago with the discovery of the area where the modern Homo sapiens used to inhabit, Beijing has so much to offer to those who want to vibrate with joy and experience a unique odyssey! Indeed, Beijing has been an inhabited city since more than three thousand years, and has undertaken a lot of events such as invasions by warlords and foreign powers, rises and falls of powerful imperial dynasties, devastating fires, etc... But succeeding in emerging stronger every time making it nowadays one of the best touristy cities in the world.

Representing just a peripheral city during the Han and Tang Dynasties, historical changes let ancient Beijing become at times the capital city of the country during the Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, after other previous capitals like Xi'an, Luoyang, Kaifeng, Nanjing and Hangzhou. In total, the city was ruled by thirty-four emperors, a fact which can explain the richness of the city today. Since 1949 and the foundation of the PRC then, Beijing has become the capital city of the country and has been place to many historical events. Now subject to modernization, Beijing is just a place where visitors can enjoy history and imperial culture at its best point.

Beijing nowadays – Between history and modernity

Bursting with lots of historical relics, and having been a frontier trading town for the Mongols, Koreans and tribes from the Shandong Province to central China, Beijing is now known as an essential place to visit, flourishing with ancient time's buildings mixing with the modernity of the 21^st century and busy shopping malls, huge skyscrapers and traffic. Host city of the 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing has been boosted with energy and new modern architecture areas since then and is still making all travelers experience a living dream thanks to its unparalleled wealth. Looking for some traditional China structures and awe-inspiring sites such as the UNESCO ranked Great Wall, Forbidden City or Summer Palace... Beijing opens its door to you!