Beijing is the capital of China, located in the northern part of China. As the capital of China, Beijing stands as the nation's social, economical, political, and cultural center. Beijing has had a rich history of enduring invasions by warlords and foreign powers, devastating disasters, and has seen the rise and fall of generations of imperial dynasties.

Since 1949, Beijing officially became the capital of the People's Republic of china. This splendid city attracts millions of visitors and tourists from all over the world each year. Today, Beijing is the center and home of the greatest repository of historical landmarks and monuments from imperial China.

It is impossible to describe in words the wonders and the beauties of this amazing city - the only way to fully appreciate it is to experiences it for yourself!

Beijing City Guide - Touring Peking

Beijing has a fantastic blend of historical tourism sites and modern 21st century technology and lifestyle. From the world famous Great Wall of China, Forbidden City Palace, Summer Palace, and Ming Tombs to WangFuJing, Tianmen Square, Beijing's West Railway Station, and China Central Television Tower - Beijing has it all and much more.

You will find everything from gigantic, western style shopping malls, towering skyscrapers, modern hotels, multinational department stores, to traditional style housing, street markets, quaint little side streets full of street vendors selling snack foods and all sorts of merchandise, and more.

You'll also discover the wide variety of gourmet cooking Beijing has to offer including the eight most famous regional cuisines of China, ranging from the hot and spicy Szechuan style cooking, to light, non-greasy tasting ShangDong style, and the Huaiyang cuisine with a history traceable back to 300 BC, and most famous of all, Peking Duck (Beijing Duck). Peking Duck (Beijing Duck) history can be traced back to more than 1,500 years ago; however it has its roots in the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). Read more about the world famous Peking Duck (Beijing Duck) here.

Population of Beijing

Beijing city has a population of about 15 million people. The city itself has a land area of 16,800 square kilometers (or 6,484 square miles). The average household size in Beijing is 3.21, and urban population accounts for 70% of the total population.

According to Beijing City municipal government, tourists to Beijing China in 2005 reached a record high of 3.63 million from outside of the Chinese mainland. This is a growth rate of 15% over the number of tourists in 2004. United States, Japan, and Korea were are the top three countries with highest number of tourists visiting Beijing.

With such wide variety of historical landmarks, and cultural monuments, it's no wonder Beijing receives so many tourists. Beijing is also the host city for the 2008 Olympics. While I can try my best to describe to you what it's like being in Beijing, but words and pictures alone will not do. You really have to experience the splendors of Beijing China yourself to really appreciate its beauty.