Welcome to Beijing

Where is Beijing?	Beijing Local History	Beijing Attractions
Beijing Shopping	Beijing Restaurants	Beijing Bars and Clubs

Where is Beijing?

Beijing City is an independently administered municipal district situated in the north eastern part of China. 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).

Beijing has a total area of 16,808 sq km and stretches 160 kilometres from east to west and over 180 kilometres north to south. There are 18 districts and counties with Dongcheng, Xicheng, Xuanwu, Chongwen, Chaoyang, Haidian, Fengtai and Shijingshan in the surburbs and Fangshan, Mengtougou, Changping, Tongxian, Shunyi, Daxing, Huairou, Miyun, Pinggu and Yianqing in the outer suburbs. The population of Beijing is about 12 million.

Back to top

Beijing Local History

King Wu was the first to declare Beijing the capital city in 1057 BC. Subsequently, the city has gone by the names of Ji, Zhongdu, Dadu, and finally Beijing when the Ming Dynasty Emperor ChengZu chose the name in 1421.

Back to top

Beijing Attractions

Museums & places to visit

•  The Forbidden City: The city was out of bounds to almost the rest of the world for 500 years. It is the finest preserved group of ancient buildings in China. The verdant gardens, lovely courtyards, pavilions and great halls of the old palace are intensely atmospheric.

•  Summer Palace: The palace is one of the most popular attractions in China. The temples, gardens, pavilions, lake and corridors provided the Imperial Court with an escape from the summer heat and a playground to pass the time away. The serene Kunming Lake occupies three-quarters of the park.

•  The Great Wall of China: When the Great Wall was originally built 2000 years ago its purpose was to keep out the marauding hordes from adjoining kingdoms. For many centuries it was neglected and almost forgotten until, in the 18 th century, Europeans began their love affair with the huge structure. Today its one of the Worlds greatest tourist attractions.

•  Lama Temple: This is Beijing's biggest temple, it is a stunning building, with amazing statues, frescoes, tapestries, and carpentry, not to mention an impressive pair of Chinese lions. There is also an 18metre high sandalwood statue of the Buddha which was carved from a single tree.

•  Tiananmen Square: The Square is located in the centre of Beijing, and is a vast imposing place where people stroll and in a lot cases fly kites. It been a meeting place since imperial times and during the Cultural Revolution it was the scene of massive rallies orchestrated by Mao. Today it is best known for the time in1989 when Government tanks and soldiers massacred pro-democracy demonstrators here.

Festivals:

•  Beijing Music Festival – held from mid October to mid November every year.

The Beijing Music Festival has already become a significant date for Beijing's music fans. Held in late fall, the festival is staged at various venues throughout the capital. Each year more than 1,000 domestic and foreign musicians take part in approximately 30 performances, ranging from individual vocalists and instrumentalists to symphony orchestras.

Back to top

Beijing Shopping

Xidan: This is one of the prime shopping areas in Beijing and several big department stores are located here.

Dongdan: This is the district to try if you want to buy brand-name clothes.

Liulichang: This is the perfect place to explore traditional Chinese cuture and buy antiques, such as ancient books, calligraphy, rubbings, ink stones and ink.

New Silk Alley, Xiushuidongjie north of Jianguomenwai Dajie: The building is situated and opened just beside the old Silk Alley and is the place to come to if you are looking to buy clothes and silk products.

Back to top

Beijing Restaurants

Duyichu: 36 Qianmen Dajie. This established restaurant has built up a dedicated clientele for its steamed dumplings. It is an excellent place for breakfast or a light lunch.

Gongdelin: 158 Qianmen Nan Dajie. Vegetarian's flock to this restaurant with its beautifully named dishes. The food consists on the whole of meat imitations which taste much like the real thing. Ignore the décor and the slow service as the food is worth waiting for.

Qianmen Quanjude Roast Duck: 32 Qianmen Dajie. This massive restaurant serves excellent food in atmospheric surroundings.

Justine's: Jianguo Hotel, 5 Jianguomenwai Dajie. If the craving for western food takes over give this elegant restaurant a try. The food is mainly Western and the lobster soup and grilled lamb are excellent.

Back to top

Beijing Bars & Clubs

Durty Nellies Irish Pub: Sanlitun Nan. Yes, an Irish pub believe it or not, lively but hardly authentic.

Minders Bar: Sanlitun Lu. One of the original bars in the City, this has an in-house Filipino band that plays pop and rock from the seventies and eighties.

Poachers Bar: Off Sanlitun Lu.This is a popular bar with the expats. The beer is relatively cheap and there is a dance floor with live music on Saturday nights.

Blue Jay: 44 Chengfu Lu. This is a two-storey warehouse, which is very popular with students, as they get in free of charge. There is a Cover charge for non-students.

Lao She Teahouse: 3rd Floor, Dawancha Building, 3 Qianmen Xi Dajie. This tea house s the ideal place to have a light meal or snack and watch a variety show which features performances of Opera, martial arts and acrobatics.

Archers Direct for China Holidays, China Tours, China Cruises, China River Cruises & China Escorted Touring Holidays.

Back to top