“Beijing, the Capital of the People’s Republic of China, is the nation’s political, cultural, scientific and educational heart and a key transportation hub”

Beijing has served as a capital for more than 800 years. The city has many places of historic interest and scenic beauty, including the Forbidden City , the largest and best-preserved ancient architectural complex in the world; the Temple of Heaven, where Ming and Qing emperors performed solemn rituals for bountiful harvests; the Summer Palace, the emperors' magnificent garden retreat; the Ming tombs, the stately and majestic mausoleums of 13 Ming Dynasty emperors; and the world-renowned and genuinely inspiring Badaling section of the Great Wall.

Large-scale construction since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 has brought great changes to Beijing. Today's Beijing still retains the alluring fascination of an ancient capital, but has added a small forest of skyscrapers and a complete range of municipal facilities, transforming itself into an attractively modern metropolis redolent of history.

Location

Beijing is located at 39 degrees 56'N and 116 degrees 20'E, which puts it to the approximate altitude of the Italian Capital Rome in Europe and New York City in United States. It is 43 meters above sea level and 183 kilometers from the sea.

Area

Beijing covers totally an area of 16800 square kilometers (about 6500 square miles) stretching 160 kilometers from east to west and over 180 kilometers north to south, 38% of it is flat land and 62% mountains. Urban Beijing covers around 750 square kilometers.

Population

Beijing has a population of over 12.6 million. About 6 million live in the city proper and the rest on the outskirts.

Climate

Beijing experiences four distinct seasons and has a continental climate. Annual rainfall averages nearly 700 millimeter, most of it comes in July and August. Winter is dry and cold and has little snow. The frost-free period is 185 days. The best time to visit Beijing is May, September and October, when people enjoy bright sunny skies.