The capital of the People's Republic of China, Beijing (formerly
Peking) is a very modern and exceedingly busy city (nearly 14
million people call it home) with high-rise buildings,
international hotels and sprawling suburbs. The city is abuzz and
bristling with cranes on the skyline as construction projects give
rise to new skyscrapers and modernisation proceeds apace. However,
Beijing also encompasses numerous attractions of cultural and
historical interest, of which some, such as the Great Wall, former
Imperial palace (known as the Forbidden City), the Temple of
Heaven, Summer Palace and the remains of Peking Man at Zhoukoudian,
are UNESCO-endorsed World Cultural Heritage Sites. Chinese history
and culture fascinates Western visitors, and Beijing is the place
to start exploring it. The city abounds in imperial palaces,
temples, mansions, gardens and tombs that epitomise classical
Chinese architecture. It has 120 museums and more than 100 public
gardens.
The first port of call for most visitors is the Forbidden City,
which lies at the heart of Beijing with the rest of the city
radiating out from it in a grid pattern. For five centuries this
massive palace complex with 9,999 rooms functioned as the
administrative centre of the country and home to a succession of
emperors, who lived in luxurious isolation, surrounded by courtiers
and retainers. The Palace overlooks the famous Tiananmen Square,
site of so much political drama and dissent, the epitome of this
capital city.
In preparing to host what they hoped were 'the best games in
Olympic history', Beijing undertook many major renovations in 2008.
Public transport was improved, environmental issues addressed and a
general clean up of the city was ordered. The Chinese saw the games
highlight its economic rise and emergence as a world power.
Getting around: Although Beijing's public transport system is
extensive, including a comprehensive bus network and the subway,
many visitors soon tire of hot overcrowded buses and rush hour
congestion underground and make use of taxis. Cycling is also a
good alternative with numerous bicycle rentals around the city, and
well-defined bike lanes, bike parks and the company of millions of
other cyclists, especially at rush hour. It may look intimidating,
but can be the best way to get around for the more adventurous
traveller. For the Olympics in 2008, 50,000 brand new bicycles were
made available and can now be rented at outlets close to subway
stations, commercial districts, Olympic venues, hotels and office
buildings. The subway outside of rush hour is the fastest and
easiest form of public transport to use. It is cheap, although not
very extensive, and is much more pleasant than taking a bus. Buses
are also very cheap, but uncomfortably crowded and care should be
taken of valuables and bags.






