[Educational Tour of China] - Beijing 北京

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Beijing

Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It covers 17,000 square kilometers, most of which
is mountainous, accounting for 62% of the city's landmass. The rest, 6400 square kilometers or 38% of
the total are flat. The municipality governs 14 urban districts and 4 rural counties. Beijing is home to the
Peking Man, one of the earliest human species that existed some 500,000 years ago. Historic records
and archeological findings prove that as a city, Beijing dates back more than 3,000 years ago. It was the
capital of five feudal dynasties-the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing. On October 1,1949, the People's
Republic of China was founded, and since then Beijing has been the national capital, the country's political
and cultural center and center of the country's international exchange. The Forbidden City, the Great Wall,
the Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian, the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace are on the UNESCO
List of World Heritage.

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Beijing's climate represents as hot and rainy in summer and cold and dry in winter. The four seasons
in Beijing are distinct. It is dry, windy and sandy in spring and hot and rainy in summer. Fall is the best
season with fresh, mild and humid air in a year. However, winter is cold and dry with some snow.
Spring (usually from February to April) and fall (usually from August to October) are better seasons for
visiting Beijing when it is sunny and warm with few tourists crowding in the attractions.

Since 1987, the scholar tree and oriental cypress are Beijing's official city trees, and the Chinese rose
and the chrysanthemum are Beijing's official city flowers.

The Tiananmen Square in the center of Beijing, which is the biggest square in the world. It is 880
meters from north to south, and 500 meters from east to west, with total area of 440,000 square
meters and can hold one million people. The Tiananmen Gate Tower sites at the north, the Five-Star
Red Flag flies high on the square, the Monument to the People's Heroes dominates the center, the
Great Hall of the People and the Museum of the Chinese Revolution and the Museum of Chinese History
to the east and west of it, as well as The Chairman Mao Memorial Hall and the Qianmen gate, sit in the
south of the square. Over several hundred years, in front of the Tiananmen, many democracy
meetings and demonstrations are held. Tens of thousands of people visit daily. The Square is listed top
among Beijing's 16 scenic spots.

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The Forbidden City is the largest and most well preserved imperial residence in China. Under Ming Emperor Yongle,
construction began in 1406. It took 14 years to build the Forbidden City. The first ruler who actually lived here was
Ming Emperor Zhudi. For five centuries thereafter, it continued to be the residence of 23 successive emperors until
1911 when Qing Emperor Puyi was forced to abdicate the throne. In 1987, the United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization recognized the Forbidden City as a world cultural legacy.

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The Great Wall, symbolizing China's ancient civilization, is one of the world's most famous projects. It is a distance of
75 kilometres northwest of Beijing. Its highest point at Badaling is some 800 metres above sea level. Construction of
the Wall first began during the period of the Warring States (476 - 221 BC). Formerly, walls were built at strategic
points by different kingdoms to protect their northern territories. In 221 BC after the first Emperor of the Qin Dynasty
unified China, he decided to have the walls linked up and extended. Historical records show that about 1 million people,
one-fifth of China's population at the time, were involved in the project which took more than ten years. When it was
finished we call it "Wan Li Chang Cheng" which means "Ten Thousand-Li-Long Wall". Now, nature has taken over most
of the Great Wall.

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The Ming Dynasty lasted from 1368 to 1644. The first Ming emperor had his tomb built in Nanjing, the town which
he had chosen for his capital. As his eldest son died early, he was succeeded by his grandson, who became the second
emperor. His fourth son, the Prince of Yan, was guarding the northern frontier near Beijing with an army 100,000
strong. The second emperor attempted to weaken his forces but was met with counter-attacks. After a 3-year war
he was ousted and lost track of completely. So, the fourth son became the third emperor, Emperor Yongle, of the
Ming Dynasty.

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The construction of the Summer Palace first started in 1750. At that time, the Qing Dynasty was in its heyday and
China was a powerful Asian country with vast territories. The monarch in power then was Emperor Qianlong. With
supreme power and large sums of money, he summoned skillful and ingenious artisans from all over the country to
carry out this construction work in honor of his mother's birthday. After 15 years and one seventh of the nation's
annual revenue spent, the Garden of Clear Ripples was completed and served as a testimony to China's scientific
and technological achievements. In 1860, this vast royal garden was burnt down along with the Yuanming Yuan
(Garden of Perfection and Brightness) by Anglo-French allied forces. In 1888, Empress Dowager Cixi reconstructed
the garden on the same site and renamed it the Garden of Nurtured Harmony (Summer Palace). Characterized by
its vast scope and rich cultural embodiments, the Summer Palace has become one of the most famous tourist sites
in the world. The Summer Palace can be divided into two parts: Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake. The whole garden
covers an area of 290 hectares, of which three-fourths consists of a lake and rivers. This imperial garden features
3,000 room-units and covers an expanse of 70,000 square meters, with more than 100 picturesque spots of
interest. The layout of the Summer Palace includes three groups of architectures: palaces where the emperor
attended to state affairs, resting places of the emperor and empress, and sightseeing areas.

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The Temple of Heaven is one of the most strictly protected and preserved cultural heritages of China. There are 12
million visitors every year. It was built in 1420 during the reign of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty. Situated in the
southern part of the city, this grand set of structures covers an area of 273 hectares. To better symbolize heaven and
earth, the northern part of the Temple is circular while the southern part is square. The whole compound is enclosed by
two walls, a square wall outside a round one. The outer area is characterized by suburban scenery, while the inner
part is used for sacrifices. The inner enclosure consists of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest and the Circular Mound
Altar.

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The Olympic Stadiums