One of the most fascinating cities in the world, Beijing is much more than just the capital of modern China.

Combining the historic majesty of the Forbidden City and Great Wall with a very modern metropolis, it has been the administrative center of the Middle Kingdom for over 800 years.

True, on occasion, the nation's capital has moved elsewhere for a while (most notably to Nanjing in the early part of last century), but it has always returned to Beijing.

From the Yuan Dynasty to the Ming and Qing dynasties, Thirty-four emperors ruled the nation from Beijing. Therefore it's not surprising that the city's strict, rectangular grid pattern was designed to display the awesome power of the emperor.

To fully appreciate the harmony of Beijing's design, it's said to be best to take a walk along the 7.5 km long central axis of the city. Your path will take you (from north to south) through Beijing and intersect the Yongding Gate, Qianmen Gate and Tian'anmen (The Gate of Heavenly Peace).

The main entrance to the old imperial city, you travel north through Tian'anmen to reach the Forbidden City. At the southern end of this axis are the Temple of Heaven and Xiannongtan Temple.

Tucked in-between the city's main avenues are the delightful alleyways known as 'Hutongs'. Take a stroll down a few of them and you'll enjoy a delightful change from the 'larger-than-life' nature of the rest of the city.

In a sense, Beijing's long and illustrious history started some 500,000 years ago when the ancestors of modern Homo Sapiens, 'Peking Man', lived in caves near the site of the current city.

There is also evidence that Beijing has been an inhabited city for more than three thousand years. Over that time, the city has endured invasions by war-lords and foreign powers, suffered devastating fires, and survived the rise and fall of powerful imperial dynasties. Each time, it has emerged as a strong and vibrant city once again.

And so to the present. As the capital of the People's Republic of China, Beijing is the nation's political, economic, cultural and educational center, and in 2008, will be the host city of the Summer Olympic Games.

This event will doubtless give the city a terrific opportunity dazzle the world with both its bright, exciting future and remarkable ancient roots.

Attractions
From the biggest central city square in the world (Tian'anmen Square) to the largest and best-preserved imperial palace complex in the shape of the Forbidden City, the city of Beijing adjoins a superbly preserved section of the Great Wall, as well as the largest sacrificial complex in the world - the Temple of Heaven.

The Forbidden City
The largest and the best-preserved Imperial Palace complex in the world, it has 9,999 rooms (9 being the Imperial number reserved for and reflecting the Emperor's maximum power). Surrounded by a six-meter deep moat and ten-meter high wall, it's naturally a 'not to be missed' destination for any visitor to Beijing. Self-guided audio tour tapes are available in several languages at the entrance to the complex.

Tiananmen Square
The largest central city square in the world, it's encircled by a variety of significant edifices: For example: the Chinese Revolution History Museum, the Mao Mausoleum, the Great Hall of the People, the elegant and beautiful Tiananmen (Heavenly Peace Gate) Tower, and the Qianmen (Front Gate).

Daily flag raising and lowering ceremonies are performed in the square, at sunrise and sunset.

The Great Wall
One of the "Eight Wonders of the World" and a World Heritage site. Spanning five provinces and stretching for 6,700 kilometers, the Great Wall is said to be the only man-made structure that can be seen from the moon.

Just outside Beijing, it is possible to climb a section of the Great Wall and enjoy a splendid panoramic view that you will remember for the rest of your life.

Temples
Beijing has many beautiful temples - at one time the focus of the city's religious life. The Temple of Heaven is the largest and was built during the Ming and Qing dynasties specifically for worship and prayers for good harvests. The entire complex is filled with delightful ancient Chinese architectural designs and arts.

Among Beijing's other temples, some worth a visit are: The White Cloud Taoist Temple - one of the oldest and still the most active of Taoist temples, and the Temple of Confucians, in honor of Confucius.

Other famous Beijing attractions:

The Ming Tombs, burial site of 13 ancient Ming emperors; the Bell and Drum Tower dating from the 1400s, the Ancient Observatory (dating from the time of Kublai Khan).

Similarly the shopping paradise of the newly re-housed Silk Market, the Beijing Botanical Gardens, the Indian-designed Temple of Azure Clouds and many other wondrous places.

Readers of the classic book "The Dream of Red Mansions" will want to visit Prince Gong's Mansion of the 18th Century, which was purported to be the model for the mansion in the novel.

For those fond of a contemplative walk, Beijing has many beautiful parks. One such is Beihai Park, said to have been built by the Great Khan - centuries before the construction of the Forbidden City.

Another definite "must see" is the Summer Palace with its beautiful imperial garden.

Nightlife
When darkness falls in Beijing, the fun's just beginning.

Beijing's nightlife attractions include traditional Beijing Opera, acrobatics and martial arts performances plus modern entertainments including concerts, ballroom dancing, pubs and clubs.

Traditional performances such as the Beijing Opera, acrobatic shows and dramatic performances in the teahouses are popular with the more mature visitors to the city, while the younger generation seems to favor the snack markets, pubs, clubs and cafes.

In the Tianqiao (Overbridge) area, said to be the cradle of Chinese folk culture since the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). Two of the area's most famous venues are the Tianqiao Theater and Tianqiaole Tea House in the Tianqiao Market. The theatre specializes in modern song and dance performances, while the teahouse presents the traditional arts of Beijing Opera, acrobatics, martial arts and folk songs. A visit to the opera is an experience not to be missed, combining music, dance, acrobatics and lavish costumes.

For more Chinese folk culture, try the Laoshe Tea House (3F, building 3, West Street, Qianmen Street, Beijing), a place to experience the famous Chinese tea culture and quiet relaxation. The Liyuan Theater (inside Qianmen Hotel in Qianmen Street) hosts Beijing Opera and other folk performances at 7.30 pm. Chinese opera and drama both make considerable use of mime, plus the opera often has subtitle boards displaying a translation of the lyrics.

One of the most popular art forms among Chinese people is acrobatics. Performers have achieved worldwide fame for their wonderful skills and marvelous acts. Catch one of the nightly acrobatic shows (starts 7.15pm) at the Wanshzeng Theatre in Xuanwu District.

Full details of other traditional Chinese performances such as puppet shows, exotic ballet, opera and modern drama are put on every day in Beijing are published in the daily newspapers and information is usually available at your hotel's reception desk.

Sanlitun Pub Street
Sanlitun Pub Street and the surrounding Embassy Area in Chaoyang District welcome foreign visitors with a wide Rock, hip-hop and Jazz bars lining the street.

Houhai Lake Bars and restaurants
A newer, and 'cooler' bar and restaurant scene can be found around Houhai Lake, sometimes described as Beijing's answer to Paris' Rive Gauche. There are now more than 70 small bars and restaurants in the lanes of Houhai, with more opening all the time.

Program details and ticket prices for the national-level performance spaces such as the Capital Theatre, Beijing Concert Hall, China Folk Culture Palace can usually be found in the current "China Daily".

Night Markets
Beijing's night markets at Dongdan Street, Xidan Street, Donghuamen Gate and the Longfusi Temple area all feature handcarts loaded with tasty snacks, among them local Beijing specialties plus many traditional tastes from other parts of the country, including interesting ethnic minority dishes.

Museums
Essentially a gigantic museum, the legendary Forbidden City, traditional home of the emperors of China, contains the excellent Palace Museum (see below for more detail) and adjoins a number of other fascinating repositories of precious artifacts.

Palace Museum
With its 900,000 art treasures and cultural relics and central location in the Forbidden City on the north of Tian'anmen Square, it's worth a day in itself. Don't miss the museum's timepieces collection – it's among the worlds' best.
Address:
The Forbidden City, Dongcheng District
Hours: 8:30pm-5pm Summer, 8:30am-4:30pm Winter
Tel. 6513-2255
Website: www.dpm.org.cn

Museum of Chinese History.
Within its 8,000-square meter interior are 300,000 cultural relics, 200,000 books and an assortment of vintage newspapers, periodicals and historic maps to transport you through the history of the Chinese people.
Address: East side of Tian'anmen Square, Dong Cheng Qu
Hours: Daily 9am - 4:30pm. (Last ticket sold at 3:30pm)
Tel. 6512-8901

Museum of the Chinese Revolution
Smaller than the Museum of Chinese History on the east side of Tian'anmen Square, it contains relics and documents relating to the May 4th Movement and the founding of the Chinese Communist Party.
Address: East side of Tiananmen Square, Dong Cheng Qu
Hours: Tues-Sun 8:30am - 4:30pm. (Last tickets sold before 3:30pm)
Tel. 6512-9347

Capital Museum
Takes Beijing from its Neolithic and Paleolithic origins to recent Imperial past. Displays include ten inscribed stone drums and 198 stone steles honouring successful Imperial public service examinations candidates of the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.
Address
Inside the Confucius Temple, 13 Guozijian Jie, Dongcheng District
Hours: 8:30am-5pm
Tel. 6401-2118
Website: www.beijingmuseum.org.cn

Chinese Museum of Science & Technology
Take in the museum's three-dimensional slides, 'magic lantern' presentations and the wide-screen movie "The Great Valley". Other exhibitions include chronometers, pottery, metallurgy, embroidery, traditional Chinese medicine and handcrafts, plus a variety of interactive displays illustrating scientific principles.
Address
1 Beisanhuan Zhong Lu
Tel. 6237-1177
Hours: 9am-4:30pm (Monday off)

Beijing Museum of Natural History
Next to Tiantan (Temple of Heaven) Park and its glorious pagoda, the museum focuses on the evolution of life on earth, covering flora, fauna and the human race, displaying more than 100,000 relics. Check out the remarkable dinosaur exhibitions including the world's largest duck-billed dinosaur and three complete nests of dinosaur eggs from Guangdong province.
Address:
126 Tianqiao South Street, Beijing.
Tel: 67024431
Hours: 365 days a year (8:30 to 17:00 every day, last ticket sold daily at 16:00).
Website: www.bnhm.cn

Museum of Geology
The biggest geology museum in China, it houses exhibits and collections of China's wide range of mineral deposits, fossils and precious stones.
Address:
15 Yangrou Hutong,
XisiNan Dajie, Xicheng District, Beijing.
Telephone: 66165566 ext. 8742 & 66176387
Hours: 08:30 - 16:30 (closed on Monday)

Beijing Planetarium
Its subsidiary halls feature astronomical displays as well as the main sky-viewing auditorium.
Address:
138 Xizhimen Wai Dajie, Xicheng District
Hours: 10am-4pm Wed-Fri, 9am-4:30 Sat-Sun
Tel: +86 10 68312570
Website: www.bjp.org.cn

Museum of Chinese Arts & Crafts.
Three floors of ceramic and metalwork items, lacquer carvings, embroideries and sculptures. The museum is located at 101 Fuxingmennei Street, west of the central district. Its Pavilion of Treasures displays a collection of over 500 works by contemporary artists
Address: 5th Floor, 101 Fuxingmennei Street,
Xi Cheng Qu
Hours: Tues-Sun 9:30am - 4pm
Tel. 6605-3476

China Aviation Museum
You'll find the China Aviation Museum in suburban Changping County. It's an indoor/outdoor museum with 99 types of aircraft (200 models in all), three ground-to-air missiles and more than 50 radar installations. Exhibits of anti-aircraft guns, aviation engines, searchlights and iron bombs are also on display.
Address
Xiaotangshan,
Changping District
Hours: 8am-5pm
Tel. 6178-4882

Lu Xun Museum
Lu Xun, one of China's greatest writers and scholars, is celebrated by a small museum next to his former residence in suburban Fuchengmen. Displays include his works (translated into 24 languages), plus personal items and the scribe's book collection (16,000 volumes).
Area: Xicheng
Address
19 Gongmen Ertiao, Fuchengmen,
Xicheng District
Hours: 9am-3:30pm, closed on Mondays
Tel. 6615-6549/8

Museum of Stone Carvings
This museum in the Haidian District has seven display areas celebrating China's long history of stone carvings. Outdoors, over 6,000 steles (stone columns) are on show. Inside, there are stone tablets, stone sculptures and calligraphy items from across China.
24 Wutasi Cun,
Haidian District
Hours: 9am-4pm
Tel. 6218-6081

Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum
One of Beijing's 'hidden treasures', this museum is located inside a Ming Dynasty temple. It features pictures, samples and models of ancient Chinese architecture.
Address: 21 Dongjing Lu, Xuanwu District
Hours: 9am-4pm
Tel: 6301-7620

Beijing Ancient Bell Museum
located in the Grand Bell Temple (Da Zhong Si), the Ancient Bell Museum displays over 400 bells from around the world, including purportedly the largest bell in the world.
Address: A31 North 3rd Ring Road
Hours: Tues-Sun 8:30am-4pm
Tel: 6264-1384

Weather
Beijing's climate has four distinct seasons, with spring and autumn perhaps the best (most comfortable) times to visit the city, particularly in the months of April, May, September and October. In autumn, the skies are clear and the weather is quite mild. Beijing has a temperate spring, rainy summer, clear autumn, and a cold, snowy winter.

The city's average year-round temperature is 11.80 degrees Celsius. At the extremes, January's average temperature is -4.60 and July averages 26.10 degrees.

Despite the chilly winter, indoor heating is widely available in Beijing, making for a wide indoor/outdoor temperature difference. A thick coat is recommended for the colder months of the year.

Transport
Altogether a far too 'spread-out' city for pure pedestrian tourism, Beijing has an extensive public transport system of over 200 bus and trolleybus routes, plus a subway system made up of the Loop and East-West lines. In addition, taxis are cheap and plentiful.