Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China is the nation's political, cultural, scientific and educational heart as well as a key transportation hub. Beijing has served as the capital of the country for more than 800 years dating back to the Yuan Dynasty. 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 has brought great changes to Beijing since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 which has added many new attractions to this mysterious old city

Beijing is located on the eastern coast of China on the Pacific Ocean, at approximately the same latitude as Philadelphia in the U.S. and Madrid in Spain. The city is 39% flat and the other 61% is quite mountainous area

Beijing is bestowed with large amount of China' s imperial remnant because of its position as capital for several dynasties spanning over 800 years. These vestiges nowadays serve as valued travel resources for the city, which have drew million of visitors worldwide yearly over the past decades. The Chinese capital is a prominent historical and cultural city, abundant in treasured historical heritage and cultural relics.

Standing side by side with old Beijing's crimsone palace complexes are the city's impressive skylines. Beijing is a fine example of the great transformation China has undergone as it burst into the 21st century. The city boasts the most modern facilities and is able to provide all the comfort and enjoyment imaginable to visitors who travel to Beijing. Traveling around Beijing, one is struck by the city's impressive skyline, the modern Olympic Village, ocean world and International Park.

Those historical heritages and the breathtaking natural scenery are valued resource to ganrantee visitors exceptional Beijing travel experiences.

Beijing's travel industry has forged forward after China's opening in 1978 and the city now is one of the most popular tourist destinations around the world.

Beijing will host the 2008 Summer Olympic next year and people from all around the world are more than welcomed to travel to Beijing for the grand celebration.

Some half a million years ago, Peking man lived in Zhoukoudian, in the southwestern suburbs of Beijing. The climate of that time was warmer and more humid than it is today. Forests and lakes in the area supported large numbers of living creatures. The fossil remains of Peking man, his stone tools and evidence of use of fire, as well as later tools of 18,000 years ago, bone needles and article of adornment from the age of Upper Cave Man are the earliest cultural relics on record in China today.

Some four to five thousand years ago, settlements to the southwest of Beijing were thriving on basic agriculture and animal husbandry. Story has it that the legendary Yellow Emperor (Huang Di) battled against the tribal leader Chiyou in the "wilderness of the prefecture of Zhuo."Zhuolu, a town west of present-day Beijing, is perhaps the site of the first metropolis in the area. Yellow Emperor's successor, Emperor Yao, was said to have established a legendary capital Youdu (City of Quietude) that was where the city of Ji was actually built.

During the Warring States Period (475-221BC), the Marquis of Yan annexed the territory of the Marquis of Ji, making the city of Ji his new capital. The approximate location was north of Guang?anmen Gate in present–day Beijing near the WhiteCloudTemple (Baiyunguan). Early in the third century BC, the first Emperor of Qin (Qin Shi Huang) set about conquering six states and unifying China. The city of Ji was named administrative center of Guangyang Commandery, one of 36 prefectures in China’s first feudal empire. For 10 centuries, through to the end of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Ji remained a strategic trading and military center and the object of frequent power struggles.

wo emperors during that period -- Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty-left their mark on the city. Emperor Yang amassed troops and supplies at Ji for expeditions against Korea. Emperor Taizong also used the city for military training. He built the Temple for Compassion for the Loyal (Minzhongsi), which is dedicated to troops who died in battle. This temple was the precursor of the Temple of the Origin of the Dharma (Fayuansi) located outside the old walls of the city.

At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, Ji was little different from any other large feudal cities. Several centuries later, however, when the Tang was nearing a state of collapse, the Qidans (Khitans) came from the upper reaches of the LiaoheRiver and moved south to occupy Ji and make it their second capital. They called the city Nanjing (Southern Capital) or Yanjing. Emperor Taizong of the Liao Dynasty (916-1125) carried out reconstruction projects and built palaces, which were used as strongholds from which the Qidans set out to conquer the central plains of China.