Car Hire Coupons in Beijing

Beijing Attractions and Things to See

Beijing or Peking, is the capital of the People's Republic of China that is located in the northern part of the nation, and one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. There aren't too many cities in the world that have been the capital of its country for so long, and perhaps that is why the Encyclopedia Britannica calls it "one of the world's greatest cities". Almost all the structures in the this ancient city have some small national historical significance that is well known for its elaborate palaces, enormous stone walls and gates and spectacular temples.

The city's universities and fabulous art treasures make this city a wonderful center of art and culture in the country, with a long and rich history, excellent architecture and majestic landscaping. The city is dominated by the three styles of architecture in urban Beijing, with the traditional architecture of imperial China, best seen by the huge Tian'anmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace) that is still the nation's trademark edifice, the Temple of Heaven, the Forbidden City and the Imperial Ancestral Temple. The 21st century has watched the city grow with amazing speed, that showcases the designs of international architects that blend the old and the new types of architecture that can be observed at the 798 Art Zone that blends the 1950s designs with those of today.

The culture of today is quickly becoming a mix as well with the old siheyuans and hutongs that once lined the streets and are now being replace with the more modern high rise that can displace hundreds of families and put them into a high rise without losing more space to construction and innovations. Those residents that lost their hutongs can live in the new building, in apartments of similar size, but many are unhappy with the arrangement since they have lost that sense of community and street life that had become a large part of their lives and existence. Regardless of how they feel, the government owns it all and can tell them where to live, although a few of these old homes are being saved to showcase what the people did live in and what they live in now.

Naturally, the cuisine is the local style of cooking in the city, with Peking duck being the most well known. The Manhan Quanxi is a rare traditional banquet that originally was intended for the ethnic-Manchu emperors of the Qing dynasty that is still a prestigious and expensive occasion. Fuling Jiablang is a traditional snack food that looks like a pancake but filled, and made from fu ling or tuckahoe, an ingredient that is very common in traditional Chinese medicine. Teahouses are also a big thing in the city, and country, that comes in a variety and can be very expensive since some are believed to be cures for ailing body problems.

The cloisonné is a unique metal working technique and tradition that is a specialty of Beijing's cultural art that has become one of the most revered traditional crafts in the nation. It requires extreme elaborate and intricate processes that includes, copper-strip inlay, base-hammering, soldering, enamel-firing, surface polishing and gilding. The city's lacquerware is quite well known for the intrinsic patterns and images that have been carved into the surface, with numerous decoration techniques that includes engraved gold and carved lacquer.

The city's nightlife has grown because of the youth in the city and is now flourishing and growing as the city moves toward a laxer government and breaking away from the earlier cultural traditions that had been restricted to the upper elite classes. The city's Forbidden City is still the cultural center of the region, which is a huge palace complex that had been the home of the emperors from the Ming and Qing dynasties, and the magnificent Palace museum that houses the imperial collections of Chinese artworks. Around the Forbidden City, there are many parks, former imperial gardens and scenic places that include the Zhongshan, Beihai, Jingshan and Zhongnanhai. These parks are considered to be masterpieces of Chinese gardening art, like the Beihai Park and have become very popular tourist attractions that contain enormous historical significance.

Other significant historic destinations include the National Museum of China, Qianmen, the Great Hall of the People, Monument of the People's Heroes and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong; and the fabulous Summer Palace and Old Summer Palace that are located at the western end of the city.