The brash modernity of Beijing (meaning Northern Capital) comes as a surprise to most visitors. Traversed by freeways and spiked with high-rises, this vivid metropolis is China at its most dynamic. For the last thousand years, the drama of China's imperial history was played out here, with the emperor sitting enthroned at the centre of the Chinese universe, and though today the city is a very different one, it remains spiritually and politically the heart of the country. Between the swathes of concrete and glass, you'll find some of the lushest temples, and certainly the grandest remnants of the Imperial Age. Unexpectedly, some of the country's most pleasant scenic spots lie within the scope of a day-trip, and, just to the north of the city, is one of China's most famous sights, the old boundary line between civilizations, the Great Wall.

First impressions of Beijing are of an almost inhuman vastness, conveyed by the sprawl of identical apartment buildings in which most of the city's population of twelve million are housed, and the eight-lane freeways that slice it up. It's an impression that's reinforced on closer acquaintance, from the magnificent Forbidden City, with its stunning wealth of treasures, the concrete desert of Tian'anmen Square and the gargantuan buildings of the modern executive around it, to the rank after rank of office complexes that line its mammoth roads. Outside the centre, the scale becomes more manageable, with parks, narrow alleyways and ancient sites such as the Yonghe Gong, Observatory and, most magnificent of all, the Temple of Heaven, offering respite from the city's oppressive orderliness. In the suburbs beyond, the two Summer Palaces and the Western Hills have been favoured retreats since imperial times.

The Great Wall of China was built more than 2,000 years ago.? The Great Wall is one of the largest building construction projects ever completed.? It stretches across the mountains of northern China, winding north and northwest.? It is constructed of masonry, rocks and packed-earth.? It was over 5,000 km long.? Its thickness ranged from about 4.5 to 9 metres (15 to 30 feet) and was up to 7.5 metres (25 feet) tall.? During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Great Wall was enlarged to 6,400km (4,000 miles) and renovated over a 200 year period, with watchtowers and cannons added.? The Great Wall of China was the only man-made object that can be seen from outer-space, but contrary to legend, is not visible to the moon.

The Summer Palace, Yiheyhun, is located in the northwest area of the city, and during the late Qing Dynasty was the summer retreat from Beijing's heat for the imperial family and court. Originally created as an imperial garden by Emperor Qianlong, it was destroyed and plundered during the Second Opium War in 1860. In 1888 the notorious Empress Cixi used the money intended for the Chinese Navy to build this opulent summer retreat for herself. In 1900 the Summer Palace was damaged extensively once again during the Boxer Rebellion, but was rebuilt shortly after.

Tiananmen Square is the largest square in the world, where the five-star flag is raised at dawn, and lowered at sunset everyday. Standing at the Tiananmen Gate Tower, you will have a nice view of the splendid and magnificent square. The square is flanked by the Museum of Chinese History and the Museum of the Chinese Revolution on the east, the Great Hall of the People on the west, Zhenyangmen and the Arrow Tower on the south, the Monument to the People's Heroes at the center, and the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall at the southern end.

The Imperial Palace is the largest and best-preserved palace in the world. Twenty-four emperors of the Ming (1368-2644) and Qing (1644-191 I) dynasties resided and handled state affairs here. It was forbidden to laboring people in the past, hence the name the Forbidden City.

The Temple of Heaven is located in southeast Beijing and was completed in 1420, but has been expanded over the years by two Qing Dynasty Emperors. Qinian Hall, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, with the three blue tiled cone shaped roofs, has become a worldwide symbol of Beijing. It was hit by lightning in 1889 and completely restored. No nails or pegs were used in the original construction or in the restoration.

Hutong is an ancient city alley or lane typical in Beijing, where hutongs run into the several thousand. Surrounding the Forbidden City, many were built during the Yuan (1206-1341), Ming (1368-1628) and Qing (1644-1908) dynasties. In the prime of these dynasties the emperors, in order to establish supreme power for themselves, planned the city and arranged the residential areas according to the etiquette systems of the Zhou Dynasty. The center of the city of Beijing was the royal palace -- the Forbidden City
As a cultural scene peculiar to Beijing, from the time of its birth, Hutong has acted as the witness of the age-long history of Beijing. Hutong in Beijing mainly started in the early Liao and Jin Dynasties now cluster round Xuanwu District.

The Beijing Zoo was built in 1906 and opened to the public in 1908 with an area of about 10 hectares and a few humble pavilions to house the animals. At that time only several dozens of species were shown, such as lions, tigers, leopards and monkeys. Now the Beijing Zoo covers an area of about 50 hectares. The animal houses and enclosures, with a total floor space of 40,000 square metres, include those for pandas, elephants, brown and polar bears, tigers, hippopotami, rhinoceros, antelopes, giraffes and reptiles. More than 6,000 animals of over 500 species are on show. Among them are giant pandas, golden monkeys, addaxes, and tigers from Northeast China, elks, yaks, precious birds and gold fish. Also on show are rare animals from various continents, such as hippopotami, zebras, and giraffes. Chimpanzees, lions and antelopes from Africa, parrots from South America, birds and kangaroos from Australia, polar bears from the Arctic, bison from Europe and Asian apes.

Beijing Opera, more commonly known as Peking opera to westerners, is deemed as the national opera and national quintessence. The accompanying music, singing and costumes are all fascinating and artistic. Full of Chinese cultural facts, the opera presents audience an encyclopedia of Chinese culture as well as unfolding stories, beautiful paintings, exquisite costumes, graceful gestures and acrobatic fighting. Since it enjoys a higher reputation than other local operas, almost every province of China has more than one Beijing Opera troupe to entertain numerous fans, which are called ¡¥piaoyou¡¦ in Chinese. It is so popular in the Chinese people, especially the senior that even an activity called Beijing Opera Month is held.