BEIJING

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Beijing (Chinese: 北京; Pinyin: Běijīng, a city in northern China, is the capital of the People's Republic of China (PRC). It was formerly known in English as Peking or Peiking. Beijing is also one of the four municipalities of the PRC, which are equivalent to provinces in China's administrative structure. Beijing Municipality borders Hebei Province to the north, west, south, and for a small section in the east, and Tianjin Municipality to the southeast.

Beijing is China's second largest city in terms of population, after Shanghai. It is a major transportation hub, with dozens of railways, roads and expressways entering and leaving it in all directions. It is also the focal point of many international flights to China. Beijing is recognized as the political, educational, and cultural center of the People's Republic of China, while Shanghai and Hong Kong predominate in economic fields. However, Beijing is increasingly proving itself to be an entrepreneurial hub, and a center for growing ventures with a culture of innovation in China.

Beijing is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. It will also host the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Geography and climate

Beijing is situated at the northern tip of the roughly triangular North China Plain which opens to the south and east of the city. Mountains to the north, northwest and west shield the city and northern China's agricultural heartland from the encroaching desert steppes. The northwestern part of the municipality, especially Yanqing County and Huairou District, are dominated by the Jundu Mountains, while the western part of the municipality is framed by the Xishan Mountains. The Great Wall of China, which stretches across the northern part of Beijing Municipality, made use of this rugged topography to defend against nomadic incursions from the steppes. Mount Dongling in the Xishan ranges and on the border with Hebei is the municipality's highest point, with an altitude of 2303 m. Major rivers flowing through the municipality include the Yongding River and the Chaobai River, part of the Hai River system, and flowing in a southerly direction. Beijing is also the northern terminus of the Grand Canal of China which was built across the North China Plain to Hangzhou. Miyun Reservoir, built on the upper reaches of the Chaobai River, is Beijing's largest reservoir, and crucial to its water supply.

The urban area of Beijing, located at 39°54′20″N, 116°23′29″E (39.9056, 116.3914), is situated in the south-central part of the municipality and occupies a small but expanding part of the municipality's area. It spreads out in bands of concentric ring roads, of which the fifth and outermost (the Sixth Ring Road; the numbering starts at 2) passes through several satellite towns. Tian'anmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace) and Tian'anmen Square are at the centre of Beijing, and are directly to the south of the Forbidden City, former residence of the emperors of China. To the west of Tian'anmen is Zhongnanhai, current residence of the paramount leaders of the People's Republic of China. Running through central Beijing from east to west is Chang'an Avenue, one of Beijing's main thoroughfares.

The city's climate is harsh, characterized by hot, humid summers due to the East Asian monsoon, and cold, windy, dry winters that reflect the influence of the vast Siberian anticyclone. Average temperatures in January are at around -7 to -4 °C, while average temperatures in July are at 25 to 26 °C. Annual precipitation is over 600 mm, with 75% of that in summer. [3]

Beijing also suffers from heavy pollution and poor air quality from industry and traffic. Dust from erosion of deserts in northern and northwestern China result in seasonal dust storms that plague the city. In the first four months of 2006 alone, there were no fewer than eight such storms. [4] Efforts have been made of late to clean up Beijing in preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

LINKS and REFERENCE

• Official site (English version)

• WikiSatellite view of Beijing at WikiMapia

• BeijingChinaWorld.com Includes 1,500 high quality photographs

• Official 2008 Summer Olympics Website (English)

• The Beijing Page - #1 Google Search for "Beijing" (English)

• Classifieds and Community Portal - for Internationals in Beijing

• Beijing Map - full size, 1560 x 1547 pixels, 645kb

• Large map of Beijing region

• Beijing The Virtual City (under construction)

• Useful collection of Beijing links (English)

• Beijing Weather Forecast

• gou-rou.com Beijing satire

• ChangPu River Park The small, beautiful park between Wangfujing and Tian'AnMen; photo guide

Culture & Lifestyle

• Rock music scene report of Beijing

• The Beijing Bender Magazine photo essay on Beijing nightlife

Travel and tourism

• Beijing city tour packages & day trips

• The Beijing Guide

• Synotrip's growing guide to Beijing

• Chinese Central, Provincial and City governments

• Bruce Ma's Beijing Tour [12], pictures

• Beijing Expatriates Resources

• Tips for visitors to Beijing

• Beijing Travel

Images of Beijing

• A Photographic Journey A Photographic Tour

• Beijing Travel Guide A Pictorial Guide

• Pictures of Beijing

• Satellite image of Beijing at NASA Earth Observatory

• Pictures of Beijing Attractions

• Flickr: Photos tagged with beijing, photos likely of Beijing

• Pictures from a backpacker's trip around Beijing

• Virtual tours of Beijing

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