Beijing Facts

Beijing Map

Basic Facts:

 English Name: Beijing, Peking
 Chinese Name: 北京 (běi jīng)
 Government: Municipality; Capital of China
 Location: Northern China (39°54′N, 116°23′E)
 Area Code & Zip Code:
Area Code: 010; Zip Code: 100000

 Airports: 
Capital International AirportDaxing Airport ,Nanyuan Airport
 Railway Stations: 
Beijing Railway Station, South Railway Station, West Railway Station, North Railway Station
Suburban Districts:
Changping    Daxing    Dongcheng    Fangshan    Fengtai    Huairou    Mentougou    Miyun    Pinggu    Shijingshan    Shunyi    Tongzhou    Yanqing
 Events:
2022 Winter Olympic Games, 2008 Summer Olympic Games

Beijing, Jing for short, is a metropolis in northern China and the capital of China. Lying 70 mi (102 km) west of Bohai Sea, it borders Hebei Province to the north, west, south, and for a small section in the east and Tianjin to the southeast. This city is a major transportation hub, with dozens of railways, roads and motorways passing through the city. It is also the destination of many international flights arriving in China. It is regarded as the political, educational, and cultural center of China.

Beijing Great Wall
Jinshanling Great Wall

With a history of more than 3,000 years, it has been an integral part of China's history. There is scarcely a major building that doesn't have at least some national historical significance. Being the capital of China for about 850 years, it is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, offering China's most wonderful array of attractions. No other city in the nation attracts more travelers.
 See more about Beijing History.

As the saying goes, one who fails to reach the Great Wall is not a true hero. Without visiting the Great Wall, no trip to this city or the country is complete. The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built, rebuilt and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders from Xiongnu attacks during various successive dynasties.

At the heart of this city is the Forbidden City, home to the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties, the largest palace complex of the nation and the world. The Forbidden City also hosts the Palace Museum with imperial collections of Chinese art. The Forbidden City is, by any measure, a must-see site in the city.

Siheyuan (Courtyard houses) and hutong (alleys) only grow in charm as they decrease in size. Courtyard houses are typical of houses of northern China, a full embodiment of the Chinese philosophy of "the unity of man and nature." Courtyards visitors can see today were mainly built from the Qing Dynasty to 1930s. Hutong is the most typical type of old lanes. More than 7,000 alleys are scattered throughout the city, each has a story to tell. Those narrow lanes twist through older sections and form an open-air museum where you can happily wander aimlessly for hours. To experience the old Beijing, a Hutong tour is a must.

Forbidden City, Beijing
Forbidden City
Beijing Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square
Old One is wonderful and amazing while New One is fantastic and exciting. Economic reform and the preparation of the 29th Olympic Games have accelerated the pace and scale of change and outfitted the city with a sense of modernity. This city nowadays offers an endless mixture of theatres, discos, bars, business centers, all kinds of restaurants and shopping malls that will delight visitors.

798 Art District, the exhibition center of modern Chinese art, hosts the annual 798 art festival. The International Music Festival was initiated in 1998 and held in the city each year. This city boasts more than a hundred shopping malls, including the traditional shopping areas like Wangfujing, Qianmen Dashilan, and Xidan and the newly emerged business areas like Guomao, Oriental Xin Tian Di and Zhongguancun Square. If you search for international trade clothing, you can not miss Xiushui and Yaxiu.

Want a drink in the evening? Just find a bar and relax. This city has many bar streets and bar areas with colorful neon lights calling for those bar lovers of the night. Besides drinking in a bar, visitors can go to listen to Peking Opera at night. Peking Opera is a form of traditional Chinese theatre which combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics. It is extremely popular in the capital and has come to be regarded as one of the cultural treasures of China.

Seven hundred yeas ago, amazed by his unbelievable description of China, people asked Marco Polo whether his stories were true. He answered: What I have told you was not even half of what I saw. Actually, what was mentioned above is only a fraction of this city that awaits visitors from all over the world.


 Recommended Package Tours:
Best Beijing Tours: 4 Days luxury city tour
Hutong Experience: to visit the most popular attractions
Essence of China: 11 Days trip to Xi'an-Guilin-Yangshuo-Guilin-Shanghai
More Beijing Tour Packages
- Last updated on Dec. 29, 2023 by Kate Liu -
Questions & Answers on Beijing Facts
Asked by Frances Halahan from U.K. | Sep. 28, 2019 11:47Reply
I am woring in Beijing for 2 weeks and hope to add on an extra week. Where should I go?
i would like to see a bit more of China or the area around the city. where could I go?
Answers (2)
Answered by Noe from ITALY | Sep. 30, 2019 00:36
00Reply


Could you be more specific? What is your budget? Do you prefer to natural or historical attractions? What places you already intend to go?
Answered by Liu | May. 16, 2022 01:46
00Reply


If you like, you can choose Huairou
Asked by jo from GB | Dec. 21, 2017 08:32Reply
I have a 10 hours stop over in Beijing is there is time to leave the airport to see nearby sights
Is the UK passport sufficient to step from Airport for this short time?
Answers (1)
Answered by Lisa from SINGAPORE | Dec. 21, 2017 20:11
30Reply


Don't worry, you can go out the airport. Just apply for a temporary stay permit and then make a short trip!
You are suggested to take Airport Express and change to subway line 2 at Dongzhimen, then transfer to line 1 at Jianguomen. Get off at Tian’anmen West. It takes about 1h 30 minutes.
Wander around the Tiananmen Square and then you can also walk south for 20 minutes to the famous Qianmen Street.
Asked by Shayki from USA | May. 29, 2016 15:38Reply
Is that possible to reach to the great wall with a 72-hour transit visa if i'm arriving in beijing?
Answers (1)
Answered by Wennie from IRELAND | May. 29, 2016 21:12
101Reply


Of course. As long as qualified for the 72h visa-free policy, you can well arrange your time in the administrative division of BJ and the Great Wall can be on your list. Badaling is the most famous one and Mutianyu presents more gorgeous scenery.
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