BeijingBeijing is the capital of China. It is in the northern part of the country. Beijing is the second largest city in China after Shanghai. About 13 million people live in and around the city.
The city was first settled more than 2000 years ago. It has been the capital of China for most of the last 700 years and was known as Peking.
The city has hot summers and cold winters. Temperatures can climb as high as 38° C in July and drop lower than -15° C in January.
The main city area has two older sections in the centre. The oldest sections include buildings constructed between 1409 and 1566. Once, a 24 kilometre wall encircled the city and inside this wall was another walled city, the Forbidden City which was the home for the Emperor.
Since 1949, when the Communist Party took control of China, most of the walls of the old city have been torn down. Tiananmen Square with buildings including the Great Hall of the People, built in 1959, is in the heart of Beijing.
In areas around the city, there are iron and steel factories and factories where motor vehicles, machinery and petrochemicals are made. Millions of workers are also employed in food processing textile, paint, paper and electronic products factories.
Farm products in rural areas nearby
include grains, cabbages, tomatoes, eggplants, carrots, onions,
milk, eggs, poultry, and pork.
Beijing traffic at rush hour. New
freeways and expressways are being built to ease traffic congestion,
but most people still ride bicycles.
High rise apartment buildings can be seen through the air pollution.
Beijing is a famous for its shopping
centres, department stores and markets.
Expressways, railways and airlines
connect Beijing to the rest of China and to North Korea, Russia,
and Mongolia. Most people
still travel around the city on bicycles.
Beijing has more colleges and universities than any other Chinese
city and there are many museums and theaters.
The
tombs of most of the emperors of the Ming dynasty, who ruled in
China from 1368 to 1644 are in the suburbs in the north of Beijing.
The tombs are approached along an avenue lined with marble lions, elephants, camels, horses as well as scholars and warriors.
A warrior stands guard along the
Sacred Walk.
Find out more about Beijing here http://www.ebeijing.gov.cn/
In 2008, beijing will host the Olympic Games. Go here to the official Olympic site http://en.beijing2008.com/
Acknowledge this
source in your bibliography like this:
China
(2001).
[Online], Available: www.kidcyber.com.au
updated November 2006