Beijing, sometimes romanized as Peking, is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world. The metropolis, located in northern China, is governed as a direct-controlled municipality under the national government, with 14 urban and suburban districts and two rural counties. Beijing Municipality is surrounded by Hebei Province with the exception of rnneighboring Tianjin Municipality to the southeast.

Beijing is the second largest Chinese city by urban population after Shanghai and is the nation's political, cultural, and educational center. It is home to the headquarters of most of China's largest state-owned companies, and is a major hub for the national highway, expressway, railway, and high-speed rail networks.

The Beijing Capital International Airport is the second busiest in the world by passenger traffic.The city's history dates back three millennia. As the last of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, Beijing has been the political center of the country for much of the past eight centuries.  

The city is renowned for its opulent palaces, temples, parks and gardens, tombs, walls and gates, and its art treasures and universities have made it a center of culture and art in China. Encyclopedia Britannica notes that "few cities in the world have served for so long as the political headquarters and cultural center of an area as immense as China."

Things To Do In Beijing in July

Midsummer is prime time in Beijing. With endless sights and a nonstop number of rnevents, no visitor has done it all in Beijing in July.

The Forbidden City: Enter into the enormous gates of a site once forbidden to any but royalty and aristocracy. The Forbidden City has a history stretching back farther than most in Beijing. With a ten meter high defensive wall, 178 acres, 600 year old architecture and palaces and courtyards galore, it is more than worth the small price of admission.

Tian'anmen Square: Though each landmark in Beijing has a history to be revered and respect, there are just too many. Kill two birds with one stone in the very heart of Beijing. Tian'anmen Square, opposite the Forbidden City, brims with Chinese pride, history and culture. This historic landmark is an excellent appetizer before visiting its larger neighbor.

The Bird's Nest: Located in Beijing Olympic park, north east of Beijing city center, 25, building area 80,000 square meters. The stadium can hold 10 million people, including the audience at 2 million. After the Olympic Games, which can bear major sports events, and all kinds of conventional and non-competition project, is a landmark building in Beijing Olympic Games, the Beijing Olympic Games is the precious heritage left, also will become citizens in Beijing in sports activities and enjoy extensive sports entertainment large-scale specialized sites.

The Summer Palace: Bygonern emperors visited the summer palace, blooming with greenery and lakes as an escape from the summer heat, now Beijing tourists can too. Encompassed by bushels and sky scraping trees that embrace visitors with shade and winds pushing natural air conditioning off of the water, most tourists discover why emperors visited this locale during the summer before the tour guide has a chance to explain.

The Temple of Heaven: The holiest of China’s temples, the Temple of Heaven was a gateway to paradise and in some ways still is. Climbing the sacred steps and rising towards the elevated platform invokes a sense of reverence. Built with celestial and lunar rationale, no time is better than the summer to observe this holy site in Beijing.

The Chengde Summer Palace: If you want to visit a cooler place to escape the heat in the city, the Summer Palace in Chengde, a day trip away, is a good choice. China Highlights offers a two-day tour to Chengde.