Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China, is the nation's political and cultural center. This part of China has a rich history. Some 690,000 years ago, Peking Man lived at Zhoukoudian, 48 kilometers southwest of Beijing. A small town appeared on the present site of southwestern Beijing in 1045 B. C. At the beginning of the 10th century A.D., it was the second capital of the Liao Dynasty. From then on, Beijing was the capital city of the Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties until 1911.
In the early 1920s, Beijing became the cradle of China's new democratic revolution. The May Fourth Movement against imperialism and feudalism began here in 1919. On October 1, 1949, Chairman Mao proclaimed to the whole world the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Beijing is situated at 40 degrees north latitude and 116 degrees east longitude. It is 43 meters above sea level and 183 kilometers from the sea. Beijing covers an area of 16,800 square kilometers, 38% of which is flat land and 62% is mountains.
Beijing has a continental climate. Annual rainfall averages nearly 700 millimeters most of which is in July and August. Winter is dry and cold and has little snow.
Beijing has a population of almost 11 million; about 5 million live in the city proper and the rest on the outskirts.
A long history has left numerous historical sites, which possess great aesthetic and cultural value. The Great Wall, a huge project begun more than 2,000 years ago, meanders through mountains and valleys for hundreds of kilometers and passes close to Beijing. On the Shijing Mountain, there are 15,000 stone tablets carved with Buddhist scriptures. The Yongle Bell, cast at one go with over 230,000 characters inscribed on it , weighs 46.5 tons and shows the exquisite casting technology of ancient China. The Forbidden City, the largest ancient architectural complex in existence, is a splendid crystallization of ancient Chinese architectural art. Walking in the city, one may find many places worth a second visit. These include mansions, gardens, gate towers, temples, former residences of celebrities and places where many historical events took place. Every day, hundreds of thousands of people, domestic and foreign, come to Beijing to visit its grand palaces and graceful gardens and to enjoy its marvelous art.
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With China's reform and opening up, Beijing is improving its urban construction on an unprecedented scale. Its speed of development is astonishing, and it brings about changes day after day. Around this graceful ancient capital, a large number of key national projects, massive infrastructure buildings and modern residential houses have sprung up. Wide and smooth highways, magnificent overpasses and expressways link Beijing with its neighboring provinces and cities, and eye-catching green trees and gardens have made Beijing resemble a huge scroll of painting pleasing to both the eye and the mind.
To preserve the space and historic buildings around the Forbidden City, nearby buildings must remain single-storey structures, and buildings within the Second Ring Road must be no more than 30 meters in height.
As China's cultural center, Beijing, with a galaxy of talent and a rich culture, has over 70 institutions of higher learning such as the famous Beijing University, Tsinghua University, over 500 scientific research institutions, 300 publishing houses, as well as hundreds of newspapers and periodicals.
Tian'anmen Square, located in the city center, is a symbol of both Beijing and China. The solemn flag-raising ceremony has become a sacred daily celebration. Standing in the world's largest city square and looking far east and west up and down the Chang'an Avenue, one can see a centuries-old architectural complex standing side by side with newly-built modern-style buildings, pigeons fluttering in the blue sky, large kites flying lazily above, torrents of bicycles flooding by and tows of cars whisking along. Tian'anmen Square embodies Beijing's history and reality, arousing the awareness as the essence of old Beijing remains splendid, the miracles created by new Beijing add to the city's brilliance.
