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Home > Travel China > China Destinations > Beijing
Beijing
China, an East Asian country is one of the world’s oldest civilizations. Beijing a metropolis in northern China is the capital of the PRC, People's Republic of China. 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. Beijing is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. It will also host the 2008 Summer Olympics. The Communist Party of China changed the name to Beijing in 1949 again in part to emphasize that Beijing had returned to its role as China's capital. The government of the Republic of China on Taiwan has never formally recognized the name change, and during the 1950s and 1960s it was common in Taiwan for Beijing to be called Beiping to imply the illegitimacy of the PRC.
There were cities in the vicinities of Beijing by the 1st millennium BC, and the capital of the State of Yan, one of the powers of the Warring States Period was established in present-day Beijing. At the time of the founding of the People's Republic, Beijing Municipality consisted of just its urban area and immediate suburbs. The urban area was divided into many small districts inside what is now the 2nd Ring Road. Since then several surrounding counties have been incorporated into the Municipality, enlarging the limits of Beijing Municipality by many times and giving it its present shape. The Beijing city wall was torn down between 1965 and 1969 to make way for the construction of the 2nd Ring Road. Beijing is situated at the northern tip of the roughly triangular North China Plain which opens to the south and east of the city.
A city known for its historic myths and traditions, scenic beauty, cooperative people and luxurious hotels and cottages, Beijing is one of the favorite holiday destinations for most of the vacation lovers.
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