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Beijing is the capital of China and it is recognised as one of the oldest and greatest cities of the world. In Chinese, ‘Beijing’ means ‘Northern Capital’.  In the year 1421, Emperor Yongle shifted the capital from Nanjing to Beiping and renamed it Beijing. Famed emperors such as Shi Huang Ti and Kublai Khan are associated with the history of this city.

The celebrated Ming and Qing dynasties ruled from Beijing. The city saw the rise and fall of many regimes and governments since it was founded. Beijing is the political, cultural and educational capital of the People’s Republic of China.

Beijing is located at the northernmost end of the North China Plain in the time zone of East Eight (GMT 8). All major international airlines include Beijing in their destinations. There are mountains running from the north of the city through to the West to shield it from the effects of arid climate.

It stands 45 metres above sea-level and the climate is generally humid. Five rivers flow through the city and the Yongding is the largest. The city and its suburbs measure more than 16,000 sq, and about two-thirds of the city is mountainous. The sixteen districts and two counties are well-connected by four ring roads that coil the city and by a major median road connecting the east-end of Beijing with the west.

The three major styles of architecture that dominate the city are imperial, post-war and modern. The best time to visit the city is from September to November. It is home to around 22 million people.  Beijing is a highly industrialised city with hundreds of factories, banks and corporations apart from 26 offices of some of the world Fortune 500 companies.

Beijing generates an annual GDP of about USD 175 billion. The real estate and automobile sectors have seen a steady growth in the last decade. The Central Business District and the Wangfujing, also known as the ‘Silicon Valley of China’ has together played a major role in creating new wealth for the city and the nation.
The meteoric rise of China in the last decade has been attributed to the numerous new companies set up in Beijing.

The government recently took up measures to counter the growing menace of air pollution in the city by relocating industries, triggering artificial rainfall to clear smog, converting some areas of the city into no-vehicle zones and designating certain other areas as closed for traffic on weekends.