In the north-east of China is its capital - the city of Beijing. The first settlements on its territory arose several millennia ago. The name of the city in translation sounds like "Northern Capital". Today, the capital of China is not just a big metropolis, but primarily a major cultural and tourist center of the country. In its many monuments of history and architecture, the entire centuries-old past is displayed.
The architectural appearance of the city has a unique look. Already in the 17th century he surprised with his grandiose architectural ensembles. All the main roads ended with a magnificent gate, and the walls of the houses were faced with brick. Many architectural masterpieces of that time have survived to the present day, for example, “The Gate of Heavenly Peace” and Lamaist pagodas. In total, there are more than 7000 cultural and historical monuments in Beijing.
Famous sights
The capital of China is world famous for the Imperial Palace. The huge palace complex Gugun consists of 9999 various premises. The residence of the Chinese emperors used to be called the Forbidden City, due to its inaccessibility to mere mortals. Today it houses a museum that stores priceless antiques and rare antiquities.
Beijing's main attractions are numerous temples. One of the most famous is the Temple of Heaven, built in the 15th century. It has a Wall of Reflected Sound, known for reproducing words that are whispered. An interesting phenomenon!
Tourists are interested in the Summer Imperial Palace - a beautiful park ensemble with many magnificent buildings and temples located along the shores of a picturesque lake.
The Square of Heavenly Peace is the largest in size in the world. It can easily accommodate a million people. The square is decorated with the Bolshoi Palace and the Museum of the Revolution. Above it towers the Monument to Popular Heroes and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong.
Beijing today
After 1949, when the city was given the capital status, it began to develop rapidly. Nowadays, the capital of China became the heart of one of the largest metropolitan regions of the world. The rapid industrialization of the city made it a major center for engineering and petrochemical products. The enterprises of the metropolis produce cars and agricultural machines, as well as computers and televisions.
The capital of China is also famous as the main center of Chinese art crafts. Worldwide, local jade and ivory products, as well as paper art products, are in demand .
China, Beijing have a large number of higher educational institutions. The capital has the oldest and largest universities in the country. The Chinese Academy of Sciences and numerous research institutions are also located in Beijing. Universities of the city graduate hundreds of thousands of remarkable specialists, who then successfully work in various fields of the country's economy.