Welcome to Beijing, a city where history and modernity share center stage!

Welcome to a capital city whose story goes back at least 3,000 years. In Beijing, you'll find a wealth of history, both ancient (the Hall of Preserving Harmony, Summer Palace, Forbidden City) and more recent (Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, Tiananmen Square). A visit to the Great Wall, the longest manmade structure in the world, is absolutely essential.

Beijing, Jing for short, is the nation's political, economic, cultural and educational centre as well as China's most important centre for international trade and communications. Together with Xian, Luoyang, Kaifeng, Nanjing and Hangzhou, Beijing is one of the six ancient cities in China. It has been the heart and soul of politics and society throughout its long history and consequently, there is an unparalleled wealth of discovery to delight and intrigue travellers as they explore Beijing's ancient past and enjoy its exciting modern development.

With over 21 million residents, Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city and is China's second largest city after Shanghai.