TRAVEL GUIDE OF CHINA
TRAVEL BROCHURE
Beijing is the capital of the People's
Republic of China and one of the
most populous cities in the world.
The metropolis, located in north
China, is governed as one of the
four municipality directly under the
central government.
Did you know?
Beijing, China’s sprawling capital,
has history stretching back 3
millennia. Yet it’s known as much
for modern architecture as its
ancient sites such as the grand
Forbidden City complex, the
imperial palace during the Ming
and Qing dynasties.
Beijing has enough historical landmarks to fill several
days of sightseeing. The central Tiananmen Square and
Forbidden City* are good places to start. Once you’ve
navigated the Ming Dynasty-constructed palaces of the
latter, head into leafy Jingshan Park at its northern edge
and up the hill for fantastic views back across the
imperial complex. Another delightful park to the south
of Tiananmen Square is home to the Temple of
Heaven*, a beautiful circular structure dating back to
1420, while the lesser-visited Temple of Agriculture,
where Ming and Qing Dynasty emperors would visit to
pray for a good harvest, sits nearby. An imperial
destination of a different kind is found at the beautiful
Summer Palace*, where China’s dynastic rulers would
retreat from the city’s scorching summer heat.
Ransacked and rebuilt multiple times, today the
complex is a fascinating place to explore, with
exemplary gardens, architecture and symbols of
imperial folly such as a marble boat beloved of Empress
Dowager Cixi. Despite its name and the fact that winter
is not thought by everyone to be the best time to visit
Beijing, the area is just as picturesque in colder months,
when its large lake freezes over.
What to know before you go
there:
China’s currency is the renminbi (referred to
officially as the yuan). Most payments take place on
one of two apps, WeChat Pay or Alipay, and cash is
increasingly seen as an unnecessary
inconvenience. As with any city in China, you won’t
be able to access a wide range of apps and sites
such as Google, Twitter or Instagram without a pre-
installed VPN. Beijing is exceptionally safe for a
major city, but its status as a political capital means
sensitive sites (and CCTV) abound and visitors
should be careful where they’re pointing their
camera lenses to avoid any misunderstandings.
What to love in China?
Natural beauty
01
When most people think of China, the first thing
that comes to mind are mega-cities with
congested roads, massive crowds of people,
factories churning out cheap goods, and a thick
gray sky full of smog floating overhead. If the
only images of China you get are from Western
media, it makes sense that this is your
perception.