Beijing Facts
Mayor: Guo Jinlong
Where: N. China 40°04´48″N, 116°35´04″E
Population: 15.244.000 (2005)
Total municipal area: 16,808 square kilometres (6.4848 square miles)
Urban area: 87,1 square kilometres (33,6 square miles)
Phone Area Code: 010
Postal Code: 100000
Airport: Beijing International Airport
Main Train Stations: Beijing Train Station, Beijing West Train Station, and Beijing South Train Station
City trees: Scholar tree and Oriental cypress
City flowers: Chinese rose and Chrysanthemum
Tourist season: April to October
Top Tourist Attractions
Temple of Heaven ( Tiantan Park)
Tourist Complaint: (010) 65275315 (010) 65130828
Currency: Renminbi (People’s money) is in Yuan. Check Currency Exchange Rate Now
Credit card: It is very convenient for tourists to use credit cards in star hotels and the large emporiums of Beijing. At present main credit cards accepted in China, are Master card, Visa, American Express, JCB and Diners.
Internet: surfing the internet is not an adventure any more, for internet cafes’ can be easily found on the streets of Beijing.
Telephone: Phone booths can be easily found along the roads.
Toilet facilities: it is easy for tourists to find public toilets in subway station, railway station, airport, bus stations or sightseeing spots and most toilets in Beijing downtown area are free except for some mobile ones.
Hospital:
Beijing United Family Hospital
Tel: 64333960 (for appointment)
Emergency: 64332345
Address: 2, Jiangtai Lu, Chaoyang District
Beijing United Family Clinic (Shunyi)
Tel: 80465432 (for appointment)
Address: Pinnacle Plaza, Unit 818, Tian Zhu Real Estate Development Zone, Shunyi District Beijing
United Family Health&Wellness Centre (Jianguomen)
Tel: 85321221 (for appointment)
Address: Jianguomen Basement 1, Beijing International Club Hotel #21 Jianguomen Wai Dajie, Chaoyang District
Beijing International SOS Clinic
Suite 105, Wing 1, Kunsha Building
No 16 Xinyuanli, Chaoyang District
Beijing 100027, P.R China
Beijing, 100027 China
Opening hours
Monday to Friday Normal hours: 8:00-18:00. After hours surcharge: 20:00-8:00. Walkin and emergency hours 24 hr/7.
Book stores:
Xidan Books Building
Address: C17, Xi Chang’an Jie, Beijing
Wangfujing Xinhua Book Store
Address: 235, Wangfujing Da Jie, Dongcheng District, Beijing
Working Time – Standard working hours in Beijing are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Brief History
Beijing, capital of the People’s Republic of China, has a recorded history of 3,000 years.
According to historical records, during 1,100 B.C., Beijing used to be a small kingdom subinfeudated to West Zhou Dynasty, called Ji. In the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.), Ji was conquered by another subinfeudated kingdom, Yan. It remained capital of Yan until Yan was finally defeated by Qin in 226 B.C. Archaeological evidence shows that the specific geographic location of Ji is now south western part of Beijing city.
In 938 A.D., Ji became provisional capital of Liao, a kingdom established by a minority ethnic group in north eastern China, Qidan. Because Ji lied in the southern part of Liao’s territory, it was also called Nanking (capital in the south) and Yanjing. About a century later, Jin, a kingdom established by Jurchens (another minority ethnic group), occupied Liao. In 1153, Jin moved its capital to Ji, and changed its name to Zhongdu (capital in the middleland). In fear of attacks from Mongolian army, Jin moved its capital to Bianliang (Kaifeng in Henan Province) in 1214. Mongolian warriors took Zhongdu the next year. In 1267, Kublai, Khan of the Mongolians and grandson of Genghis Khan, built a new town at north eastern part of Zhongdu, and was enthroned there 4 years later. Yuan Dynasty started. In 1258, the new town was completed, which was the grandeur capital of the Yuan Dynasty described by Marco Polo. It remained capital for the following two feudalism dynasties Ming and Qing, until the democratic revolution started in October, 1911.
During the consecutive 30 years, Beijing endured continuous damages of wars between different warlords from different part of the country. From 1937 to 1945, the old city suffered another 8 years of invasion and occupation of the Japanese army. Kuomintang governed the city for 4 years until on 1st October, 1949, the People’s Republic of China was founded, and Beijing remained capital. In 2008, it hosted the 29th Olympic Games.
