Beijing is the one of the birthplaces of Chinese Civilization and one of the six ancient capital cities in China. During the last 3,000 years it served as a capital for several dynasties. Since the discovery of a complete skull of Peking man living approximately 200,000 to 500,000 years ago in Zhoukoudian, situated 50 kilometers to the southwest of Beijing proper, Zhoukoudian became world-famous as the home of the Chinese ape-man.

Beijing, a municipality directly under the Central Government, is the capital of the People's Republic of China and the country's political, economic, cultural and transportation center as well as a famous historic city. Beijing is the second largest city in China.

Beijing is the political center of China where the Party's Central Committee, the State Council, ministries and commissions under the government, and more than 140 foreign embassies are located. It is also an international exchange center.

Being one of the biggest industrial bases in China, Beijing's industrial production is the second largest in value among all Chinese cities. An industrial system with iron and steel, coal, machinery, chemical and petroleum, textiles, electronics and other industries as its mainstays has already taken shape. Beijing's arts and crafts are famous for their long history, great variety, and superb workmanship. The most popular ones among them are cloisonne, ivory carving, jade ware, carved lacquer ware, snuff bottles, silk flowers and Beijing's embroidery etc.

As the country's center of culture, education, science and technology, Beijing has more than forty state scientific research institutions, over thirty universities and various exhibition halls, museums, cinemas and palestras. The National Library of China is the largest library in Asia.

It is a hub of communications, with good railroad and air links with all parts of China, as well as with major international cities, thus facilitating the rapid development of tourism as an important industry in Beijing.

Beijing is an ancient city with a long cultural history. The four feudal dynasties -- Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing had all set up their capital here. That's why it became a most concentrated place of the country's scenic spots and historical sites, with 23 State-protected Sites of Cultural Relics. Among them, the best known are the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven, Zhoukoudian Site, and the Ming Tombs, etc. Beijing's Hutong (narrow bystreets) and Siheyuan (quadrangle) are quite worth a visit.