The fabled city built by Kublai Khan, the capital of modern China—Beijing has been the country's cultural and administrative focal point for more than seven hundred years.

Beijing became the capital of the Ming Empire in 1421, and much of the city's impressive historic architecture—the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace—are the from this era and the Qing Dynasty which followed. A far more ancient and amazing relic, the Great Wall of China, is within easy travelling distance of the city.

This is a lively and major-scale metropolis with some six million inhabitants, a fast-growing economy and a steadily-improving standard of living.

Beijing's classically-inspired cooking is one of the great regional cuisines of China, and is available in a profusion of excellent restaurants. The city also offers a certain amount of nightlife for the after-hours crowd.

Shopping is wonderfully varied in Beijing, and prices are generally low. Accommodation includes a wide choice of exemplary international hotels.

Beijing is inland, so the air is generally dry and weather patterns tend to be extreme. Summers are very hot, with temperatures up to 38℃, and winters very cold with readings down to -13℃.