Living in Beijing

Beijing- The capital of China is located in the northern part of the North China Plain and its terrtain is high in the northwest
and low in the southeast. Beijing is an exciting place to live. The foods, culture, history and shopping are all a wonderful experience – it is a place where everything is different.

As the capital city of China, there is a concentration of business, government and culture in Beijing. In the centre of Beijing are the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square - and a return trip to the Great Wall of China can be completed in half day.

The climate in Beijing is of the continental type, with cold and dry winters, due to the Siberian air masses that move southward across the Mongolian Plateau. The summers are hot owing to warm and humid monsoon winds from the southeast bringing Beijing most of its annual precipitation. January is the coldest month and July is the warmest. Winter usually begins towards the end of October. The summer months, June to August, are wet and hot with about 40% of the annual precipitation.

It is relatively inexpensive to live in China, with everyday needs such as food and clothing being highly affordable. The people of Beijing are friendly, with the transport system, although crowded, very efficient.

Beijing will host the Olympic Games in 2008 and already the city has the Olympic feel about it as it prepares for the international event.

Attractions in Beijing

A wonderful place to visit, Summer Palace has many scenic areas that live up to it being China’s largest imperial garden. In the spring, a beautiful field of flowers in a great place for picnics or go past the boat to a slightly wooded area for a beautiful view of the Palace and lake. It’s an inexpensive place to visit that’s well worth the money to get in. Nearby Fragrant Hills is also a nice place to visit with hiking/walking trails.

The Forbidden City, also known as Imperial Palace Museum, is of course a popular place to go. As its name implies, the Imperial Palace was a forbidden place for those not of the imperial family or court, which makes it even more intriguing to Westerners. South of the Forbidden City is Tiananmen Square, made more interesting due to the student protests that occurred in 1989. In the spring, it’s also the place to go for seeing magnificent kites being flown.

There are many temples in Beijing to be seen, the most notable being the Temple of Heaven which is found in Tian Tan Park.

Located in southern Beijing, the Temple of Heaven is a public park that is considered to be one of the the most beautiful temple complexes, with its two ceremonial buildings, which are circular in shape with blue-tiled roofs.

The renovated Badaling Great Wall is another popular place to visit, but a trip to the Simitai Great Wall is a great experience,
particularly for those who like things “untouched.” The Ming Tombs are where most emperors are buried from the Ming Dynasty.