Beijing

Beijing is one of the world's truly imposing cities, with a 3,000-year history, millions of citizens in a vast area; it is the political, cultural and economic center of China. China's imperial past and political present meet at Tiananmen Square, where the Forbidden City palace of the emperors gives way to the Great Hall of the People congress building and the mausoleum of Chairman Mao Zedong. The old city walls have been replaced by ring roads, and many of the old residential districts of alleys and courtyard houses have been turned into high-rise hotels, office buildings and department stores. Beijing, a dynamic city where the old and new intermingle, remains a magnet for visitors from inside and outside China.