Beijing (literally "northern capital" in Chinese) is the capital of the People's Republic of China and its second largest city in terms of population, after Shanghai. It is the political, educational, and cultural center of the People's Republic of China, while Shanghai and Hong Kong predominate in economic fields.Beijing has been settled since 1000 BC, but only became the capital of China under the Mongol rule in the 13th century. Beijing is a huge city (the emphasis being on "huge", with huge buildings, wide 12-lane streets and large open spaces in between (the Tiananmen square is 1 km wide). Beijing has a rough climate with cold winters, hot summers and short intermediate seasons in-between. The city also suffers from heavy pollution and poor air quality from industry and traffic.
The Forbidden City photo gallery  - 43 pictures of The Forbidden City
Tiananmen square photo gallery  - 17 pictures of Tiananmen square
43 photos of the Forbidden City, the former Chinese imperial palace in Beijing
17 photos of the Tiananmen square, a large square in the centre of Beijing
Wangfujing photo gallery  - 26 pictures of Wangfujing
Temple of Heaven photo gallery  - 18 pictures of Temple of Heaven
Summer palace photo gallery  - 25 pictures of Summer palace
26 photos of Wangfujing, a shopping area in central Beijing with souvenir shops and malls
18 photos of the Temple of Heaven, a large park with several religious buildings in Beijing
25 photos of the Summer Palace in Beijing, a huge park with a lake and several palaces, temples and pavilions
Central business district photo gallery  - 31 pictures of Central business district
Hutongs photo gallery  - 25 pictures of Hutongs
Tiananmen square park photo gallery  - 12 pictures of Tiananmen square park
The Great Wall of China in Jinshanling photo gallery  - 12 pictures of The Great Wall of China in Jinshanling
31 photos of the central business district in Beijing with its iconic architecture
25 photos of the Hutong area in Beijing with the Bell and Drum towers
12 photos of the new park between the Tiananmen square and the Forbidden city
12 photos of the Great Wall of China in Jinshanling, a remote place about three hours by car northeast of Beijing.
Ming tombs photo gallery  - 75 pictures of Ming tombs
Tanzhe temple photo gallery  - 37 pictures of Tanzhe temple
Sanlitun photo gallery  - 19 pictures of Sanlitun
75 photos of the Ming tombs near Beijing, where 13 of the 16 emperors of the Ming dynasty are buried
37 photos of the Tanzhe temple, a 1700 years old Buddhist temple near Beijing
19 photos of Sanlitun, a modern and hip area of Beijing with many shops, restaurants and cool architecture
Lama temple photo gallery  - 15 pictures of Lama temple
National Centre for the Performing Arts photo gallery  - 19 pictures of National Centre for the Performing Arts
Shopping malls photo gallery  - 18 pictures of Shopping malls
15 photos of the Lama temple in Beijing, one of the most impressive Tibetan Buddhist temples outside of Tibet
19 photos of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, a glass and titanium ellipsoid in Beijing, which hosts cultural events
18 photos of several large shopping malls in Beijing
Beihai, Jingshan and Houhai photo gallery  - 17 pictures of Beihai, Jingshan and Houhai
Fragrant Hills photo gallery  - 14 pictures of Fragrant Hills
Dongyue, Confucius and Fayuan temples and Niujue mosque photo gallery  - 35 pictures of Dongyue, Confucius and Fayuan temples and Niujue mosque
Hutongs photo gallery  - 25 pictures of Hutongs
17 photos of the Jingshan, Beihai and Houhai areas near the Forbidden city in Beijing
14 photos of the Fragrant Hills / Xiangshan park in the west of Beijing
35 photos of the Dongyue, Confucius and Fayuan temples and the Niujue mosque in Beijing
25 photos of the Hutong area in Beijing with the Bell and Drum towers
Skylines, Olympic park, train station and airport photo gallery  - 24 pictures of Skylines, Olympic park, train station and airport
Miscellaneous photos photo gallery  - 22 pictures of Miscellaneous photos
Temples of Earth and Sun photo gallery  - 39 pictures of Temples of Earth and Sun
Central Beijing photo gallery  - 15 pictures of Central Beijing
24 photos of Beijing skylines, the Olympic park, the southern train station and the airport of Beijing
22 miscellaneous photos of Beijing and the surroundings
39 photos of the temples of the Earth and of the Sun in Beijing
15 miscellaneous photos of the Chaoyang and Guomao districts in Beijing
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©Copyright Alfred Molon