Modern Beijing

Thinking about taking a trip to China? Make sure to experience the rich Mandarin culture of Beijing before the rush of the 2008 Olympic Games begin. And when your there don’t miss these great sites: The Mao Mausoleum, The Forbidden City, The Temple of Heaven, and The Summer Palace. Read more below from, The Best of Beijing, 2008: What to See, Where to Go, What to Do.

Imagining Beijing

“Beijing is not the largest city in China. It isn’t the richest and it isn’t the oldest. But a trip to China without a visit to the capital city of Beijing would be to miss the chance to get a glimpse into the heart and soul of China.

A journey to this 2,000 year old capital, however brief, will allow you to soak up a sense of how China’s past and present are blending to forge a new identity and chart a new course.

But the Beijing in your mind’s eye may not be the reality of Beijing as it is today. When you think of Beijing, do you imagine scenes from “The Last Emperor” with courtesans, concubines and eunuchs?

Do you hope to see farmers in coolie hats leading water buffalo among sweet green rice paddies?

Do you expect to encounter dull grey buildings with “worker bees” wearing blue-grey Mao suits and toting the “Little Red Book.”

Modern Beijing offers none of these scenes, though its history reflects all this and more. The Beijing of 2008 is spiffing itself up, getting ready to host the world on the international stage of the 2008 Olympic games.

If you’re headed to Beijing for the games or are just thinking about taking a journey into the heart of the “dragon,” as Beijing is sometimes called, you’re in for a unique cultural and historical experience.”

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