museum
National Museum of China
One of the world's largest museums, chronicling Chinese civilization from ancient times with over a million artifacts.
0 km · about 5 min drive
AsiaChinaBeijing
Beijing
Beijing, China · Asia
About Beijing
Beijing works well as a base: 5 minutes from Jinrongjie, 15km from Summer Palace.
Beijing is in China, with about 19 million people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Jinrongjie, about 4 km away.
Beijing, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 21.8 million residents, it is the world's most populous national capital city, as well as China's second-largest city by urban area, after Shanghai. It is located in Northern China and is governed as a provincial-levelRead more
direct-administered municipality with 16 municipal districts. Beijing is mostly surrounded by Hebei Province and neighbors Tianjin Municipality to the southeast; together, the three divisions form the Jing-Jin-Ji cluster.
Beijing is a global city and one of the world's leading centers for culture, diplomacy, politics, finance, business and economics, education, research, language, tourism, media, sports, science and technology, transportation, and art. It is home to the headquarters of most of China's largest state-owned companies and houses the largest number of Fortune Global 500 companies in the world, as well as the world's four biggest financial institutions by total assets. It is also a major hub for the national highway, expressway, railway, and high-speed rail networks. For a decade before the COVID-19 pandemic, Beijing Capital International Airport was Asia's busiest airport (2009–2019) and the second-busiest airport in the world (2010–2019). In 2020, the Beijing subway was the fourth-busiest and second-longest in the world. Beijing Daxing International Airport, Beijing's second international airport, is the largest single-structure airport terminal in the world. The city has hosted numerous international and national sporting events, the most notable being the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2008 Summer Paralympics Games. In 2022, Beijing became the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics, and also the Summer and Winter Paralympics.
The architecture of Beijing contains elements of both traditional Chinese architecture and modern styles, with one half of the city being modernized and renovated, and the other half still offering traditional hutong districts. Beijing is one of the oldest cities in the world, with recorded history spanning over three millennia. As the last remaining one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, Beijing has been the political center of the country for most of the past eight centuries and was the largest city in the world by population for much of the second millennium AD. With mountains surrounding the inland city on three sides, in addition to the ancient city fortifications, Beijing was strategically poised to be and developed into the residence of the emperor. The city is renowned for its opulent palaces, temples, parks, gardens, tombs, walls and gates. Beijing is considered one of the most well-known tourist destinations in the world. In 2018, Beijing was the second highest earning tourist city in the world after Shanghai. Beijing is home to many national monuments and museums and has eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites—the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Ming Tombs, Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site, Beijing Central Axis and parts of the Great Wall and the Grand Canal—all of which are popular tourist locations. Siheyuans, the city's traditional housing style, and hutongs, the narrow alleys between siheyuans, are major tourist attractions and are common in urban Beijing.
Beijing's public universities make up more than one-fifth of Double First-Class Construction universities, and many of them consistently rank among the best in the Asia-Pacific and the world, including Tsinghua University, Peking University and UCAS. Beijing CBD is a center for Beijing's economic expansion, with the ongoing or recently completed construction of multiple skyscrapers. Beijing's Zhongguancun area is a world leading center of scientific and technological innovation, as well as entrepreneurship. Beijing has been ranked the city with the largest scientific research output by the Nature Index since the list's inception in 2016. Beijing hosts 176 foreign embassies, as well as the headquarters of many organizations, including the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the Silk Road Fund, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Central Academy of Fine Arts, the Central Academy of Drama, the Central Conservatory of Music, and the Red Cross Society of China.
Where to Stay in Beijing
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Beijing?
Within an hour or so of Beijing: National Museum of China (0 km), Tiananmen Square (0 km), Forbidden City (1 km), Temple of Heaven (3 km).
Where is Beijing?
Beijing is in Beijing, China, about 4 km from Jinrongjie.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 18,960,744
- Continent
- Asia
- Country
- China
- Region
- Beijing
- Timezone
- Asia/Shanghai
- Coordinates
- 39.9075, 116.3972
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in China
Foreign driving licences and IDPs are not recognised: a temporary Chinese licence is required.
Full driving guide for ChinaTags
Worth the detour from Beijing
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Tiananmen Square
Immense public square in the heart of Beijing, one of the largest city squares in the world, flanked by monumental government buildings.
0 km · about 5 min drive
landmark
Forbidden City
Immense imperial palace complex of 980 buildings that served as the Chinese emperor's home for nearly 500 years.
1 km · about 5 min drive
cathedral
Temple of Heaven
A 15th-century imperial complex where Chinese emperors performed annual ceremonies of prayer for good harvests.
3 km · about 5 min drive
landmark
Happy Valley Beijing
Major Chinese theme park in Beijing with six themed zones and some of the country's most thrilling coasters.
10 km · about 20 min drive
museum
798 Art District
Beijing's vibrant contemporary art zone housed in decommissioned military factory buildings, featuring galleries, studios, and creative spaces.
12 km · about 20 min drive
castle
Summer Palace
A vast ensemble of lakes, gardens, and palaces in Beijing, used as a summer retreat by Qing dynasty emperors and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
15 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Great Wall of China (Badaling)
The most visited section of the ancient Great Wall, offering restored walkways and sweeping mountain views.
60 km · about 70 min drive
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