About Beijing
Area: 16,800 sq km (6552 sq m)
Population:12 million
Location: Situated in northeast China, Beijing adjoins the Inner Mongolian Highland to the northwest and the Great Northern Plain to the south.
Climate: Beijing's climate is defined as "continental monsoon." The four seasons are distinctly recognizable. Spring and autumn is the best time to be in Beijing, particularly in the months of April, May, September and October. Autumn is considered to be the best time to visit Beijing as the skies are clear and the weather is very comfortable. The four seasons are very clear in Beijing with a temperate spring, rainy summer, clear autumn, and a cold, snowy winter. The average temperature throughout the year is 11.80. The coldest month is January with an average temperature of -4.60 and the hottest month is July at an average temperature of 26.10. Unfortunately, spring and autumn are shorter than summer and winter. Although winter is technically longer, that should not keep you from travelling to Beijing as indoor heating is widely available. Nevertheless, as the indoor/outdoor temperature difference is rather large, travelers should be prepared with warm clothing and a thick coat is recommended for the colder months of the year. In winter, off-season discounts are to be had as well.
Scenery Spots in Beijing
Western Qing Tombs
The Western Qing Tombs are one of the groups of mausoleums of emperors from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), which twins with Eastern Qing Tombs . It lies at the foot of the green and lofty Yongning Mountain in the north, about 15 kilometers (9.32 miles) west of County Yi, Hebei Province and 120 kilometers (74.56 miles) west of the capital Beijing. It is also a close neighbor to the twisting and bewitching Yishui River in the south, as well as the Hebei section of the Great Wall - Zijingguan Pass in the west. Covering an area of about 800 square kilometers (198 thousand acres) and with a perimeter of 100 kilometers (62.14 miles), the whole area is surrounded by more than 20 thousand ancient but healthy pines. With its enthralling scenery, high cultural values, delicate craft work and unique designs, the Western Qing Tombs have proved to be a charming and popular location for tourists from both home and abroad ever since it was unveiled to the public.
Bell and Drum Towers
The bell and drum towers were originally used as musical instruments in China. Afterward, however, they were used for telling time. As early as in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220), there was 'a morning bell and a dusk drum'. Telling the time by bell and drum played an important role in helping people live and work regularly when there was no other means to keep track of the time. As a result, bell and drum towers became public architectures, and were widely constructed in almost every city throughout the country since the Han Dynasty. In the history of their construction, the bell and drum towers of Beijing are the largest and highest. Their layout is unique, in that they were placed fore-and-aft, not as the traditional sense of standing right-and-left horizontally.Lying to the north of Beijing-south axis line in Dongcheng District, the bell and drum towers are visibly prominent constructions and represent the symbol of this old city. They were built in 1272, and rebuilt twice after two fires. At one period in history they were the time-telling center of the capital city during the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties (1271-1911).
Local Food
Sticky Rice Balls (Ai Wo Wo)
Sticky Rice Balls (Ai Wo Wo): A court snack during the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368), sticky rice balls have disseminated to the masses. Sticky rice, a special variety of rice, is first steamed, then pounded to a doughy consistency, shaped into a ball, and then stuffed with a sweet filling and dusted with rice flour. The usual fillings are sesame and white sugar, pea flour, jujube paste, or red bean paste. The result is an opaque, smooth-looking, chewy ball of sweetness.
Pastry Made of Soy Bean Flour (Lu da gun)
Pastry Made of Soy Bean Flour (Lu da gun): A Beijing snack with a Muslim origin, rolling donkey refers to a kind of cake made with steamed glutinous millet or steamed sticky rice, filled with red pea, and then drizzled over with fried bean flour. After being cut into blocks, the cake is rolled in soybean flour, looking like a donkey rolling on the ground raising dust, hence the name.