Beijing, Capital of China

The capital city of China, Beijing is a fast-growing, dynamic metropolis that, while courting foreign businesses and visitors, maintains a firm grip on its rich cultural heritage and a strictly Communist social order. It is a monolithic showcase that can give a distorted view of China to foreign visitors. Beijing is a modern city with high-rise buildings, shopping malls and vast international hotels connected by an intricate freeway system crisscrossing the city. In the rush hour, traffic jams can match those of any major city around the world and the ringing of mobile phones is incessant. However, the modern buildings conceal traditional hutongs, parks, numerous architectural treasure and exquisite yellow-tiled temples whose prayer flags and wind chimes move in the breeze created by the passing traffic.

History

Beijing in Chinese means "capital in the north". Its establishment could be traced back to more than 3000 years ago. From 1272 to 1911, Beijing was the capital of Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. After the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, Beijing is the capital of new China.

Geography

Beijing is located at 115°20' to 117°32' east longitude and 3923' to 4105' north altitude, the same altitude as Rome, Madrid and Philadelphia. Its neighbors are Hebei Province and Tianjin City. Its total land area is 16,808 square kilometers, among which the mountain areas account for 52% and are distributed in its western, northern and northeastern parts, and the plain accounts for 38% and is distributed in its southern and southeastern parts.

Climate

Beijing is located in the temperate zone affected by continental monsoon. The spring and autumn in Beijing are shorter and dry while the summer and winter are relatively longer. October is the ending of the autumn. The temperature of October is about 17℃, sometimes the temperature goes down abruptly due to the cold air coming from western Siberia.

Transportation

Beijing has an extensive public transportation network. Subway and City Rail with high speed trains running at intervals of 3 to 5 minutes are the fastest public transportation in the city. Public buses are the cheapest means of transportation which cover the entire city. The starting fare of public buses is 1 yuan in the city and 2 yuan in the suburb areas. Beijing Subway fares vary on different lines. Single trip on Line Batong is 2 yuan, single trip on Line 1, Line 2 and City Rail Line 13 is 2 yuan, the transfer set ticket between Line 13 and any city line is 2 yuan, and the transfer set ticket between Line Batong and any city line is 2 yuan.

In addition to the buses, subways and city light rails, the taxis are also available in Beijing. Taking a taxi has a common name of "Da Di" in Beijing. The cheapest price for a taxi ride is 10 yuan and the price following the 3-km taxi ride is 2 yuan/km. Do not forget to keep your invoice. In case you leave any articles aboard, the invoice can help you find the taxi drivers.

Several city tour routes and two technical tours are prepared. Registrants are required to book and pay the full payment before Sept. 31, 2008. The payment should be made together with the Symposium registration fee. The routes are subjected to change or cancellation if the pre-booking is less than 10 people. In this case, the notification will be sent to you as soon as possible and the full rate will be refunded.