Beijing pictures with Prohibited City

Discover the beautiful city of Beijing

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Travel to China. Images of Beijing with its inhabitants, its monuments and its streets. Discover the Chinese traditions and the history of China.

Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China. Located in the north of the country, the municipality of Beijing, with an area of 16,800 km2, borders the Hebei Province and the Municipality of Tianjin. Beijing is considered the political and cultural center of China, while Hong Kong and Shanghai dominate economically.

Originally a peripheral city of the Chinese empire under the Han and Tang, it gained importance when the Jurchen, which founded the Jin Dynasty, chose it as their main capital in 1153. The Mongol prince Kubilai Khan even under the name of Dadu ("big metropolis"), finally the Ming there transfer their administration in 1421, completing the choice of Beijing like capital of China. Located near the Great Wall, Beijing is home to famous landmarks such as the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven, which are listed as World Heritage. Many architectural and structural achievements have changed the city during the Summer Olympics that it hosted in 2008. Beijing was chosen by the IOC to host the Olympic Winter Games of 2022 and will be the first city to have hosted both editions of the international sports event.

With 21.15 million inhabitants in 2013, Beijing is the second most populous city in China after Shanghai. The urban area has 18 million inhabitants. The Pekingese language forms the basis of standard Mandarin. From an economic point of view, Beijing is the third largest city in China by total GDP behind Shanghai and Hong Kong. It is experiencing very rapid economic growth, well over 10% a year in the 2000s. A new Central Business District (CBD) is under construction. © Pictures of Emmanuel Buchot

Photo Gallery of Beijing

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