Beijingisthepolitical,commercialandculturalcenterofthemosthighlypopulatedcountryintheworld.TogetherwithShanghaiandTianjin,itisthethirdcentrallyadministeredmunicipalityandtheeastofthecentralgovernment.Partyconventionstakeplacehere.TheNationalPeople'sCongressholdsitssessionsandthehighestpublicauthoritiesandministrieshavetheirseathere.ThefateofmorethanonebillionpeopleisdeterminedinBeijing.Asinamicrocosm,thiscityrepresentstheheritageoftraditionalChinaandtheachievementsofmodernChina.Itwouldtakeseveralweekstobecomeacquaintedwithalltheplacesofinterestandthearttreasures.TheoutstandingartisticskilloftheChinesearchitects,craftsmenandartistswhohavecreateedtheimageofthecitysincetheJinandYuaneras,willfilltheWesternvisitorwithamazementandenthusiasm.
BeijingisvisitedbymillionsofguestsfromChinaandabroadeveryyear.Thecityoffersabitofeverything,nomatterwhatlineofinterestthetouristchoosestofollow.ThemostimportantsightsareinthequarteraroundTianamenSquarewithmorerecentbuildingstotheeast,southandwestandtheImperialPalacetothenorth.VisitorsonashorttripshouldalsovisittheSummerPalace,YiheYuan.Equallyattractivearethetemplecomplexes,asforexamplethelamatempleorthecomplexesinXishan,theWesternHills.AmustineveryprogramisatriptotheGreatWall.
