BeijingisthebirthplaceofChineseCivilizationandoneofthesixancientcapitalcitiesinChina.Duringthelast3000yearsitservedasacapitalforseveraldynasties.ItisthesecondlargestcityinChinawithapopulationofmorethan11million.Beijingisneithercoldinwinternorveryhotinsummer.ThebestseasonsinBeijingareSpringandAutumn.Beijingisindeedanidealplacetovisitallroundtheyear.
TempleofHeaveninthesouthernpartofBeijingisChina`slargestexistingcomplexofancientsacrificialbuildings.Occupyinganareaof273hectares,itisthreetimestheareaoftheForbiddenCity.Itwasbuiltin1420foremperorstoworshipHeaven.TheprinciplebuildingsincludetheAltarofPrayerforGoodHarvests,ImperialVaultofHeavenandCircularMoundAltar.
ForbiddenCity,socalledbecauseitwasofflimitstocommonersfor500years,isthelargestandbest-preservedclusterofancientbuildingsinChina.Itwashometotwodynastiesofemperors-theMingandtheQing-whodidntstrayfromthispleasuredomeunlesstheyabsolutelyhadto.
GreatWallofChina,AlsoknowntotheChineseasthe10,000LiWall,theGreatWallofChinastretchesfromShanhaiguanPassontheeastcoasttoJiayuguanPassintheGobiDesert.Standardhistoriesemphasizetheunityofthewall.