Let the Phoenix Lead the Way – Beijing, a City of Contrasts
Beijing –City of Splendour, Capital of Dreams
An ancient city, steeped in history and culture, sitting comfortably alongside its alter ego as a gleaming, cosmopolitan metropolis. For the Chinese, Beijing – the city of dreams – is a magical place that inspires rapture and pride in equal measure.
THEN
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The centuries-old home to five dynasties -
Not just somewhere to take photos, but a place to contemplate the relationship between heaven and earth, time and space, the ancient and the modern, growth and decay, and the universe and mankind – the Temple of Heaven park, housing the world's biggest collection of sacrificial buildings. -
In a city still filled with imperial parks from the dynastic age, this is the world's largest and most complete royal garden, with influences drawn from across the whole of the Middle Kingdom – the Summer Palace.
TODAY
Ancient history integrated with modern culture.
Modern architecture like the Bird's Nest, Water Cube and Giant Egg lend the capital a contemporary and "Chinese" edge.
TOMORROW
The Belt and Road Initiative will bring peoples of the world together to learn from each other and create a community of shared interests, responsibilities and destinies that is politically compatible, economically integrated, and culturally inclusive.
You can see
Traditional Chinese courtyard residences –the siheyuan
Winding alleys, hidden nooks
Thousands of traditional alleyways known locally as hutong continue to criss-cross the older districts of Beijing. They are stubborn bastions of the city's ancient cultural tradition, and still carry an old world charm about them. Despite increasing tourist numbers, these are still living, breathing neighborhoods that many experts nowadays speak of as retaining their own "hutong culture".
You can feel
Early morning serenity as rows of students on campus at China's prestigious Peking and Tsinghua universities start off their day practicing the gentle art of tai chi.
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A new lease of life as a traditional Chinese doctor uses acupuncture to open your meridians and realign your yin and yang.
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Wonder as you visit one of the capital's sprawling traditional Chinese medicine stores, capable of curing any ailments with a combination of quality ingredients and exotic techniques.
You can hear
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Peking-Oper
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Folk dance
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Acrobatics
traditional music at the Lao She Teahouse as it accompanies performances of Peking opera, folk dance, acrobatics, tea ceremonies, magic tricks, face-changing, and art of kung fu.
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You can taste
As the capital city for four dynasties, the cuisine of Beijing is both a distillation and melting pot of the best dishes from all over China, leading to three distinctive styles of cooking – the traditional Han, the Muslim Hui, and the elaborate Imperial.
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Some typical Beijing dishes include douzhi (mung bean milk), guanchang (deep-fried intestine), ma doufu (spicy tofu paste), zhajiangmian (noodles with soybean paste), and tanghulu (candied fruit skewers).
Centuries of civilization have taken root in this imperial city, where you can meander down the hutong for a glimpse into "old Beijing", sit beside a lake reading Ai Qing's poetry, go to The Place shopping mall for a dose of modernity, or seek out the city's beauty at the enchanting Houhai lake.
The phoenix is calling to you. Hop onto its golden wings as it flies you to this ever-changing yet never-changing city where anything can happen – Beijing!
Start your journey now
