China
Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China and it is renowned for its extraordinary history and beauty impressive to all. The country's long history has brought many capital cities to power over the centuries, but Beijing was the last imperial capital and has remained capital for most of the 20th century. Covering about 16,800 square km, and with a population of approximately 13 million, Beijing consists of numerous cultural relics and ruins, as well as magnificent architectural structures that mirror its 3,000 year history.
The Great Wall of China has been noted as the most magnificent man-made project on earth and its awesome nature can even be seen from outer space. As it now stands, the wall dates mainly from the Ming dynasty. However, its construction spanned a period of 2,000 years and involved about 20 states and dynasties. The Great Wall covered more than 6,000 km of terrain, from the coast of the Bohai Bay in the east and ending in the Jiayu Pass in the west, thus making it one of the most spectacular architectures of ancient China. It has played such a significant role in Chinese history as keeping the barbarians out of the Middle Kingdom. Visitors usually go to the restored section of the wall in Badaling, about 70 km north of Beijing city centre.
Shanghai is one of China's largest cities with a population of nearly 13 million. Shanghai was a town of importance from the 13th century when it became a county seat and was located in the area now known as the old town, which until the early part of the 20th century had its own wall. The colonial legacy of Shanghai is a bizarre one as treaties in the 19th century yielded areas of the city to the British, the French and then the Americans. Modern day Shanghai still has some visible signs of this colonialism with suburban English or French villas and Liverpool waterfront mirroring a European city in a Chinese setting. The newly opened Economic Development Zone of Pudong is situated close to the city proper occupying 518 square kilometres in area. Within this new area is the Free Trade Zone of Waigaoqiao Bonded Area which generates billions of dollars from both Chinese and foreign investors. Today, Shanghai is an epicentre concentrated with industry, trade and commerce, technology, finance, transportation and communication. Known as a nightless city, many shops open for business at night under flashing neon lights. Therefore, people from all over the world come to this cosmopolitan city where they can better understand Chinese society of the past and present.
